Why I Started A FODMAP Free Diet

WARNING! This is my biggest ever TMI post.

Where have I been?  My last post was January 18th, almost a month ago!  Well, I've had some issues - gut issues.  I've known for a long time (most of my life whether I chose to pay attention or not) I have digestive issues.  Going gluten free 3 years ago didn't change anything.  Going paleo almost two years ago made a HUGE difference.  But now I've plateaued, gotten lazy, and added some inflammation weight.  As I started getting serious again about what I allowed into my mouth, trouble began to surface.  Let me add here that eleven years ago I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.  The fibro pain had only gotten worse over the years.  It was not until the last couple of years that I started to believe my pain was caused more from poor nutrition than anything.  Then ten months ago I got this horrible pain in my arms, different than the "fibro" pain.  It's like a burning in my bones from my shoulder to my elbow.  I can't lift my arms, put on/take off my bra or shirts, sleep, reach out or up without excruciating pain.  I've been seeing my fabulous chiropractor for 8 months and the pain is only getting worse.  Until two weeks ago.

So, I've been dealing with stomach pains, doubled over stomach pains with almost everything I was eating, and diarrhea.  Even a strict paleo diet wasn't helping.  It got to the point where I was afraid to eat anything. As I began to research I discovered fodmaps and started trying to eat a fodmap-free diet.  Then something very strange happened to me.  I got up around 2:30 in the morning with diarrhea.  After a few minutes I felt like I was going to faint and called for my husband to help me.  I didn't faint and I was aware of what was happening but I was unable to respond.  I couldn't talk.  I couldn't move.  My hands were curled up into my chest.  My husband (poor thing) had to clean me up and carry me to bed.  I could see he had the phone to his ear pacing and trying to decide if he should call 911.  I'm thinking (but can't respond) it's the morning of my son's birthday party and my daughter's big MUN conference I can't go to the emergency room.  I finally came around and could respond to my husband and then I realized the pain in my arms I've been dealing with for 10 months was gone.  Gone!  What's up with that?  What just happened to me?  Did I have a mini stroke?

Don't know.  I feel like all the toxic junk I've had in my body was coming out and my body didn't know how to respond.  The fact that the pain in my arms was gone after this made me think it was nutritional.  Especially since I didn't keep eating fodmap-free and the pain has returned.

Today I'm in the process of a 30-day low fodmap diet to see if this is my issue.  I haven't had any stomach pains but still have the pain in my arms.  We'll see...

So, what are fodmaps?  Fodmap is an acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols.  I don't know very much right now except what I can't eat (which varies depending on your source).  I'm following Chris Kresser's list and you can read more about fodmaps on his site here.

For a while I'll be posting recipes that are paleo and low-fodmap.  Stay tuned.