I'm starving myself...

amazingbabydoll

No I'm not anorexic.. I have IBS & it makes it almost impossible to eat without getting nauseous. I have switched over to super healthy foods like fish, eggs, nuts, beans, & hummus with few pita chips. Even eating those things set my IBS off a little bit, so I eat every other day. On my drinking days I drink matefit metabolism & detox tea, soy milk, protein shakes with at least 60 grams of protein per shake, juice, & fruit infused water. As you see I try to drink as much calories as possible so I don't go into starvation mode. BUUUUTTTTTT, I track my calories & I'm technically starving myself. My goal is to eat every day, but I'm limited to what I can eat.

So my question for you, since there's a world of different foods out there, what are some healthy foods I have probably never heard of?

I've posted something similar to this & was told to add anti-inflammatory foods & cut out gluten.

Do yall have any other tips?

I'd appreciate it greatly

Maleficent0241

Have you read the book Eating For IBS by Heather Van Vorous? Many sufferers fund the advice in there very helpful. Many libraries will have a copy of it. It explains which types of food tend to be better for sufferers, and has some recipes too.

Also, why the detox tea? It contains stimulant laxatives that your body can become dependent on. There are much safer alternatives for long term constipation management.

Edited due to stupid autocorrect

KarenJanine

You should consult with a dietitian who can work with you to find what foods you can tolerate.

You say you eat nuts - have you tried adding nut butters to your protein shakes to boost calories? Also avocados can add a decent amount of calories without too much volume. The healthy fats may also help if you have constipation. Coconut oil is another good way to boost fats/calories.

amazingbabydoll

I only drink the detox tea every other day & I'm doing it for 28 days. So that's only 14 days of drinking it. I don't want to be dependent on laxatives, I just want to poop normally which would happen if I ate more & ate balanced meals. The teas I bought because I'm a really big tea enthusiast & it claims to help boost your metabolism, so I wanted to give it a shot. It's not hurting me. It's actually made my IBS & other health conditions better.

amazingbabydoll

Thank you Karen!

yarwell

Soy milk ? Soy oil is inflammatory, can't see that helping.

60 grams of protein at a time is way over the top, 30g is more like it. What is the source of the protein ? if it's dairy based you may have a reaction to milk protein.

jenilla1

At one point, I was using MFP to make sure I didn't starve to death. My coworkers asked me if I had cancer. Potatoes, bananas, rice...those helped me get through some bad times.

My doctor said that IBS is something that is often diagnosed when they can't figure out what's really wrong. It's a set of symptoms that shows that your digestive tract is pissed off about something. The causes can be different from person to person, and often are related to food sensitivities or intolerance. You just have to figure out which food(s) are triggering it and then eliminate them from your diet.

I used to become extremely nauseous and often puked out both ends after eating until my new doctor had me try gluten and dairy free. Within a few weeks my inflammation markers had gone down and I was feeling better. You might have to give it some time to heal before you feel better.

I no longer have IBS. It's been a few years now, and I can eat small amounts of cheese again, but gluten is totally out for me. I will not go back to feeling sick every day. Not saying that that's your problem, but I, too, was diagnosed with IBS and suffered for a over a decade until a doctor finally had me try an elimination diet. Google FODMAPS and see if any of those foods could be triggering your IBS.

Good luck!

jenilla1

http://www.ibsdiets.org/fodmap-diet/fodmap-food-list/

coral_b

Hi, I completely understand. I have IBS and suffer horrendous cramps. Lost of the things you list as "staple" foods are bad for IBS... Garlic,soy, dairy and gluten can be triggers. Even some fruit and veg for others. Whey protein powder could be a culprit, too.I used FODMAP diet too, to find my triggers, and its amazing. It's an elimination diet that gradually brings back food groups. Painstaking to cut so much out, but so worth it. I found some bizarre triggers, including red pepper, milk and yogurt but I'm fine with Greek yoghurt, I can't have onion and can only have garlic occasionally. I don't have certain veg very often, some not at all. I have bread as a treat. I was fine with cheese pain wise but I've found too much dairy just causes acne and bloating so I minimise it. Worth a look into! Good luck and feel free to add me x

amazingbabydoll

The foods & drinks I mentioned are, out of all the foods & drinks I've tried in my almost 19 years of living, are the only ones that I can eat & drink. They still mess me up a bit but that's probably due to me eating & drinking fast. When I say fast I mean I don't take breaks to even breathe in between bites & sips.
I had to be put on soy formula when I was a baby.. I drank dairy milk growing up, but these past few years soy has been best for me. If I don't drink it too fast, I'm at ease.
I've eliminated every trigger & don't miss them AT ALL.. okay maybe a few! I might have to try Greek yogurt again. I forgot how it makes me feel.
I use whey protein in large amounts because I'm on a high protein diet. I consume about 130 grams a day.
Again, every food & drink I've mentioned are my friends, if consumed not too fast.
FODMAP, from what I glanced at earlier, seems amazing! I'm going to try it. The thing is I don't want certain foods back into my diet. Junk is a no no for the rest of my life. But I am eager to see if I can eventually add back certain fruits & veggies that I love.

Thanks for yalls help!

CipherZero

Maleficent0241 wrote: »

Have you read the book Eating For IBS by Heather Van Vorous?

Also look at "Eating Right for a Bad Gut". The MD who wrote it isn't trying to sell you anything and has a lot of great information.

amazingbabydoll

ok thanks!

