|
|
you have followed the diet strictly for at least 6 months. Just last week you reported eating trigger foods (dairy, red meat, cabbage, salsa, etc) with every meal. It is a bit unfair criticizing the EFI diet if you don't follow it closely for a considerable period of time.
--------------------
STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
... all of things this poster, who has only posted one message, mentioned as showing food sensitivity to except soy is on the EFI trigger list. So there is nothing surprizing here.
However, this posting does sort of look like an advertisement for the SAGE Complement Antigen test (ELISA) test which is expensive and reportedly not as sensitive as using a simple dietary exclusion process.
--------------------
STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Quote:
However, this posting does sort of look like an advertisement for the SAGE Complement Antigen test (ELISA)
That was my impression.
--------------------
IBS-A and GERD since 1983
Low FODMAP since 2012
Edited by vettech (08/21/09 07:27 AM)
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I understand what you're saying. I don't mean to be critical, so much as pointing out what you said yourself; that you have issues with fructose and onions and garlic, all of these things are not excluded using the EFI diet. And after making hummus this week with a raw clove of garlic, I am pretty darn sure garlic is a trigger for me too. I just wonder what other triggers I might have, beyond the EFI diet.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
You can find information about the problems with garlic, onions (sulphur containing foods), fructose and the EFI diet on this web page.
Good luck 
--------------------
STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Syl, you're obviously quite knowledgeable about the EFI diet. I do appreciate your responses, and I could use a little more guidance. You linked me to a page about how onions, garlic, citrus, and fructose are particularly troublesome for IBS. However, Heather recommends that we still eat these foods because they are nutritious, we just need to do so with a solid foundation of soluble fiber in our system. I get that.
My question is twofold: 1) If I follow Heather's recipes in the EFI cookbook, where she incorporates ingredients like honey, applesauce, garlic, and onions into recipes, can I assume it's safe to eat because she's designed the recipe around the principals of soluble fiber as a base? 2) Or is it possible that some of us should totally avoid certain foods (such as garlic) because we are more sensitive to them than others?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
You have asked an astute question. Many us fall into the second alternative you have given. I cannot eat any sulfurous foods no matter how much soluble fiber I eat. Similarly, I am very sensitive to foods with excess fructose. Many people on the board can eat some foods with excess fructose. There is a bit of misleading information on the web page I pointed out to you. It says to treat juices as you would insoluble fiber and drink them carefully, with soluble fiber foods. Unfortunately, if you are sensitive to excess fructose it doesn't matter how much soluble fiber you eat it offers little protection against fructose problems.
In summary the EFI is a set of guidelines. Many of us are quite sensitive to some foods which are according to the guidelines are okay in moderation. Unfortunately, you have to determine your sensitivity to these foods experimentally.
I have a base diet that I follow and when I want to experiment with a new food I strictly follow my base diet and slowly add a new food over a week or so to see if I have any reactions. Some times a reaction can be delayed - not necessarily because of a sensitivity to the food but because, for example, some foods effect the growth of certain bacteria in the colon which produce byproducts when they ferment indigestible foods. Some times these byproducts are bowel irritants, have inflammatory characteristics or the bacteria produce methane gas which is known to increase constipation.
The gut is one of the most complicated organs in the body. Unfortunately, for us IBSers there are few clear answers but there are fairly clear dietary management guidelines.
Good luck
--------------------
STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
When you have been on the board for a while you will very much see the answer to question 2. Lots of people have specific foods that can be considered 'safe' to many but to them are unsafe. For some that is bananas, oatmeal, egg whites, etc. Also people can have additional issues like Fructose Intolerance or Gluten Intolerance or even soy allergies.
For question number 1: the cookbook and many of the recipes outlined here follow just the basics of the IBS diet; people with additional difficulties OR PEOPLE JUST STARTING OUT still need to avoid some recipes or foods. People are always at different stages of their becoming stable and the recipes in that way are somewhat 'generic' I guess. Also early on newbies are recommended many places on this website to start with the Break The Cycle diet only and slowly incorporate others foods starting with the easier ones first. Only after that can a person eat pretty much all fruits and veggies, grains, and other natural products in a low fat, dairy free diet.
The basis of every IBS safe recipe should be low fat percentage of calories, dairy free, yolk and red meat free, artificial product free (like splenda or MSG) and non-cooked alcohol free. Not all recipes are SF containing in themselves- veggies or meat recipe are intended to be eaten with SF as a side. Then, *on top of those above exclusions*, some people have to avoid excess fructose, or gluten, or soy, or sugar, or many veggies, etc.
Hope this clears things up.
--------------------
IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
That is very common! That is why so many people continue to eat the really unsafe stuff after hearing they shouldn't because the reactions are many times not immediate.
Why is this? when the gut gets those foods very often it just chooses when to freak out; it doesn't do so every moment of the day. Also sometimes it can handle one bad food but not another one on top of it, or stress can play a factor too and cause a tough food to only be a trigger some of the time.
For me, years ago when I thought I had IBS a doctor (not a nice one) just said to avoid dairy and high fat. Well I was eating dairy every day in large portions and because I wasn't having terrible issues every day I didn't think dairy bothered me. After finding the EFI diet years later and avoiding the known triggers, everything fell into place and it became obvious what I couldn't eat.
Then after being on it for a while, triggers became very easy to discern (for the most part). When I fall off the wagon it doesn't take long to get a reaction. Like when i really wanted brie cheese some time ago; I got D on the way home. It was immediate and decisive.
So the only way to go is to avoid the known triggers. They are the most common and make the most sense to be problems for people. After that individual issues can be ascertained.
--------------------
IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
This is the same conclusion that I came to. I could not for the life of me, figure out why for weeks/months I could eat a certain food, and then BAM, out of the blue that same food gave me problems. I also figured my gut finally said enough is enough or I ate another food along with it and that was the straw, so to speak.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
Posts
