Away with the Fairies- The Travel Diary of an Irish WebFairy

I want to say something encouraging here, but there are a lot of things on your can't list that I would really miss. But, if eating from your can list most of the time alleviates your symptoms, then you'll feel better so that's a positive. I can't have dairy unless I have lactaid, and really, the lactaid only does so much, so I have to eat small quantities of ice cream etc. And I hate having to explain to people why I can't eat it like they do. Stomach ailments in general suck! But on the other bright side, you will be very healthy! Good luck to you. I hope this fixes it for you.

You'll feel better sticking with the can list. I hope it becomes just your way of life and soon won't feel so restrictive. I'd sure miss the coffee. Good luck, Niamh.

The thing is, i cut Coffee out of my diet back in september because i realised i was depending on it too much in work and wasnt resting properly because i wasnt aware i needed to because of the coffee. Mam mam and myself made a chicken Chow Mein for dinner tonight. It was an IBS friendly recipe i got from the amazing site i was on today. Mind you it was pretty bland so we used herbs and spices, and Soy Sauce to give it a good kick. Was very taste. I also got a lovely recipe for Blueberry oatmeal. I can only really eat fruits and berries of the are peeled, and cooked.

Oh there are some really good things on the can't list. Well, one must do one's best. Good luck Niamh.

IBS as in irritable bowel syndrome? Hey I've had that too for a couple of years, hurrah! what's most annoying is that many foods that are supposed to be healthy for your bowls have the opposite effect with IBS, e.g. yoghurt, cabbage, brussel sprouts....
I eat what I want anyway............. *bloat*

But you can eat turnips! All is not lost.

Sleepy! you know how i feel then! Constant bloating, tummy cramps worse that period cramps could ever be, trouble sleeping because of trapped wind...Yeah its annoying that most of the foods that are good for you tummy have reverse effect. I've come across so many "medical" based sites that say, eat lots of fibre and bran, and yogurts! do they want me to die! The Site i got all my info from is www.helpforibs.com. The woman who runs the site has had IBS since she was in her teens and the site is amazing. Gives so much info on what to eat, and not to eat; what IBS is; and heeps of IBS friendly recipies!! I got one for ginger bread. Yum!

thanks for the link, Niamh. I read in a newspaper article that IBS is caused by the nerve cells in the tummy getting confused. they tell each other "pain pain, something's wrong, grrr, grrr, grrr" even though there is nothing physically wrong. then the bowels pick up on those signals and knot until there finally is something wrong. maybe they'll find a treatment in a couple of years, when they know how to make the nerve cells stop playing up.
for me it's especially difficult because I'm a veggie and most of the things a veggie has to eat lots of don't go together with IBS but I'll look at this page and give it a try!
edit: my hubbers says if we are to stick to this list, we'd better shoot ourselves right away because life is not worth living if you can't eat all these things

sdome of the food on the cant eat list you can still eat, but in moderation and has to be accompanied by a good portion of food from the can list. Berries and fruits can be eated if they are skinned, pipped, and either smootied or used as a sauce, or warmed up in porraige. Chips (french fries) can be eaten only if they are oven cooked. The likes of red meats, dark poultry, dairy and battered/fried foods are banned altogether because they trigger off the IBS spasms. but you can have a yougurt once it is eaten directly after a soluble fibre like porraige.

Niamh, thanks so much for posting this list. I will have to find out more about the site you found online. I suffer too, as we have talked about before. Oddly enough the foods you listed, I have instinctively been eatting, and others, on the right avoiding. I can't hardly eat anything green anymore and I wondered why. I can however, seem to eat spinach. So odd that by trial and error, I have pretty much come up with this same list (in my mind). Here is a question - now that you have adhered to this diet, has it improved your IBS symptoms? I pretty much do this routine and I am still in pain all through the night...it is awful and seems to be getting worse. I do know I need to give up coffee - that is a biggie for me. I only drink one cup at breakfast, but still that is hard to break, as a habit. I will try eventually. Thanks again for posting this great list and I will stick to it more rigidly in the future. A fellow sufferer who is greatful to you ~ Janine

Well i only started my diet properly yesterday. I cant really tell if it is doing anything because as it convieniently turns out, i've been have really sharp pains in my tummy possible caused my by gall bladder! You should give up the coffee Janine. Its a really bad trigger for IBS. today i ate, Porraige (oatmeal to you), a yougart directly after that so my tummy would go too mental, as a snack a bowl of rice crispies with a little milk. a hand full of oven tortilla chips, for dinner i had salmon, with some oven chips and a tiny bit of coldslaw. I had one cup of tea and was very naughty and had a hotcross bun. And thats all i had. I have had a small amount of trapped wind but it is nothing like what i usually have, and the rest of the pain is my gall bladder which i have been given medicine for. Tomorrow will be a challange though because i'm due back in work. I eat a LOT of the cant list in work.

That is awesome to research all the foods that you can and cannot have. I do wish you luck with this, Niamh, as I don't want you to be in pain all the time. Stick with it, the diet sounds healthy and you will be that much better, right? Cheers and keep us posted! - K♥z [p.s. Did I miss something, or can you indulge in tea and flavoured tea {such as blueberry, raspberry, etc.}?]

Herbal teas and fruit teas 'm sure there is no problem with. as for regular tea...i'm not sure..

Niamh, I wish you luck with this diet; let me know if it helps. I always feel about these elimination diets, that you have to try them and then slowly, add a few forbidden foods back in, to see if they truly trigger symptoms. I have another disorder that complicates everything - Interstitial Cystitis, and so I already am on a very restricted diet for that - no acids and other trigger foods! One is hard enough, let alone dealing with a new diet. I know I might benefit from giving up coffee, but I do drink only the reduced acid coffee, Kava, and a lot of different mild herbal teas; I don't touch regular tea anymore. I have to buy that brand coffee special.
I read your post on the 13th. What were the results of your colonoscopy and your endoscopy? It is strange but I was worse after mine, too. I am sorry to hear of your gall bladder, too. Maybe that is your whole problems and you can have it out; it's a simple operation nowdays, and you will improve. I have had both tests and a gall bladder test and everything came up fine, which makes no sense, since now especially of late, I have been in more pain than ever. I hope to do some research of my own online soon. If I find anything truly enlightening I will be sure and share it with you. I know how awful this can be and I totally sympathise with you.

I get my Colonoscopy and endoscopy results this wednesday. I'll let you know.

i just learned that u are not ok.But i hope that u will get well soon and can lead a happy life

Thanks Tuly. My new IBS friendly diet seems to be doing the trick! Havent been in as much pain (only Bladder), i feel better (other than having a chest in fection of course!) and the best thing is, i've already lost a few pounds!!!