What can I eat?

[Animal31]

Hello everyone. Have you got any tips on what I should and shouldn't eat with IBS. I know everyone is different with symptoms etc. Thank you for your help x

[Edgar77]

Look up the fodmap diet, it is recommended for IBS sufferers. It has helped me. I'm not 100%but it's an improvement. It doesn't help everyone but is worth a try.

[Animal31 in reply to Edgar77]

Thank you I've been looking, is there a particular site you have found useful? I've found some contradicting

[Edgar77 in reply to Edgar77]

As a celliac I was already used to gluten free. The dietician at hospital told me to go lactose free and gave me a list of fruit and veg I can or can't eat. No need for an app?? I was told that as it is so limited you can't stay on it permanently, I have been on it for about 1 year and blood test show I am not lacking in anything.

[Gardenlover2020]

Have a look at The FODMAP diet , it is widely recommended for IBS-C & IBS-D . If you download the Monash University FODMAP diet app m it give you food quantities & all the foods you can eat that help reduce IBS symptoms .

[Animal31 in reply to Gardenlover2020]

Thank you for your help. Once you have paid for the app is that it? Or is there a monthly fee for example?

[Gardenlover2020 in reply to Animal31]

No it’s £7.99 and that’s it

[Animal31 in reply to Gardenlover2020]

Thank you so much really appreciate it

[Gardenlover2020 in reply to Animal31]

No problem at all , we’re all here to help each other

[Hidden]

Hi, good question. I have more foods that I can't eat, than the ones I can. I virtually live on a fairly bland diet, lots of fish, jacket potatoes (not with butter as I can't have dairy) with a plant based butter, boiled eggs, a few selective fruits and veg. No bread or wheat/gluten. I get fed up eating the same thing over and over but it's better than having a flare up. The Fodmap diet didn't work for me, as a lot of the things that were high Fodmap I could eat, and vice versa. It may work for you though. It's just trial and error! Good luck.

[Animal31]

Thank you for your help, sorry its boring for you, not fun is it. I'll try the jacket potato 🥔 😀

[Sparrow58]

As you say everyone is different. Although I find what I think has upset one week is fine another week. It can take time for the food to get digested so it is not always what you have eaten the day before. It is difficult. Keeping a food and symptom diary might help. Is there any IBS sufferers who have actually stopped symptoms by not eating a certain food? I am so jealous of people who can eat what they want when they want without worrying. Take care x

[Arpin]

Hi Animal it really is trial and error Don't beat yourself up because you can't manage 5 a day or healthy foods Once the guilt of that goes it feels much better knowing that listening to your stomach is the only way to go Once a very conscious lady of being aware og what I ate or not I'm now living on chicken, crab, mashed potatoes, bread sticks, Philadelphia cheese with salmon, a brand of food from Tescos called Nanas mushroom bolognaise, chocolate, truffle crisps, orange Lucozade and oh yes Raspberry Trifle See what a very strange mix but my symptoms are reduced so much Try foods and drinks one new one at a time if it suits you stick with it There are no hard and fast rules with this condition Only you can decide what you can eat, no amount of books or diets can be best for everyone We are all differentGood luck with your trial and error but you will get there just look at my diet 👀 😊works for me - at last

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[Luisa22]

I have ibs-d and the veggies I can usually eat are: green (French) beans, peeled cucumber, about 2-3", kale, spinach, Pak Choy in smallish amounts, say 2-3 big leaves, sometimes half a stick of celery, sugar snap peas (those are HIGH Fodmap but suit me. Mange tout are the same with me) broccoli. and sometimes lettuce. I wild-gather nettle tops from an unsprayed and ungrazed field where I live, and those are very gentle on my tummy. All my veg I steam and never eat anything raw except the cucumber which seems ok that way.

Fish like cod, haddock, hake and tinned salmon and sometimes Tuna and mackerel are all okay for me. Birds eye fish fingers are fine, all kinds (Cod, haddock and the Omega 3 ones which is probably Pollock.)

White rice, white cous cous, white pasta, white toast, all okay. Potatoes peeled and boiled. Though just sometimes I get a bit of a loose bm next day after potatoes and have no idea why. But I still eat them about 2-x a week.

Hard boiled eggs, and sometimes soft boiled. If you eat meat, chicken breast baked or steamed should be fine. Wrap it in tinfoil so it won't dry out and add salt only.

Stewed apple is okay so long as I don't have too much of it. NOT raw apple!!

I use no condiments or seasonings except salt. Even culinary herbs can upset me.

I can eat butter in moderate amounts, honey (again high Fodmap!) things with wheat and things with sugar, no problem. I stay away from any artificial sweeteners.

Other veggies apart from the above I struggle with. There's literally no veg I hate but sadly just daren't eat.

I have milk free China tea and 1 coffee a day seems fine. I don't use milk. Not as far as I know lactose intolerant, just haven't used it for years. Peppermint tea and Camomile both ok.

I can eat chocolate, no ill effects both milk and dark. Madeira cake is ok. I can drink alcohol in small amounts but have to have Vodka. Daren't drink any wine or beer.

If you have ibs-c then things may be in reverse a bit. My diet has to be pretty low fibre. ibs-c might need more fibre

[Ak57]

Hello, There are books or places on the internet that talk about FODMAP foods. This helped me a great deal.

[Edith0]

Hi Animal31I was referred to the dietitian who spent a lot of time with me listening to my long list of symptoms etc. she advised FODMAP so I gave it a go. There is a period where food is restricted and this usually lasts 6-8 weeks. Then you start to reintroduce foods in increasing quantities to see what affects you. The restrictive period actually opened up my food choices as I was only eating porridge and fishfingers. Suddenly I had a lot of choice none of which hurt me. I’m still re introducing foods 7 years on and learn things like I can eat 4 small cubes of melon and not 5 or a couple of handfuls of spinach and no more. FODMAP helped me to really quickly identify what exacerbated my IBS symptoms but I would not advise doing it without the supervision of a dietitian.