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IBS Diet, IBS Diet Sheets And Foods To Avoid With IBS






IBS diet is so important in the management of this bowel syndrome. On this page you will find diet information, what are the good foods for IBS, discuss your diet for IBS in the food forum below, the foods to avoid with IBS and also find a link to IBS diet sheets too. Is there an Irritable Bowel Syndrome diet? There is definitely a correlation between the two and lots of sufferers come to me stating that they can't eat certain foods as it makes their symptoms worse.

So what Irritable Bowel Syndrome diet advice do I give my patients when there is so much information out there? I think the first thing is to have a sense of balance on this subject. No one’s saying you should avoid lots of foods all together, but there do seem to be certain foods to avoid with IBS or at least kept to a minimum if you are susceptible to their effects. First of all your bowel needs to have a routine in a similar way to most of us! Eating meals regularly was the first thing I realised was so important in Irritable Bowel. Please try not to skip meals as this 'confuses' the bowel and can make symptoms worse. Try to eat at the same times each day and avoid eating late at night. Don't rush your food as this can cause cramps, particularly as air tends to be swallowed when eating quickly and this is unhelpful.

Try to keep a food diary over a week or two as you may see a pattern emerge and give you a pointer of which foods to avoid. Don't forget that digestion is a lengthy exercise, so it won't necessarily be the food you had immediately before so look for patterns before the last meal too!

Sufferers often tell me that fatty foods, gluten containing foods (gluten is a protein in wheat, rye and barley), dairy products and too much complex sugars (carbohydrates in the diet) can make their symptoms worse.

<<>> Below, I am going to outline the good foods for IBS, the various IBS diets available to you and you can contribute your own thoughts in the IBS food forum too. So if you have a particular Irritable Bowel Syndrome diet that works for you, any recipes you would like to offer other sufferers, any foods you find best to avoid then please share them with all of us below.

You too can gain information from others on the site! One organisation, the BDA or British Dietetic Association in conjunction with the National Institute For Clinical Excellence provide diet sheets for IBS and you can obtain them by Clicking Here

General diet principles in an IBS diet



Eat REGULAR meals, DON’T miss meals as bowel likes REGULARITY

DON’Tover eat as this can cause overstimulation

SMALL and REGULAR meals maybe more beneficial

AVOID alcohol, caffeine related drinks (including tea, coffee and fizzy drinks such as cola)

AVOID spicy foods such as curries, peppers, chillies, onions, garlic, acidic vinegar containing foods

What sort of IBS do YOU have determines the DIET for YOU



The saying “you are what you eat” has some bearing in IBS. The sort of IBS that you suffer from determines what sort of diet you should have:

If you suffer from diarrhea and wind:

You need to have a low fiber or exclusion diet

If you suffer from diarrhea and constipation:

You need a high fiber diet and if this fails an exclusion diet

If you suffer from constipation and wind or bloating

You need a low fibre diet plus or minus laxatives

If you suffer from Constipation without wind or bloating:

You need a high fiber diet plus or minus laxatives



The IBS DIETS



<<>> All IBS diets should contain protein containing foods including fresh meats, poultry and eggs. These are all good foods in IBS. Excluding them in the longer term might lead to nutritional deficiencies. If you feel that you have a problem with one or more of these you can keep a diary to see which meats or poultry make your symptoms worse.




Low fibre IBS diet



Low fibre diets should be balanced and incorporate the following:

• White bread rather than brown or granary

• Pasta and rice, BUT not wholemeal

• Cereals that don’t contain high fibre. Examples would include corn flakes and rice cereal

• White flour containing foods

• Fresh fruit and juices, but avoid skins and seeds

• Vegetables, but NOT beans, pulses or corn. Remove skin from potatoes and other skinned vegetables




High Fibre IBS diet



High fibre diets should incorporate variations of the following:

• Brown bread and granary bread

• Wholemeal pasta and brown rice

• High fibre cereals including Weetabix, Shredded Wheat, Shreddies and many more

• Brown flour containing foods

• Fruit incorporating the skins

• Vegetables including beans, pulses, corn and jacket potato




Exclusion IBS diets



Exclusion diets by definition mean EXCLUSION and are the only way of finding out what is good are the good foods in IBS and what are bad in IBS applicable to you. The problem with this sort of diet is that it requires a lot of time and commitment by YOU , as well as some will power too! Take in the following foods:

• Meats – fresh meat and poultry, but avoid processed meats, burgers and sausages

• Fresh fish – NOT processed fish, fried or battered

• Vegetables – ALL vegetables, but avoid SKINNED potatoes, garlic, onions and peppers

• Fruits – ALL fruits except citrus fruits such as lemon, lime and orange

• Cereals – Rice containing cereals only

• Dairy – AVOID ALL dairy containing products such as milk, butter, yoghurt and replace with soya substitutes

• Drinks – ONLY take in water, non-citrus drinks and herbal teas. AVOID alcohol, tea, coffee and carbonated drinks

You may find that you still have symptoms or symptoms are made worse with the exclusion diet. This is quite normal. You need to keep a food diary of what you are eating each day and vary the foods. Make a note of what appears to be making your symptoms better and which ones seem to help. This can take several weeks to achieve. Once you know what is right for you, you can then create diets with variations of the so called good foods. Once everything is working for you, you can then start reintroducing some of the foods you have been advised to avoid, but keep using a diary as you will be able to see which foods are ok for you and which ones are not.




Wind or Bloating producing foods



Certain foods seem to increase the amount of bloating and wind that you experience. Notorious examples of these foods include nuts, dried fruits, baked beans, pulses, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. Fizzy beers (Lagers) and carbonated drinks such as cola drinks and Lemonade can also make symptoms worse.

Try to avoid the above foods, but again gradual reintroduction into your diet will help you to determine which ones cause you more problems.









Why Don't You Discuss Your IBS Diet In The Food Forum!


Nows your chance to discuss YOUR DIET FOR IBS , your favourite IBS RECIPES, what works for YOU, what DOESN'T work for you in the IBS food forum!


IBS DIET FORUM

Welcome to our IBS DIET forum! You can ask questions, or comment on nearly anything related to your DIET. Have you got a good diet that works for you, a RECIPE to share, what makes your symptoms worse and what makes them better! This is a great place to find others and share ideas!






To return to the IBS Help Online Homepage Click Here


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