I’m writing on behalf of a friend who has had digestion issues since she was young, most likely some form of IBS. Over time she has become dependent on laxatives (Dulcolax) for bowel movements - far too many of them. As well as / because of this she appears to be very sensitive to most foods. Eating tends to make her very bloated and that exacerbates the bowel problems. For a long time that went for eating practically anything.
She has seen good doctors and nutritionists and, other than identifying gluten intolerance, they haven’t been able to help her. The only thing that does help is eating strictly organic food - that seems to lack whatever chemicals she is sensitive too, and she doesn’t get bloated.
However, organic, gluten-free food is bloody expensive, and is quickly bankrupting her.
My husband’s gastroenterologist has been having him try this FODMAP diet - it stands for "“Fermentable, Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols”. It’s from Australia, the premise is that some people have a hard time digesting certain carbohydrates and they ferment. You go on a FODMAP elimination diet and then start testing things. I don’t know if the underlying premise is what’s wrong with my husband or if just being on a very restrictive diet is cutting out whatever it is that does bother him, but it’s helped him a lot.
Simplify simplify simplify. Don’t eat sugar or wheat flour. Don’t eat from the nightshade family of tomato, potato, and pepper. Organic vegetables and greens are cheap, don’t eat fruit it’s got more sugar than a coca cola. Don’t eat at restaurants, learn how to prepare fresh food at home. Last night I had locally farmed catfish fried in classic tempura of rice flour and a little cornstarch and a green salad with a home made dressing of almond oil, soy, citrus juice and fresh herbs. Tomorrow it’s cedar plank sustainable salmon and a baked sweet potato. Grilled local chicken and green beans I raised are in my future…
Find a place you can live free of pesticides, organic and otherwise, this probably means getting rid of your dog. And don’t let doctors treat you for anything that doesn’t involve getting sewn up, hormones antibiotics and all that crap just reduce the quality and length of life.
If she hasn’t tried FODMAPS, and she hasn’t tried going completely grain free, tell her to try both. There are a lot of people with mysterious and persistent digestive problems who’ve been helped by eating this way - like me! I have IBS, but am able to control it completely with diet. There are many web-based communities where she can learn more or find a support system.
Going grain-free rather than trying to replace a diet full of grain-based foods with their gluten-free options, will also save her a lot of money. Gluten-free processed foods are very expensive. Eating potatoes for your starch instead is not.
There’s nothing healthier about organic foods, though they are better for the environment. If the cost is too much for her, that’s the first thing I’d do away with.
If your friend gets diagnosed with a gluten intolerance, she can get gluten-free food (bread and pasta) on prescription, which works out a lot cheaper.
The thing with FODMAPs is, you think you’re doing really good and eating a ton of simple foods, beans, fruits… all those are FODMAPs. (Stone fruits, at least.) My husband has tested fine on onions and mushrooms but pretty much everything else we’ve tested him on has been a fail. Beans, particularly, and that’s what I fed him so much of when we thought it was just gluten! You know how many “gluten free” things are full of beans and pulses? So please ignore “think simple” and think what really bothers you.