Infuse Issue 6 December 2018 | Page 33

So I thought – how can I best take the
information to the people? As health
professionals we know it’s better for
them to have credible, evidence-
based information, but making it
appealing can be challenging. I decided
to create an online course that takes
them through an actual process, and
all the while empowers their learning
and understanding of their condition.
Whilst taking the challenge, people are
further encouraged to take a one-on-
one session, (with us or another local
dietitian), to improve their gut health.
Image courtesy of @thefodmapchallenge
How does The FODMAP Challenge
work?
It was inspired for a couple of
reasons. Firstly, it was about
understanding the difficulty
some people have in being able
to get access to specialists for
their health concerns. Growing
up in the country myself, I
firmly believe geographical
location shouldn't be a barrier
to accessing the best quality
care. And secondly, it was
facing the reality that today
people typically get their health
information online, before
visiting the doctor, dietitian or
physiotherapist, courtesy of the
ever-friendly Dr. Google.
© Dietitian Connection
33
It’s really quite simple. It uses
instructions and learning similar to what
a patient would encounter if having
one-on-one sessions with a dietitian.
At the start we strip down the diet
and commence the elimination phase
where high FODMAP foods are removed.
We then move through the challenge
process, where we test one type of
FODMAP at a time to see what symptoms
appear. If symptoms return, we can
ascertain it’s something the person is
sensitive to, and, depending on when
during the challenge phase this happens
(start or end), we can better determine
how sensitive someone is.
interview continues overleaf...
Infuse | December 2018