Elana Marder, MS, RD, LDN
Hi! I’m Elana, a Registered Dietitian with a passion for all things food. I love cooking and eating. I also love feeding people. Most importantly, I love the way food brings people together, and it truly warms my heart to gather friends and family around the table to eat.
This is what inspires me as a dietitian each and every day. I want everyone, regardless of their diet, to have this kind of connection to their food. I know it can be hard when you feel like all the good foods are out. If you have IBS and are thinking about trying the low FODMAP diet, you probably think you’ll have to give up flavor.
A few years ago, I started dating a man who told me he had “a bad stomach.” Later I would learn that he has IBS-D and was told that there’s nothing he can do about it. Being a dietitian, I asked if he’s ever tried the low FODMAP diet. While he was interested, he was also dismayed at how many foods he would have to avoid. No garlic? No onion? How will anything have any flavor?
We spent the next few months collaborating. I found and created recipes that are low in FODMAPs but still high in flavor. For me, it was a fun food experiment and a great way to put something I had briefly learned about in school to the test. For him, it was a chance at symptom relief. Both of us were pretty surprised to see how much improvement he had in his symptoms.
This experience inspired me. The more I talked about IBS and FODMAPs, the more people I already knew mentioned their own feelings and experiences with them. Most people I know who have IBS and hear about the low FODMAP diet are intimidated by it and think that it’s too hard of a process to go through.
Fast forward to today. I’m now married to the man who first got me interested in IBS management, I cook low FODMAP every day, and I have developed countless recipes that up the flavor while keeping the FODMAPs low. I’ve also completed training on IBS and the low FODMAP diet through Monash University, the leading researchers in the field, and I served as the Outpatient GI Dietitian at UC San Diego Health for over a year.
I want to share all of this knowledge and experience with you. I want to help you through your own IBS journey. From my experience, it is always worth trying if it means your symptoms can be managed. And I can help.
By working with me, you’ll have access to my resources while I provide a tailored approach to managing your IBS symptoms. I will also share easy, flavorful recipes for each stage of your journey. I’m so excited to get started.
Elana Marder, MS, RD, LDN 