Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Bowels Aren't Moving!!!

Hi! Here are some easy food hints for you. Canned veggies are so easy. I really like peas and green beans, but there are a ton out there. Canned peaches are also really good and they usually help to get things moving. Pineapple is listed as IF on Heather's list, and it's so sweet and yummy, and is easy to take for a dessert at lunch.

If you really want to increase your IF intake, canned beans and lentils are good. Beware though, don't eat too many, probably no more than 1/2 cup a day in the beginning. They don't have a lot of flavour so they're pretty versatile, mix them with whatever sauce you think is safe. An easy way to make vegetarian chili is to mix canned tomatoes, various canned vegetables (mushrooms, corn, lentils, beans, etc) and taco seasoning and heat it all up until it's thick enough. I also add ground round to mine. I sometimes eat it with instant mashed potatoes - buy the plain potato flakes and mix with water until there are no dry flakes left and heat it in the microwave.

If there is one thing that will set me off, it is dairy products! It's a tough one to give up but worth it in the long run. Also, 1/4 tsp of Benefiber doesn't sound like a lot to me, probably wouldn't hurt to increase that a bit. If you can try to keep track of what you eat for a few days and estimate how many grams of fiber you're actually getting. I suggest measuring your food in measuring cups to get an accurate number.

Sometimes I find I can't wait for it to happen on it's own, and then I turn to glycerin suppositories. They are fast acting and I'm not as bloated afterwards. Unfortunately they are not meant to be used regularly.

I also use digestive enzymes (Jamieson brand) either when I eat something I shouldn't have or when things seem out of control. They seem to work well, might be worth a try.

And finally, some words of encouragement - for me it seems like I stabilize much quicker now, just have to suffer through the beginning stages. If things aren't so good, go easy on the IF, otherwise try to make sure you get SF, IF and protein each meal. I also think acacia works wonders. When I stabilized I went off it for awhile, but then recently had a few attacks. Started taking the acacia again and everything seems fine.

Good luck!

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