Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Advice for gaining weight?

Dear Phil,

First off, let me just say WOW with a helping of THANK YOU for the detail you went into. I am more grateful than you can imagine. Even after years of seeing a nutritionist and doing my own hefty nutrition research, I still often feel like I have no luck with these things--esp. when the IBS-A kicks in and stirs the soup like a madman.

Let me respond to your points separately, below:

* ... If the Fruits are causing you trouble, as they did me, you will probably need to increase your nut intake.
- Phil, your fruit comment hit home like a bolt of lightning after I read it this morning. I always notice with fruits that the sweetness can be too much to handle: juices, even diluted 50% or more, can cause serious gas and bloating; dried fruits, even soaked and cooked, do the same and seem to cause energy plummets soon after eating. In addition, I can sort of see how recent symptoms (excess thirst and urination, etc.) might be due to an over-consumption and/or sensitivity to the fructose/sugar in my body. I have relied on nuts in the past, up to as much as 3 oz. worth in a day at my highest, but have recently cut back because of the fat (I do better with them than with oil though, a drop too much of that can send me into hell for a day). I seem to do okay with peanut butter so far, depending on how I have it. In fact, thanks to your first reply, I substituted a little oat "pancake" thing and some peanut butter, along with rice milk and hemp protein powder, for juice and apricots this morning--and what a difference!

* When dealing with grains, because you are getting so much fiber from other sources, you might want to try sticking to refined grains. I know that sounds contrary to health recomendations, but the insoluble fiber in whole grains can be irritating.
- Yes, I know about this problem and the paradox of refined for "healthy"--my nutritionist made the same point before. I usually eat brown basmati rice but sometimes, esp. recently, use white basmati. I will have to look into the sushi rice. I usually stick with rice because it is definitely my favorite and safest; second to that is oats, which I use daily, also sometiemes millet. I may not have a gluten intolerance, but I have cut out sources of gluten other than iffy oats because it is difficult to digest (along with yeast).

* Beans are tough. I don't know what to recomend for you there
I would say that you might want to stick with broken down forms, such as Tempeh, and Miso, but of course you need to be careful about eating too much Soy due to the Estrogenic, effects.
- I am trying to be careful with beans and with soy. I cut way back on the soy b/c of the estrogen issue but have recently added back in soy milk, pure soy isolate powder, and tofu--for about 3-4 total servings a day. I used to use lentils a lot, but my fiber issues made me cut them out, too; I am trying to bring them back in carefully to see how I do, since they are a good source of protein and a good substitute for grain over-reliance.

* Some things to watch for, that indicates that you are needing an animal source, is an excessive hunger. Feeling like you have to stuff your self until you are bloated, and then you still don't feel satisfied. Uncontrollable cravings, and tendancy to overeat.
- Never happens. I am luck if I am hungry at all.

* One other approach you might consider, is to try various supplements. Protein powders that are enzymatically digested.
- Introducing soy protein powder into my diet a year or two ago was like a miracle. I had been having (and am still having) heart issues, osteopenia, etc., in addition to the weight problem, and the soy powder helped a lot. But now I really think that soy (milk and powder) is troublesome for me, though it might be more an issue of what I have WITH the soy (e.g., fruit with a soy shake)--have to test it out. I recently picked up some hemp protein powder, which is a living food, and tried it this morning; I have also seen rice powder, though adding yet another grain is something I am wary about.

So, I am trying to hold out on the vegan thing as long as I can. A question for you: what sort of a combination of food groups do you find most helpful? I hear so much about cutting grains way back and eating *only* vegetables and fruits, but trying to that was not a good thing for me. I was up to 12 grains a day at one point and then cut back to 5-6 at that same time. It sounds like you are probably not going all-out Atkins given your sentiments, so that is why I ask. And, I commend you for using organic and free-range animal products when you use anything; anything to decrease suffering is praiseworthy.

Thank you again, Phil, for all your time.

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