IBS - Stomach friendly recipes

hbunting86

I've been having a whole heap of trouble with my stomach lately... this isn't a new thing but recently it's got an awful lot worse. I'm not in a habit of living at the doctors surgery and am sure that most things can be improved by diet.... so my question is for people who also have issues with stomach troubles.

Are there particular foods you find to really upset your stomach, or foods which seem to be a lot kinder to it?

I've learned myself that processed food just doesn't agree with me (not that this is bad or I've ever made a habit of eating it) - but I got pizza on Saturday and have only just been able to eat something today because my stomach was that bad. I stay away from processed meat products so only had margherita.... not that many things to hurt you'd think!

It's just advice with basic items to keep in my cupboard really rather than recipes per se - I like cooking so inventing things won't be an issue for me.

Any help appreciated

Elle408

I think it depends on what sets you off! IBS runs in our family, my sister and mum take medication for it but since watching my diet, mine has practically disappeared!

For me, Apples, mushrooms and coffee really bloat my stomach and give me intense cramps. So I generally avoid them. (I do eat them sometimes, but understand the consequences afterwards! lol)

You're probably best off making note every time you get symptoms and seeing what you've eaten that could have caused it and then avoiding it or eat it with caution!

beccarockslife

for my husband it's wheat, dairy and gluten that set him off. He's not celiac just bad IBS.

sjw2604

ive recently cut out white bread and pasta and im so much better i tried to eat bread again and looked 6 months pregnant within a few hours x

Rohnic

I agree with Elle, note what you eat and check back if you have symptoms.
I used to have lots of trouble with my stomach too, when I reduce my lactose and wheat intake Im fine though. the same goes with fatty foods (i.e. pizza)
good luck!

mtbke5

Mine is set off by processed foods, sugar, some dairy product (ice cream in particular), wheat products, carrots and potatoes.

My suggestion is to keep a food log and document when you feel bad so you can try to determine a pattern. My allergist had me go vegan/wheat free for awhile to see if that helped and it did slightly but not enough.

Good Luck

malcolmg52

I find it's bacon in a cooked breakfast that does'nt agree with me...probably a very good reason to avoid this in the morning ! But sometimes when I smell my wifes bacon and eggs cooking I give in and merrily join in only to suffer later, so I generally avoid it. I've found a serve of Greek yogurt settles my stomach down if I do indulge...

hbunting86

Thanks - someone also suggested peppermint tea, fish oil capsules and a few other dietary supplements. I don't have any probiotics in my diet (don't eat a lot of cheese) so maybe that might help. I have been reading a few research articles lately.

Urgh it's just difficult - I'll have to keep a proper food diary and as people say find out which things work/don't work. I've a feeling wheat is the main culprit but given my reaction this weekend to pizza (first time eating cheese in months and months) that might be to blame

rougenoire

There are so many conflicting theories about what is good or bad for IBS that the best starting place is tracking your own food intake and symptoms in a food diary. It is a bit of effort and rather than just tracking on here I tend to keep a paper diary with times of symptoms as well as times of food. That way you can start to see patterns and make small changes one at a time to see if it works.

Personally there are a number of things that I now consiciously avoid - all beans and pulses (lentils, chickpeas, baked beans, beans in chilli even black bean sauce), bread, processed food as much as possible, green peppers, milk except in small amounts in tea. I'm sure the list is longer but I focus on what I can eat whcih for me means oats and berries for breakfast with natural/greek yoghurt. Emphasis on the protein part of meals so small servings of pasta/rice/noodles and much more vegatables/meat/fish. Some things I thought were a problem have turned out not to be like eggs, chcocolate, caffeine and spices but high fat foods (particularly if you combine it with wheat to make pastries or high levels of spice in curries) and alcohol are off limits.

