Lots of questions lately about FODMAPs and nightshades, what they are and if they should be avoided. I’m absolutely going to go into what they actually are, why some people should avoid them, who probably doesn’t need to worry and how you can reduce any potential negative impact of fodmaps and nightshades.
Can we just agree that “FODMAPs” and “nightshades” are really freakin’ weird names? They don’t even sound like they’re remotely related to food! But they are.
I’m not a fan of complicated, complex definitions or using Scrabble words when they aren’t needed (are they ever needed outside the board?) so I want to keep this as simple as possible.
FODMAPs and nightshades are two different classifications of food that trigger negative reactions in certain people.
FODMAP is an acronym that stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. C’mon. Too many Scrabble words. Here’s what all that means: carbs that prone to fermenting in your gut. Foods that fall into the FODMAP category are tough to digest, so they often hang out in the intestines and become food for the bacteria that naturally live within you.
Doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Well, that’s exactly the whole point. Some people can eat FODMAPs and not experience any negative symptoms. Other people become very uncomfortable. They experience bloating, gas, cramping and/or diarrhea shortly after eating these foods.
So what foods are we talking about? This is an awesome visual to see what foods are FODMAPs and those that aren’t but if we were to classify them, these are the most common offenders:
Sugar alcohols
Dairy
Some fruit (dried fruit, apples, mangoes, peaches and watermelon)
Some veggies (brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, garlic, onions)
Coconut products
Chances are, you know if you have a sensitivity to one or many of these foods. This is yet another reason why I’m a huge fan of tracking what you eat and your hormonal biofeedback. Seeing trends with any food or type of food will let you know what you should dial back on.
Nightshades. Let’s talk about nightshades. Same kinda thing. Nightshades are a group of plant foods that some people have specific sensitivities too. Individuals with sensitivites to nightshades can experience joint pain, inflammation, autoimmune conditions or digestive challenges when they eat them. If you have any of those symptoms, doing a simple nightshade elimination will quickly let you know if nightshades are part of the problem! Many people can consume nightshades without any issue.
Nightshades are a smaller and more direct list than FODMAPs. They include:
White potatoes (not sweet potatoes)
Eggplant
Peppers (bell peppers, spicy peppers and spices made from them like cayenne and paprika but not peppercorns)
Tomatoes and products made from tomatoes
If you think you might have a sensitivity to nightshades, like I said, the best thing to do is to do an elimination trial. Cut them out for a couple weeks and carefully monitor whatever symptoms you feel might be related to their consumption. There are also some things you can do to reduce the negative impact of nightshades if you consume them.
Peel your potatoes before you eat them
Avoid green tomatoes – immature veggies are bigger offenders
Don’t eat any nightshades raw. Be sure to cook them to reduce any potential negative impact
So here’s the deal in short:
FODMAPs are specific carbs that aren’t easily digested. Because they aren’t easily digested, they spend more time in your intestines and ferment (or become food for bacteria). This can produce digestive distress for people sensitive to FODMAPs
Nightshades are a class of veggies that trigger inflammatory or autoimmune systems in sensitive individuals.
Not everyone is sensitive to FODMAPs and nightshades
A basic elimination test will allow you to see if your symptoms improve without them
Your body has all the answers
What other questions do you have? What topics do you want me to tackle next? Let me know!!! I really want to make sure I’m addressing your questions and concerns.
Another fun, short episode answering listener questions! We’re taking a short look at 4-5 questions focusing on what’s “not enough carbs”, getting adequate nutrients from food, kombucha for breakfast, bulletproof coffee & my own personal workout plan. If YOU have a question you’d like me to tackle, make sure you get on the free VIP email list so you can tell me what you want or need!!!
It used to be so easy for me to say to myself, “Alright! I’m really doing it this time! No more excuses! This is it for real! I’m ready!!” But it never happened like that. It just didn’t. I became a master of talking myself into whatever choice felt good at the time. I’d say, “It’s just this one thing, it can’t possibly hurt” or, “I’ll be extra strict tomorrow” or “I’ll workout later and be sure to burn it off”. I knew exactly what debates and arguments worked best. Those types of internal debates are what I refer to as “anchors”. They hold you back. They pull you down. They drag you off course. Identifying these anchors and understanding how you justify exceptions is absolutely critical in learning how to stop making excuses. Because really, these excuses, these internal debates are the exact reason you haven’t got the results you want. It’s the “why” behind your inconsistency. In today’s episode we’re getting super practical (and personal) about how to stop making excuses by identifying how you justify and excuse choices that won’t help you reach your goals. And, of course, if you want more strategies on topics like how to stop making excuses, efficient workouts and fat loss friendly recipes, make sure you’re on the free VIP email list!
