Friday, February 27, 2009

Diet For IBS

By Sam Hughson

What Is A Suitable Diet For IBS?

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is a very common disorder that affects the intestines. With IBS you can experience a variety of symptoms including pain in your stomach, gas, cramping, bloating and bowel habits that can vary from constipation to diarrhea, or even a mixture of both. Fiber rich food can help with the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, but you should be careful to introduce it slowly as it may well trigger some of your IBS symptoms.

A suitable diet for IBS would be one that is low in fat and high in fiber, as this type of diet would help in stopping constipation. Try and include between 20 and 35 grams of fiber in your diet for IBS.

Fiber can be found in grains, particularly cereals, bran, fruit, vegetables and whole-grain breads. Foods such as beans, oats and peas contain soluble fibers which have been found to help to control both constipation and diarrhea.

When you are searching for the right diet for IBS, be sure to read any food labels, especially when buying breads and cereals that are made with whole-grain or whole-wheat.

To introduce fiber into meat dishes you could try adding kidney beans, bran, oatmeal, black-eyed peas and pinto beans.

When purchasing ready to eat cereals check that they have at least 5 grams of fiber.

Another important thing to remember when planning your diet for IBS is to include lots of fluids. It is recommended that you drink at least 8 glasses of liquid per day. The liquid you have can be water, fruit juices and decaffeinated drinks.

It is also helpful to keep a food diary to see which types of foods cause IBS symptoms. If a certain food does cause IBS symptoms you will know to avoid it.

Instead of eating large meals try eating smaller meals and eating more often. You should also try eating slowly to give your food more time to digest. Another tip is to avoid drinks with caffeine as well as alcohol since these types of drinks can worsen any IBS symptoms.

If you give these tips a try you will be well on your way to find a suitable diet for IBS.

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