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The Low FODMAP Diet And Diabetes

Last updated on Mar 19th, 2018 Authored by Sally Marchini (APD)     Reviewed by Alana Scott
Low FODMAP Diabetes Management Plan

If you have diabetes and IBS then you might be wondering how on earth you can combine both the low FODMAP diet and diabetes diet and not compromise your nutrition or health. It certainly is a little tricky, but it’s not impossible.

My name is Sally and I’m an accredited practising dietitian who has type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease. In this article I will provide a basic diabetes and low FODMAP outline, however I highly encourage you to seek personalised advice for your diabetes through your dietitian. Any changes you make to your diet need to be monitored through your health professional team. In some cases, this general advice may not be suitable for your medical needs.

Brief explanation of diet and diabetes

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, regardless of whether it’s type 1 or type 2 or even metabolic syndrome, then you are generally advised to follow a nutritious balanced diet.  It’s also important you understand which foods contain the macronutrient called ‘carbohydrate’ or ‘carbs’, which are the most nutritious of these choices, and how much of these foods is right for you to personally aim for in each meal, snack or day. Avoiding saturated and trans fats and watching your sodium intake is also strongly recommended.

Maintaining a healthy diet is important to help to minimise the risks of other associated health conditions such as insulin resistance, unnecessary weight gain, developing organ-related damage (thinking heart/kidney/liver), and other physical damage caused by poor blood glucose control. The Australian Dietary Guidelines are a useful resource for creating a healthy diet.

My top suggestion is to include foods that help lower the glycaemic index of your meal:

  • use quality fats (high in mono-unsaturates)
  • eat lots of soluble fibre (veggies/salads, legumes, wholegrains and nuts/seeds are packed with it)
  • include a lean protein food in your meal (eggs, lean meats, fish, legumes/tofu)
  • use acids such as vinegar or lemon juice in your salads
  • and be aware of the amount of carbs you need to keep your glycaemic load reasonable.

Exercise

Don’t forget that regular exercise helps to stabilise blood glucose levels when combined with a healthy diet. Do you get the 60 minutes a day of moderate level activity? This is the amount of exercise that is recommended by the Australian Physical Activity Guidelines for people with diabetes. Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore so choose an activity you find fun. You’ll feel better for it!

Managing Hypoglycaemia (Hypos)

If you have diabetes then hypoglycaemia (Hypos) occur when there’s too much insulin and not enough sugar (glucose) in the blood. Hypos must be treated quickly, so please follow your hypo plan provided by your health care team.

FODMAP friendly hypo treatments include (but are not limited to) lemonade (with no high fructose corn syrup), jelly beans, glucose tablets and low-FODMAP fruits and juices.

Brief explanation of low FODMAP diet

FODMAPs are fermentable carbohydrates that can sometimes trigger the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Some of these fermentable carbohydrates, from a diabetes perspective, you may not even recognise as carbohydrates!  Many of them are healthy foods that might otherwise be included in a diet for people with diabetes.  To avoid confusion, we suggest you grab the Monash Low FODMAP app for an accurate list of high and low FODMAP foods and then check out our tips below.

It’s also good to note that a strict low FODMAP diet should only be followed for 2 to 6 weeks, then you can start re-challenging FODMAPs to see which ones you can add back into your diabetes diet.

Tips for combining the low FODMAP diet and diabetes diet

We understand that combing a low FODMAP diet with a diabetes diet can be challenging so here are some tips to help:

  • Choose carbs that have a lower-GI. Think about including lactose-free dairy, low FODMAP fruit, canned chickpeas and lentils (these are low FODMAP legumes), low-FODMAP starchy veg that you can tolerate, quinoa, brown or basmati rice as well as spelt sourdough and the Baker’s Delight LoFo loaf which is made with wholegrains.
  • Increase fibre levels (ask a dietitian to help you figure out what you tolerate), aiming for at least 30g/day. Try eating more low-FODMAP veggies, fruits, nuts, allowed legumes, whole grains, and boost your fibre intake with psyllium husk or oat bran if needed.
  • Choose cooking oils that are highest in monounsaturated fats, such as extra virgin olive oil, canola oil or avocado oil.
  • Include nuts you tolerate every day, aiming for one-two handfuls. Low FODMAP options include walnuts, pecans, peanuts, macadamia nuts, and small serves of almonds/hazelnuts (10 or less per serve).

Are you ready to take control of your gut symptoms?

YES I WANT TOO!

No thanks, my gut is perfect.

  • Avoid fast foods and processed snacks whether they’re low FODMAP or not. If you’re hungry then aim to eat real food, not processed.
  • It sounds obvious… but use less sugar and consume less sweet foods and drinks (common sources are soft drinks, cakes, cookies and confectionery). Just because you ‘can’ eat them from a FODMAP perspective, doesn’t mean you ‘should’.
  • Use lactose-free milk and dairy products as these are a great source of quality carbs and protein. Research also tells us that people who include 2 serves of these per day are at decreased risk of heart health and other issues.
  • Choose oily fish such as salmon and sardines on a regular basis as their higher levels of omega-3s will help to balance out the saturated fats that sneak into your diet. They’re also a great protein and calcium source, can help improve your gut microbiome, as well as being FODMAP friendly!
  • Ensure that you liberalise the diet by re-challenging high FODMAP foods and keep pushing those boundaries to keep your system healthy.