I’ve talked about coconut oil and medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) in a handful of episodes today but I wanted to take a broader look at the very diverse and powerful benefits of coconut oil. I’ve previously focused on the benefits of coconut oil as it relates to energy and weight loss but it’s so much more than that! Today we’re diving into cholesterol, antibacterial properties, hormones and more!
Does that sting a little? I hear ya. It stings for me as I write it.
Let’s go ahead and get the tough stuff out of the way: If say you’ll do something and you don’t do it, you are a liar.
Hold off on the urge to talk about your intentions, your extenuating circumstances, etc. I know, I know. You’re busy. You’re stressed. You’re tired. You’re tried. You really intended to do it…
Let’s just get real. If you say you’re going to pick up your friend from the airport and you don’t do it, you broke a promise. Then, what if the next day you say you’ll meet a different friend for lunch and you no-show? You broke a promise. Then, later that day you tell your spouse that you’ll bring home dinner but then come home empty-handed; you did it again. When you do this every day – have this wide gap between what you said you’ll do and what you actually did – you’re a liar. And most people will also think you’re kind of a jerk, right?
Now, you’re probably thinking, “I’d never do that. If I tell someone I’m going to do something, I do it.” I hear you.
But what about when that “someone” is you?
What about when you make a promise to yourself? How often do you follow through? Or are you a liar?
Gulp.
How often do you say things like:
I’m going to make great food choices today.
I’m going to get to the gym today.
I’m going to drink more water today.
I’m going to get to bed by 10.
I’m going to track my food.
I’m going to pass on the wine or dessert.
And how often do you follow through? Or how often do you break your promise?
There is NO ONE that your word should be more valuable to than YOU. You are in dangerous territory if you think it’s more important to keep promises to other people than it is to keep promises to yourself.
If you routinely lie to yourself, everything you commit to is negotiable. When you declare, “I’m going to make good choices”, you instantly know it’s optional. It’s open for debate. It’s subject to your mood and your motivation. Why? Because it ALWAYS is!!!! This will make change nearly impossible until you develop the trust and confidence that you do what you say you’ll do. Period. No matter what.
The other day I had a particularly hard workout. Ok, it was brutal. It felt awful. I was miserable. I had to stop. I was sucking wind and I felt like I was going to be sick and I had to stop. I’m pretty sure I was overheating. I stopped when I still had 11 burpees to go. I stepped out and caught my breath for a few minutes. Then I went back and finished. Why? Because I had set in my mind that I was going to complete the workout. I told myself I would finish and I keep my promises to myself. My workouts aren’t optional. My WORD is not optional. They aren’t “try your best and stop when it’s hard”. They’re just not. When I decide I’m going to do something, I do it. Is it always in the time I thought? No. Is it always at the pace I thought? No. But I finish. I caught my breath. I cooled down a little. And then I finished. Because I don’t want to start thinking that things are optional. I don’t lie to myself. Lying to myself got me to 300+ lbs and I’m not that girl anymore. I finish. I follow through. I keep my promises.
So what do you do? How can you shift this pattern? How can you become a person of your word? How can you learn to follow through and trust yourself?
Start small. Super small. Make a micro promise to yourself AND KEEP IT. This can be something as small as, “I’m going to drink a glass of water first thing in the morning”. Wake up and drink the dang water. Every single day until it’s a habit. Or you might say, “I’m going to have a fat loss friendly breakfast.” Don’t worry about the rest of the day but NAIL BREAKFAST. Do it every day. Do it whether you’re at home, on the road, whether you want to or you don’t. Keep the small promise. Make it VERY small. And then KEEP it.
Stop debating with yourself. We do this all the time. We decide ahead of time that we’re going to the gym in the morning but the alarm goes off and we start debating. “I could sleep for just 5 minutes. Or maybe I should go tomorrow instead. I could probably squeeze it in later today. I didn’t sleep well so I’m going to get an extra hour of sleep instead.” We teach ourselves that our word means nothing and everything is open to debate. When that alarm goes off and the internal debate begins – SHUT IT OFF. “Nope. This isn’t debatable. Yup, I could talk myself out of it but I’m not doing that”. Recognize the urge to debate and then don’t do it.
Here’s your challenge: This week, make one promise to yourself each day AND KEEP IT. This doesn’t mean make 20 promises to yourself and keep one. It means make only one promise and then keep it. You should never get in the habit of over promising and under delivering. That will not help you reach your goals. Make one promise. Follow through. Build trust in yourself and your word. You know what, let’s help each other stay accountable – leave a comment with your ONE promise and let me know when you’ve executed! This is the first step to lasting change!
