I’ve been noticing a FODMAP trend lately online – and it’s not a good one! There are more and more fake low FODMAP books popping up. Today I’m going to tell you how to spot a fake book and how to find an accurate and helpful one!
When I say a “fake” low FODMAP book, I mean one that is poorly written by either AI or an author who doesn’t know much about the diet. These books are usually a scam to make a quick buck online. You can tell if a book is fake because it will have inaccurate information and recipes with high FODMAP foods.
Here’s what to look out for:
1. Authors
The biggest thing to check out first is the author. Many of these books have authors who don’t seem to actually exist online. Look for books written by a real person with a good education and credentials. Anyone can call themselves a “nutrition specialist”. However, Registered Dietitian is a protected title, just like Nurse or Doctor.
2. Publishing company
A lot of fake books also have a fake publishing company, or no publisher at all. Look for books released by big publishing companies because these publishers hire editors to review and improve their books.
3. Number of recipes
A lot of these books claim to have hundreds or thousands of recipes or meal plans. That is very unrealistic – most cookbooks have around 50-100 recipes.
4. Images
Take a closer look at the photos on the front cover. Are they AI-generated or stock photos? AI is not very good at making food photos yet, and often there will be odd mistakes in the picture, like a wonky utensil. Sometimes the photos are stolen from real bloggers. You can reverse Google search images to check if they are stolen.
5. Reviews
Fake books will often have a bunch of poorly written fake 5-star reviews. Skim through the reviews and look out for 1-star reviews from real buyers.
6. New social media accounts
I help run many low FODMAP Facebook groups, and we have noticed more new accounts being made to promote these books. If you see someone promoting these books, check out their profile and look to see if they are a real person. An account made in the past few months is a red flag.
7. Free email copies
Some scammers offer to send a free copy of the book if you give them your email. Never share your email with someone you don’t know and trust. Scammers can sell lists of email addresses to other scammers. You may suddenly find yourself receiving more spam emails.
Examples of Accurate Low FODMAP Book
I’m going to use my cookbook The 28-Day Plan for IBS Relief as an example of a book that has many green flags. It was written by two well-known dietitians and released by a publishing company. There are hundreds of positive reviews online. The photos included are original photos taken by a professional photographer.
The Gut Friendly Cookbook by Alana Scott is another book I recommend. Alana is not a dietitian herself but worked closely with dietitians to review every recipe. There are hundreds of positive reviews and original photos.
No matter the book you purchase, it’s always a good idea to download the Monash University Low FODMAP Diet App. Occasionally foods are rested and the recommended max serving size changes. I recommend checking ingredients in the Monash app to make sure your recipe stays low FODMAP.
Conclusion
Books can be a great source of information and delicious recipes. However, these days we need to be extra diligent to make sure our low FODMAP books are accurate.
I hope these tips help you avoid getting confused or scammed by these fake books! Have you noticed any of these books online?
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