About 18 months ago, I began loosing weight inexplicably, without dieting and without increased exercise, coupled with ever increasingly aggresive episodes of.. er I think I’ll call them ‘digestive disruptions’ to keep this post in good taste.
A year and a half on, following numerous visits to my GP and refferals for every test the bowel doctors could think of…I was left nearly 10Kg lighter and none-the-wiser. Apart from a bit of a gluten intollerance, there was nothing to report. So, my doctor diagnosed me with IBS and told me to try not to get too stressed and to keep a food diary, oh and to maybe buy a book about it. He kindly printed me an NHS info sheet and sent me packing.
Mmmm. Not exactly bad news, but not exactly good news either. At least I could call it something, but what did IBS mean and what should I do? I got a book!
‘Eat to Beat IBS’ by Dr Sarah Brewer & Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, opened my eyes to the facts about IBS – what it is, the causes and the symptoms.
I discovered there are a few types of IBS and amoungst other causes, there are trigger foods which can effect a lot of IBS sufferers (although, of course everyone is different).
The list of trigger foods includes…
- Milk & Dairy products
- Wheat, gluten & wheat bran
- Oats, rye and barley
- Chocolate
- Citrus fruits
- Tea & Coffee
- Salads, tomatoes, pulses & cabbage
- Onions & garlic
- Meat
- Artificial sweetners & additives
- Very Spicy foods
There were quite a few more but just those pretty much screwed-up most of my favourite dishes!! Of course not all the foods effect everyone, I myself can eat somethings on the list without worries, but get effected by foods not on the list – it’s a very individual thing.
So rather than sulk in self pity and moan about the things I can no longer eat comfortably, I decided to work out what I can eat and try a few new things too.
This post is an introduction to a series of posts I’ll be writing on IBS and other food allergies & intollerances. I’ll be including links to info/support sites, recipes, suggestions for alternative foods, suppliers, remedies and I’ll be telling you about the foods i’m trying.
We’ll be adding ’special’ diet recipes to the newsletter too, say make sure you subscribe! :)
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