When I first started having problems I lived off rice crispies and bananas for a while, I wouldn't necessarily recommend that but it did help and once my stomach had settled I added things back in gradually. Good luck!

dls06

My son has crohn's and for him the best recipes are those that contain foods that reduce inflammation.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/273941-list-of-foods-to-reduce-inflammation-in-the-body/

Anti-inflammatory Foods
In the Anti-Inflammatory Diet provided on his website, Dr. Andrew Weil proposes that we select a variety of fresh foods, including an abundance of fruits and vegetables from all parts of the color spectrum, especially berries, tomatoes, orange and yellow fruits and dark leafy greens. We are encouraged to increase our consumption of whole grains where the grain is intact, such as in brown rice, and to increase our consumption of beans, winter squashes and sweet potatoes. He suggests that we decrease the amount of animal protein in our diet, except for fish and high quality natural cheese and yogurt, and to increase vegetable protein like that found in soy products. To obtain the necessary fats to reduce inflammation, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are considered to be extremely important. Examples of healthful cooking fats include extra virgin olive oil and organic canola oil, whereas salmon, sardines, omega-3 fortified eggs, hemp seeds and flaxseeds are also good food choices for healthful fats. Margarine, vegetable shortening and partially hydrogenated oils are to be strictly avoided. Other sources of good fat are avocados and nuts, especially walnuts, cashews and almonds. Drinking tea is more desirable than coffee and, if alcohol is consumed, red wine is preferable and should only be used in moderation. Dark chocolate can be eaten in small quantities but should contain at least 70 percent cocoa with only a minimal amount of sugar added.

Supplements
Dr. Hyman believes that, after eliminating the causes of inflammation, adding herbal remedies and supplements can dramatically improve the inflammed state of the body. He suggests that, along with a standard regimen of multivitamins and minerals, fish oil, probiotics and enzymes, such as bromelain, can be powerful additions. Along with his diet of fresh foods, Dr. Weil lists numerous supplements, including vitamins C, E, D, A, selenium, mixed carotenoids, folic acid and coenzyme Q10. He advises additional calcium for women and fish oil capsules for those who are not eating oily fish at least two times a week. He also suggests supplemental ginger and turmeric if they are not eaten regularly as food flavorings and alpha-lipoic acid for those needing help with energy metabolism.

rougenoire

Thanks - someone also suggested peppermint tea, fish oil capsules and a few other dietary supplements. I don't have any probiotics in my diet (don't eat a lot of cheese) so maybe that might help. I have been reading a few research articles lately.

Urgh it's just difficult - I'll have to keep a proper food diary and as people say find out which things work/don't work. I've a feeling wheat is the main culprit but given my reaction this weekend to pizza (first time eating cheese in months and months) that might be to blame

One IBS book I read advised an exclsuion diet cutting out foods and then challenging your body by eating them again. Problem is that in the pizza off the top of my head you could have been triggered by presence of wheat, the quantity of wheat, yeast, the rising process used, lactose, high fat, large quantity of food or preservatives used. I'd go with your gut (bad pun intended) reaction as to what it is but don't rule out other possibilities as IBS so far seems to be as varied as the people that suffer from it. If you do want to try out foods that you think may trigger symptoms it is better to test out just that food in isoltation along with other safe foods or you may end up avoiding things unnecessarily.

annasara21

I'm very sensitive to melted cheese for some reason, not all the time, but every now and then a pizza/tuna melt/lasagne etc will floor me! It only lasts for a few hours generally but it's pretty bad if I'm out and about somewhere!

hbunting86

Thanks these are really good suggestions!

Yeah unfortunately this problem seems to be the rule rather than the exception with me - which is so annoying as I love cooking and going out to restaurants and stuff but invariably suffer for it to a greater or lesser extent. I think the problem is also now that I'm somewhat *used* to having to live with it - whereas a few years ago I totally avoided wheat/gluten and was in much better health in terms of my stomach, but I was so skinny! So people thought I was unhealthy because I had a problem that made me avoid a lot of stuff (although now being older and independent I can more than compensate with other things).

My worry is that I'm not really absorbing nutrients due to having to dash to the loo all the time! Might be wrong... but I'd rather get this sorted or at least more under control.

rlmadrid

I've been having a whole heap of trouble with my stomach lately... this isn't a new thing but recently it's got an awful lot worse. I'm not in a habit of living at the doctors surgery and am sure that most things can be improved by diet.... so my question is for people who also have issues with stomach troubles.

