IBS--Free at Last!

Enter to win the ibsfree.net FODMAPS-friendly recipe contest!

Every few days I review the site statistics for this blog, and I've learned that many visitors are especially interested in the recipes posted here. I'd like to build the recipe collection with your help! Do you have a FODMAPS-friendly recipe you'd be willing to share?

Here is the process:

• Review your recipe to make sure it is FODMAPS-friendly. This will be easier if you have read IBS--Free at Last! Those who haven't read the book yet can also submit recipes, but if the recipe contains FODMAPS, your entry won't qualify for the $25 best recipe prize. No purchase is necessary to enter this contest!
• Download the contest guidelines from the Resources sidebar of this blog. Please take the time to review these guidelines and the sample entry form.
• Download the entry form, use your word processor to type in your entry information and recipe, and send it to me at patsycatsos@gmail.com as an email attachment.
• If you prefer, download the pdf version of the entry form, fill it in by hand, scan it, and send it back to me as an email attachment.
• That's it! Suitable entries may be posted in the ibsfree.net recipe collection or in my upcoming cookbook.
• There is a $25 Whole Foods gift certificate for the best recipe submitted by February 28, 2010.
• When the cookbook is published, I will draw 10 names from those who submitted recipes, and will send those 10 people free cookbooks, postage paid (sorry, continental U.S. only--if you are elsewhere, I will contact you to make arrangements for shipping).
• If you have questions about the contest, please ask via the "comments" link, below.

I can't wait to hear from you!

Make Your Own Lactose-Free Yogurt

Yes, it is possible to make your own lactose-free yogurt. There are a couple of ways to accomplish this:

1) Make yogurt with any recipe and equipment; make sure to age the yogurt for 24 hours before chilling it to stop the fermentation process. The bacteria in the yogurt culture will have time to eat up all the lactose in the milk, rendering it lactose-free.

2) Make yogurt with lactose free milk; age the yogurt only as long as convenient, until set.

I purchased an inexpensive, 1-quart yogurt maker on Amazon.com (less than $20.00). Bought the yogurt starter in the dairy case at Whole Foods. Followed the directions on the yogurt starter package--easy. The milk I used was lactose-free. The results were absolutely delicious and FODMAPS-friendly.

"Healthy" is in the Eye of the Beholder and Other Disclaimers

"If those are healthy recipes, sign me up!"  Readers are psyched to have old favorites such as "No-Bake Chocolate Cookies" blessed by a dietitian! Butter, sugar, peanut butter, chocolate, yum!

Perhaps this would be a good time to offer some disclaimers: 

• Recipes for holiday meals and gatherings are party foods. We all need party food sometimes, even if we're on a special diet. One of the first questions clients ask when I am teaching them the basics of the FODMAPS elimination diet is, "What about chocolate?" Clearly, it's an important concern! So,I have offered some low-FODMAPS party food recipes for your consideration, not that I would recommend them for everyday fare.
• When it comes to nutrition, "healthy" is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. By this, I mean that we all have unique diet and nutrition priorities, depending on our medical, family, genetic, diet and exercise histories. What appears to be healthy for one person may not be appropriate for the next, and vice versa. The recipes presented on this blog are designed for those whose highest dietary priority is reducing IBS symptoms due to intolerance of FODMAPS carbohydrates such as lactose, fructose, fructans, galactans and polyols. In the portion sizes suggested, these recipes will fill that bill.
• If, in addition to IBS, you have other medical diagnoses, take prescription medications or have other health issues such as over- or under-weight, you should consult a registered dietitian to assist in designing an appropriate diet. Do not diagnose yourself with IBS. If you have gastrointestinal symptoms suggestive of IBS, consult your physician to rule out other serious medical conditions and to receive a proper diagnosis. This web site does not provide medical advice, and is not a subsitute for personal medical care provided by a qualified health care professional.

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