Changing your diet
#260466 - 04/27/06 04:34 PM
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snoopy101
Reged: 05/10/05
Posts: 36
Loc: Michiana USA
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I have noticed that many recipes seem to mention "take your tolerences into account" I have noticed various recipes that would make me sick (and I don't have ibs).
Right now it seems like everything makes my dh sick so trying to narrow it down to what he can't eat is frustrating. He figures he is most likely going to be sick anyways, so why not just eat.
I noticed in one of my reads on this site (atleast I think it was here), that that is how ibs works. One day you can eat something and you will be fine, and the next time it sends you running to the toilet. ![](/messageboards/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif)
So sometimes I feel discouraged trying to help. Must be REALLY annoying for y'll. Was it breakfast that triggered this or the snack I just had?
On a different note how long did it take you to adjust to your new diet? We live in cow country and beef is a staple in most of our meals during the week. We noticed that beef is one of the trigger foods. In fact, most of the trigger foods make up our diet. We have the table upside-down ![](/messageboards/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif)
How long did you die-hard "Beef, it's what's for dinner" folk take to adjust your diet/wean into a new life?
-------------------- Wife to a teriffic husband. Mother to 6 awesome kids.
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Actually I'm starting to eat more organic beef. I'm sensitive to a lot of the garbage they put in the regular store bought meat but I had organic steak tonight for dinner and I haven't had any problems. It really is an individualized problem.
It just takes a lot of reading and experimenting on your own to find what works for you. I used to eat a ton of fruits but I'm eliminated them from my diet completely because of the possibility of bacteria being the cause of IBS and I haven't missed them like I thought I might. Who knows, maybe next week I'll be back to eating 7 bananas a day.
-------------------- Jon - (IBS C)
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Scratch the beef idea because I think I had a bad reaction to it this morning when I woke up. Like I said, the diet is constantly changing until you can find something that truly works. I will continue to eat organic chicken and fish though so it's not a huge setback for me.
-------------------- Jon - (IBS C)
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I'm a strict constructionist when it comes to the EFI Diet: my approach was to follow the Diet right down the line until I stabilized. I eliminated all the trigger foods and irritants, loaded up on SF at every meal, started taking an SFS, and was very cautious with IF and fat. (old post) If your DH is C, he's going to have to be braver about IF, but make sure it's chopped, cooked, and well cushioned with SF. It is also my personal opinion that C's may be more in need of fat than D's.
Once I stabilized, I found I could wander off the Diet from time to time, but if I do so too often or go too far, my gut will destabilize. For example, I can have a glass of wine now and then, but have one every evening for a few days and I'm in trouble. Or I might eat a bread product now and then knowing there's a little dairy in it, but I would never even attempt a lamb chop.
As for being fine eating something one day and in trouble with it the next, that has never happened to me as long as I'm eating in strict accordance with the EFI guidelines. It has happened when I've eaten off-program. It seems that for me there's a sandpaper effect going on: when I eat one thing off-program, it might not bother me right then, but it will irritate my gut enough so that the next thing I eat off-program will cause problems. Eating off-program does not just mean eating triggers and irritants; it also means eating IF or fat without enough SF cushion. (Excellent post on triggers )
If everything is making your husband ill, he can try sticking strictly to the Break The Cycle Diet for 2-3 days and see if that settles his gut down. If so, he can then start adding safe protein, IF, and fat back in cautiously. It is possible he will find he cannot tolerate even the 25% level of fat Heather recommends (some people on the Boards can only handle 15%) or that he will find some forms of IF he simply cannot tolerate (I cannot eat any kind of whole grain no matter how well cushioned with SF). Adding fat and IF in cautiously makes it easier to identify any such problems if they occur. He should stay away from all trigger foods and irritants until he is stable. Then, if there are foods he really wants to eat, he can try adding them back in a little at a time and see if he de-stabilizes again.
Before starting the EFI Diet, I was an enthusiastic carnivore with a strong preference for beef and pork. When I did eat chicken or seafood, I preferred it drenched in butter or well-covered with a nice rich cream sauce. Despite this, I adjusted very well to the EFI Diet because I was so terribly ill when I started it. Discovering that when I ate in accordance with the guidelines, I felt a million percent better was enough incentive to keep me away from red meat, dairy, and all the rest. I did find, though, that I spent a lot of the first 3-6 months on the Diet scrambling around to figure out what we were going to eat next. It's not that I craved the trigger foods I had eliminated, it's just that they made up such a large part of my menu it was a struggle to find other meals. Once I found a number of IBS-safe recipes that I liked, life got much easier.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
-------------------- [Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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I never was a big beef eater, but I was a huge milk drinker, and enjoyed rich foods. It took me a long time to adjust. I still have people ask if I miss steak or milkshakes or ice cream. No, not really. I would sooner miss out on it and be somewhat stable than be in the bathroom all night. It is a gigantic adjustment to your lifestyle, and it has to be physical and mental. Your mind has to understand what your body is telling you about food too. I tried just ignoring it and having attacks because I really wanted that slice of veggie pizza. Not anymore. It takes a long time and I argue with myself nearly every day. Some days I am petrified to eat and others I can't stop eating because I feel like an empty pit. It's hard, so I wish you and your husband good luck.
-------------------- Cassandra
Live like there's no tomorrow. Love like you've never loved before.
IBS A 20+ years, Chronic Migraines, Chiari Malformation (decompressed June 22, 2010), Brachial Neuritis, and ??? the list just keeps growing, but I'm still shiny side up!
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If you haven't done so yet, I'd suggest buying the book IBS: The First Year. Most of the information is here on the boards, but I always find that having a book is a lot better than just reading it online. Does that make sense? Also this message board is kind of like a supplement to the actual books and diet. Follow the diet strictly, then once your husband is stablized, he might be able to experiment with other foods.
As for the beef, I don't have a problem with it, but I don't eat too much of it. I eat lean cuts and only once or twice a week.
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Hey, I am doing pretty well with the xiafian. since last week I have been going and I feel so much better. Email me.
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