Are there particular foods you find to really upset your stomach, or foods which seem to be a lot kinder to it?

I've learned myself that processed food just doesn't agree with me (not that this is bad or I've ever made a habit of eating it) - but I got pizza on Saturday and have only just been able to eat something today because my stomach was that bad. I stay away from processed meat products so only had margherita.... not that many things to hurt you'd think!

It's just advice with basic items to keep in my cupboard really rather than recipes per se - I like cooking so inventing things won't be an issue for me.

Any help appreciated

I have IBS and I find it can be triggered and last weeks from stress. Perhaps that is a factor?
Furthermore, you cited pizza so I'll fixate on that. My IBS is triggered by a very severe reaction to gluten (particularly barley) and a mild, unpredictable reaction to dairy. Perhaps you could 1) test for Celiac Disease and 2) try an elimination diet to find out what foods to avoid.

In terms of recipes, feel free to look at my diary for plenty of IBS friendly recipes. However, take all advice with a grain of salt as every case of IBS is as individual as the person maintaining it. Also, feel free to add me as a friend if you want to discuss this more!

Edit: I also keep my portions fairly small and eat every few hours to keep my energy levels high without hurting my stomach with too much food. Big meals never seem to sit well with me.

jcpmoore

Ah yes, I remember the years of IBS. Anything with lots of sugar or with cooked tomatoes upsets my stomach. Ginger is my friend. I put it in most of what I cook now, especially anything with tomatoes. It adds a little kick to the dish. More importantly, ginger is a great aid for almost any stomach ailment. It's good for indigestion, nausea, and those other unmentionable issues. I start this well over a decade ago and my IBS has been virtually non-existent. You can also get the candied variety and eat it separately, thought it tends to be hotter that way. Ginger tea is another option-I recommend the Yogi Ginger Aid variety as it's the only one that's truly medicinal level-but that too is very strong. Truly, putting it in your food is easier and tastier. Just grate the raw root into your food near the end of cooking and voila, it's done. You can store a ginger root in the freezer in a zipper bag (peeled) and just bring it out long enough to grate.

Another option for dishes that don't do well with the taste of ginger, you can use peppermint. Another great herb for stomach ailments, its goes a long way, though doesn't help with heartburn so much like ginger. It's tastier in teas and some folks prefer it in sweet dishes. It can be a great addition to some sauces (lamb and mint jelly anyone?), especially for pork or poultry. (Yes, this is why your Pepto tastes minty.) Just make sure it's peppermint and not another mint like spearmint. Again, you can choose teas if you prefer. If you want to chew it separately I recommend altoids as they use real peppermint. Cooking with it can be equally fun with peppermint.

Bonus-both are great for headaches, too.

persian_star

I think it's different for everyone, my hubby gets set off by anything that might be considered an irritant, so even mild chilli is a bad idea. For some reason, Costa coffee always sets me off (but not other coffee) and we both started having trouble with Papa John's after they last changed their sauce recipe. Goodness knows what goes into these things! However, with home made you're far less likely to need to worry about what everyone else puts in their stuff.

Thanks - someone also suggested peppermint tea, fish oil capsules and a few other dietary supplements.

My brother takes peppermint tea, I don't know if it makes any physical difference to him but it is meant to aid digestion and he enjoys it in place of something that would be full of sugar, so it can't hurt to try.

The one thing that might be useful to you, if you're going to take supplements, is to make sure you always take them AFTER food. I take fish oil and a multi-vit, and if I take them on an empty stomach I feel really sick for several hours afterwards.

TaniaW74

My IBS isn't set off by these things all the time so it's really a case of listening to my body and see what it's telling me but mainly it's dairy and spicy food that can trigger an attack. Also I can't eat eggs any more or mushrooms :grumble:

Mommy_x3

for my husband it's wheat, dairy and gluten that set him off. He's not celiac just bad IBS.

