Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Help! I Feel Like I'm Drowning

Hi - This is one of those situations where it's easier in the long run if you just tell your friends flat-out that you have IBS, and that you have some specific dietary needs. You can even print pages from the websites here and hand out the info so they can just read it. You might have to just bring your own snacks or lunch to the gatherings if you can't count on others preparing safe foods for you. I know it can be hard to tell people what's wrong, but it will relieve a lot of mental stress if you know that your friends will understand why you can and can't eat things they make for you, and that their comments about your weight are not appropriate or helpful even if they meant things kindly. Remember - your friends can't help you if they don't know what's wrong, and they can't make you safe foods if you don't tell them what that means. They'll probably be happy to try and make you comfortable, but you have to let them.

Jules is right - you can make a fabulous lunch for everyone at your own place that is IBS safe for you. This might also give your friends some idea of how to cook for you when they're hosting as well.

Not sure what kind of food you like, but here are some ideas:

Make the shrimp fajitas with the smoky black bean dip, roasted tomato and mango salsa, guacamole, and serve with rice, flour tortillas, baked chips, and people can roll their own burritos. Make horchatas to drink.

Make the Thai rice noodle salad with shrimp and mango - looks beautiful for a luncheon. Make the chicken satays with it. Serve with green tea. Angel food cake with a little fresh fruit for dessert, or make any one of the sorbets. The lime mint leaf one is lovely with Asian food.

Make a barbecue. There's barbecue catfish sandwiches (could also use chicken or even tofu) with coleslaw, serve with canned vegetarian baked beans, baked Lays potato chips, the candied sweet potatoes, buy or make soy/rice ice cream for dessert or bake the double decker pecan pie.

For something simple, there are tons of great sandwiches - smoked chicken with fig chutney, sesame chutney with Asian slaw, grilled Portobello sandwiches, smoked white fish and cucumber sandwiches. Serve with the tuna basil pasta salad, have herbal ice tea to drink, angel food cake or sorbet for dessert.

All the recipe are in Eating for IBS, and some of them are online here web page

Best,
Heather

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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!

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