# My IBS-D Story: 25-year-old determined to "cure" myself with whole foods



## Rebe With a Clause (Mar 9, 2014)

My story (like most, I can only imagine) is a bit lengthy, so you can read the whole thing here where I'm documenting my journey towards healthy digestion.

A list of what my story includes:


Thinking I was lactose intolerant for 7 years
A spinal fusion when I was 16, whose drugs and antibiotics may have caused some of my IBS problems (Do you think this is likely? It's a new theory for me, but seems to fit)
2 years of drinking Pepto Bismol regularly
Two visits to a gastroenterologist who only prescribed pills (Did not mention diet changes and trigger foods! When I learned about IBS on my own afterwards, I was so upset at this Dr. -- cancelled my next appt., never went back)
Learning about IBS on my own by reading books and websites
Making some diet changes and taking probiotics + glutamine
Living abroad for three separate years (I'm currently in South Korea, which makes eating / grocery shopping for IBS a bit more difficult -- I can't read the ingredient lists!)
Eating lots of kimchi here!

It has been nearly 10 years since the first onset of my symptoms, but right now I'm very determined to put an end to this chapter of my life and heal my gut for good. I want solid BMs! It's been years! So I'm being a self-advocate: researching, testing, documenting, and joining an IBS forum for the first time.

I recently read Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food (If you have not read this book, go to your library and get it today! I'm serious - a must-read for all, but especially IBS sufferers), and I want have a diet consisting entirely of whole foods.

I take probiotics and glutamine every day. I'm starting to do some yoga once a week. I know that chocolate is a trigger but I haven't been able to cut it out completely yet; I get cravings that have so far been unbeatable, but I do stick to dark chocolate, small servings, or GF cookies. Any replacement suggestions?

I'm not sure what next steps to take -- an elimination diet? Should I look into this FODMAP stuff I've been seeing? Are there any blogs I should follow? Sites to frequent? My boyfriend thinks I might have candida overgrowth -- is anyone familiar with that?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or recommendations!


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Fodmap diet may be worth checking into.

Whole food doesn't mean devoid of all compounds that could cause GI distress (there is a reason Beans have a poem about being the "musical fruit", the more you eat the more you toot). The FODMAP diet removes those carbs that are likely to be fermented in the gut. These can be things that loosen the stool (like sorbitol in raw apples) or increase gas (like some of the starches in wheat).

For some things cooking may make them easier on IBS. Many IBSers seem OK with cooked veggies but may have issues with raw veggies. A cooked apple will have much less sorbitol. Fermented foods (like kimchee) can have less of the fermentable carbs because well, you let the bacteria ferment them before you eat them.


----------



## zivtzi (Mar 6, 2014)

Hi,

If there was one single thing that helped me so far, is eating small meals, 4-5 times a day.

I do eat breakfast, lunch and dinner regularly, but do my best to eat less than I usually do,
and then add a snack at 4pm and another snack at 11pm. I immediately started feeling the
change, but that's just my experience.

Hope you feel well soon 

Ziv


----------



## Rebe With a Clause (Mar 9, 2014)

Kathleen M. said:


> Fodmap diet may be worth checking into.
> 
> Whole food doesn't mean devoid of all compounds that could cause GI distress (there is a reason Beans have a poem about being the "musical fruit", the more you eat the more you toot). The FODMAP diet removes those carbs that are likely to be fermented in the gut. These can be things that loosen the stool (like sorbitol in raw apples) or increase gas (like some of the starches in wheat).
> 
> For some things cooking may make them easier on IBS. Many IBSers seem OK with cooked veggies but may have issues with raw veggies. A cooked apple will have much less sorbitol. Fermented foods (like kimchee) can have less of the fermentable carbs because well, you let the bacteria ferment them before you eat them.


Thank you Kathleen -- That's a really good point to keep in mind, that whole food doesn't necessarily equal happy digestion.


----------



## Rebe With a Clause (Mar 9, 2014)

zivtzi said:


> Hi,
> 
> If there was one single thing that helped me so far, is eating small meals, 4-5 times a day.
> 
> ...


Thanks Ziv,

I do tend to eat smaller portions throughout the day. Things do seem better if I'm not completely starving before eating, so I try to have small snacks during the day, and then smaller meals at meal time.

I'm realizing there's a lot more on this forum than I initially saw, so hopefully with more reading and experimenting, I can get some relief. Thanks again for taking the time to read and offer suggestions.


----------



## zivtzi (Mar 6, 2014)

My pleasure! Your blog is interesting, I'll share it with others right away!

And most importantly, hope you feel better 

Ziv


----------

