Not getting enough fruits/veggies....scared to add them
#300769 - 02/26/07 07:29 AM
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I have been following Heather's guidelines for almost two weeks now and have noticed a MAJOR difference. My attacks are always D, but my day to day suffering always consisted of horrible bloating and VERY painful gas. Before I was diagnosed with IBS I ate Fiber One, Kashi Go Lean, fruit as a snack (on empty stomach), soda on empty stomach all day long, salads before dinner, etc etc. I feel much better now since I have altered my diet, but I am not eating enough fruits and vegetables....I am scared of whats going to happen. I ate some organic apple sauce after dinner the other night and immediately became bloated and gassy. And last week I tried to eat some melon after a sourdough and turkey sandwich and some baked lays, and I felt horrible again. I know im not getting enough fruits, veggies, and soluable fiber.
Any advice?
(PS-my diet consists of: oatmeal, banana, sourdough bread, Smucker's all-natural seedless jam, baked lays (plain), honeycomb cereal, barbara's shredded spoonfuls, brown rice, plain pasta, LOTS of organic peppermint tea, turkey for sandwiches, tilapia, chicken breasts, ground turkey for dinner, graham crackers, ff saltines, Smart Balance LIGHT, light soymilk.
I still have one or two really painful gas bubbles everyday and can't figure out why....probably because I still use splenda?
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I was the same way for awhile, avoiding all fruits and veggies after starting the diet.
My advice is, try adding one at a time to see how your stomach handles it, and make sure to eat it after a soluble fiber base, for example, try some cooked cauliflower after eating some rice, or a really good meal is shepherd's pie, which is two parts mashed potatoes (made with lite soy milk and Smart Balance Light), one part ground turkey, one part green beans. Its one of the best meals.
Also, for fruits, try making smoothies, based on the fruits that are on the soluble fiber list (ie. bananas, peeled apples and pears, peaches,,,) and add in an insoluble fiber fruit one at a time. I make smoothies every day.
Another trick, is to add some carrots or cabbage to your smoothies, they don't add any flavor, just color and nutrients  One more thing that I do, is to puree veggies and use them as dips for bread and crackers. My favorite is potatoes (SF base), carrots (SF base), and broccoli or something.
You can also add fruit to your oatmeal, and veggies to your pasta. Steam or saute (with very little oil) carrots and broccoli or cauliflower and eat it with your pasta. Also cook some chicken to go with it. That way you have at least 2 soluble fiber bases to eat your veggies with.
Hope this helps Good luck.
Adrianna, IBS-D
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Adrianna, IBS-D, stable since May 2007, living life to the fullest because of it!
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oldestofsixkids suggestions are really good. I also have ibs-d and through trial and error have figured out some fruits and veggies that work for me....
I would reccomend trying mango...I can eat lots of it and have had no reaction to it. I eat in my oatmeal, I put it in smoothies, I also make a mango salsa and put it on fish and chicken( I can't eat tomatoes AT ALL) so mango works in it's place. I would also reccomend trying Zuchinni(spelt horribly wrong). I peel it, and steam it then season it as I want. Sweet potatoes and squash shouldn't be a problem either. If you cut sweet potatoes and potatoes into cubes, season them and bake them in the oven...it's a yummy way to have cube fries..
Eventually you should be able to work your way up.I have been following the diet strictly for about a month now, and in small doses I can tolerate steamed spinach, and green beans, I am looking forward to adding asparagus and broccoli soon as well. Hope this helps even a little bit
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Oldestofsixkids is right on track for the most part.
Only, since the poster is prone to gas and gas is such a problem, I'd recommend staying away from cauliflower and cabbage. Those two cause excessive gas in healthy people, let alone a poor IBS-er prone to gas.
I'd try veggies like peas, mushrooms, eggplant, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes or corn. Because they have more IF, they cause gas too (well, sometimes, I guess, and if you're not used to them and overdo the amount), but much much less than broccoli, cauliflower, onions, beans, etc.
If she does want to try the cauliflower/cabbage she should take a couple tablets Beano before that to take care of some of the gas.
Adding fruits will also be tricky for her. She is responding poorly to applesauce so maybe she has some kind of fructose sensitivity. I don't remember what the fruits lower on fructose were, but you can do a search on the board without time limits and see what comes up. It has been discussed before.
P.S. What in the world is "barbara's shredded spoonfuls", LOL?
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Great ideas! How do you puree the veges? Do you cook and then blend them? And do you use any kind of sauce when you have cooked veggies on your pasta? Thanks!
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Well, I have a Vita-Mix, so all I have to do is put the veggies in there and start it, no cooking required. However, it does come out better if I boil the veggies first, and I guess for a regular blender they would need to be cooked first too. And for the pasta, I usually make some kind of dairy-free alfredo sauce, or I just put some Smart Balance Light on it.
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Adrianna, IBS-D, stable since May 2007, living life to the fullest because of it!
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I find that if my veggies are the least bit "firm", I will get lots of gas. I can eat lots of broccoli believe it or not if it is steamed really, really, really soft! Why don't you start out trying some baby food jars? Lots of people mention it b/c it is already pureed and easier to digest. Feel better. (And take Beano before every newly introduced food just in case)
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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My goodness! It's time to add some veggies!
Here are a few tips:
1. Beano helps for gassy foods if that is an issue.
2. Try soup! It would be perfect accompanied by some of the sourdough bread that seems to be favourable for you. Perhaps try a blended/pureed soup? There are tons of safe recipes to explore. Sometimes thickening a soup with a peeled potato or sweet potato helps things "go down" more smoothly.
3. Be saucey! It's amazing how much flavour & nutrition you can add with veggies to perk up pasta & rice.
4. Add fruit to your cereal/porridge. Try blended fruit/smoothies. Sometimes blending reduces the fear. It will hopefully brighten your day. Peaches are awesome with oatmeal, as are berries.
5. Fruit based desserts are a great way to sneak things in, i.e. fruit crisp, a quickbread or muffin, a fruit coulis for angel food cake, etc.
6. There are some great grain salad recipes on the recipe board.
7. Feel the fear and do it anyway, a little bit at a time.
Obviously, if you have been avoiding fruits/veggies, you will experience a reaction, so take it slowly.
Kate, IBS-D.
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I agree with those who have responded regarding what to eat, but something I learned on this site, is to slow down while eating. I was a "hurry-up and eat" type and once I learned to savor each bite and reduced my meals to a much smaller amount I started handling more types of fruits and vegetables ... and remember, chew your food slowly and carefully. I still have to remind myself, but it has helped considerably.
Good luck and remember ... you're not alone!!
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