# Trigger Foods



## lib2266 (May 29, 2009)

Did some personal research this week to see what some of my trigger foods are. I got a sandwich at a local deli with sweet peppers (knew they were a problem but haven't had them in years!)What are some of your trigger foods? What are some foods that you can eat that you didn't think you'd be able to? I want to see if there is some pattern amongst all of us. My trigger foods are sweet peppers, roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes (not effected by regular tomatoes though) leafy green lettuce (not so much iceberg), raw carrots.Foods that I can eat that i didn't think I could: fried foods like chicken fingers, fries and I can eat all the potato chips I want and cheese. How about you? Any of these foods turn you inside out?


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## knothappy (Jul 31, 1999)

lib2266 said:


> Did some personal research this week to see what some of my trigger foods are. I got a sandwich at a local deli with sweet peppers (knew they were a problem but haven't had them in years!)What are some of your trigger foods? What are some foods that you can eat that you didn't think you'd be able to? I want to see if there is some pattern amongst all of us. My trigger foods are sweet peppers, roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes (not effected by regular tomatoes though) leafy green lettuce (not so much iceberg), raw carrots.Foods that I can eat that i didn't think I could: fried foods like chicken fingers, fries and I can eat all the potato chips I want and cheese. How about you? Any of these foods turn you inside out?


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## knothappy (Jul 31, 1999)

yes i can eat everything that is not good for you chips, sweets, fries,candy,cheese but cannot eat the good stuff fresh fruit, veggies, etc all that so called healthy stuff give me the runs that won;t quit.


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## lib2266 (May 29, 2009)

knothappy said:


> yes i can eat everything that is not good for you chips, sweets, fries,candy,cheese but cannot eat the good stuff fresh fruit, veggies, etc all that so called healthy stuff give me the runs that won;t quit.


Me too! As you can imagine, it's impossible to diet. :-(


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## Annalisa (May 23, 2011)

I am not really sure of all my triggers. I really should investigate it more. There are 2 times I remember getting Diarreah instantly was after eating a ham sandwich at lunchtime? Usually greasy stuff seats me off but somtimes just eating at lunchtime can make me want to go to the toilet.


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## strkngfang (May 17, 2011)

There is more that I can't eat than can eat, I have a very sensitive colon & stomach. Here is a short list of what has given me problems. Anything fried, greasy, spicy, dairy, caffeine, chocolate, hamburgers, steaks, cakes etc. My main foods I eat are chicken, fish, lean pork, turkey & some 98%fat free lunch meats. Vanilla ice cream on occasion, fig newtons,pumpkin & apple pies etc for desserts. The only fast food I can tolerate is Arby's & KFC grilled dinners.The foods I miss the most are grilled hamburgers,milkshakes, brownies & chocolate cake or pie. I used to experment over the years and re try some of the things on my "don't" list but it always came out bad so I just stick to the same old thing every day.If I stick to my diet & keep the anxiety level low then I usually have good days, after 11am. My prime bathroom trips are the first 4 hours after I wake up.


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## Dixie_Girl82 (May 18, 2009)

Same here! The mornings are horrible. The first 4-6 hours are torture, but normally after that and I take my medications, I can eat most anything. I do better with carbs. Pasta, potatoes, rice..etc. I also eat baked chicken, seafood, and some pork. I can eat some sweets but I do try to avoid them because I cant eat a lot of veggies and stuff and I am overweight so I do try to watch my calories. My secret comfort food addiction is baked french fries. They just settle my stomach right down and fill me up. And I have found something that I love that does not hurt my stomach! Turkey bacon, 98% fat free and plain grits with no butter. That is another one of my comfort foods.If I take enough medications, I can eat anything, greasy or not, but I do pay for the the next morning







So I do try to be nice to myself.*My No-No list:*BroccoliButter BeansAnything with fiberFried foodsOatmealMaple Syrup (horrible)CaffeineSome dairy productsDiet Sodas (Aspartame is bad for your stomach)Water (makes it worse on bad days)Chinese Food (no MSG)That is all I can think of right now. I am pretty sure there are many other things I avoid but those are some of the main ones. I eat just about the same thing everyday. Rice and chicken or some sort of pasta or potato for dinner. And I love shrimp!


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## Lane CT (May 19, 2011)

Dairy - I am recently fully lactose intolerant... but before I was intolerant:Hot pizza. I always needed it to be cooled or cold. Chinese food. Certain family members' sauce (meat sauce, marinara, doesn't matter). Breakfast at any diner, unless it was 3 a.m. after the bars.







