# IBS-D AND LOW CARB EATING



## mrae (Apr 28, 2009)

I would like to hear from only people who are ibs-d and have tried eating low carb. Did it work and help the urgency issues? Did you stay eating low fat with it? I have heard different theories on this and would like some imput on who has actually tried it and if it helped. Right now I hardly eat any meat, only every once in awhile. I usually eat rice, pasta, french bread, waffles, tortilla chips stuff like that. So please any advice from anyone whos been there done that would be great.


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## Patman75 (Mar 9, 2008)

If you have problems digesting carbohydrate they will get into your large intestine and feed the microbes and their by-products will cause D. MANY healing diets for IBS or even IBD preach reducing your intake of carbs and eating more veggies, meats and good fats.helps me


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## mint371 (Oct 6, 2009)

Hi mrae. I have often been on low carb diets and found they are the best for someone with IBS. After a couple of days on the diet, I notice a significant decrease in symptoms (IBS-D). I think this could be for a couple of reasons. Firstly you don't tend to consume as much fibre on low carb diets and secondly, you tend to eat less because of the high intake of proteins (meat, cheese etc..) which supress the appetitie. One strong word of warning! Be very careful about packaged low carb products such as shakes and diet bars etc.. as they may (and usually do) contain artificial sweetners. I have found them ok in very low doses and with immodium at the ready but don't eat them before you go out and about. Good luck!


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## TanaG (Jul 11, 2009)

Few years ago I was on a diet to lose weight. I have a hypothyroid and it is a pain in the arse when it comes to losing weight. Anyway, at the time I was on a really low carb diet and it made wonders for me, I lost A LOT of weight. But the other thing that happened was that it constipated me. I want to try it now too and see if it works for my IBS. Wonder how I haven't thought of this before...lol


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## mrae (Apr 28, 2009)

Yes I have tried the shakes and it gives me the big D right away, I would just stick with chicken, cheese on occasion and veggies. For me it will be eating totally different since I dont eat alot of meat or veggies right now but I figure whats another few weeks to try something new.TanaG let me know if you try it and if you see any improvements.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Here is a study on low carb diets and IBS-Dhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1928185...Pubmed_RVDocSumIt is small study, but it shows it can help some people.Do be careful of processed "low carb" foods. A lot of them use sugar alcohols to drop down the "net carbs" and those can increase diarrhea for those that are sensitive to any of the -itols.


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## Patman75 (Mar 9, 2008)

Ditto on everyone comments on processed low carb foods. Most are just junk.


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## TanaG (Jul 11, 2009)

Ok so am starting the low carb diet today. Am not sure if mine is very scientific but it is the one I used years ago and worked. I will cut the bread off. So no bread, boiled spinach, eggs and boiled meat today. Will let you know how it works. Hopefully I will also lose some weight in the process


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## mrae (Apr 28, 2009)

Do you follow a certain food plan or just go at it your own way?


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## TanaG (Jul 11, 2009)

I do it my way. One thing I know I cannot follow is strict prescribed diets....they just make me feel frustrated.I will tell you the story of this diet of mine. About 6 years ago I started to have spots of dry pinkish like skin all over my body. I went to all kind of doctors, had numerous tests, nothing came up besides my usual increased allergic sensitivity. I tried so many meds I cannot remember. Sounds like IBS ...hahaha. Anyway, after all the searching I managed to get an appointment to this very good (and very expensive) skin doctor who told me I had an allergic syndrome (which name was so complicated I cannot remember ... I actually forgot it the minute he mentioned it and they I was ashamed to ask again). This syndrome, which is very rare, is genetically transmited and autoimmune, attacks everything in your body, including your internal organs. He sent me to check even my eyes - a detailed screening - to see if the deep tissue was affected. He gave me some meds but also put me on a very strict diet. I wasn't able to eat almost anything, from substances that normally excite your organisme (like coffe etc) to milk products and sea food. However the diet itself ... like what exactly I SHOULD eat he didn't prescribe, so I came up with it myself in time and it worked like a miracle for me. It was mostly low carb and full of proteins as I love meat







