I’ve been dealing with IBS for years, and one of the biggest struggles isn’t just the symptoms—it’s the anxiety around food. I’ve noticed that even after identifying ‘safe’ foods, I still worry about trying new things or reintroducing foods I once tolerated. The fear of triggering symptoms can be overwhelming, and sometimes I feel like my diet is getting way too limited.
How do you guys handle food anxiety? Have you successfully reintroduced foods after avoiding them for a long time? Would love to hear your experiences and any tips!
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alexblake64
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Hi there. I suffer with a general anxiety about eating out and worry about foods triggering my symptoms. I think it was triggered by an unpleasant experience decades ago that hasn't left my brain and continues to play on my nerves. The fear of being unable to get to a loo after eating out or having certain foods is greater than probably the food that i 'think' might affect me. However, since recognising this might be more an anxiety related than food issue, I've been able to control this more with the help of silicolgel. I take it before I travel (also a trigger for me) and before I eat out. It's been helpful for me in terms of anxiety related IBS-D type issues that i experience in the case of travelling, eating out, eating at friends, meetings, pretty much any anxiety related situation. I've been using it as and when required for at least 15 years now. I've always got a sachet of it in a bag or pocket (even washed a few in the laundry by mistake!) as i feel more at ease with having it on hand in case i feel anxious. I do still steer clear of some foods that i think may have triggered my symptoms initially but i think it's been more that i had a few bad food hygiene / poisoning experiences that just escalated in my mind and set a pattern of anxiety around them. I combined taking the silicolgel with always having a 'just in case' pack of comfort goodies with me (bottle water, battery fan, travel toilet tissue, etc) and using relaxation breathing and 'om' tactics when i felt the familiar nervy, diarrhoea triggering feelings when eating or travelling, and really focused on not giving into the symptoms and found that i could control those feelings and return to normal with effort. I think the gel helped by getting the physical symptoms under control and gave me breathing space to get my mind under control - the combination of both seems to have worked for me, and still does. I never used to eat curry, mushroom or rich tomato dishes as felt these were triggers but do now having experimented eating them at home and then introducing them slowly again when eating out. Yes, I have occasional relapses but not the misery of daily or weekly issues that i used to have. I'd put instances down to rare now, and milder more manageable symptoms when something does occur. There's a really good book on this by Dr Meg Arroll and Professor Christine Dancey (IBS, Navigating your way to recovery) that i also read and it really helped me understand the brain-gut axis. Maybe you have something similar in your country that might help you break a cycle of anxiety around food? I hope you do find something to help you enjoy eating more variety again. Don't give up. I've shared the above just in case your food related issues may be driven more by the anxiety that's grown around them now, rather than the food itself, if that makes sense...
Thank you DottysMum! Glad my post may be helpful and really hope you find some solutions to make life more comfortable and enjoyable. When the sachets of the gel came out, it was a real godsend as really easy to have handy, just in case of need. Essentially though i take a dose before i go into a situation that may make me anxious, and pop a sachet or two into my pocket or bag and that works for me. I think I'll have 'Just in Case' on my tombstone! And i can really recommend the rhythmic 'om-ing' if you do start to feel that nervy, oh god i need the loo feeling. I don't know why it works but I think it distracts me from what's going on in my brain/tummy and brings me back to calm. I can quietly 'OM' on a train or tube, plane or to myself in the car without feeling a twit. A little handheld fan is always tucked in my bag too and probably in the same way, the distraction of using the fan and keeping cool in tricky moments, switches my focus and restores some calm again. I hope you find some relief too. It all seems to be horses for courses. Good luck. 👍
does it stop you going or help - being a constipated person I am just totally nervous about eating foods not known to me as I also have histamine intolerance - I seem to have a fear of food - I buy things to eat for my bowels but too scared to eat so get chucked out my diet is restricted
Well when I started supplementing both or consuming more as long as it was in 2:1 cal/mag I have regular healthy stools. I kept seeing on thinks calcium for digestive and enzymes. We think we get enough but one glass milk is very little
It’s more for anxiety and foods causing problems . Though take fair amount of magnesium citrate in short period and you will . Oxide is a slow acting form for intake in geberal
yes, magnesium is something i take as it is known to support anxiety. I get a little in supplement form but i also eat a good portion of pumpkin seeds every day topping a soup or bowl of porridge. They're delicious and more interesting than just taking a tablet! I have kefir which i also believe has helped me on the IBS and anxiety front. Calcium plus good gut bacteria to support digestion.