Caffeine from coffee, but not from tea or soda. Fresh or barely cooked garlic. Champagne, of all things!!Hot dogs - but usually in the summer when everyone's having barbecues and cooking on the grill all the time, and I eat too many in a matter of days.


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## K_C81 (May 31, 2011)

Too much of any one thing, too large of a meal, more than 2 slices of bread, alcohol, tea, diet coke, icecream, coffee, milk, anything with excessive sugar or fat and generally anything I don't cook myself. Packet chips are the worst that is instant D and yogurt and bananas are the best very settling. I'm very surprised that some of you cannot eat greens!!


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## spazzy (Mar 29, 2010)

I am amazed that some people actually do know what their trigger foods are. I wish I knew. I've tried to keep a diary, but honestly, it seems that no matter what I eat, I am triggered.It's as if it is the very act of eating which triggers me.I may go back and start documenting what I eat, again, and see if I can notice any patterns. Up to this point, I haven't been able to notice that anything other than milk seems to be a factor.


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## bec2011 (Jun 10, 2011)

Lane CT said:


> Dairy - I am recently fully lactose intolerant... but before I was intolerant:Hot pizza. I always needed it to be cooled or cold. Chinese food. Certain family members' sauce (meat sauce, marinara, doesn't matter). Breakfast at any diner, unless it was 3 a.m. after the bars.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I realised the other day that I couldn't drink Prosseco, so am assuming I'd be the same with Champagne... I had such a terrible time the next morning I couldn't get to work until about 11am. So no prosecco for me this summer


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## ziggy7 (Oct 24, 2009)

I used to not be able to eat a single bite of broccoli or fatty meat with out horrible gas almost all day long afterwards...But after i cut the refined carbohydrates out of my diet such as pasta, bread and such i can eat as much broccoli and fatty meat as i want with zero problems.I heard before that carbohydrates interfear with your body using fat.Also for everyone talking about greasy food i know most greasy foods are cooked in vegetable oils and vegetable oils are heated and there for rancid. The only vegetable oil i can eat that does not hurt my stomach is cold pressed extra vergin olive oil. For years i avoided greek salads thinking the little bit of fiber that was in them was hurting my stomach a little. But it turns out it was the olive oil all along. All i needed was cold pressed extra vergin olive oil and since using only that i have not had a single stomach problem from greek salads.Also i find that all dairy upsets my stomach. Except for Butter and mostly Hard Cheeses like feta cheese.


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## Angry Canadian Girl (Dec 1, 2010)

Yeesh I just found out today that Iceburg lettuce is a MAJOR problem for me. I suspected it before. I have been doing so well lately that I decided to have a big bowl of salad made with it last night and as expected, I had diarreha for the first time in almost two months this morning. With large chunks of the lettuce still there Sorry TMI but I won't be eating that again that is for sure! Yeah, dieting is really hard with IBS.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

Angry Canadian Girl said:


> Yeah, dieting is really hard with IBS.


Cut your portions, exercise more, and concentrate on the joy of not having D all of the time. You are one of the winners, here.Mark (More than 10 pounds lost since last December with about 5 more to go.)


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## andromeda (Jun 19, 2011)

I'm new here but over the years I have triggers that I know will be big no-no's if I'm in the throes of a GI episode: fructose(my issue right now, as a matter of fact), steaks and good beef(I can handle most lean ground meats, though), red or green peppers, too many grapes, bananas(UGH, they are too sweet for me), sometimes I can't eat apples, broccoli and cauliflower raw, sometimes dairy(except for plain greek yogurt or hard cheeses like Feta or goat cheese), any type of wheat or 7 grain anything or 9 grain anything, LOL. Usually, when I'm having an episode I stick with rice crackers, rice cereal, greek plain yogurt, chicken, shrimp, pasta, broth based soups with minimal cooked veggies, potatoes(baked or mashed), and lots of sourdough toast. It usually takes me about 3-4 days of this mild diet and then I can start introducing some salads, salmon or tuna, fresh fruits like melons or berries, and sometimes even cheese.


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## Angry Canadian Girl (Dec 1, 2010)

overitnow said:


> Cut your portions, exercise more, and concentrate on the joy of not having D all of the time. You are one of the winners, here.Mark (More than 10 pounds lost since last December with about 5 more to go.)


You are right, I shouldn't complain. I have been blessed with at least some success over last year. Losing weight still poses a problem for me because I am very snacky. I always feel that I can't choose a decent snack because I am so paranoid about fruit and veggies. Congrats on your 10lbs though. That is awesome!


