keeps the vampires away

Low oxalate, both in the raw and cooked form so technically fine. However, I have found that raw garlic – for example in humus or pesto –  is a total no-no. Bloating, aches & pains, reflux. It’s also a ‘no’ food for people with IBS, one of the bad guys on the FODMAP diet. FODMAP is one of the most promising dietary approaches to treating IBS, with a near 70% success rate, pioneered by Melbourne university in Australia. The diet involves restricting various foods including those grains, fruits and vegetables that are high in FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols – essentially naturally occurring sugar/carbohydrates that are rapidly fermented in the gut).

So I always cook it, very slowly, until it’s literally melting away, and I tend to halve the quantity required in a recipe (1 clove instead of 2 etc.) Same goes for onions. I made a Greek salad at the weekend: cherry tomatoes, feta, cucumber, fresh basil, dried oregano, coconut vinegar, olive oil, and a few slivers of raw red onion. Delicious, and I gave the onion plenty of time to pickle in the vinegar, but I still felt pretty ick afterwards, and could still taste the onion 24hrs later – a sure sign that my gut wasn’t best pleased.

So the take-out is no raw scallions (spring onions), make your own dressings without garlic, (actually more on that here), and always cook any kind of onion until soft and translucent.