# Wheat,dairy and other no-no's



## bellyinturmoil (Dec 26, 2003)

Hi yaI've had IBS for quite a few years but only had a name for it in the past year or so.I've now quit dairy produce[does margarine count?] and wheat [except the odd dish of pasta which doesn't seem to hurt].The hardest thing was not eating bread-I have read a few posts and people talk of eating white bread with no trouble-should I try it and see how I get on?Seems like the list of things I can eat is soooo small,any advice would be really helpful.Its also very noticable how much more you are charged for eating wheat free food-ï¿½3.50 plus for a very small loaf of bread-crazy.I've so many stomach and chest pains [been checked out and heart seems ok]and burning trapped wind[uptop] that any advice on food stuffs will be great.Thanks


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## Julia37 (May 9, 2001)

How did you get the list of foods you can and can't have? Did you have any blood tests for allergies or sensitivities?If not, you and your doctor don't know for sure which foods disagree with you. Dairy is a very common cause of digestive trouble, so it's probably a good idea to try avoiding it. Try avoiding one food at a time, each one for a month, to see if it makes a difference in your symptoms. Keep a food and symptom diary to see if you can spot any patterns.Your complaints of gas and hearburn suggest to me lactose intolerance, in which case you should avoid milk, cream and soft cheeses. Try that for a month and see if your symptoms get better. Otherwise you need to give us more detailed information about what you were told to avoid and why.I have fructose sensitivity and whole wheat has fructose in it, so I do better with white bread and white flour. What you should avoid depends on exactly what you're sensitive to.This book by Dr. Jonathan Brostoff will help you understand how to detect and manage your food sensitivitiesFOOD ALLERGY AND INTOLERANCE, Professor Jonathan Brostoff, MD, Stephen Challacombe, MD (NEW 2002) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/070...product-details ï¿½ Hardcover: 1120 pages ï¿½ Publisher: W B Saunders Co; ISBN: 0702020389; 2nd edition (August 9, 2002)Good luck


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## bellyinturmoil (Dec 26, 2003)

Thanks for the good advise Julia 37.


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## mcrosby (Dec 11, 2003)

I know for me my biggest problem is white flour. I eat whole grain breads. I only eat whole wheat flour products. I got the idea to try this because my daughter went to a dietician for a couple of months and it really helped her. He said that white flour has gluton and that causes the body lots of problems. It causes a condition called "leaky gut". I know also that too much butter and greasy foods cause me trouble. Also, sugar is not good for some people. The doctor told her a good place to shop is at Trader Joes, they have products that other stores don't carry like Almond Butter instead of peanut butter. Or even natural peanut butter is better than processed. He told her to check the ingrediants on everything and if sugar is one of the first three ingrediants in the product to avoid it. Everyone is different but this has helped me.


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## Lesley Prince (Jan 8, 2004)

Hi, I've had diagnosed IBS for over 2 years and just recently confirmed a lactose intolerance. I'm struggling too to find out what triggers MY C & D( they changed with no discernable pattern).I have just signed on with this group and I hope to learn and perhaps offer some of my tips. One suggestion is to bake your own bread if you have the time and equipment, i.e., an automatic bread maker. There's lots of bread maker cookbooks and you can find recipes that don't have ingredients that your body finds intolerant or allergic.If you're eating out and lactose intolerant eat meat meals in kosher restaurants if you live in larger city centres - do avoid, obviously dairy restaurants.I've learned a few things already skimming the posts and am glad I happened upon the IBS Self Help site. Thanks!


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## Julia37 (May 9, 2001)

I have a bread maker and always make my own bread. I use rice or oat milk instead of dairy, and leave out the sugar. I also add oatmeal to white bread for added fiber and calcium. (calcium supplements upset my system.) I make oatmeal quick bread for breakfast. This can be done in the oven, but it's easier in the breadmaker, especially in summer when it's too warm to use the oven. I leave out the sugar and use Dr. B.'s egg substitute since I'm also sensitive to eggs. I'll add different flavorings to the quick bread - I usually rotate between allspice, cinnamon, and cocoa. Sometimes I've also added crushed pecans. Once you get the hang of modifying recipes the possibilities are infinite.I shop at Whole Foods every week. I get almond and cashew butter there and meats and poultries that are uncontamintated with MSG or other additives. Also buckwheat pasta (soba) from Japan, which I mix with plain white pasta for nutritional value. Since I can't have fruit, I use the nut butters instead of jam. I can have butter but I only eat it occasionally because I don't like it for every day. Also I suspect it causes a little gas. I dip my bread in olive oil instead of using butter.Since I have to avoid soy ("vegetable oil") I try to go to restaurants that cook with other oils. If I have to go to one that cooks with soy, the only safe things for me are plain grilled meat, boiled veggies, or dry salads unless they have plain olive oil for it. I don't like vinegar. I don't have to avoid all dairy, I can have hard cheeses like cheddar or swiss, but I eat them sparingly because they're fattening. At any restaurant I have to bring my own bread (a sara lee or jewel brand bagel) because all the restaurant suppliers in this town put soy oil in their bread. The only exception at this point is Schlotzky's, which makes it's own oil-free bread.If you look at ingredient labels you'll realize how food processors contaminate their offerings. Why is high fructose corn syrup the first ingredient in crackers? Why is the ingredient label for a jar of peanuts 2 inches long in 6-point type? Roasted nuts should only contain nuts, oil, and salt. Crackers should not be sweetened. Just try to find a ready-made sauce of any flavor that doesn't contain sugar. This thing of adding sugar to foods that aren't (or shouldn't be) sweet is going to ruin the health of the next generation. They'll all be either allergic to it or diabetic. And while I'm on the subject, check the ingredients on baby food. Soy and sugar are both added gerber baby oatmeal. Soy is one of the most common allergens. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the idea.







The point I'm trying to make is at Whole Foods they do have plain roasted nuts and crackers that aren't mostly sugar. It's worth doing even if you're not sensitive, because it's much healthier.


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