# Ate great in India, but am back to suffering in the States



## mareh (Feb 1, 2011)

I am an active 21 year old college student who just got back from studying abroad in India. My IBS symptoms have been a constant in my life ever since my appendectomy two years ago. Anymore I cannot do fast food (fine), have trouble with beef (not so fine), and I believe a wheat sensitivity. It seems like anything I eat gives me trouble. The have-to-go-now-even-though-it's-been-like-one-minute trouble. I have wanted to study abroad but was concerned (for obvious reason) about my diet and how my IBS would do. I packed my soluble fiber, Immodium, and Pepto thinking I would need it all, but I never had an issue. AT ALL. In fact, I felt the healthiest I have in a LONG time.*In short: Does anyone know what India did so different for me? Is their food just healthier than U.S. food?*Obviously I didn't eat beef, also didn't have street food and only drank bottled water, but what was so different? Had loose stool one time but was sick with the flu for a day. Aside from the one day I felt amazing. And now, here I am back home and have had issues seemingly no matter what. I feel like there are chemicals in my food or something. haha I know that sounds ridiculous, but coming home sucks.I miss my chicken, paneer, veggies... I even had naan, which is bread with (I'm assuming) wheat gluten--and was fine.Any recommendations for food would be appreciated! Also, if anyone knows what the big difference could be. I'm searching for an explanation. Thank you.


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## em_t (Jun 8, 2010)

Hi Mareh,The only thing that I can think that would be different in India would be the fresh produce - seasonal vegetables and fresh meat. Naan usually contains lower levels of yeast than most commercial breads, I know the bread in Subway is bound to set me off, probably because it is so yeasty! You could maybe try making your own or check out your local supermarket for naan breads - go for the one with the fewest ingredients. Sometimes I find tortilla wraps easier to digest, maybe for the same reason. Also the food in India is likely to be much lower fat, so maybe try reducing your fat intake by eating lean meats, fresh vegetables and some wholegrains if you can tolerate them.Hope that helps a bit!Em


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

One spice that has been looked at is turmeric (didn't do as well in the placebo contolled studies). It is what makes curries yellow.It is a spice with a lot of interesting properties, and well respected in India so you might see if cooking with it helps (you can also make a tea with it--warning it will stain if you spill it, just 1/4 tsp in a mug of hot water, you can add cinnamon to that as well, same 1/4 tsp, I drink this tea a lot when I feel congested).There is likely a lot less added fat and less added sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Some IBSers have some issues with fructose to some degree and often find limiting HFCS added to foods helpful (as well as usually means you generally eat healthier)


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## ziggy7 (Oct 24, 2009)

maybe there water supply was good? i know now that all of usa's water supply is not safe to drink. it all has fluoride in it. and i believe alot of places have horrible hormones in it. these hormones are too small to be filterd out by home or public water filters. the only way to filter it out is with a reverse osmosis water filter.in some lakes these hormones and posions turn 90% of the fish female while the remaining 10% males are messed up.note: bottled water is not safe to drink either. it can still have hormones & fluoride i think. but i know alot of bottled water has BPA. so best way to go is to get a reverse osmosis water filter.


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## drifter81 (Feb 25, 2011)

Maybe it was simply the warmer weather and sunshine? Maybe being in a different country kept your mind and body moving and you were too occupied to have any concern with IBS. How did the weather compare to where you are now?


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## Guest (Mar 8, 2011)

mareh said:


> I am an active 21 year old college student who just got back from studying abroad in India. My IBS symptoms have been a constant in my life ever since my appendectomy two years ago. Anymore I cannot do fast food (fine), have trouble with beef (not so fine), and I believe a wheat sensitivity. It seems like anything I eat gives me trouble. The have-to-go-now-even-though-it's-been-like-one-minute trouble. I have wanted to study abroad but was concerned (for obvious reason) about my diet and how my IBS would do. I packed my soluble fiber, Immodium, and Pepto thinking I would need it all, but I never had an issue. AT ALL. In fact, I felt the healthiest I have in a LONG time.*In short: Does anyone know what India did so different for me? Is their food just healthier than U.S. food?*Obviously I didn't eat beef, also didn't have street food and only drank bottled water, but what was so different? Had loose stool one time but was sick with the flu for a day. Aside from the one day I felt amazing. And now, here I am back home and have had issues seemingly no matter what. I feel like there are chemicals in my food or something. haha I know that sounds ridiculous, but coming home sucks.I miss my chicken, paneer, veggies... I even had naan, which is bread with (I'm assuming) wheat gluten--and was fine.Any recommendations for food would be appreciated! Also, if anyone knows what the big difference could be. I'm searching for an explanation. Thank you.


hello - wheat starches are often difficult to tolerate by people with ibs, so a gluten-free diet can be recommended. in india, chickpea flour is often used instead of wheat flour. perhaps this is why you did better?


