Sarah Martinez

I’m Sarah Martinez, a 34-year-old registered dietitian who specializes in digestive health, but honestly? I didn’t plan to end up here. My journey into the Low FODMAP world started in the least professional way possible: doubled over in pain in my college dorm room, convinced something was seriously wrong with me.

I was 19 when the symptoms started. I spent my college years mapping out every bathroom on campus because of sharp cramps and constant bloating. Doctors ignored me for two years, calling it stress or a woman’s issue. By my third year, I had given up gluten, dairy, and all the food I loved, yet my health never improved.

Then I met Dr. Chen, a gastroenterologist who actually listened. After ruling out celiac, Crohn’s, and other conditions, she diagnosed me with IBS. She handed me a single photocopied page about something called the Low FODMAP diet. “Try this,” she said. “Give it six weeks.”

I remember staring at that sheet in the parking lot, overwhelmed. FODMAPs? Polyols? Oligosaccharides? I was a sociology major, not a scientist. But I was desperate.

That desperation led me to switch my major to nutrition science. If I had to live this way, I’d better understand why. My senior thesis became a deep dive into FODMAPs and gut microbiome research. I interviewed 47 IBS patients, tested recipes in my tiny apartment kitchen, and nearly burned down that kitchen twice.

But something clicked. When I followed the Low FODMAP elimination phase properly, actually understanding which foods contained which FODMAPs and why, my symptoms dropped by 80%. I could eat out with friends again. I could make plans without panic. Food stopped being the enemy. I wanted everyone with IBS to feel that relief.

Graduate school at Oregon Health & Science University taught me science. My registered dietitian internship taught me clinical skills. But working with over 300 IBS clients in the past decade? That taught me what actually matters:

Perfection is the enemy of progress. My first clients were overwhelmed by FODMAPs just like I’d been. They’d quit before they started because the diet seemed impossibly restrictive. I learned to focus on easy wins, one meal category at a time.

Recipes need to taste good, or no one will stick with them. I spent six months developing a low-FODMAP pasta sauce that didn’t taste like sadness. My partner (who has zero digestive issues) requests it regularly now. That’s the standard.

The reintroduction phase is where healing happens. Too many people stay in the elimination phase forever, terrified to test foods. But systematic reintroduction understanding YOUR specific triggers is where you reclaim food freedom.

Life happens, and that’s okay. I’ve had symptom flare-ups at weddings, on vacation, and during stressful work weeks. I’ve cried in restaurant bathrooms. I’ve meal-prepped perfectly for a week and then eaten gas station snacks on a road trip. Progress isn’t linear, and shame helps no one.

At GoPlated, I bring both the science and the lived experience. Every dish starts with a deep dive into the Monash University database to ensure it is safe. After that, I ran three full rounds of testing at home. Next, I send the recipe to our community testers for real-world trials. Finally, I tweak the measurements and methods until the result is perfect.

I also write the educational content you’ll find here, the ingredient swap guides, and the meal prep strategies. My goal is to translate nutrition science into information you can actually use at 6 PM on a Tuesday when your kids are hangry, and you’re exhausted.

After a decade of clinical work and personal experience, here’s what I know for sure: You deserve to enjoy food. Your symptoms are real. FODMAPs aren’t forever. Progress over perfection. You’re not broken.

Contact me: sarah@recipenly.com