IBS - what CAN I eat?

gorgeousness999

I suffer from IBS. I'm really restricted to my diet and it has been much worse in the last year - hence the weight gain. I used to eat alot of salads and vegetables but then got really bad IBS. I amnot allowed to eat too much fibre. I have to avoid most vegetables now and other foods I'm discovering are triggers also are eggs, spicy food.
I tend to eat cereal for breakfast, a homemade ham sandwich with cottage cheese for lunch then get stuck on dinner. Any suggestions would be most welcome!

Firefox7275

Have you kept a detailed food diary (every morsel and ingredient that passes your lips) seen a registered dietician? My concern would be ham and cereals tend to be processed/ heavy on the artificial additives, cottage cheese is a poor source of calcium, you are likely to be low on minerals, vitamins and healthy fats. Have you been recommended any supplements by your medical team - complete multivitamin/ mineral, high strength fish oils, freeze dried probiotic capsule? Do you practice stress management techniques?

amyllu

Unfortunately..as has been said on many occasions.. what suits one person can be totally different for others!
It really is a case of finding what YOU can eat without having a flare-up. Then again what may have dire results on one occasion you may find that you will be able to eat on another time.
One of the major factors that can cause a bout of IBS is stress. Is there anything that you can do about that?
Learning to relax I have found extremely beneficial for a lot of things.. migraines and tension headaches to name two obvious ones that I used to suffer from.

I do hope that you find the answer to your problem soon...

deladypilot

Everyone with IBS is different. I have suffered from it for about 25 years now along with the fact that my galbladder was removed (the part of your body that creates bile) Put the two together and it creates major issues with digestion. For me though, I know that a heavy fat diet will cause me to be at home all day other than that, I never know when it is going to hit. I could eat a turkey sandwich one day and be great, eat it the next day and oh lord help me. So you need to figure out what your triggers are and work around them.

You can do it, it just may take some time to figure it all out

fihealth

My husband has that too and has been training his body to take more fibre and fresh veg for years and it has been paying off! Start slow, introducing little bits at a time, and combining with some simpler carbs as a buffer. For example, pastas with a bit of fresh or steamed or roasted veg. Could try beans in moderation too. Tofu is great. Also, not all vegetables are created equal, see what works best for you. For instance, we use a lot of sweet potato and butternut squash that gives him no trouble whatsoever, and are still pretty low cal, and are amazing roasted, or thrown in a slow cooker with some seasoning. Too spicy gets him too, but there are lots of delicious spices that work -- coriander, garam masala, mild curry, turmeric for colour, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, tarragon, smoked paprika... on and on... these add lots of flavour without the pain!

Funnily enough instances of IBS can feed back to create more bouts of IBS through reductions in healthy gut bacterial flora. So by eating one yoghurt a day with active bacterial cultures, he's noticed a big improvement!

Food diary's a great idea. Be willing to experiment and have things not work out, but keep going. Your body will continue to change and adapt to an extent too, so something that's difficult for your body to handle now might be much more manageable in time.

IBS symptoms are often multi-causal with stress as a massive trigger. Any exercise, meditation, or other activities to de-stress will be helpful to reduce intensity and frequency of symptoms.

And my sister discovered that her IBS was solely due to gluten intolerance. She's been gluten free for a couple years now and is symptom free. It's also a popular bandwagon people are jumping on now, but it might be worth checking with your doctor?

GoddessG

It is very possible that a low-Low- LOW carb diet will bring you relief. My husband was never diagnosed with anything called IBS, but he was chronically bothered by gastro-intestinal disorders. When I put him on a low-carb diet, all his symptoms - plus his symptoms from sinuitis and allergies went away., as well as the constant indigestion caused by stress. (Low carb makes me happier, and it did for him as well)

the thing I like about low-carb is that I don't have to eat fiber. Just the things I like - like meat, eggs, butter, and moderate amounts of the best cheese I can find. (I used to buy the cheap cheese, but after getting my ability to actually taste food back, I prefer my ounce a day to be a really wonderful experience) I like cheese much more than candy.

I don't know what your recommended diet is. Care to share?

CrazyTrackLady

I had some health issues that were undiagnosable and the doctor tested me for lupus, hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. Something was triggering my auto immune system and I was in full blown response (aches, pains, lethargy, etc). My RA factor was 23, normal range goes to 14. I was bloated, gassy, and irregular.

I wanted to lose weight, so a friend of mine suggested I go off wheat and grains. I did, and within ONE WEEK, ALL my symptoms disappeared! Three months later, I went back to my doctor for a new blood test, and found my cholesterol had dropped by 40 pts, my good cholesterol was up, and most importantly, my RA factor was back down to 14. I had actually discovered I was sensitive to gluten! (Oh, I also dropped 20 lbs in that time).

If I might suggest, go OFF gluten AND grains. Why grains? Because they cause leaky gut syndrome. Look that up -- it could be something that is aggravating your IBS.

I'm not a doctor or nutritionist, but I have had HUGE success by eliminating wheats and grains from my diet. And if people think they need grains to be regular, that's a fallacy. I'm more regular now than I have EVER been.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Yes, I have IBS also.

I find that grains, especially gluten containing grains cause major flare ups. I am able to eat any and all fruits and vegetables, except I limit the amount of cruciferous vegetables due to them making my hands and feet swell, but that is another story..........

So, I eat high fat, moderate protein and limit my carbs to fruits and vegetables.

eandrsmom

I have had ibs for about 20 years. Was to the point where they were considering scoping my digestive tract and multiple daily meds. Then I saw a nutritionist who changed how I eat, but not what I eat. And within weeks, my symptoms all but disappeared. I take a probiotic and fish oil daily while eating small, frequent meals. Unbelievable how much better I feel!! Everybody has different triggers though, so good luck finding yours!

lexidear

I'm new here and I have IBS too. Like everyone else said, what works for one person doesn't work for everyone. for example, I'm fine with carbs (bread, pasta etc) unless i eat TOO MANY - then I get a bout of IBS. I can eat some vegetables, but beans and cabbage are a big definite no!