Food & Nutrition Newsletter

Digestive woes are not what you typically talk about in casual conversations with friends and coworkers. But if you did, you’d start to understand how many people you know deal with

uncomfortable gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms on a near-daily basis.

Eat to Beat Tummy Troubles

Summer 2018

Corporate Chefs’ Healthy Balance Food & Nutrition Newsletter: Summer, 2018

One in four of Americans have regular tummy trouble, and an estimated 25 to 45 million of us suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), which causes gas, bloating, cramping, pain, and altered bowel function.

If you’re one of the many who put up with stomach problems, you may want to consider the low-FODMAP diet.

The low-FODMAP eating plan is based on an approach created by researchers at Monash University in Australia. Research suggests that as many as 75% of people with IBS can get relief from their symptoms by following a low-FODMAP diet, which may also benefit those with other GI conditions, such as celiac disease (along with a gluten-free eating plan.)

FODMAPS, ExplainedFODMAPs are a group of certain carbohydrates (sugars and fibers)

found in higher levels in many everyday foods, such as apples, garlic, traditional yogurt (not Greek), and products made with wheat. Because some people can’t properly digest them, FODMAPS can pull water into the small intestine. In addition, FODMAPS are rapidly consumed by gut microbes (bacteria naturally present in the gut), which results in excessive gas production. Water and gas can contribute to symptoms of bloating, alteration in bowel habits, and pain.

The Low-FODMAP ApproachThe low-FODMAP approach is a three-part nutritional intervention. The first part is a two to six-week elimination phase where high-FODMAP foods are taken out of the diet. The second part is the challenge, or reintroduction, phase. During this phase, FODMAPs are systematically added back to the diet to help you identify which source or sources trigger symptoms, and which FODMAPs do not. The third

phase is the integration phase, when tolerated FODMAP foods are slowly added back to the diet.

The goal of the low-FODMAP approach is to eat the most varied and enjoyable diet as possible while maintaining good symptom control. Cutting out too many foods on the low-FODMAP diet may also reduce some healthy microbes in the gut. Experts stress the importance of reintroduction and integration phases of the low-FODMAP diet so that you can follow an eating plan with as much variety as possible to maintain symptom relief and keep your gut healthy.

For more information about the low-FODMAP approach, see The Low-FODMAP Diet, Step by Step, by registered dietitian Kate Scarlata and food writer Dede Wilson.

FAST FACT:Certain emulsifiers, substances that help to prevent separation in packaged foods such as ice cream, salad dressing, and mayonnaise, cause gut inflammation and altered gut microbes in animal studies. Avoid foods with polysorbate-80 and carboxymethylcellulose to be on the safe side.

Every day, there is more evidence that gut health affects your overall wellbeing. You probably think that bacteria are bad, but not all should be avoided. Your body is inhabited by trillions of bacteria that support health, and most of them live in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Gut bacteria help with food digestion, and may influence your chances for diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, particularly colon cancer; they may also affect your mood, metabolism, and immunity. Researchers have found differences in the types, diversity, and amounts of beneficial gut bacteria in people

who have certain chronic conditions, but it’s difficult to tell if the disease is causing the conditions in the gut, or if it’s the other way around.

There’s a lot of excitement about “feeding your gut” for better health, and suggestions for taking beneficial bacteria, or probiotics, in supplement form abound. However, there is no research about the health effects of consuming such supplements in the longterm. For now, the best way to keep your gut as healthy as possible is to eat diet rich in fiber from plant foods, and to include foods that contain probiotics, such as yogurt and kefir, on a daily basis.

Corporate Chefs’ Food & Nutrition News is written by Elizabeth M. Ward, M.S., R.D. • We welcome your comments!

Can mom’s low-FODMAP diet ease her infant’s colic?

Perhaps, and it may be wo r t h a t r y. Co l i c i s frequent, prolonged and intense crying or fussiness in heal thy infants . I t ’s

particularly distressful for the baby and the parent, and may be the result of severe tummy pain. Crying episodes often occur in the evening, when parents themselves are often tired. A 2017 study in the Journal of Human Nutrition and D ie te t i cs found that when breastfeeding moms of infants w i th co l i c decreased the i r FODMAP intake, the infants’ colic symptoms decreased. While more research is needed about the effect of mom’s diet on colic, the study offers hope to parents.

Q.

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ASK THE RD:

1 cup 1% low-fat milk*

2 teaspoons sugar or low-FODMAP sweetener of your choice, such as stevia

1 cup cold strong, brewed coffee

2 ice cubes

Ground cinnamon or unsweetened cocoa powder, if desired

Iced Café Au Lait

Place the milk and sugar mixture in a blender. Blend on high speed until frothy. (Or use a handheld frother.) Pour coffee into a tall glass with the ice cubes, and add the frothed milk. Sprinkle with cinnamon or cocoa, if desired.

Per serving: Calories: 133; Total fat: 2 grams; Saturated fat: 1 gram; Cholesterol: 12 milligrams; Sodium: 107 milligrams; Carbohydrate: 21 grams; Fiber: 0; Protein: 8 grams; Calcium: 296 milligrams

This refreshing, low-FODMAP drink packs bone-building calcium and protein.

Makes 1 serving

GOT GOOD GUT BACTERIA?

*Use lactose-free milk if regular bothers your stomach.