Liftng4Lis

I would definitely talk with a dietitian.

kgeyser

What did you doctor say when he/she diagnosed you about diet? Have you had an upper GI series done? That seems like a lot of trigger foods for IBS, I would be wondering if something else is going on.

lightmouse

I have IBS, so I know how you feel. I tolerate avocados, Greek yogurt, homemade rye bread, sweet potato, nut butters and chicken well; soy, cows milk and wheat not so well. I drink unsweetened almond milk instead. And 100ml of prune juice when I'm having a flare up I can reach a decent calorie goal now without eating things that cause me pain - but it took a little while.

lightmouse

I also found lowering my protein and increasing my fat helped a lot.

hookilau

missrudolf wrote: »

The foods & drinks I mentioned are, out of all the foods & drinks I've tried in my almost 19 years of living, are the only ones that I can eat & drink. They still mess me up a bit but that's probably due to me eating & drinking fast. When I say fast I mean I don't take breaks to even breathe in between bites & sips.
I had to be put on soy formula when I was a baby.. I drank dairy milk growing up, but these past few years soy has been best for me. If I don't drink it too fast, I'm at ease.
I've eliminated every trigger & don't miss them AT ALL.. okay maybe a few! I might have to try Greek yogurt again. I forgot how it makes me feel.
I use whey protein in large amounts because I'm on a high protein diet. I consume about 130 grams a day.
Again, every food & drink I've mentioned are my friends, if consumed not too fast.
FODMAP, from what I glanced at earlier, seems amazing! I'm going to try it. The thing is I don't want certain foods back into my diet. Junk is a no no for the rest of my life. But I am eager to see if I can eventually add back certain fruits & veggies that I love.

Thanks for yalls help!

Curious...what does eating quickly do to you?

ana3067

You should probably look for IBS-safe foods and/or do an elimination diet. Has nothing to do with eating healthy and all to do with finding what triggers your issues. I only have problems with gluten, although beans and nuts can cause issues sometimes - soaking nuts helps with digestive issues, not sure if soaking beans helps but when I soaked my own navy beans I didn't have any issues.

So the beans, nuts, and maybe even the hummus and pita chips (chickpeas I believe? and wheat/gluten?) could be causing you issues.

amazingbabydoll

Ana, I mentioned many times, hummus & few pita chips are safe for me.
My doctor told me to eliminate trigger foods. After about 6 months of adjusting my diet, I have found only these foods are safe for me. I only feel discomfort when I eat too fast.
Hookilau, eating too fast causes your stomach to expand too quickly, which then causes an unpleasant feeling. It feels like I ate too much. But when I eat at a normal speed I'm fine.. but only for the foods mentioned.

I am adding foods to my diet though, that's why I asked if yall knew any IBS friendly foods. But that was an invalid request because what is IBS friendly to one person could be a trigger food to someone else. So basically I'm asking for any healthy, low carb food. My mom said we have squash so I'm gonna try that. I am also googling other foods I can try.

mamafazz

try FODMAP diet

amazingbabydoll

I have found that healthier foods are safer for me. I might have IBS BECAUSE I used to binge on junk food. So again, I'm trying different foods out & eliminating the triggers.

purplishblue

Maleficent0241 wrote: »

Have you read the book Eating For IBS by Heather Van Vorous? Many sufferers fund the advice in there very helpful. Many libraries will have a copy of it. It explains which types of food tend to be better for sufferers, and has some recipes too.

Also, why the detox tea? It contains stimulant laxatives that your body can become dependent on. There are much safer alternatives for long term constipation management.

Edited due to stupid autocorrect

I also recommend this! Some of the things you're eating could definitely set off IBS. When I first started out with my IBS there were a LOT of foods that would set mine off, including beans. Be very careful with fiber, and even the eggs you listed could be doing it because they are higher fat. I know personally I couldn't eat any whole grains. I recommend trying white flour foods just to get your symptoms under control. Not super healthy but if it lets you eat every day, that's good enough. I have slowly over the years re-introduced higher fiber and higher fat foods so that now I eat almost normal It's possible, but you first have to get it under control. Try Eating for IBS, she has a website as well which is very helpful. She goes over all the foods that can trigger it.

Tydeclare44

My ex has IBS, and what really worked for her was the soluble fiber powder from Heather. Just add that to certain foods, and it will help you digest some of the foods you're having trouble with

wordwitty

Have you tried quinoa? It's a supergrain - full of antioxidants and protein. It's a superfood - my husband introduced to our household when he got IBS.
-

amazingbabydoll

I'm listenin to all of you & again, thanks... but quinoa? I have only heard of that once. Hmm. I'll try that.

FredDoyle

wordwitty wrote: »

Have you tried quinoa? It's a supergrain - full of antioxidants and protein. It's a superfood - my husband introduced to our household when he got IBS.
-

It's not a grain, so hardly a "supergrain". Grains are from the cereal plants family.
Quinoa is a seed. It does have a complete essential amino acid profile and more protein than rice though.
Superfoods? Not even going there.

perseverance14

Quinoa is actually a seed, it is a grain when grown, but it is the seeds that are harvested and eaten, very tasty and good for you.

amazingbabydoll

Ohhh

ruralife

Oats are seeds and so is rye, wheat, etc. They are the plants' seeds. How is quinoa different than that?

Skrib69

Have you been tested for food intolerances?? My better half suffers, and was tested. As soon as she cut out dairy (lactose intollerance) and a few other things it was much better. Once you have dealt with that, then see a dietician if things havent improved.

Maitria

When you see your doctor, please let him or her know about the structure of your diet as it is right now, especially the laxative tea. Has your doc ever recommended Miralax? It's gentle enough to use daily, while laxatives can be really harsh and even mess with your electrolytes. Your doctor or a dietitian should be able to help you figure out a diet plan, even with IBS, that lets you eat every day. I'm wondering if the way you eat currently could be messing with your IBS even more. (PS: Are you an athlete? I apologize if I missed that. You may be able to cut back on protein, which might help with your constipation.)