Starting a new diet can be overwhelming at first. There may be so many guidelines to follow, food to measure, and meals to plan. This can be even more difficult when you are trying to juggle two different eating regimens like with the low FODMAP diet and keto diet. However, with a few practical tips, this combined diet can fit in smoothly with your schedule without much stress. Read below on ways to make an easy transition to the combined low FODMAP and keto diet lifestyle.

Quick background on low FODMAP and keto diets

The low FODMAP eating plan involves cutting out carbohydrates known as fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. Some of the major foods limited or avoided on this regimen include garlic, onions, cow’s milk, wheat, and plant-based foods such as asparagus, cauliflower, cherries, apples, mangoes, cashews, and pistachios. This diet is typically used by those hoping to lessen symptoms of digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

On the other hand, the keto diet is typically used for weight loss and blood glucose control. It involves keeping fats within 55 to 60-percent of calories, protein between 30 to 35-percent of calories, and carbohydrates within 5 to 10-precent of calories. Its purpose is to switch the body’s energy-burning system from carbohydrate mode to fat mode. Major foods avoided on this diet include dairy, grains, legumes, and anything sugary or processed.

Practical tips for combined low FODMAP and keto diet success

In order to make this combined diet successful, its important to take it one step at a time. Here are some practical tips for starting this combined keto-low FODMAP diet plan.

• Keep a food and symptom diary: At the start of your combined diet, it may be helpful to keep a food and symptom diary. This can not only help you see what and how much you are eating each day, but can also help you see what you were eating around the time you may feel any symptoms. This can especially be helpful in the reintroduction phase of the low FODMAP diet.
• Take time to plan and prep: Although you may not feel like you have any time to prep and plan meals, it is essential to success on any eating plan. And you don’t need a lot of time. Just find one hour each week to sit down and create a meal plan for the week and jot down a list of foods you will need for those meals. Also, once you buy the foods you need, you will only need a bit of time to wash, prep, and portion out healthy snacks like sliced bell pepper, carrots, or broccoli for the week. Pre-washed vegetables, although a bit costlier, can save you some time with this.
• Keep a running grocery list: To make sure you always have the foods you need on hand, it’s important to keep a running grocery list. As soon as you run out of a food, jot it on the list if you feel you will need it for the following week’s meals and snacks. This will help keep you on track and less tempted to reach for convenience foods outside of your regimen.
• Plan before your eat out: It’s inevitable that at some point during your eating plan you will eat out with friends, family, or co-workers. Therefore, to make sure you stay on track, find out where you will be eating and check out the menu ahead of time. This will help give you time to make a healthy choice and prevent any last-minute unhealthy choices the day of the event.

If you find that at any point, your symptoms seem to be getting worse rather than better, then it may be time to stop the diet. This is because some people with irritable bowel syndrome may be sensitive to fatty foods. Therefore, a keto diet may cause digestive discomfort, diarrhea, and other uncomfortable symptoms when consuming too much fat. In this case, a low FODMAP diet on its own and a visit to a qualified healthcare provider like a registered dietitian may help you determine a safer way to lose weight without sacrificing your digestive health.

Take home message

When approaching a new diet, whether a single diet or combined, it’s important to take it one step at a time and forgive yourself if you fall off the wagon here and there. Diet restriction is not always easy, but if it helps reduce your digestive symptoms or improve your health in any way it can be worth the hard work. For more resources and advice on following the low FODMAP diet, visit the Casa de Sante website.