[QuiQui]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies.I've started only restricting the allowed 'dangerous' food like milk and fruit. Everything else I've just been scoffing! I've also been doing some experimenting with gluten-free foods. I've tried gluten-free bread and I've got to say I was not impressed. I've seen that spelt grain is allowed, so if anyone knows of a good spelt bread recipe for a breadmaker I'd be glad of any recommendations. I also tried buckwheat pasta last night and was absolutely astounded to find that after leaving it to boil for a couple of minutes (I left the kitchen for approx 3 mins!) it had dissolved and turned into a mess of mush! Not impressed at all.I did check the ham I bought as I'm well aware of additives in food as it is - as a rule I only ever buy organic meat and the guy on the deli counter advised me it was just plain ham.Does anyone know if oats are allowed? The book specifies oatmeal, but in the UK oats and oatmeal are two different things and I'm not sure which product the Americanisation refers to.Do you know what the worst part is? I've been asked to bake a cake for my friend's wedding in the summer, and since I've never done anything as big or important as a wedding cake before I'm baking about a cake a week to perfect my recipe as practice, but I can't eat any of it!! Torture! Still, my friends and family seem to be enjoying it

I've been trying a gluten-free diet for the last month or so. It hasn't helped my IBS at all.

If I have the discipline to do it, I might try the low FODMAP thing after trying the gluten-free diet.If you're just concerned about wheat gluten, based on my research, spelt is a relative of wheat and therefore is NOT gluten free. I'm a little confused about oats, but from what I can puzzle out oats are gluten free, but they're often processed in factories that also process wheat products. Because of this, it's difficult to find oats that don't contain traces of wheat gluten. I would say that oatmeal in the U.S. just refers to any hot cereal made from oats. Usually, that would be rolled oats or steel-cut oats cooked in water or milk. I agree with you about gluten-free bread! The first loaf of bread I bought was so crumbly and pasty that it made me gag and nearly throw up!!!! Your best bet is to find a local gluten-free bakery. Try choosing breads that contain a lot of egg and some xanthan gum. That'll give it a good texture. Rice pasta is probably the best alternative to wheat pasta, in my opinion, too. I don't know how any of that fits in with the FODMAP diet, however.