Happy Snow Day to all my east coast people! I have some time to kill today, and a lot of people lately have been curious about this "new diet" that I am on. So, I felt it was time to write about my journey over the last few months to finally feel healthy again.

Let me just begin by saying that when I was a kid, I literally ate whatever I wanted. Lots of junk food, lots of soda. Like most kids, honestly. I was also a kid before everyone went crazy with the "organic" and "gluten-free" stuff so it just wasn't on my radar. I did not have the issues I have now at all, but I definitely believe eating in an unhealthy way may have been a small contributor the issues I experience as an adult. I am not a doctor, obvi, so this is just speculation.

Anyway, when I was around 18, I became lactose-intolerant. This was a slow process. I started off by having issues with 2% Milk ... then 1% ... then Non-Fat ... then ice cream. And cheese. It was so bad that I would sometimes cry in the bathroom because I was in so much pain. I gave up dairy altogether for awhile and felt 1000% better. So, I just cut back on dairy, took lactaid pills if I wanted to eat dairy, and found substitutions. But a few years ago, these issues came back, and then some.

I started having digestive problems in many forms. If you have been my friend in last 5 years, you probably have heard me say more than once "I am so bloated." I really was bloated, all the time. Sometimes, my clothes would literally not fit by the end of the day. I would be so uncomfortable constantly. I also had lots and lots of other issues, but will spare you all the details because TMI. Let's just say, I was never quite "regular." I also was experiencing severe nausea all the time which was new. At first, I thought it was just dairy again. But then I started to notice the issues even when I wasn't eating dairy. Random foods at first, like hummus or beer, would cause issues. It became a HUGE problem after I graduated from Columbia, probably also due to stress and anxiety from having to be an adult again. Between 2016 and 2017, I had gained about 10 lbs and 2 inches around my waist, even though I was working out a ton. I finally just caved and decided to go into a gastroenterologist.

actual photo of me throughout most of my 20s

Immediately, she had me do a bunch of tests just to make sure it wasn't a more serious problem. Mostly blood work and gut bacteria tests (and also, told me to go get a pelvic exam because sometimes digestive issues are indicative of ovary/uterus problems... terrifying). While we waited for those results, she introduced me to this crazy diet called the Low FODMAP diet.

Basically, FODMAP is an acronym for a bunch of carbs and sugar alcohols that are difficult to digest. If you are somebody with IBS, they are even more difficult and can cause bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and general discomfort. She handed me a pamphlet and a list of OK foods, and said for 4-6 weeks, only eat the foods on the OK list. After that, I can start adding in the NOT OK foods one at a time to see what triggers my body. So, a basic elimination diet. It sounds pretty simple, but it was definitely the most challenging "diet" I have ever been on. Here is just a sample of the foods that are NOT OK:

Onion
Garlic
Wheat (bread, pasta, fried foods, etc)
Granola
Almonds
Dairy
Apples
Cherries
Figs
Mushrooms
Broccoli
Legumes (beans, chickpeas)
Sausage
Sweeteners

This is just the beginning. There is also an app that tells you what is and is not ok - so helpful. You can also find a complete list by clicking here. But avoiding all of those foods was SO HARD. The first two days were miserable - I started crying because everything in our kitchen was high in FODMAPS and I basically quit carbs cold turkey so I felt weak and tired and my legs started cramping up. We just stopped going out to eat altogether for awhile. But slowly, I started finding foods that worked, and that I liked! Like, potatoes are my JAM and those were totally fine. Most meat was fine, so we started making plain potatoes and steak or chicken or salmon more often (which we already made for dinner sometimes anyway). Street tacos were a great option (without onion or garlic)! I started eating oatmeal everyday for breakfast (some versions are fine), or greek yogurt, instead of a bagel or cereal. I couldn't have most protein bars or supplements, but I could have pea protein and egg white protein, so I found products that used those (GoMacro are my favorite!), or made my own egg white smoothies with a green banana (can't be too yellow or have brown spots) and peanut butter. I switched to ONLY almond Milk or lactose-free milk (no soy, no coconut milk... I am basically a nightmare at Starbucks now but DON'T CARE).

goodbye brooklyn everything bagel. I will miss you more than you know.

And at the end of the 4-6 weeks, I felt AMAZING. I hadn't been bloated at all. My digestive system finally felt regular again! I felt so good, I didn't even want to add most foods back in, and I haven't for the most part. The biggest change was that I don't eat any wheat anymore (maybe a bite or two of cake sometimes..), which has been difficult. But living in Brooklyn helps with that, because every place offers gluten-free options, even if most of them taste like cardboard.

The most important thing about this diet was that is cleared up so much confusion about my body. I now knew why hummus upset my stomach - because of the chickpeas. I now knew why I naturally avoided garlic - because I never felt good when I ate it. And why I would get so bloated after eating an everything bagel. Or why beer would make me feel terrible, even when I drank just one. I also learned why I was gaining so much weight so rapidly - my digestive system just wasn't working. I could've sat on a bike until the end of days and not lost a pound. I also now realize some of my weight gain was definitely muscle - I have lost all of the muscle I gained because working out was so difficult the first month or two, but I am slowly getting back into lifting weights and feeling better during workouts. And most importantly, I learned that it's just boring old IBS that was causing all of my issues.

actual photo of me celebrating how great I feel on this diet

Overall, I am feeling so much more confident and in control of my body. I lost all of the weight I gained and two inches around my waist, simply by cutting out certain foods. On top of the diet, I now also take my lactose enzyme pills with every meal that even MIGHT have dairy in it (including butter), and take a probiotic every day (Align is the best). I did end up going back for a follow-up visit to talk about my nausea which still was popping up every now and then, although less than before. I was put back on acid reflux medication, which I take in two week increments from time to time. She also told me to get my stress and anxiety under control (it still isn't), because those are the most common triggers for nausea and other stomach issues. My goal this year is to get that under control.

One last thing: if you do not have IBS or anything similar, this diet may not be the best thing for you. It's very difficult to maintain and is a complete lifestyle change. But if my story sounds similar to yours, call a gastroenterologist NOW. Seriously. You can thank me later. Although this diet worked for me, it may not work for you even if you do have IBS. And you may have something else going on that is a more serious issues, so go! Don't wait several years like I did!

Questions? Comments? Leave em below or shoot me an e-mail at brynneerinmcmanimie@gmail.com.

xo