Any group of foods by itself (excluding obvious trigger foods) may be okay for IBS - that's why a meal is okay one day and produces cramps or D the next. Seggy had the key suggestion, I think. That is, start every meal with a "serving" of soluble fiber (is that SF?). I love Heather's Acacia fiber, but if you don't have it on hand, get Benefiber, which is all guar gum, or a fiber supplement that is all inulin. If you know what your fiber intake has been every day, and you are not on any laxatives, divide your daily fiber intake into as many meals as you usually have. Then take that fiber dose for every meal, before you start to eat, and before you drink anything.
If you don't know how much fiber you have been getting every day, get Equalactin (also over the counter), and take two tablets four or five times a day, for a week or so.
Don't drink anything before you take the Equalactin; drink water that is room temperature or only as cold as water from the cold water tap, after you take the Equalactin. Then eat.
If you have been taking laxatives regularly, don't stop all at once and switch to these/Heather's dietary recommendations. Somewhere on the boards here is a regimen for gradually substituting the soluble fibers I've mentioned for laxatives. Follow that.
Pay attention to what you drink, also. Substitute soy milk for dairy; get soy cheese, rather than dairy cheese. Also, look for citric acid on drinks. Coffee is going to double you over. Tea can be brewed so it doesn't; an herbal tea with a little bit of soy milk is okay.
Heather's diet, as others on this thread have said, is better for D, and for people who are skinny because of D. I've lived a life of pain with IBS before discovering Heather's website, but I've also lived a life of eating to dispel the pain (go figure--goes back to infancy, I think). That means I'm overweight, and am now losing weight on my modified diet.
People will try to scare you about soy; don't let them. Most of the world lives on soy, and some of the most long-lived people eat soy every day.
Of Heather's products, do get the Acacia fiber when you can, and get her Fennel tea. It does wonders for cramps. I am still prone to cramps first thing in the morning--until I have a cup of fennel tea. You can substitute Anise tea, even made with Anise from the spice rack, or fennel seeds. Ordering from Heather's website is super fast; you can also order from Amazon.com--for example, if someone gives you a gift certificate for a birthday, or Thanksgiving, or the holidays.
Last, but probably first in causing cramps, is the gastrocolic reflex. Heather enlightened me about this one; it means that food or drink doesn't have to work its way through your digestive system to the colon before causing pain or gas or bloating. Certain things will trigger this reflex, particularly on an empty stomach, and suddenly, there you are, doubled over. Dairy, caffeine, citric acid (for me, at least), iced or even cold drinks, and perhaps broccoli.
Much success in dieting away your IBS.
Tummyblogger
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Tummyblogger, http://www.formytummy.com
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Re: Newbie- need help! Long post sorry..
