Step 2: test them one at a time (reintroduction)
One FODMAP at a time, with the test food and the three days’ doses.
While keeping your base diet low FODMAP, you test one FODMAP at a time, using a "pure" food containing only that FODMAP, over 3 days, increasing the dose each day.
Golden rules:
- One FODMAP per week; strict low FODMAP the rest of the days.
- Log symptoms every day in the diary (that's what it's for!).
- Symptoms can take up to 24-72 hours to appear: don't blame only the last thing you ate.
- If symptoms appear, stop the challenge, wait until you're well again (2-3 symptom-free days) and move to the next FODMAP.
- If you tolerate the high dose, that FODMAP is not your trigger… but keep it out until all the challenges are done.
This phase takes patience, but it's the most valuable one: it turns a generic diet into a personalized map of your gut.