Hi there, I'm Andrew and I'm one of the creators of Fig. I'm of course biased and hope you like our extension, but I wanted to tell you a bit about why we built Fig in the first place.

Up until 2014, I never really watched what I ate - no ingredients were off limits (truly the glory days!). That all changed suddenly in February 2014 when I came home from a trip to Mexico. I didn't know it at the time, but I had developed post-infectious IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), likely from food poisoning in Mexico. I was having extreme GI symptoms like gut pain, diarrhea, and constipation. I could barely sleep through the night and was exhausted all the time. Life as I knew it literally came to a stop.

It took me three years and too many doctors to count to put a diagnosis to my symptoms: IBS and SIBO (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth). In 2017, I started a Low FODMAP and low sugar diet to address them both. For the first time in three years, I finally felt like myself again. I will always be grateful to those on the internet who helped me find my way back to good health.

The problem? A Low FODMAP diet is REALLY hard to follow. There are literally hundreds of ingredients you need to avoid entirely or limit portions of. I would spend hours in the grocery store with my partner reading ingredient labels and trying to figure out if a specific product would match my needs. Too many days, we'd go home empty handed. There had to be a better way. Hence, Fig was born.

If I've learned one thing while developing Fig, it's that no two people eat the same way - and our unique needs change over time. We've tried to make Fig as personal as possible. I also know how important and significant dietary needs can be. Fig won't be completed overnight and we'll make some mistakes along the way, but it's needed and I'm committed to getting it right.

As you use Fig, please feel free to reach out to me personally with any questions, concerns or ideas: andrew (at) foodisgood (dot) com. Thanks for placing your trust in us and for helping us to build this important tool.

Take care,
Andrew Hollar

FIG has been so helpful as I try to follow a Vegan for 2021! Knowing what I'm eating is easier than ever before. Thank you FIG :)