What do you eat if you are a vegetarian????
#249005 - 02/27/06 06:04 PM
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Gab
Reged: 12/28/05
Posts: 25
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Hello!!
I haven't posted in a while. Well in sum, I was a vegetarian for 4 years and had big trouble with IBS. Then I started eating meat again and my IBS got better. I decided to become a vegetarian again and I did 4 months ago... now my IBS is back. Tons of gas, bloating, cramps. My stools are softer but I don't really have diarreah or constipation as I did previuosly (first time of being a veggie). This time, is gas and cramps mainly. I have these 2 symptoms everyday... and as I speak right now I want to cry because the pain is so bad. I was taking Beano, which helps a little with the gas, but the cramps and bloating right now are aweful... I just took Bentyl for the pain.... Don't know what to do. I had Heather's book when I first got IBS and I packed it when I moved and now I can't find it. Sorry for this long post but I'm really overwhelmed.... I don't know what to eat.... My diet is as follows:
Breakfast - Oatmeal or fruits Snack - nuts or seeds Lunch - tofu, or beans, brown rice, salads, wholewheat pasta, soy burgers, etc snack - fruits or granola bars Dinner - same as lunch
I know that my body can't take all this fiber.... my diet seems SOO "healthy" for everybody but it's killing me. I'm so stressed and sad about this as I like to eat this way... going back to eating meats (which don't cause me trouble) is not an alternative for me. I don't eat eggs either. I know meat doesn't have fiber and I digest it without problem. I guess I'm different than the majority of IBS sufferers....
Please guys I need seriuos HELP!!! I know I have IBS because I had all the tests done, from blood test, to food allergies, to stool tests, to sigmoid. Everything is normal... as soon as I got back to being a vegetarian... my nightmare started again....
Are there any vegetarians here???? Can you help me please??
Thank you much,
Gab
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Okay-- I had a similar problem. I actually became a vegetarian again (5 yrs. in college) about 6 months ago because I just didn't seem to handle meat. Now I know that it was because of IBS, but my alternative was worse! I thought I was being healthy...but now I realized all of the insoluble fiber in a typical vegetarian diet was what was causing my discomfort--mostly bloating, D, and TERRIBLE gas.
What I have done is try to reduce my intake of insoluble fiber--espcially from raw salads, whole wheats, beans, broccoli, etc. I still eat these things, but I have less, make sure they are cooked or have white varieties. I used to eat a ton of beans, and now I still eat them, but not as much. I try to get more of my protein from tofu. The other key is having beans along with soluble fiber. I have switched from whole wheat to white everything (much to my original dismay), but I feel so much better now!!! A typical day, I might eat this:
breakfast: plain bagels only lunch: zita w/ marinara (a frozen meal with no preservatives, etc.) 1 yogurt (typically my only dairy) a clementine (can handle more than a large orange)
For snacks, I might do: carrots/hummus pita chips/hummus small amounts of peanuts apples (I can do the skins)
Dinner-- I stick with pasta and add some sort of veggie--especially zuchinni. I make all sorts of stews with veggies. I might also do meals with flour tortillas. I still do eggs, but very small amounts and egg beaters only. This insures that I get the nutrients that I might be missing. I make quite a few frittatas. I also make creative meals with potatoes. My husband often makes me stir fry with tofu. Overall, if you reduce the insoluble fiber, you can return to it in smaller quantities once you feel stable.
Tonight, I cooked up some packaged gnocchi (the earlier conversation inspired me) and just put some jarred marinara that I had jazzed up with diced, sauteed zuchinni.
I noticed that you had a lot of nuts and beans listed...you may want to have that much insoluble fiber. Also be very careful with the fruits/veggies. I was probably eating way too much of this good thing as well--and choose them wisely. Bananas are usually a way to go, although I don't like them unless they are mixed with other fruits.
I have some great recipes that even my husband will eat! If you want some more details, let me know.
I hope this helps and that you feel better.
--------------------
*Janice*
"Where there is love there is life."
-Mahatma Gandhi
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Tofu and soy products give me a lot of gas and rumbly tummy. I cut them out, and now only eat them now and then with much better results.
I was vegan, then started eating turkey and tuna on occasion because I felt I needed more protein. Otherwise, I eat:
Breakfast - I warm some rice milk and a chopped banana in the microwave. Then I add some rice protein powder (vanilla flavor), and muesli that has fennel in it. I get it in bulk from Whole Foods.
Snack - peanut butter on three or four rye crackers
Lunch - Avo, lettuce and tomato sandwich on a big sourdough or francesci roll (white bread). Maybe some low-fat tortilla chips (I like Padrinos brand).
Snack - a bit of protein rice shake and an apple or pear (no skin)
Dinner - here's where I usually get into trouble. If I'm eating safe, I might have lentil soup with rice mixed in. Or miso soup, some kappa maki (cucumber sushi - no fish), and steamed rice. Or a stir fry with hardly any oil and lots of rice. Or a salad with lots of cooked noodles in it and some sourdough bread (only once a week tho). If I'm running off to dance class, I'll have a smoothie made with soy yogurt or rice milk, protein powder, a banana and a bit of other frozen fruit, and a piece of spelt bread toast. Or I'll have a rice and bean burrito (no salsa).
Hope this helps!
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Lots of stuff!
#249052 - 02/28/06 05:59 AM
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melitami
Reged: 02/23/04
Posts: 1213
Loc: Ewing, NJ, USA (IBS-D, Vegetarian)
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Unsweetened applesauce, bagels, dairy-free English muffins, homemade bread, HFCS-free fruit spread (or homemade fruit puree), smidge of peanut butter, homemade fruit muffins, stir-frys, rice, pasta, rice noodles, gnocchi, couscous
Plenty of cooked veggies! Mushrooms, carrots, artichoke hearts, green beans, snap peas....I can do all of these as long as they're cooked. Check out the recipe boards, there are lots of veggie recipes.
I can't do soy, but I can do Quorn chicken tenders and rice cheese, so I eat those a lot.
Hope that helps!
-------------------- Melissa
Friendship is thicker than blood. ~Rent
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Thank you all for your advices... Today I ate very plain:
- Breakfast - otameal - Snack - animal crackers - Lunch - plain white rice and plantain - Snack - animal crackers - Dinner - white pasta with mushroon gravy (vegan, no soy) - Later I will have a banana baby food...
Obviously I'm just trying to break the IBS cycle eating this way as I CAN'T eat like this for too long. It's VERY unhealthy (all carbs, no fruits or vegetables).
How long does it take to break the cycle?
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Thanks!!
Hey I used to live in Philadelphia, on Ben Franklin Parkway, really close to the art museum. I moved to Cherry Hill, NJ last year when I got married.
Where do you live?
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Quote:
Breakfast - I warm some rice milk and a chopped banana in the microwave. Then I add some rice protein powder (vanilla flavor), and muesli that has fennel in it. I get it in bulk from Whole Foods.
Hi,
I'm very interested on the Rice Protein Powder. What brand do you use? Does it taste good? I used to use Whey but right now I CAN'T stomach ANYTHING.... maybe I can tolerate Rice powder. Let me know if it's any good. Thanks
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University City, for now. Yay being a college student
-------------------- Melissa
Friendship is thicker than blood. ~Rent
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Cool... It's really cool. I used live in university city also about 5 years ago
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I use the Nutribiotic brand. It comes in a big tub. You can get it at the Vitamin Shoppe or Whole Foods. It's a powder and it tastes delicious...like a vanilla milkshake. (My boyfriend loves the smell of it.) There's no milk product in it, so it's safe for people who are lactose intolerant.
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