When you have IBS, everything is more difficult. An invitation out with friends induces anxiety, a work conference creates images of tables groaning with food we can't risk eating, the thought of a cocktail party induces a panic attack. Even a simple family dinner at a local restaurant has us scrambling for excuses not to go. We can all relate to this. Sometimes it is simpler to stay at home near a familiar toilet and watch Netflix with a glass of water. Withdrawing from society is common among those suffering from IBS. But there comes a time when you can't simply hide your head under a pillow and wish the world and its pressures would disappear. It's your grandmother's 90th birthday party and no excuse would be good enough not to attend. Or your work is sending you to a conference and it's compulsory. To help you out, I have a series of videos to guide you through a variety of social situations. Hopefully, some of the tips and strategies you learn from … [Read more...] about How to socialize while on the low Fodmap diet
How things can go wrong with the low Fodmap diet on a walking trek
A couple of weeks ago, I went on a second 4-day walking trek. This time my friend and I joined three other ladies to hike on Great Barrier Island, which is a 30-minute flight from Auckland, New Zealand. In December, we did a similar trip around Lake Waikaremoana and everything went extremely smoothly for my diet. See HERE. This time was a little different. The accommodation that the tour group usually used on Great Barrier Island was full and so they had to switch us to another lodge at the last minute. Its location was spectacular – right on the water – but their attention to my dietary needs was very poor. They had been briefed on my needs but seemed to be unaware who I was and that I couldn't eat any onion or garlic, despite being reminded several times. On the first evening, for my meal, I ordered steak without any sauce and salad without any onion or dressing. The steak arrived sizzling on a heated stone slab looking delicious but covered in a garlic sauce. When I … [Read more...] about How things can go wrong with the low Fodmap diet on a walking trek
My 7 Most Popular Recipes for 2019
These are the seven recipes that were viewed most often during 2019. Low Fodmap bread I suppose this one shouldn't surprise me since most of my clients are fixated on getting bread back into their diets after doing the 6-week program with me to find their triggers and create a final diet that keeps them safe from symptoms. Many months of experimenting resulted in this bread recipe. If you follow it exactly without any substituting, it will provide you with a delicious, moist, low Fodmap bread. Zucchini Hummus This is a tasty alternative to the classic hummus which is made with chickpeas and garlic, which is high Fodmap. Just don't get carried away and eat too much at any one time. Spicy Potato Pie This is an easy dish that takes not a lot of time to make, and the family will love it. It is a complete meal which covers all the food groups. It could be a great pot luck dinner contribution so that if there is nothing else you can eat at the event, you can at … [Read more...] about My 7 Most Popular Recipes for 2019
How I coped with my IBS on a 4-day walking trip
Last week, I went away on a 4-day walking trip around Lake Waikaremoana in Te Urerewa, which is an area of mostly forested, sparsely populated, rugged hill country in the North Island of New Zealand. Here you can find some of the only remaining Jurassic forest in New Zealand. If you loved Lord of the Rings, you will find Frodo behind every tree in this wilderness, which is dripping with lichen from massive 1,000-year-old trees. We slept in a historic lodge on the edge of Lake Whakamarino with shared bathroom facilities, and we walked nearly all day with access only to primitive long-drop toilets, if they were available at all. The menus were set with no choices. So, I was a little nervous when I booked this trip because of my irritable bowel syndrome. The following will help you if you wish to undertake a similar adventure. I got in touch with the organisers of the trip, The Walking Legends in advance and told them I had IBS and needed to avoid onion and garlic, which are my … [Read more...] about How I coped with my IBS on a 4-day walking trip
Crispy Low Fodmap Roasted Potatoes
Who doesn't love crispy roasted potatoes! Potatoes are low Fodmap and can be eaten in many different ways. My favourite way is roasted, but they must be roasted well and there are a few tricks to that. Follow my recipe to the letter, and you will have perfectly roasted low Fodmap potatoes for dinner. You can vary the herb if you want according to what’s fresh in season but don’t add the herbs until the second half of the cooking so they don’t get burned. You can have one or two medium potatoes and stay safe. Serve these with a roast dinner together with a green vegetable like broccoli or beans or a nice fresh salad. Low Fodmap Roasted Potatoes Print Prep time 10 mins Cook time 60 mins Total time 1 hour 10 mins Author: Suzanne Perazzini Serves: Serves 4 Ingredients 4 potatoes Olive oil Sea salt 1 tbsp fresh rosemary 1 tbsp grated orange peel Splash of vinegar 1 tsp garlic oil Salt and pepper Method Heat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Peel or … [Read more...] about Crispy Low Fodmap Roasted Potatoes
Smoothies on the Low Fodmap Diet
The internet will tell you that smoothies are healthy, even some low Fodmap websites. However, those of us with irritable bowel syndrome have to take much of what we see and read on the internet with a grain of salt, and this is another case in point. I explain why that is in this video. … [Read more...] about Smoothies on the Low Fodmap Diet