Same here. My IBS has basically gone away since stopping wheat & gluten.... I cant give up dairy. I love cheese to much! haha!

amsparky

I agree with Elle, note what you eat and check back if you have symptoms.
I used to have lots of trouble with my stomach too, when I reduce my lactose and wheat intake Im fine though. the same goes with fatty foods (i.e. pizza)
good luck!

This. I'm with you - I've been feeling AWFUL lately and have been trying to figure out why. I've been feeling marginally better, but it's from reducing my veggies. I hate to do it, but I hate feeling like my gut will rip open from bloating more.

Lyssa62

I have a question for all of you with IBS. My 21 year old son has taken the brunt of the IBS inheritance from my side of the family. My concern with him is it doesn't seem like "normal" IBS. He gets severe stomach cramps AFTER he goes to the bathroom. When my bouts of it come on ..the cramps hit me BEFORE I have the "bout".

I am curious where we need to start with a diet change for him. He was trying to g vegan (that' didn't work)...he had to put a little bit of meat back in his diet (things improved slightly with that addition back in). But we still have some research to do. I feel horrible for him..he's not even able to look for a job right now because he's afraid to leave the house. We need to find a solution and quick. I might add too...he's a "big" boy. He's around 6/3 and weighs around 300 lbs (too much)!!! I know this can't be helping his situation. Since we are more holistic/herbal ..he does not want to go to the doctor. I did force him in once because I was afraid he was having a gallbladder attack or something and no tests were run..just medicine handed out..which is another reason we stay away from medical doctors as much as possible.

any suggestions/help would be much appreciated. Thank you!

hbunting86

Have you thought about going to a dietitian rather than just a general doctor? In my experience they're pretty useless in terms of things like that other than the standard tests - don't get me wrong doctors are great with other things, but food is such a specialist area I bet GP's have a nightmare!

At the moment my stomach/bowels are really bad so I will get cramps after as well as before I've been to the bathroom. Hence I've been working from home lately (lucky for me I can do that). It does make life living in a shared housing situation embarrassing though and certainly knocks your confidence!

I'm going to try what other people on here have suggested - particularly keeping a food diary (other than the one on here). Maybe track that for a few weeks and start to highlight trigger foods/combinations of foods.

Feel for your son though.. it's so annoying!

sunnyside1213

My IBS got so bad, I couldn't leave the house. For unrelated reasons, I gave up my statins for high cholestrol. Guess what? No more IBS.

trijoe

Not necessarily IBS per se, but two of our daughters struggle with GI issues. We had one tested (the other will be tested shortly) and have found a laundry list of food sensitivities. Not celiac's, just sensitivities. The list includes: wheat/gluten, all citrus (namely, anything with citric acid), all dairy, all corn products, soy, apples/pears, apricots, grapes, and a few other things.

Our goal is to eliminate everything irritating, then over time, give our tummies the chance to heal. Then VERY slowly, re-introduce. We've been doing this process, with varying results, for months now.

It's not easy, especially for kids. But the payoff is worth the fight. Yes, they miss their cheeseburgers. But as one daughter put it so eloquently, when I asked if she'd rather have a cheeseburger if it meant hurting at bedtime, "Dad, I don't want to hurt anymore."

We don't know if the time will ever come when the kids will have all the currently banned foods back on their diets. But if staying irritant free is what keeps us all happy and healthy, then there's really no decision to be made.

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OH! And what made all the difference for us was going to a holistic doctor who actually looked at their diets, and tested for irritations. We'd taken the kids to various doctors and specialists for years, with terrible results. I lost track of the doctors that told us, "Hang in there, take this drug to make her feel better, and she'll eventually outgrow this." OH FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!

The holistic doctor got our daughter tested, discovered the root of the GI issues, and has helped us on a path of healing and healthy living.

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A recipe (It is what you asked for, after all...) - Homemade chicken stock

I know this sounds crazy, but homemaking your own chicken stock is one of the most soothing things you can do for your gut. It works wonders in our house.