Final Thoughts

We hope this article demonstrates that it’s not too hard to combine a low FODMAP diet and diabetes diet and achieve your health goals. Just remember your dietitian can help you personalise your plan even further to make sure it is right for you.

Author: Sally Marchini (APD)

Accredited Practising Dietitian, Sally Marchini of Marchini Nutrition, has type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease herself and is passionate about supporting others with these and other chronic conditions, especially metabolic conditions and gut health. Sa... Read More

Professional Reviewer: Alana Scott

In 2013, Alana was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She also suffers from coeliac disease, is allergic to nuts and is intolerant to dairy products. This means she understands how difficult it can be to cook with multiple food intolerances. Her exp... Read More

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Feb 26

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End of summer veggies are the best and these roasted eggplants are call my name right now.

These are super simple too - roast the eggplant in oil, salt and pepper until golden and tender. Smother in golden sunshine tahini sauce and sprinkle with toasted seeds.

If you are low FODMAP the 1 small-medium eggplant = 4 servings.

Sunshine tahini dressing:
1 tsp garlic infused oil
1.5 tsp gluten free soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
3 tbsp tahini
1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Place in a jar and shake until well combined.

This recipe is part of our premium FODMAP recipe club (along with 700+ other low FODMAP recipes).

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Feb 22

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I'm stuck at the office and I'm staving! Definitely didn't pack enough snacks today... if I could I'd be drinking this right now.

Give me a ❤️ if you want to be drinking this too. Say hello to my low FODMAP strawberry and rhubarb smoothie.

Strawberries and rhubarb make the best smoothie buddies. It might sound like an odd combo but the tanginess of the rhubarb pairs super well with the sweetness from the strawberries to create a refreshing and vibrant drink.

1 serve 👇

🍓140 g (1 cup)fresh or frozen strawberries
🍓60 g (1/4 cup)stewed rhubarb
🍓250 ml (1 cup) low FODMAP milk 
🍓2 tsp pure maple syrup (add to taste) 
🍓1/2 tsp vanilla essence
🍓6 ice cubes (use if you are using fresh strawberries)

METHOD
Slice the strawberries in half, be super careful doing this if they are frozen. Place all the ingredients in the blender. Add the ice cubes if your strawberries aren’t frozen.

Blend until smooth. Taste and add a little bit more sweetener if it’s too tangy. The tanginess will depend on your stewed rhubarb (ours wasn’t sweetened).

Pour into your favourite glass and enjoy! 

FYI this recipe is also in our premium recipe club.

#lowfodmap #vegan #strawberries #rhubarb #strawberrysmoothie #fodmap #dairyfree #foodintolerances #ibsdiet #bloatfree #happytummy #nutrition #goodfood #fodmapfriendly #foodphotography #lowfodmapdiet #coeliac #glutenfreelife #foodblogger

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Feb 13

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It’s brunch time! It’s also Valentine’s Day so I thought I’d treat my man to a cooked breakfast. Say hello to my Greek scrambled eggs.
 
Serves 2:

1 medium-sized ripe tomato (diced or grated)
1 tbsp fresh chives (finely chopped)
1 tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped)
2 tsp garlic infused oil
2 tsp olive oil 
3 eggs (beaten)
Salt and pepper

Fry the diced tomato in the garlic infused oil for 2 to 3 minutes until the liquid reduces. Then add the olive oil, chives and parsley to the pan along with the beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Move the egg mixture gently around the pan for 1 to 2 minutes until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

Serve on toast of your choice (we used gluten free bread). Enjoy!

Do you have a favourite brunch meal? Tell me below 👇

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Jan 29

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Who loves eating the rainbow for dinner? 🙌 I do! 

It's hot here at the moment which means rice paper rolls make a refreshing low FODMAP dinner option.

I love that you can prep all of the ingredients in advance so you don't have to slave over a hot stove in the evenings.

What's your go-to summer meal?

P.S. You can get the recipe on alittlebityummy.com or follow my profile link.
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Jan 28

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I have exciting news! I’m incredibly honoured to announce that I’ve been nominated as a semi-finalist for the 2021 Young New Zealander Of The Year award.

It’s a privilege supporting people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and other gut issues and I can’t wait to see what 2021 brings.

I also want to say thanks to the team behind the New Zealander of the Year Awards for making these awards possible.

@nzeroftheyear @kiwibanknz 
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Jan 18

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You know what I miss? Berry Bliss Muesli. It's crunchy and delicious with little pops of strawberry... I'm making a coeliac friendly version of this very soon.

In the meantime give me a ❤️ if you want to try this gorgeous low FODMAP version. I make this for my mum and she absolutely adores it!

Recipe on alittlebityummy.com or follow my profile link.

I'd also love to know what your favourite breakfast is so let me know in the comments 👇
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#lowfodmap #breakfast #strawberries #granola #muesli #birchermuesli #goodfood #vegan #lowfodmaprecipe #foodblogger #inmykitchen #fodmapfriendly #dairyfree #foodintolerances #fodmap
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