Deciding what to eat when you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome can be tremendously confusing.
There's no one list of foods that works for everybody, but there are principles to follow that will help you prevent digestive distress naturally and have a more comfortable life.
Here are seven tips on what to eat for IBS:
1) Drink plenty of pure water. Chemicals in tap water can interfere with good digestion. If you are drinking tap water and you're NOT filtering it, at least do this...
Pour a pitcher of tap water and let it stand for an hour to evaporate the chlorine. Drinking chlorine-free water makes life a lot easier for your sensitive digestive system. Adding mineral drops to drinking water will give you added nutrition that is easy to absorb.
2) Take essential fatty acids (EFA's.) These vital nutrients are needed for good digestion AND for brain function. They help your mental functioning as well as your emotional balance. So take small amounts of flax oil, fish oil, or balanced omega oil at one or more meals. Or sprinkle ground flax seeds on your serving of soup, cereal, or veggies. But don't cook EFA-rich oils and seeds! Cooking destroys the nutrients.
Cooked fats, especially animal fats, are one of the hardest foods to digest. Dr. D.S. Khalsa says they also stimulate the production of cholecystokin, a hormone that makes the colon go into contractions - i.e. spasms. So watch out for the animal fats and anything deep-fried.
3) The right kind of fiber helps both constipation and diarrhea. This is one of the most important aspects of what to eat for IBS.
To soothe the intestines, eat foods containing soluble fiber at the beginning of a meal. Soluble fiber is found in oatmeal, peeled apples, bananas, mango, papaya, winter squash, most root vegetables, white rice, mushrooms, avocado, and several other foods.
On the other hand, whole grains and leafy green vegetables contain insoluble fiber which acts like a broom, whisking out the intestines to clear away toxins. You need the nutrients in these foods too, but when there are digestive problems, eat the soluble fiber foods first to get your gut ready for the other foods. And when you're under a lot of stress, focus on the soluble fiber foods since the INsoluble ones may be too much to handle temporarily.
4) Take digestive enzymes, especially if you eat a lot of cooked and processed foods. Heating and processing destroy many of the enzymes that help you to digest and absorb your food. Look for a broad spectrum enzyme that includes bile.
5) Take probiotics. Drugs such as antibiotics and pain killers kill off many of the helpful bacteria in your intestines, contributing to gas and digestive discomfort. To combat this and restore your bacterial balance, take a good probiotic supplement. Don't rely on yogurt - even the "enhanced" versions do not provide enough active bacteria to be effective.
6) Avoid dairy products. Even if you are not lactose intolerant, you may not be able to digest the protein in milk products. Dairy is the top food allergen and one of the most common causes of digestive distress. Dr. D. Dahlman believes it's the most important food group to leave OFF your list of what to eat for IBS.
Will you have problems with osteoporosis if you leave out milk and dairy? No. A Harvard University study of 78,000 women found that the women who consumed two daily glasses of milk - or their equivalent - were 40 percent more prone to fractures than those who consumed less!
7) Watch out for unsuspected food sensitivities. Dr. James Braly says one out of three people have digestive and other health problems because of wheat and grain-based foods such as pasta, cereal, bread and other flour products.
Other typical trouble foods are citrus, peanuts, caffeine, chocolate (especially avoid this if you are prone to diarrhea), sugar, artificial sweeteners, and foods containing additives and preservatives. Any or all of these can contribute to tummy and bowel problems. Sensitivity testing or an elimination diet will show you which foods are worst for you.
Of course, deciding what to eat for IBS is only one aspect of dealing with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. There's much more to IBS than food choices and it's important to use a "whole person" approach for the best results in controlling IBS.
There's no one list of foods that works for everybody, but there are principles to follow that will help you prevent digestive distress naturally and have a more comfortable life.
Here are seven tips on what to eat for IBS:
1) Drink plenty of pure water. Chemicals in tap water can interfere with good digestion. If you are drinking tap water and you're NOT filtering it, at least do this...
Pour a pitcher of tap water and let it stand for an hour to evaporate the chlorine. Drinking chlorine-free water makes life a lot easier for your sensitive digestive system. Adding mineral drops to drinking water will give you added nutrition that is easy to absorb.
2) Take essential fatty acids (EFA's.) These vital nutrients are needed for good digestion AND for brain function. They help your mental functioning as well as your emotional balance. So take small amounts of flax oil, fish oil, or balanced omega oil at one or more meals. Or sprinkle ground flax seeds on your serving of soup, cereal, or veggies. But don't cook EFA-rich oils and seeds! Cooking destroys the nutrients.
