Let me bitch for a second about IBS.
For those of you who don't know, there are two different kinds of IBS. IBS-Diarrhea and IBS-Constipation. I have the latter. Food gets stuck in my gut easily, which is what makes me gassy for days upon weeks at a time. So to combat it, I maintain a high fiber vegan no sugar diet that keeps me in the clear.
I mean, if you were farting all the time, wouldn't you do it too?
So I thought that I had it under control. Lately, I'm not so sure. When I consume too much fiber, I have IBS-Diarrhea. I go to the bathroom like every fifteen minutes. For days, my stomach burns and I can only digest pretzels and potatoes. No tea, even. Which sucks, because I need a little caffeine in the morning.
This is what happened this past weekend. I made a vegan no refined sugar cake for my thirtieth birthday. It proceeded to barrage it's way through my intestines like a garbage truck. Now I'm bouncing back and forth from painful burning to swollen indigestion. I can't tell when I'm hungry. I can't tell when I'm full. I got no energy. I haven't showered or left the house in days. Seriously.
So. Once my stomach gets back on track, I'm going to design a new diet. It will be vegan. It will be high fiber. But it will also be balanced. Dammit.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
Ouch, FG! Take care, hope you feel better soon!
Oh, and when you're better would you please post about how you realized you had IBS and began figuring out your dietary needs? I don't know how early it manifests itself, and I'm wondering how someone would know if a young kid had it.
Well, if you want my completely unsolicited advice (oxymoron?) I think you're overthinking things. Or, more specifically, thinking with your brain when what you should be doing is listening to your body.
Right off the bat, by "designing" a diet, you're going to shoot yourself in the foot. There are many reasons to eat a vegan diet, but if the main reason you're doing it is because of IBS, it's probably misguided. Obviously, there are some things like greasy or fried foods which are always going to be a no-no. But for me personally, my symptoms vary. There are sometimes when I can eat yogurt and it'll make me gassy, and other times it'll make me feel better. For example, certain foods like fruits and vegetables I can't eat on an empty stomach. My first meal of the day always has to be a starchy carb. I know in my head that the strawberries are going to make things run smoother in the long run, but if my stomach feels like it can't handle them -- guess who wins?
Anyway, when it comes to IBS, there are pretty much no rules. And just because you try to institute them, it doesn't mean your body is gonna listen. Anyway -- hope that helps, and hope you feel better soon. :)
Initially I was being vegan for IBS, but that has since changed. I'm vegan for lots of reasons now.
You make an awesome point about having to weigh your options according to how you feel. Every day we make decisions about what to eat, and we have to figure out whether we'd rather feel one crappy or another crappy. I do try to listen to my body, but you're right, it sends mixed messages.
Like I just got back from eating at a diner with Nikki... I ate french fries. Totally unhealthy. But they didn't make me sick at all. Weird.
I always love your advice. You are my IBS-BFF!
I feel your pain. :(
Post a Comment