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## wildflowers2 (Jun 9, 2011)

Some foods do some dont. BUT......going from the air conditioned house to the HOT outside and BAM. I need a bathroom with in seconds.One would think with all the time spent in the bathroom I would be a size ZERO. Though I have read alot of books.


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## IBS-D guy (Dec 31, 2010)

Ive recently been on a calorie controlled diet and have found that my IBS has significantly changed. I've had several days where i have produced fully formed BMs and gas/urgency have reduced. Clearly i have a food trigger i just dont know what it is. Last night i made some homemade potato wedges and added some garlic powder and onion powder for a little flavour. My IBS was very, very bad this morning so i'm guessing onions might be worth avoiding for me.


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## XXXBerto55 (May 4, 2010)

IBS-D guy said:


> Ive recently been on a calorie controlled diet and have found that my IBS has significantly changed. I've had several days where i have produced fully formed BMs and gas/urgency have reduced. Clearly i have a food trigger i just dont know what it is. Last night i made some homemade potato wedges and added some garlic powder and onion powder for a little flavour. My IBS was very, very bad this morning so i'm guessing onions might be worth avoiding for me.


As soon as you get better, make them again....see what happens.


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## cocaui (Aug 19, 2009)

Uff to me, seems that all that I can eat to feel normal is grilled chicken with steam rice and a few veggies but not so much. Bread is OK and certain cheese. Last month I had a plain sandwich with sirloin, wow was delicious but the next day I went to the WC 7 times in a row. Its like I cant eat out at all. Im Chicago and the only place that I can eat without getting sick and actually I can expect to feel complete normal is a restaurant called Chipmunks on Diversey St. I ask for the chicken and rice plate and is delicious. I never got sick there. But that is all that I ask for, if I ask for their pizza, hamburger, hotdogs, etc; I got sick in 2-3 hours after that.


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## rellybelly17 (Jun 10, 2011)

for me its fruits and veggies! some are ok, but the darker in color the worse my symptoms get. carrots, squash and stuff like that is fine for me but spinich and broccoli=death lol trouble is, when i avoid them i get constipated! ibs sucks


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## Feline_Divine (Apr 14, 2011)

One thing that sets me off all the time is salad; mostly because of the lettuce. Those bagged type of lettuce stuff is the worst. It goes right through me and it isn't even digested! If I have cucumbers and tomatoes in the salad, those go out the same way they went in. But, if I eat them separately, I don't have a problem. I have tried eating hydroponic lettuce which I can get from the supermarket and that doesn't give me an issue but I now most restaurants, etc. use that bagged stuff so I just don't eat them anymore.Green peppers have always given me an issue, and now the red, yellow, and orange varieties are too. It is so strange because there are so many other veggies I can eat:corncarrotsspinachasparaguszucchinisummer squashbroccoligreen beansThe only other trigger I can think of is eating too much. And not necessarily eating too much by my own standards, but whatever my body feels is too much at the time. Then there is a mass evacuation because my body wants to get rid of everything. My body is weird and despite us being together for 35 years, I still can't figure it out.


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

Foods as an IBS trigger really varies for me... no two days are ever really the same. Generally though carbohydrates are probably my biggest trigger. Sugar, fruit, wheat (or white)bread, and pasta in particular tend to trigger my symptoms. I am generally okay if I take digestive enzymes, and stick to a low-carb diet, avoiding most processed food.My other trigger is alcohol, but that can trigger GI issues even for people who don't have IBS (we'll call them the "normies"







). The one major thing that I _can_ ingest that I didn't think I'd be able to without ill-effects is coffee. I even quit all caffeine (including decaf coffee/tea) for two months last year and it had absolutely no effect on my symptoms whatsoever (as in, no improvement). I'm grateful for that because my morning 2 cups of coffee is a ritual that I could not do without!


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## Mrs Me (Jun 25, 2011)

It seems that some of your replies about your triggers are similar to mine, i too cannot eat salad, it comes out looking the same as when it went in. I don't eat chocolate bars either. Luckily i'm not a big fan of chocolate anyway. I try and stick to decaf coffee or tea at work. I can eat as much crisps as i want and cheese is fine too. Which im happy about.If i cook a meal i know what herbs, spices etc is going into it, but everytime i eat in a restaurant i have to make sure i know where the toilets and and have to be close to them.


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## exx11 (May 4, 2011)

Chocolate, tea (as in cups of), apples, curry, mexican food, prawns, Coke, baked beans, too much cheese. all quite avoidable and easy enough to manage though I do try to avoid big heavy meals in heavy sauces.


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