Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | You need to listen to your own body

I think you are right. I have taken time off from the boards from time to time. If you find you get "addicted" asking about every little thing or worrying too much then maybe you should try to stay away from the boards for a while until you feel better. The problem for me has been exactly what you describe. When you read Heather's original info it's very reassuring and non-obsessive. Quite relaxed in fact. However all people are different, and we may all experience that certain things don't seem to work for us, like maybe we have problems with a supposedly safe food item. This can cause a bit of stress and worrying. But here it's important to listen to our own bodies. We certainly don't have to through away the whole diet because there is a detail that doesn't work for us. The boards are therefore great when you experience a problem and need help figuring out what caused it. However, it is also easy to get too cautious here. I have found myself asking about specific foods or ingredients many times - is this safe, is that safe? The problem with that is that with many things there are at least one person on these boards who has a negative experience of that particular food item and then it's easy to get scared. But the thing is that it could be that many more people are fine with that food item. If it seems to be a general rule that most people react badly to something then you can be pretty sure it's mentioned in Heather's guidelines. It can be useful to know if someone else has had a reaction to something that you suspect you have problems with although it's not explicitly mentioned as a trigger for example. But regarding these specific things I suggest that you try it for yourself a couple of times to make sure that is what's causing the problem before you add it to your list of things to avoid. It is really very important not to avoid more things than necessary, both to make sure you get the nutrition you need and to make sure you don't get too little variation and "mental stimulation" from your food. I think it is probably easy for most IBS:ers to develop an obsessive thinking about food and it is really important to try to get as relaxed about food as possible as stress is a powerful IBS trigger and stress around meals don't exactly help the digestion either. But this is why Heather's rules are so important and beautiful. They are quite general and they encourage a relaxed relationship to food.

So to summarize: Follow Heather's guidelines. That is the important thing. Avoid the general triggers she mentions and get the proportion of SF and IF food that is right for you. As for things that Heather mentions "might cause problems in some people" and for things that you suspect that you have problems with although they are supposed to be safe feel free to consult others on the boards but do listen to yourself and note how your body reacts to that particular food item to make sure you don't cut things out of your diet unless it is absolutely necessary.

Hope this helps.

/Ulrika, IBS-D

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