Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: DOES THIS DIET REALLY WORK!!

Yes, this diet works, but I personally believe it doesn't go far enough for some people which could be why some remain ill. Also, some aspects of the diet may be unclear to some people. And, of course, some people may cheat on the diet which is why they get sick.

Where the diet doesn't go far enough for some is the food supply.

I believe the reason some people aren't succeeding at the diet is because they may have an ulta sensitive gut and need to stay away from anything containing additives, chemicals, harmones, pesticides and antibiotics. That means they should probably try eating organic.

Another reason some people may fail at the diet is because they don't totally understand how to combine and prepare their foods. As much as possible, food should be eaten with a soluble fibre STAPLE such as white bread, white rice or potato. Other soluble fibre food may be more difficult to tolerate. Also, sometimes (back to food supply) people may need to try different varieties of a food until they find one that works. For example, I kept getting D from white rice (even organic white rice) until I switched to organic white Basmati rice.

The other possibility, as I've mentioned, is that people cheat on the diet, or they take medications or they're eating prepared foods (Luna Bars for one!) which could be irritating their condition. Maybe they think they're okay with consuming these things, but, in fact, it may well be contributing to their overall malaise if they're still getting IBS attacks.

The whole IBS thing and diet is a very tricky juggling act. It takes a lot of effort and "detective work" in trying different foods to see what works. Not all so-called safe foods will be safe and not all so-called unsafe foods will be unsafe. Generally though there are some universal foods that are really not a good idea if you have IBS, including anything with caffeine, alcohol, fatty foods, etc.

Yes, I agree, beverages can be a problem. For years now I have only drunk water and peppermint tea. I cannot tolerate anything else although lately I've been able to use a brand of soy milk that contains no additives when cooking.

I have a very severe form of IBS (I've had it for 47 years now) and I have to be very careful what I eat. Yet, with Heather's diet as my guide, I have been able to greatly expand my menu and I lead a very normal life and am well most of the time. I rarely ever get any IBS pain. In fact, I can't recall the last time I did.

However, I can't eat, and don't agree with, everything Heather recommends. In particular, I find myself at odds with the prepared foods she recommends and with most of her recipes which seem to contain the very things that can trigger an IBS attack. I've heard Heather's rationale for these recipes, but I frankly don't agree with it. Unfortunately, I feel, while well intentioned, many of these recipes can be a disservice for many IBS people ... although obviously not all.

One of the best things about Heather's message boards, though, is that she grants us free licence to talk about whatever we want ... even if it may be to say we disagree with her on some things!

E-mail me if you need help when you embark on Heather's diet. I am a fellow "colonist" living in Canada!

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