2 whole chickens, meat removed, bones broken
1-2 pounds chicken necks/backs
1 onion, rough chopped
4-5 stalks celery, rough cut
5-6 carrots, cut into big pieces
Water to cover the bones
*** We use organic meat and veggies. Cuts down on hormones, antibiotics, and other bad things. ***

Place everything in the biggest honkin' pot you can find - we do it in a 2.5G stock pot. Slowly bring to a boil. Make sure not to let this boil over, as it'll start a kitchen fire. Turn down to a very low simmer, and cover. Simmer for 20-24 hours. After an all day simmer, strain everything out. The stock is pretty fatty. We leave the fat in, as it's pretty easily digestible. But you can strain it out if you like. Cool as quickly as you can.

When pretty cool, I ziplock baggie it in 1Q batches, then freeze.

This is unsalted and will taste like it. I don't salt till AFTER I'm done cooking it, usually after I've reduced it to 1Q baggies.

I hope this helps.
TriJoe.

Lyssa62

So far all we have done is the chiro (which we do once a month)..he tried to help with some kind of natural digestive enzyme. that seemed to work for a couple of days but then he was right back into it. Then I took him to my gp who gave him some kind of acid reducing over the counter crap. That didn't do anything.
He consumes way too much sugar..which I am trying to help wean him off of..but it's not easy. He loves to bake (hence his weight)..and who knows what in all of his baking madness he's digesting that could be at least contributing to the issue. We noticed the first really bad bout of it was about 6 months into his vegan attempt.
It's hard when they get this age and you can't force them to eat a certain way. He does still live at home -- we have a 2 story house which he kind of lives on the lower level and is in charge of keeping that area clean and laundry which requires he be up and down 2 flights of stairs several times a day..but that is basically his "exercise". I also know a lack of exercise has to be contributing to it.

I appreciate more than you can know your help and suggestions. I am going to try some of that chicken stock.

DrMAvDPhD

Everyone's triggers are a little different, but my IBS has practically disappeared since I started eating a high protein diet with little to no processed food. The only time I have flares now is when dining out. I used to think my trigger was fat, but my diet is much higher in (healthy) fats than its ever been, so it isn't that simple.

aholly70

Hello, i too have IBS and it was really bad went to DR.all the time.I finally decided to try going gluten free and the DR. sayed try it,and i don't have any promblems anymore,no bloating stomach aches nothing,plus i'm losing weight. I would try it but do it slowly if you go all at once you could get sick,but it works for and now my whole family eats this and they even feel better.

trijoe

In the early days trying to figure out the girls' issues, we tried all the normally tried diets - (1) gluten free, (2) red meat free, (3) dairy free, (4) peanut/treenut free, and there were a few others. None of them worked. I kept reading and hearing from others that a lot of the time, it's not one thing, it's many things.

In the end, this turned out to be very true for us. Our list of irritants is so large, that we never had a fighting chance while trying things ourselves. In short, if you TRY a set diet (gluten free), and it doesn't work, it doesn't mean you FAILED. It could very easily mean that you gave up the gluten (which was good), but not the dairy, or citrus, or tree nuts, or any other host of irritants. Basically you just didn't go far enough.

We would have never figured this out without our holistic doctor's help.

WhiteCloud9

I have found that taking probiotics everyday has been a lifesaver! I take GNC's Super Probiotic Complex 10 billion CFU. Right now I'm having more trouble than usual with my stomach due to an ovarian cyst that won't go away, which is the second time I've had one. Last time was causing the same problems. Before the cyst came back, I could take the probiotics everyday and not have any trouble unless I ate a lot of fast food. But if I skip taking them two or more days in a row then anything I eat causes horrible gas pain and constipation. Then it takes about three days to fix my stomach again. Ironically, I started taking probiotics after the last surgery to remove the cysts because the antibiotics really tore up my stomach, and found that all of my indigestion went away, too.

I have tried the Phillips Colon Health probiotics but they worked for a short time because they are only 1 billion CFU. So I went back to the GNC brand of 10 billion CFU.

Someone mentioned looking six months pregnant from the bloating and that's exactly how I look when my stomach is really messed up.