IBS

If you don't already know what IBS is - it is 'Irritable Bowel Syndrome' and I have had it since I was 20, about 5 years ago. It usual beings late teens, early twenties but some people even younger than that. When I first self-diagnosed it, I went to my doctor and she told me to eat more fiber hence told me to buy metamucil, eat lots of veges, fruits and whole wheat. I loaded up on those, the metamucil giving me more gas than needed and didn't help with my constipation at all ( most people have diarrhea) since I was now spending about a good 2 hours a day in the bathroom trying to go. I was constantly bloated even though I may have eaten an apple, my abdomin hurt always. After following the doctors diet and not getting results after 5 very very painful years, I found a website that has not only relieved my pain but now I am not in the bathroom for 2 hours and I don't have to wake up 2 hours before work just to get there on time.

Basically, what the doctor had told me to eat is infact the very things that were hurting me. I needed a diet high in carbs, low in fat and because most veges and fruits have an insoluble skin which is the culprit for my symptoms, I now peels all my fruits and roast all my veges so I could eat the soluble fiber without the insoluble. Whole wheat come to find out is bad for me, so now I have switched to potato and white bread. The hull of the whole wheat is insoluble therefore not good for me. Red meat is out as it is hard to digest and quite frankly not that big of a deal for me since I am not that big of a fan of red meat but a good steak once in a while is quite yummy.

Anyhow, the first two to three days I was really upset cause I love fruits and veges and I had to change my whole diet. It was a little overwhelming all this new information and for a few days I was bummed because I thought that all I could eat was white bread and I was afraid my new high carb diet would make me gain weight and I was also so fatigued the first few days on my new diet that I was really really disappointed and felt like this was another bunch of lies. Researching more, I found that I could eat veges and fruits, I just had to puree peas, and brocolli and cabbage and roasting veges helps to minimize the effects that insoluble fiber has and peeling fruits and eating them slowly and in small bites would be okay. Plus no more chewing gum since it caused me to swallow more air hence more gas in my tummy. After 4 or 5 days on this new diet, I have noticed such a big change. My tummy is now hardly ever bloated, and my abdominal cramps are nill. I don't have a constant urge to go to the bathroom and not be able to go and today was the first day that I have spent only literally 5 minutes at the most in the bathroom. I was amazed, so if you or your friends have IBS, please refer them to this wonderful website which explains everything you need to know about IBS, about what foods are good for you and what is not and also has an amazing recipe index! I cannot tell you how benefical this has been. It literally is life changing.

http://www.helpforibs.com/

Also, if you are more of a book person, there is a book called "Eating for IBS" which has a book full of recipes that are IBS safe. :-)

Good luck! I hope this helps for anyone who has IBS.