|
|
If IF is key for C'ers ... why do we have to make it "safe". What is "unsafe" about it?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
IF is like a catch-22 for both C'ers and D'ers - our bodies need it both for good health and good gut function, but for people with sensitive guts (i.e. those with IBS) IF can be difficult to tolerate. Basically, if you don't treat IF with care (by having it after SF etc.), it will greatly hurt instead of help by sending your gut into spasms and leading to C or D, depending on which way you lean. So, we NEED IF, but we have to be careful with it - and the best way to be careful with it is WHEN you eat it (always after some/with SF and never by itself especially on an empty stomach) and HOW you eat it (chopped, peeled, pureed, cooked etc. as Sand as so beautifully laid out!  ).
If you're still confused, read or re-read through some of the pages in the diet section on this site - Heather explains the IF thing in great detail.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Just a bit of a shot in the dark here Beth... but I think this really hinges on how much IF each person can tolerate, whether C or D. I do think that there are some general statements you can make about the differences between IBS-C and IBS-D and the slightly different approaches C'ers and D'ers should take to the diet. For example, IF is more important to C'ers to 'get things moving' and should be treated with greater care by D'ers because it's probably more likely to casue a D attack. BUT I do think that everyone's individual tolerance of IF is different and that's kind of just something we need to figure out for ourselves...?
Now as you know I'm not C, but from my understanding of the diet I think everyone, C or D, benefits from chopping/peeling/etc. because all it does is change the 'shape' of the IF to make it more digestible - the IF is still going in no matter what and it's still doing all it's good fibery duties  right? But I also don't think that everyone who is on the diet needs to chop, cook, puree etc. all the time. Personally, for most fruits and veggies, I do. I cook all my veggies all the time and puree most of them. But I also know that some folks can eat say, raw carrots, very safely (I'm thinking specifically of Elizabeth here, who is C). Again, I think that probably has a bit to do with the C/D difference and a bit to do with the personal IF-tolerance... in general, C'ers are probably more tolerant to IF than D'ers, but, again, I think we all need to come to an understanding of our own bodies' ability to tolerate IF.
....Does that make any sense?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I understand what you are saying about pureeing and chopping keeping the IF intact, but just easier to digest. But what I don't understand still, is Heathers quote that ""The second rule to remember here is that while you should be having lots of fresh fruits and veggies every day, make sure you cook, peel, chop, seed, dice, and/or puree most or even all of them."
It would seem that the C people could eat unpeeled fruits if not every time. Like, I eat pureed blueberries and usually an unpeeled piece of fruit later. It seems like Heather's quote says you should peel them all the time...but this would take away the IF, unlike it does when you just cook/puree them. It seems to suggests that C and D people peel them...and it doesn't mention tolerances.
Am I missing something...besides my mind! 
--------------------
~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Seems to me that you could pretty safely leave the peel on, and then puree them. That way you are still getting the IF but in a broken down form. Heather's quote does say "and/or," not "every one of these things." Try that and see how it goes. You know that C's need a lot more IF than D's do, just supplied in a way that won't cause you to cramp and lock up.
--------------------
Amanda
I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
You need IF, so you should not remove it all from your diet. How you keep it in there depends on your individual tolerance.
There is a world of difference between the effects of peeling and seeding and the effects of cooking, chopping, dicing, and pureeing. The former actually removes IF, the latter merely alters it. All we need consider here is the effect of peeling and seeding.
Some fruits and vegetables either must be peeled/seeded (oranges) or cannot be peeled/seeded (broccoli). The only decisions to be made here are whether to eat them and, if so, whether to cook, chop, dice, puree. Doing so or not doing so will not alter the amount of IF. There is nothing further to consider here.
Therefore, all we need to consider further are fruits and vegetables where you can choose between eating them with peels/seeds and eating them without. There are two types of these foods to consider:
First, there are foods that, when peeled and seeded, contain only or mostly SF. Example: nectarines. If you can tolerate eating a whole raw unpeeled nectarine, you should do so. If not, then you must cook, chop, dice, puree it with its skin on to make it digestible and still count as IF. If you peel it, you cannot count it as IF anymore.
Second, there are foods that, when peeled and seeded, are still only or mostly IF. I can only think of two examples: tomatoes and cucumbers. If you can tolerate eating these with peels and seeds, you should do so to get maxium IF. If not, you can peel and/or seed them and still count them as IF.
HTH.
--------------------
[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I have one question... I find when I eat any veggie I have problems.. what about baby food vegetables???? 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
If you can tolerate them (taste-wise that is) then baby food - bought or your own homemade (i.e. just pureed veggies) - are a good safe option to getting vegetables in your diet. Still make sure you're eating it with SF though - as with everything!
Have you tried doing a search on 'babyfood'? It's come up before
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Thanks, for the info, I am trying to get out of a cycle and I know I need to eat veggies.. It seems no matter what type of veggie I eat with any kind of SF I still have pain and D, so I thought I would try baby food... Thanks again!! 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Baby food veggies taste really gross!!! Do you have a food processor? (I do, and it's a worthwhile investment) It's so easy and YUMMY to make your own pureed veggies that can turn into AWESOME SAUCES, etc. Trust me--they taste infinitely better. It's FAST and it's CHEAP, too!!! It's as simple as steaming a veggie or combo of veggies and blending it. Plus, the selection of babyfood veggies are highly limited. Just a thought. It works for me.
Also, a food processor is great for smoothies, etc.
Kate, IBS-D.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
Posts
