Lo-Fo Pantry Plain Flour

had a lot of gut issues and decided to trial a gluten free diet to see if it helped. She did get a great improvement and pretty quickly decided that she must be gluten intolerant. Over time, results became less consistent, and she also found that some gluten free foods were also bothering her. She began limiting more and more foods, but symptoms just became worse again. Eventually she came to see me. She hadn’t been tested for coeliac disease but didn’t want to do a gluten challenge so we did a gene test which came back negative. As she didn’t have the genetic predisposition for coeliac her doctor was then able to diagnose her with IBS based on ROME IV criteria and we were able to focus on managing her symptoms with a low FODMAP diet. The FODMAP process worked really well. We were able to identify her triggers and thresholds clearly and this meant that her symptoms became fewer and further between and when they did happen, it was predictable. No more surprise symptoms, minimal bloating and regular toilet visits meant that her confidence improved dramatically, and she was no longer fearful of food. This also gave her the confidence to trial low FODMAP wheat which she tolerated really well and was able to bring back into her diet freely.

I saw “James” back in 2018. He was a keen baker and especially loved hot cross buns. When he came to see me he was low FODMAP and thought this meant he had to be gluten free. One of his biggest concerns with managing his IBS, was that his gluten free baking tasted ordinary, crumbled and didn’t rise and most of all he worried that he would never be able to have a real hot cross bun again without pain. At our initial appointment I was able to explain to him that wheat contains both a carbohydrate portion (Fructans) and a protein portion (gluten). These are two different molecules both found in the similar foods and in IBS it’s the fructans that are the trigger not the gluten. For here he was happy to try some low FODMAP serves of wheat products which he tolerated really well. Further encouraging him that it was the fructans in wheat that were the issue rather than the gluten. Once I introduced him to the Lo-Fo Pantry flour, he found his love of baking again. After a few trials he was able to bake bread, cakes and biscuits that tasted like the real thing but didn’t upset his gut. Most of all, he was excited to be able to make real hot cross buns again!