Cooked fats, especially animal fats, are one of the hardest foods to digest. Dr. D.S. Khalsa says they also stimulate the production of cholecystokin, a hormone that makes the colon go into contractions - i.e. spasms. So watch out for the animal fats and anything deep-fried.
3) The right kind of fiber helps both constipation and diarrhea. This is one of the most important aspects of what to eat for IBS.
To soothe the intestines, eat foods containing soluble fiber at the beginning of a meal. Soluble fiber is found in oatmeal, peeled apples, bananas, mango, papaya, winter squash, most root vegetables, white rice, mushrooms, avocado, and several other foods.
On the other hand, whole grains and leafy green vegetables contain insoluble fiber which acts like a broom, whisking out the intestines to clear away toxins. You need the nutrients in these foods too, but when there are digestive problems, eat the soluble fiber foods first to get your gut ready for the other foods. And when you're under a lot of stress, focus on the soluble fiber foods since the INsoluble ones may be too much to handle temporarily.
4) Take digestive enzymes, especially if you eat a lot of cooked and processed foods. Heating and processing destroy many of the enzymes that help you to digest and absorb your food. Look for a broad spectrum enzyme that includes bile.
5) Take probiotics. Drugs such as antibiotics and pain killers kill off many of the helpful bacteria in your intestines, contributing to gas and digestive discomfort. To combat this and restore your bacterial balance, take a good probiotic supplement. Don't rely on yogurt - even the "enhanced" versions do not provide enough active bacteria to be effective.
6) Avoid dairy products. Even if you are not lactose intolerant, you may not be able to digest the protein in milk products. Dairy is the top food allergen and one of the most common causes of digestive distress. Dr. D. Dahlman believes it's the most important food group to leave OFF your list of what to eat for IBS.
Will you have problems with osteoporosis if you leave out milk and dairy? No. A Harvard University study of 78,000 women found that the women who consumed two daily glasses of milk - or their equivalent - were 40 percent more prone to fractures than those who consumed less!
7) Watch out for unsuspected food sensitivities. Dr. James Braly says one out of three people have digestive and other health problems because of wheat and grain-based foods such as pasta, cereal, bread and other flour products.
Other typical trouble foods are citrus, peanuts, caffeine, chocolate (especially avoid this if you are prone to diarrhea), sugar, artificial sweeteners, and foods containing additives and preservatives. Any or all of these can contribute to tummy and bowel problems. Sensitivity testing or an elimination diet will show you which foods are worst for you.
Of course, deciding what to eat for IBS is only one aspect of dealing with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. There's much more to IBS than food choices and it's important to use a "whole person" approach for the best results in controlling IBS.
Visit No IBS at http://www.no-ibs.com for more information about IBS relief, diet for IBS, and anti-anxiety tips. The No IBS Program gives you detailed information about what to eat for IBS and how to stop the "hidden" triggers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome that cause painful and embarrassing symptoms. These unsuspected threats are getting to you even if you don't know what they are! And they're costing you in hours of pain, lost income, and missed opportunities to enjoy your life fully.
You'll find relief from the anxiety and depression that often go with IBS. And you'll learn how to effectively calm the stress that can trigger your symptoms in social situations, at school, or at work. The No IBS Program even addresses one of the biggest and most ignored problems for irritable bowel sufferers; a problem that hardly anyone else helps you with.
The No IBS Program offers you a wealth of information and techniques you can use to take control of irritable bowel syndrome for major relief from symptoms. The program was co-developed by Karen Alison out of 20 years experience and research in natural health and mind-body healing. The goal is to empower you to decrease your symptoms and feel great by learning how to take charge of your own health. Visit the No-IBS website to learn more. http://www.no-ibs.com/products-for-ibs-relief
© Karen Alison 2011 Results in Healing
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Alison You'll find relief from the anxiety and depression that often go with IBS. And you'll learn how to effectively calm the stress that can trigger your symptoms in social situations, at school, or at work. The No IBS Program even addresses one of the biggest and most ignored problems for irritable bowel sufferers; a problem that hardly anyone else helps you with.
The No IBS Program offers you a wealth of information and techniques you can use to take control of irritable bowel syndrome for major relief from symptoms. The program was co-developed by Karen Alison out of 20 years experience and research in natural health and mind-body healing. The goal is to empower you to decrease your symptoms and feel great by learning how to take charge of your own health. Visit the No-IBS website to learn more. http://www.no-ibs.com/products-for-ibs-relief
© Karen Alison 2011 Results in Healing
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6331135
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