I am so grateful for finding this website. Heather's diet and problem solving helped me to really deal with my IBS for the first time. I was originally diagnosed 5 years ago but was in major denial! I went and had all the tests to rule out the other stuff and for the first time I accepted that I have IBS. I decided that I would try to solve my problems so I could live symptom free. Finding this website gave me hope and solutions. I did Heather's diet and found that I was still not gas-free. It also seemed to make things difficult in controlling my C. All the things that I did previously were irritants. My MD referred me to a Naturalpath (Dr Stretch at Complementary Medicine in Seattle). I had the vega testing and followed the diet and felt instantly better. What I found is that the flour used in white rolls was a big irritant. I was eating a lot of white rolls, tortillas, etc. I can now eat hamburgers and steak symptom free because it was the bread and rice that caused me an attack. I also found out which fruits I can eat safely and that salads stabilize me. My diet is customized for me and keeps me from having cramps, gas and bloating. The fruit helps to keep my C from getting out of control too.
I felt that a lot of the remedies I tried irritated my system and still caused me more gas. For me, I felt that if something was going to help me that it would help right away. I know that Acacia works for so many people but for me it made me very sick. It just reminds me that we all have IBS but our bodies react differently to things. Tea is also an irritant for me. It triggers constipation and then further attacks. I wanted to share this in case someone is experiencing what I dealt with. If your symptoms are still unmanageable or not gone, vega testing might be worth your time. You may find it helps. I know that everyone is different so I realize it does not help everybody. But, for me it was a life saver. I feel like my old self. My insurance covered my treatment which helps too.
I felt that blaming IBS on stress was a cop out. I feel that in conventional medicine it is put on the patient that if they controlled their stress they would be symptom free. For me, I just did not feel that this was the case. I do believe that relaxation and exercise is very important but it would never control my IBS.
Now the foods that I eat overlap with the one's on the website but are somewhat different. The modification has made me feel in control of my IBS and keeps me well. The next step is that they will try to treat me for the sensitivities that I have toward foods. My Naturalpath says they have been very successful helping IBS patients regain abilities to eat offending foods. I am not sure it will help but I am willing to try it. I figure I have nothing to lose and my goal is to get to the best point possible with this IBS thing. But for now I am enjoying being symptom free which is controlled by diet.
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Being symptom free
I went and had all the tests to rule out the other stuff and for the first time I accepted that I have IBS. I decided that I would try to solve my problems so I could live symptom free. Finding this website gave me hope and solutions. I did Heather's diet and found that I was still not gas-free. It also seemed to make things difficult in controlling my C. All the things that I did previously were irritants. My MD referred me to a Naturalpath (Dr Stretch at Complementary Medicine in Seattle). I had the vega testing and followed the diet and felt instantly better. What I found is that the flour used in white rolls was a big irritant. I was eating a lot of white rolls, tortillas, etc. I can now eat hamburgers and steak symptom free because it was the bread and rice that caused me an attack. I also found out which fruits I can eat safely and that salads stabilize me. My diet is customized for me and keeps me from having cramps, gas and bloating. The fruit helps to keep my C from getting out of control too. 
