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Angel
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| Posted: July 16 2012 at 7:55am | IP Logged
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Here are a few more resources:
Melissa McEwan talks a lot about IBS issues (she has IBS) and how to handle them at her blog Hunt, Gather, Love. There's evolutionary content on the site, so if that bothers you, beware. She's also quite science-y (which I like), but you should also beware of that, too, because she can be kind of technical sometimes.
She uses the FODMAPs approach, which involves not just avoiding gluten but also other foods which ferment in the gut. As I understand it, there's a huge list of possible culprits (linked in the post above), but nobody should have to avoid all of them; in my understanding, everybody's list of foods to avoid will be different.
Anyway, although I'm not really sure I have IBS, I've been looking into all this stuff for the past couple of years trying to solve other problems (including food allergies), and this approach looks like it might have merit. It's kind of what I'm falling into, I think. I spent about a year eating a mostly SCD/GAPS diet, and the essential low carb (and for me, lower calorie) nature of my diet really tanked my thyroid. I lost a lot of weight... about half of which I have regained (sigh)... but I felt bad after a while -- tired, sluggish, dry skin, hair falling out... etc. So my advice would be to pull out everything you think might be a problem (grains, etc.) at first for a short period, and then try adding some things (like soaked gluten-free oats, for example, or rice) back in and see how you do. Of course, I am not a nutritionist, but based on personal experience. 
The GAPS diet is big on probiotics, healthy fats (coconut oil, bone broths, and fat from grassfed meat on the bone), and cultured foods like kefir and yogurt and sauerkraut. I have to say that the real FOOD with all the good bacteria in it that I've started eating seems to have a MUCH better effect on me than any supplement I've taken. (I'm experimenting to see whether I really need the supplement or not now, but you can find high quality probiotics like BioKult at the GAPS store. GutPro is another that I've used because it has no ingredients from corn. If you don't like pills, it comes in a powder, or all of these probiotics are capsules, so I just open them and dump them in morning juice.)
Anyway, I make my own kefir (you can find kefir grains and lots of other cultures at Cultures for Health), which is really easy, easier than yogurt, and, I think, probably the one thing that helps us all the most. I make mine in a half gallon jar, which I fill with milk, stir in the kefir grains, and let it sit on the counter for 24-48 hours. Then - kefir. If I don't have time to strain the grains and set out another jar right then, I just stick the whole jar in the fridge and pull out the grains when I have a chance. It's much better plain than store bought kefir. I've made my own sauerkraut and fermented dill pickles before (which were awesome), but I find it easier to go to Whole Foods and buy Bubbie's pickles, relish, and sauerkraut. Oh, and Zukay salad dressing is pretty good, but a little different than most salad dressing, so you have to get used to it a bit.
Just, if you add in live, fermented foods, do it a little at a time, because they can be pretty powerful.
Something else I have discovered that really upsets my digestive system is refined sugar. So in addition to avoiding gluten and unsoaked grains in general, I need more importantly to avoid anything with sugar in it. I don't know if you have anything with fake sugars in it, like sucralose or Nutrasweet, but for my dh, that was the biggest key to getting his digestive system on track. I think he probably would have been diagnosed with IBS. He drank a lot of Diet Coke for a while, and was absolutely miserable, with lots of migraines and digestive issues.
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Angel
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| Posted: July 16 2012 at 8:16am | IP Logged
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Oops, I didn't look at the dates from the original post!  Sorry, Angie; I hope you're feeling better now!
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Angela
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Three Plus Two
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: July 16 2012 at 1:04pm | IP Logged
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Thank you both! Anne, I love slippery elm but didn't know I could make it into a tea. Angela, I look forward to reading about your experience.
I do have one more thing that has helped me greatly. I use a rebounder! It's a mini-trampoline from Costco. Love it!
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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anitamarie
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| Posted: Oct 04 2012 at 12:10pm | IP Logged
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In case anyone is still reading this thread, I was tested for Fructose Intolerance this morning because of IBS-like symptoms and came back positive. It seems that lots of people who were diagnosed with IBS previously turn out to be fructose intolerant.
Now to learn a new way of living/cooking. Luckily, we already avoided high fructose corn syrup and eat very little in the way of processed foods, but life without onions, wow!
God Bless you and give you good health!
Anita
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Oct 04 2012 at 5:03pm | IP Logged
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Thanks so much, Anita! Please do share any tips on dealing with fructose intolerance if you have a chance :)
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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4Real Forums : Our Lady of Good Remedy and Care
Topic: Irritable Bowel, mental strength when ill
