Many doctors and experts recommend those suffering with IBS and other gut disorders to adopt a low FODMAP diet. These diets are often restrictive and lack a lot of flavour which many people find difficult to deal with. However, as more research goes into IBS there are warriors out there making diet a little more manageable. In today’s episode, I am talking to special guest Ketan Vakil, fellow IBS warrior and founder of Gourmend. After dealing with stomach issues the majority of his life, he had to amend his diet to help heal his stomach but didn’t want to sacrifice flavour! His company has developed low FODMAP alternatives with signature spices and flavours. During our conversation, Ketan shares how his cultural background and love for cooking influenced the way he approached his low FODMAP Diet. He talks about living with IBS, the connection between diet and your gut and what he hopes to see happen in the future for the low FODMAP world. In this episode, we cover:
- Ketan shares his journey to being diagnosed with IBS and starting his own food company
- Educating audiences on alternatives to high FODMAP foods
- How the products are developed at Gourmend
- Stigma and challenges around low FODMAP alternatives
- High quality ingredients are more expensive
- Seasonal produce
- The future of Gourmend
What if you could develop skills to help manage IBS symptoms in only 10 minutes per day? Today’s episode is sponsored by Mahana Therapeutics, who has made cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) more accessible through their app, Mahana IBS. This is a new app that offers evidence-based CBT to reduce the severity of IBS symptoms - until the end of June 2022 this is available at no-cost for eligible patients. Get started now and download the app at
mahanatx.com/TheGutShow. About our guest: Gourmend was started by Ketan Vakil, who suffered from perplexing stomach issues since he was a teenager. It took years of doctor visits and testing, but he finally identified the problem: Ketan was having trouble digesting foods high in FODMAPs. What he needed was a diet that was low in these short-chain carbohydrates to put his gut problems behind him. Easier said than done. Part of a multicultural family, living in one of the best food cities in the world, Ketan was no stranger to cooking and eating rich, flavorful foods. But sticking to a low FODMAP diet meant cutting out garlic, onions, honey, legumes and other ingredients that were the base of many recipes that he loved. For a foodie, this was sad news to swallow. So Ketan set out to create his own ingredients that were low in FODMAPs but high in flavor—and reclaim the gourmet tastes he craved. By teaming up with experienced dietitians and organic farmers, he found FODMAP-friendly ingredients he could use to cook his favorite recipes again. But, as you now know, they were too delicious to keep to himself. Today Gourmend is working to bring the freshest, most flavorful cooking essentials to the table—ingredients that are gentle on the stomach without sacrificing a bit of gourmet taste. Links:
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