Changing the way you eat foods for IBS is one way to control your symptoms. As your symptoms change so should the foods you eat. IBS symptoms include flatulence, bloating, nausea, diarrhea and constipation and pain.
Avoiding the types of food that stimulate your intestines is recommended. Things like salad, cabbage, baked beans, broccoli, cucumbers, radishes all produce gas and can contribute to bouts of IBS and diarrhea.
When you are having an IBS flare, the best thing you can do for yourself is to eat bland foods until the worst of it passes. Try what is called a BRATY diet for a day or two. A BRATY diet consists of Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast, and Yogurt. As you can see the first letter of each word forms the name of the diet. Of course, not everyone will respond favorably to the BRATY diet just as some foods react in the intestines differently for everyone.
Other foods for IBS that will help calm your digestive system are regular black tea, peppermint candies, and ginger ale. Drinking extra fluids to replenish what you are losing because of the diarrhea is very important. You cannot afford to become dehydrated on top of everything else you are dealing with. If dehydration happens, you will be very ill, and you may just land yourself in the hospital.
Fried, greasy foods and other foods high in fat should also be avoided. Try your chicken or fish baked, broiled or grilled and if you should eat some red meat just make sure you trim all the fat off before you cook it. Instead of french fries fried in oil, opt for a baked potato with your meal or “fry” your french fries in the oven. Without oil, of course, try spraying them with a nonstick cooking spray flavored with butter before putting them in the oven. This will help them get nice and crispy.
Learning what to eat and when to eat it can play a significant role in completely controlling your IBS. Your diet alone can make a huge difference in how you are able to live your life. You can be happy and live life to its fullest. The more you learn about the right kind of diet to eat to control your IBS the more you will understand you will not have to deprive yourself of the things you like, you will still be able to go out to your favorite restaurant.
You will learn how to eat safely, and you will become an expert on how food affects your digestive system. In doing your research, you will find books and websites to help you modify your diet and come up with specific strategies to follow regarding how to eat and cook and how to handle going out to eat or going to the market to shop. You may even find recipes to help you get started on learning how to cook for your disorder.
Foods for IBS can also help control the pain you experience when having a flare-up. Try peppermint candy or tea, fennel, and chamomile tea to help relieve your pain due to spasms.