Suffering from diverticulitis and Ibs and I am dairy intolerance

[Rach21379]

hi i was diagnosed in February and I was advised to go on the low fodmap diet which I have been on since I have found a few things that I can't eat but still can't get things running properly im running out of ideas of what to try next

[userotc]

For diverculitus, it's recommended to have a high fibre diet with sufficient vitamins A,D,E and omega 3 and avoid small seeds.

But I'd suggest you find a Naturopathic Nutritionist or similar that specialises in gut.

[xjrs]

If you are in the UK you can ask for a referral to a NHS dietitian who are trained in FODMAPs. I would do this rather than go private since their services are unregulated and you can get some really bad ones out there.

In the mean time, if you download the Monash University FODMAP app it will tell you which foods contain FODMAPs and in what quantities. You can eliminate all FODMAPs for 2 weeks and then introduce each type of FODMAP one at a time starting in small quantities, increasing over a 3 day period and wait up to 4 days for symptoms. I go much slower than this - only introducing a small amount (1/4 to 1/3 of a normal portion size) of the same food for 3 days and then increase if tolerable or no symptoms and cut back to the previous amount if symptoms for longer and then try to increment again . I've read your microbiome can adapt to handling a new food if introduced very slowly and your bad bugs are under control with a good probiotic. Ideally you want to eat as many FODMAPs as you can since they are good for your health.

Having said all of this you may want to try a good probiotic first since it might help you to become more tolerant to foods so you don't need to be on such a restrictive diet.

As you are aware if your body doesn't deal with certain FODMAPs very well, the residue ends up in the colon and your gut bacteria feeds off them causing symptoms. Ordinarily feeding gut bacteria is a really good thing - when you feed good gut bacteria these produce by-products that have great health effects in the gut and throughout the body. However, in some people with IBS bad bugs might have the upper hand over good - these bad bugs may cause symptoms such as pain or disordered bowel movements. There is an interesting infographic on this here:

gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/....

This is why it’s worth trying probiotics such as Alflorex (which has been scientifically studied for IBS) or Symprove to crowd out the bad bugs and make their numbers die down.

Many people with IBS don't have diverse gut bacteria - it has been found that people who lack a diverse microbiome are more prone to diseases in general. In the long run, if you can get your symptoms under control, the ideal situation is to have a very varied diet - lots of different coloured fruits and vegetables, a variety of protein and carbohydrate sources including cereal fibres. This may seem a long way off, but with the right treatment all of this is possible. Last year all I could consume to control my IBS was white rice, protein and limited low fodmap veg. Using the approach above (particularly introducing Alflorex) I am now able to consume far more foods - more than I've ever dreamed of including wholewheat bread which is unheard of for me.

[Linley]

Hi

I too have IBS and diverticular pockets, it is difficult to get it right if both flare up at the same time. Recommendations for diverticular say high fibre diet but if you get diverticulitis inflammation its bland food for a few days. Everyone is different so suggest you seek assistance from a dietician who could draft a bespoke diet for you. Good luck🍀

[Rach21379 in reply to Linley]

Thank you i have called the doctors today and they have referred me to a dietician

[cathrogers22]

Hey - have a look at this website: resetyourhealth.com

They have loads of really different diets where you can cut out specific foods. you can also talk to the founders here and they can answer your questions: resetyourhealth.com/contact