Well when I started supplemented magnesium and took enough calcium to go over the RDA my stools return to solid regular, dark brown like the old days...
I too suffer what you described, as do many of us I expect. I am an anxious person at the best of times. the early years of IBS were the worst, getting to grips of what I can eat and can't eat. I was at one stage just living on porridge and toast, but I knew that couldn't go on, I had to pluck up the courage somehow to try things and I suffered for it a lot. Now, I am more knowledgeable now and my diet isn't too bad at all. I try the odd new thing and sometimes I get away with it. I too thought my diet was far too limited, but even though I might not eat much and have lost weight over the years, what I do consume is good healthy stuff and very little processed if any really. I take a multivitamin as a precaution and calcium and magnesium and Probiotics. Eating out stopped for me many years ago as I can't stand the anxiety of what might be in it, and also hygiene is a big factor for me to consider. Sadly, standards aren't always up to scratch these days. I am much happier preparing and cooking my own food so I know exactly whats in it.
Anxiety will make things a lot worse so try not to worry too much, you have to eat something or you'll be ill. Keep things to a minimum and don't overload your system, smaller portions are better and then if something doesn't agree with you, you will probably get away with it if the amount is small. Eat healthy foods and keep away from processed as much as possible. Drink plenty of water. All this might sound boring to some, but it's the only way. It's a great feeling to feel healthy, nothing comes close to it, and I love the foods I eat and there's quite a variety now. . Eating out isn't worth it to me if I'm going to suffer. There's plenty of nice stuff to do in life, but you can only do it if you feel well. Good Luck 😉
As a complete newbie to the Fodmaps diet - 4 weeks and 1 day to be precise - I sort of know what you mean about food anxiety and feeling scared of how your body is going to react to new foods.
What I’m focusing on right now is the portion/amount of food I eat. I check with the internet or Monash app to find out best exact amount. Seems to me portion size is part of the secret/success to Fodmaps. Just a little over the recommended amount can push your body into IBS again - 😟 Hope this helps? 😊
I haven’t really started on reintroduction of foods yet as still getting the hang of basic Fodmaps foods - in 2 weeks I will make a start on reintroduction of foods!
My range of generally safe foods is much bigger than it used to be and I can eat pretty healthily every day. I do struggle with re-introducing fruit though, and certain other foods like cheese, and too much high fibre. My tummy has a cut off point with fibre which I didn't used to have.
I always try any re-introduction during a phase when my gut is not so bad, and has been fairly stable(ish). I would never try it if my gut is misbehaving.
Then I just try a small amount, and see how that goes, if fine, I try a tiny bit more the next time, and see how that goes, etc. Sometimes that particular food will have a cut off point too, so I stay in the "safe" zone with it.
For instance -sweetcorn. I had not tried that since getting IBS 4-5 years ago. And then one day I thought I'd try baby corn. I don't stir fry it, I chop it into slices and steam it with my green beans or whatever other veg I'm having.
Baby corn was easier because it's more tender and smaller. So the first day I just had one, a small one. That went well, so the next time I tried 2 and that was OK too. But more than that doesn't work for me.
Same with fruit. I choose a fruit where I can try the smallest little bit and see how it goes. So I'll choose berries or grapes, because they will stay OK in the fridge and it's easier to have small amounts, rather than -say-a whole orange, pear or apple.
My "results" always come in the following morning. Literally, I could eat anything I liked at dinner and feel no consequences until the next morning. And I do adore food, so it's very tempting to overdo re-introduction experiments when hungry!
So I would say start with a small amount of a food, and wait for your results. You could be pleasantly surprised. I was, and that's how I managed to extend my diet. Or there might be a caveat...such as you have to peel something you didn't have to before, or cook it when you could eat it raw before. or maybe you'll be OK with a small amount but not a whole portion, etc.
Hi there,After having ibs for many years,i just couldnt figure out what was triggering all this tummy and bowel trouble,mine us mostly just pain!anyway i got fed up and decided to do a hair folical test,i thought it was rubbish,paid $300 aussie dollars,so was thinking ive just blown this money!!!
But no,the test goes through every food item imaginable and shows intolerence to a lot of foods!!!
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