am i getting the picture here that you're a C (constipated)?

if so, you're not eating enough insoluble fiber! i know it sounds like a scary thing, but you really need to start adding it in. for example, maybe you can try cutting some veggies really fine and mixing them in with your rice? it's a start! i finely chop carrots and zucchini and put them in- you can toss them in a skillet with a little cannola oil or even just water and stir 'em around 'til they soften. you can also try a bit of fruit mushed into a smoothie. take a stroll through the recipe boards and see if you can find other ways to add veggies slowly but surely. you can try finely chopping some nuts and tossing them in your foods, too. you know, when i'm not feeling like doing insoluble fiber, i'll just chop up some fruit- just a bit- and have that after my soluble fiber dinner to cushion the blow! even if you can only get a few bites in, it's progress!

like i said, it sounds scary, but it's the only way you're going to see some improvement! you've got to add the insoluble fiber--- lots of Cers on the board have taught me that!

reread these sections of the boards for more tips:

INsoluble fiber
Tips and Tricks


and lastly, i pulled this section out specifically (from Heather's FAQ) for you, so you don't have to root around for it:

Quote:

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Is it okay to just avoid insoluble fiber foods altogether?
Nope, it's definitely not a good idea to simply eliminate insoluble fiber foods from your diet. Insoluble fiber is found in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, and you can tell instantly that these are among the very healthiest foods in the world. If you don't eat them you're setting yourself up for serious long-term health problems.

However, if you have IBS, insoluble fiber is a huge potential trigger, and your colon simply can't handle it if you eat these foods with abandon. You can (and absolutely must) eat insoluble fiber foods, as often and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. This is crucial not just for normal bowel function, but for overall good health. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem.

The number one rule here is: Never eat insoluble fiber alone or on an empty stomach. Always eat it with a larger quantity of soluble fiber, and you will help keep your IBS stable.

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. Peeling and seeding fruits and veggies will remove the toughest insoluble fiber altogether. Chopping, cooking, and pureeing will mechanically break down the insoluble fiber in fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts before you eat it, making it much less likely to provoke problems.

If you're just starting to re-incorporate insoluble fiber into your diet, you can do this quite safely without having to be afraid of triggering symptoms. The best way to begin is to blend fresh fruits into smoothies with a bit of soy or rice milk. Use a base of bananas, mangoes, and/or frozen peaches for soluble fiber, and add just a handful of strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and/or pineapple. Blend the drink until totally smooth and you'll really minimize the insoluble fiber. Blend a big pot of well-cooked fresh veggies into soups or sauces, and serve over rice or noodles. This is an especially good way to incorporate greens, which are highly nutritious but also some of the most difficult insoluble fiber veggies for most IBS folks.

It's also helpful to make sure you're already eating as much of the healthiest soluble fiber foods as possible: root veggies (sweet potatoes, pumpkin, beets, rutabagas, carrots, etc.), mangoes, bananas, peeled apples and peeled pears, peeled peaches and apricots, and avocados.

See how do you do with brown rice, oatmeal, buckwheat (soba) noodles, corn meal (polenta), quinoa, and barley. These tend to be the best tolerated whole grains for IBS. Try adding in small amounts of well-cooked and pureed beans or lentils as soup or dip additions to your diet. Take this process slowly, and you can actually significantly increase your tolerance of legumes. Your body will produce the enzymes you need to digest bean sugar (raffinose) if you're eating beans on a regular basis. If beans consistently give you problems, try lentils instead, as they're often easier to digest. Finely grinding nuts and adding them to a soluble fiber foundation is an easy and safe way to incorporate another very healthy variety of insoluble fiber. Try adding Beano to all of your insoluble fiber foods, eat these foods in tiny amounts at first, then gradually and consistently increase your quantities.

Try baking easy, low fat quick breads such as zucchini bread, carrot cake, pumpkin bread - this is a terrific (and delicious!) way to add fruits and veggies safely.

Take this whole process slowly and gradually, and remember that if you've been totally avoiding insoluble fiber foods you're going to have to start eating them carefully, and giving your body time to adjust. You will increase your tolerance for these foods and digest them better the more you eat them, as long as you follow the guidelines. It's especially important to emphasize that even people with IBS that is constipation-predominant need to be careful with insoluble fiber foods. Insoluble fiber is terrific for relieving constipation if you have a normal gut. If you have IBS, however, then by definition you do NOT have a normal gut, and insoluble fiber can trigger symptoms and actually exacerbate constipation. No matter what your specific IBS symptoms, you need insoluble fiber for healthy bowel function, so once again, the key here is not to avoid insoluble fiber foods altogether, but to carefully eat as much of them as possible.

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OOOH!!! i just re-read that. i forgot all about fruit breads! that's a great source of insoluble fiber! i totally recommend it, especially Heather's banana bread. (i mentally block these kinds of recommendations out 'cause i can't eat wheat--- be grateful that you can!!!! YUM!!!!) mmmmmm...... banana bread....... *sigh*

but i digress...

good luck and keep posting.... and listen, if you feel like you're going into a "dark place" there's no shame in it. that's common for people suffering from chronic illnesses! but if you feel that's what path you're on, you really need to talk to someone and maybe see about getting on some meds to keep you from getting more depressed- it's really important. and hey, some antidepressants can even help ease IBS!

be well.

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