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## KeepItGoing (Oct 13, 2011)

I know this is an old thread but I had to resuscitate it because I have the exact same experience - Indian food is great for me and lots of food isn't.I follow a diet which works extremely well for me but which I have never seen recommended (in its full form) for IBS (only for migraine). Indian food fits into it just fine. I posted about it extensively in this thread in the My Story forum.I would love to hear that someone else follows this diet and has similar results - because I often feel like I'm crazy. Since no one else seems to be following this diet (even my sister who follows it for migraines doesn't have to be nearly as careful as I do), a lot of people think it's all in my head - or maybe I'm just imagining that they think that, too. In any case, this diet has worked wonders for me and I cannot imagine that I'm the only one out there who could benefit from it, so I would love to see others try it.


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## Clarice Dietitian (Feb 24, 2012)

KeepItGoing said:


> I know this is an old thread but I had to resuscitate it because I have the exact same experience - Indian food is great for me and lots of food isn't.I follow a diet which works extremely well for me but which I have never seen recommended (in its full form) for IBS (only for migraine). Indian food fits into it just fine. I posted about it extensively in this thread in the My Story forum.I would love to hear that someone else follows this diet and has similar results - because I often feel like I'm crazy. Since no one else seems to be following this diet (even my sister who follows it for migraines doesn't have to be nearly as careful as I do), a lot of people think it's all in my head - or maybe I'm just imagining that they think that, too. In any case, this diet has worked wonders for me and I cannot imagine that I'm the only one out there who could benefit from it, so I would love to see others try it.


Hi there, I have found this thread and your story really interesting to read. Thank you. Most people have found there are 2 key changes in diet for why they feel better when in India or Asia (aside from the effect of relaxation/ lack of stressful tension on symptoms). It is either the lack of gluten or actually and very under rated is the effect of chemicals on your IBS and other symptoms. When you remove the chemicals (preservatives, artificial antioxidants, certain colours, flavour enhancers including MSG) you end up reducing the triggers of histamine in your body. And histamine is a trigger of allergy type symptoms and often migraine, headaches, pain, reflux, nausea and diarrhoea. Other foods such as caffeine, alcohol, aged browned meat, leftovers also contain high levels of histamine as do some fruits and vegetables and vinegar.I guide people on a Real food low chemical diet before they do a Low FODMAP diet, especially if they have symptoms other than digestive symptoms as like you, for some people this is really valuable.A very wise and experienced dietitian who has written about this and has a huge amount of information on her website (look at the FAQs on histamine) is Janice Joneja who set up the Vancouver Allergy Clinic but is now in Kamloops, BC, Canada. She has written an excellent book called 'Diet Digestion and Disease' too. Her website is www.allergynutrition.com Thanks again for story.


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## olympiandreams04 (Apr 4, 2012)

Indians foods are usually cooked in much spices/ingredients. u might be got habitat with that taste......


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## kgordon (Apr 14, 2012)

I have to totally agree with other countries and feeling THE BEST EVER!!! I have suffered with IBS-D for over 16 years. It started abruptly after I had my first child. She is now 16. I would be running to the bathroom all the time...after almost everything i was eating!!! Great weight LOSS program!!! lol It wasn't until i spent 2 weeks in Belize and 2 weeks in Costa Rica....even Mexico and Dominican.....seriously they don't have all the #### that we have in our food in canada and us. I felt so clean while on holidays and it was an instant feeling once I was there for about 24 hours!!! I have now been IBS-D symptom free since October 2011 due to a meal replacement shake that has digestive enzymes and probiotics and also full of vitamins and nutrients. It has changed my whole world....i am now eating 6 times a day and going to the bathroom at least twice a day...NORMAL!!!! no diarrhea, no hemmrrohids!!! however you spell that!!! I LOVE MY LIFE NOW!!!!


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