After going through the cleanse process and starting to reintroduce new foods I found myself sitting down and looking at all the various lists that I had regarding what was okay and not okay to eat when one has FM. I needed to go through those lists to get a better grip of what was commonly considered okay. It took some time to gather the various lists and go over them and over them and try to determine which was the most consistent information. I remember being quite baffled and frustrated at the time. Finally I developed a list that I thought was pretty consistent with what I had read. I wanted my own list so I wasn’t always flipping through the various lists trying to determine what to try next or what was sort of okay. I’m glad I took the time to do this as after that I could just look at my list and stick with it.
This does not mean that the items on this list are all safe for those with FM. What it means is that they are the mostly commonly tolerated foods or non-tolerated foods. Each person is very different when it comes to FM, so it becomes an individual trial of the most commonly tolerated foods to determine what you can or cannot eat. Remember to only introduce one new food every 5-7 days and not to overeat on the trail food. Eat a small portion of the new food (e.g. 1/4-1/2 a banana, 2 strawberries) and then wait for 3-4 days to see if there is any reaction. Consider trying it a second time before moving on to a new food … this would mean it would actually be 8 days before you introduce a new food.
At the time of making the list we already had added a few veggies back into our diet. So the list below is a copy of what I compiled at that point in our diet.
| Currently Can Eat | Currently Can Eat | NOT ALLOWED | **TRYPTOPHAN |
| Fruits | Vegetables | ||
| *Pumpkin | *Lettuce | Apples | Bananas |
| *Rhubarb | Gr. Peppers | Pears (P) | Chicken |
| *Zucchini | Watermelon (F/P) | Milk – cheese, yogurt, etc | |
| *Potato | Mango | Spinach | |
| Chives | Peach (F) | Turkey | |
| Borecole/kale | Honey | Nuts | |
| Corn | Onion (F) | Peanut butter | |
| Garlic (F) | Pumpkin seeds | ||
| Future Possibilities/Trials | Future Possiblities/Trials | Nectarine (P) | Sesame Seeds |
| Orange | Cucumber | Cherries (P) | Soy |
| *Grapefruit | *celery | Plums (P) | Eggs |
| Kiwi | Green beans | Cauliflower | |
| Pineapple | Spinach | Kale | |
| Swiss chard | Green beans | ||
| #Strawberries | Carrot | Fish | |
| #Raspberries | Tomato | ||
| Cantaloupe | *Mushrooms (P) | ||
| Blueberries | *Cauliflower (P) | ||
| Banana | *Broccoli (F?) | ||
| Cranberry | *Peas (F/P) | ||
| Grapes | Beets (F) | ||
| Cabbage (F) |
* low overall fructose
# medium overall fructose
(P) Polyols
(F) Fructans
**Tolerated tryptophan foods are good for those with FM as they help the body to process seretonin which is often hindered from being produced as it should in the intestines of those with FM. Eating extra tryptophan can help to reduce mood/emotional struggles
How long do you suggest that someone stay on the elimination diet before adding new foods to try?
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful to have found your new blog. Thank you for putting this info out there in a way that is easy to follow!
This entry explains a bit of the elimination diet: http://www.lifewithfructosemalabsorption.blogspot.com/2011/11/so-you-feel-relieved-that-you-now-have.html
ReplyDeleteIt is usually suggested to aim for 1-2 weeks, two weeks obviously being the best for cleansing the system.
I just want to say that when I was diagnosed with fructose intolerance in February your blog was helpful to me. I started my own blog to help my family and friends know what's on my "approved" list and I wanted to share a fructose-free snack I've been making for myself don't know for sure if these foods are on your family's "approved" list http://fructoasted.blogspot.com/2012/08/fructose-free-granola-bar.html.
ReplyDelete