Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Welcome to the board! Thanks for your questions. I'm going to take them in turn, but answer the candida question on a separate post, as I think a lot of other people will be interested in that.

1) My fibre supplements contains sterculia. I have tried a psyllium based supplement but found that it provoked attacks. Does anyone else use this supplement (called Normacol and another Poly-Karaya) and if so, did they find it succesful? Is it a soluble fibre supplement? And on a general basis, should supplements be taken before, during or after a meal?

I'd never heard of sterculia, but did a quick search and found that it is the soluble fiber used in Normacol. It looks comparable to psyllium. Poly-Karaya is another soluble fiber supplement, based on the gum karaya. Here's the page that had info on that http://www.biam2.org/www/Spe1358.html

Psyllium tends to be the least-tolerated soluble fiber supplement, and often causes gas and bloating. I haven't heard of these problems with any other supplement, though I also haven't heard of the varieties you've been given at all. I don't think they're available in the US. But I would definitely give them a try. As a rule, take them before meals, and they'll be more effective. The whole point of soluble fiber is that it normalizes bowel function and stabilizes colonic contractions. So you basically want a little soluble fiber in your system at all times. Taking it before a meal will help prevent problems from the meal itself. Do take with plenty of water.

The recommended dose for soluble fiber supplements for IBS are 1 t twice daily to start, working up to 2T twice daily and staying there. You should check with your doc or pharmacist if the dosage for your types of supplements are comparable.

2) I can't find angel cake mix here. I did find a muffin mix but it did contain some egg and fat. I guess that is not a good idea right? Is there any alternative?

I believe angel food cake is a very American dessert. There might not be any alternatives to this, as just about all other cake and muffin mixes will have dairy, whole eggs, and too much fat. You might see if there are non-fat or at least low fat mixes available. You could also probably make angel food cake from scratch with powdered egg whites (though I haven't tried this - it may be a disaster!)

For safe options at the French bakeries....ohhhh, that is really hard. The baguettes are a fabulous option - so are vacherins or other meringues. You may find macaroons made with almonds and not coconut, they should be fairly safe. But the basis of just about all those fabulous pastries is butter, and there's a lot of cream in there too.

Your best bet might be to get yourself well-stabilized, and then treat yourself maybe 1-2 times a week to a small pastry. Have it only when you're feeling safe and not stressed, and have it after a full low-fat meal of soluble fiber. This is usually a pretty safe way to treat yourself to a tiny high fat splurge. When I visited Paris I tried this and it really worked - I'd make sure that I had a whole baguette first (it was the best bread ever!), then one small fruit tart or napoleon or something equally sinful. To be extra safe, you could also have some of the soluble fiber supplement right before the little bakery treat. This will really help keep you stable. And do limit this to a treat... not every day!

3) When looking at food labels, what ratio,carbohydrate to fat should I be looking for?

In general, you want 25-30% or less of the calories to come from fat. If you're touchy, keep it to 20% or less.

4) I have heard that low residue diets should only be followed on a short term basis. Is this diet therefore safe to follow for ever?

The IBS diet is safe for folks following low residue guidelines, but it really isn't technically low residue. What's meant by "residue" is insoluble fiber - the fiber that does not dissolve in water, and that passes through the bowel intact. Insoluble fiber is a powerful GI tract stimulant, and can trigger IBS attacks. It's also problematic for people with inflammatory bowel disease, as it can cause blockages in their intestines if they have strictures (scar tissue from past episodes of inflammation).

With the IBS diet, you are actually eating quite a bit of insoluble fiber (and thus residue) - you're just eating it VERY carefully. Your insoluble fiber foods (fresh fruits and veggies, especially with skins, seeds, and hulls, whole beans, nuts) are diced, pureed, cooked, or otherwise treated to minimize the insoluble fiber itself. These foods are also, ALWAYS, combined with soluble fiber. This lets you get the good nutrition of insoluble fiber foods (and they are crucial to good health) without triggering IBS attacks. Whole grains are also treated carefully - oatmeal and brown rice are the safest choices. Whole wheat is the riskiest (wheat bran, the insoluble fiber part of the grain, is a huge trigger for many). So whole wheat would always be eaten in small quantities, with soluble fiber (say, a small handful of bran flakes sprinkled over a bowl of oatmeal or cream of rice soup).

It makes no difference nutritionally if you treat the insoluble fiber this way - but it makes a huge difference to your IBS. So, no worries about the diet being unhealthy. It isn't - just the opposite.

5) Finally (for now!), is candida likely to be a long term problem when followng this diet?

This warrants a whole separate post - I will answer it in a new thread.

Best,
Heather

--------------------
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!

Print Remind Me Notify Moderator