....And one day was like this: morning - some boiled meat or boiled frankfurters with mustard or two boiled eggs with mustard (not hot mustard...lol)lunch - chicken breast grilled with salad (green or other wise)dinner - spinach salad (the way I make it is boiled spinach that you can find canned with olive oil and lemon) and a boiled egg (this can also go for breakfast)NO bread or anything that could replace it such as patatoes, rice or anything else and NO sweets of any kind. NO fruits! I also quit coffee and started to drink A LOT of tea, with no sugar or milk or anything else in it. (you get used to it after a while and you will find out that black tea can be constipating!) think I ended up drinking 4 litters a day







What is good about this diet, if you manage to be on it, and I have been on it for two years on and on is that it takes all the toxines out of your body and makes you lose a lot of weight! Eventually I stopped and went back to drinking coffee and stuff until I got IBS ....great!Now I am still wondering if this IBS of mine is not in fact my old allergic symdrome now attacking my colon cause since I started to take antihistamines I am much much much better. However I encourage anybody who wants to try the diet. It actually changes your life style and you end up feeling much lighter and better.


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## mrae (Apr 28, 2009)

Well as soon as I get all moved into my new house this weekend and go grocery shopping I want to try the low carb. I can not eat eggs I will have to do egg whites and I can't eat alot of lettuce so what would you suggest with that cause I love salads. I'm like you I like to find my own way of eating low carb so I don't feel like I am doing a diet but feel like I am making a life change in eating for the better.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Well you could just cut up a cucumber and slice a tomato and do that as a salad without lettuce, I do that a fair amount in the summer. The deli I go to sometimes does a nice cucumber and sweet onion salad in a light vinaigrette.Do you like baby spinach? That can be a good leafy thing to replace some or all of the lettuce with.You could also just do steamed veggies (either warm or then chilled) tossed with a bit of dressing. I did one salad this spring that was a bag of frozen peas, corn, and green beans (may be too carb heavy with the corn and the peas) mixed with a vinegrette and you can add chopped onion and celery to this and it is pretty good. It makes several servings so can be a good throw together and take some for lunch every day.


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## TanaG (Jul 11, 2009)

I was going to suggest the same thing as Kathleen. Try replacing the lettuce with spinach. A lot of people think it actually tastes better. And yes you can do salads without lettuce: tomatoes, cucumbers, green pepers, onion and olives...you can add feta and get a nice greek salad Have you tried cabbage salad? Though cabbage can be hard to digest. You slice the cabbage into really thin pieces (or use a grater) and you add olive oil and vinegar (you can also add dill and peper). Also try beetroot salad with horseradish sauce. It's REALLY good







(the beetroot should be boiled, sliced, you add oil and bit of horseradish sauce - think you can find that in the supermarket).Another good salad is the pepers salad. I can tell you how to make that: you get pepers, green or red (I like the thin red ones - make sure they're not hot) and grill them until they're soft so you can take the skin off. After you take the skin off you cut them and take all the stuff out of them. You can add either oil (some people put vinegar as well) or you can make a tomatoe sauce with garlic. And you can put feta cheese on them when you serve them and parsley.If you can digest eggplants then you can make a nice salad out of them too. Also grill them then take the skin off. Then leave them for a while on a sloaped plan (such as a chopping board) for the water to go out. Then cut them into really small pieces and use the mixer, add oil (you can also add an egg yolk) and sault and mix for a while. Add as much oil as necessary until it becomes as a paste. Some people add mayo instead of the egg and oil and also onion (finely chopped).But this last one is definitely not a diet salad Maybe we should start a special forum with recipes


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Why can't we use the one already set up for that?


> Use this forum to post and talk about food, food triggers, comfort food, nutrition, diet or recipes.


Dietary http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showforum=19


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## TanaG (Jul 11, 2009)

pfffft....i am with my head in the clouds as usual...so there is one!


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