IBS - Stomach friendly recipes

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!

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!