Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Does Heather's diet really help people or are we just trying to believe it does?

Hi there,

I think there have been a lot of good replies already, and it may have come out that maybe what you are dealing with in particular may not apply for the same IBS guidelines, but I thought I would pop my head in because I can imagine a lot of new people might read this post based on the title, and I think it is a valid question. I say this because I think that a lot of us have been suffering with this for so long and been told so many different things will make us feel better -and they haven't- that we can get really weary of trying anything new.
I don't feel offended by the question at all. I completely understand where any sort of frustration and hesitation may come from, which is why I can see it from both sides.

First of all, I am too an IBS-D. From what I understand from the boards (having never really been C my whole life), I do think it seems that the diet is more helpful for people with IBS-D as I think that treatment for C can take a lot longer as the digestive system moves so much slower. I also think that leaves a lot of people more opportunity to give up on the diet as well, so it's hard to say.
For me personally, though, this.. lifestyle (not diet exclusively) have really helped. I was at a point where I could not function for regular day-to-day activities and while I am certainly not 100% (which is in part my fault, I admit), I am so much better than I was and I owe a lot of that to finding this information.
Even if one isn't to follow the diet to the letter, I think that it promotes a more healthy and natural way to eat which anyone will tell you is better for your system. There are several known GI triggers (caffeine, alcohol, high fat, etc) that any Gastroenterologist will acknowledge and they are usually the first thing we say to avoid here. Processed foods, artificial sweeteners, fattening foods.. if you eliminate these from your diet, your certainly not about to feel worse, stomach problems or not! These are basic, healthy guidelines for your body.
There is a stress on fiber here, but I think it is to be said that some people take the soluble fiber diet to an extreme (I know I did) and end up eating in quite an unhealthy fashion. To get stable, it might be necessary to cut out other things for *a little while* but you still need to eat vegetables, protein.. other foods to balance out your diet.
Aside from diet, like I said, this is also a lifestyle. Eating properly is only one part. Exercise, stress management, and medications are also talked about a lot and are hugely important for many people. If I only followed the diet, would I still get sick when I have a bad menstrual cycle? Definitely. That is why it is important to not get completely tunnel visioned about diet. Diet is a big part of the battle, but it's still uphill from there for a lot of people.

To what you said about it being wishful thinking, like I said in the title of this post.. I don't think it is completely seperate. I think that a lot of people suffering from IBS can recognise a strong mind-gut connection. There is a huge psychological impact that we have on our stomachs, and I think that following this diet to some degree is affected by that. For example, when I first read the books and found that so many other people were suffering in a similar way to me, I felt better as if I could finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. I went out, got a bunch of different food and told myself I was going to feel better, and I did to a degree. But that was only one part of it.
As another example, I went to see a really crappy GI doctor once and she was so unhelpful that I had a major attack right after I left. When I went back, months later, to see a senior consultant he was amazing. He gave me some new medication and stuff, but when I left the office I felt good. I hadn't taken the pills yet, but I felt better. Did it carry on for a long time? No. I had to start taking the pills, but just the *thought* of feeling better.. made me feel better. I think it is the same with anything that has such strong ties to our psychological and emotional condition.
This is not to say, however, that we should buy into the idea that it is all in our heads and there is not a physical side of it.

I believe that this diet has helped a lot of people in many different ways, because some people have to follow it very strictly to be stable and some have just taken some of the basic ideas and been able to make their own exceptions. In my opinion, it is all about finding the balance that you need to be stable enough to live your life without your bowels in control.

Hope this helps, and for you ccckkk I hope that you find something that does help you find some relief very, very soon!

Cheers,
Steph

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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.

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