# Grains, like Oatmeal, cornmeal, etc.



## 23394 (Jul 14, 2006)

I love oatmeal. I grew up on it. And according to Ms. Heather of www....com its the best thing for IBS sufferers. Every morning I will have a nice big bowel of oatmeal and a banana (because fo the high solube fiber)and soy milk (but havent' given soy up cause it gives me the big D). I discovered that oatmeal and bananas were giving me cramps and the big D in the morning. At first I thought it was the 2 hard-boiled eggs I would normally have and then 30 minutes later have the oatmeal. So for one week I had the eggs but not the oatmeal and banana and what a difference; no cramping, no D; its almost a miracle; I can now go to work in the morning and not worry about being on public transportation and worried I may get the big D. I have cut out alot of the high starch, high carb foods and have noticed a difference in my IBS.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

There have been many other reports in the past of low-carb (Atkins/So Beach) type of diets giving this kind of success. Thanks for reminding of this, again. Hopefully it will inspire others to at least give it a shot.Mark


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## 21787 (Mar 26, 2006)

Well I have been avoiding oats, wheat, rye and barley (basically anything with gluten in) for a week and I have been TOTALLY symptom free for this whole week!!!So perhaps grains do cause the D to get worse!RachL x


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## Prudy (Jan 21, 2006)

I can't do oatmeal.. or cornmeal.. but I can eat Oat Bran.. go figure.. If I eat the others.. it is clean out time within a few hours.. So I just don't eat them.. I love my Italian and French breads.. but I don't eat the bottom crusts.. because of the cornmeal.. I either cut it off or scrape it off..that is how much I don't digest it.. Everyone is different.. If I didn't have rice or pasta.. or my French breads.. I would have nothing to eat.. those are the foods that save me... the binders so I can eat and not have it all just run through me..


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## 22163 (Aug 26, 2006)

Is soya milk bad for D? I'm lactose intolerant and have high cholesterol, so have started eating cornflakes with soya milk in a bid to eat more healthily, but the last thing I want is to aggraviate my IBS. I had a bad D day today, but I'm on my period, which in itself guarantees this, I'm running out of food options!


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## 21918 (May 16, 2005)

I recently stopped eating gluten after the suggestion by a co-worker that I may be gluten intolerant. I have felt so much better since changing my eating habits. Now I only seem to have problems when I accidently have gluten or if I am very nervous. In fact, I've discontined my nightly dose of cholesteramine. This is the best I've felt in almost 40 years.







I don't seem to have trouble with cornmeal and I haven't gotten enough nerve up to try oatmeal. I have just discovered that my blood sugar is higher than it should be and my cholesterol is out of sight so my diet is pretty restricted right now. However, I am following the Weight Watcher's core plan and have lost 10 pound in 1 month.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

I certainly found soy helpful as a substitute for milk & cheese when my D was active. While I can tolerate milk products well, now, I still use soy milk for cholesterol reasons.For what it is worth, I began using the flavonoid supplement to stop my arterial blockages from increasing and found it also stopped my D. I have since added another supplement to treat my cholesterol absorption and my bloodwork has dropped from elevated to low-normal and stayed there for several years.Mark


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## 23394 (Jul 14, 2006)

Thanks everyone for your feedback about grains. I see many people suffered the D as I do when I consume grains especially oatmeal or cornmeal. I started my little experiment about 3 weeks ago having hard-boiled eggs, and oatmeal with a banana and some soy milk in my cereal. Ten minutes later I was in the bathroom. So the next day I elminated the banana thinking it was that still running to the bathroom. So I just elimenated the oatmeal, banana and soy milk and replaced that with a very good local yogurt I buy in the Bay Area. Man what a difference, no running to the bathroom. I do love oatmeal (and other grains) I have cut them out and feel a lot better. (I did have a taste for gluten tolerance that my GI Doctor did and it was all negative.) Thanks people.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Some people tolerate soy well, others do not. There are some non-digestible carbs in there and you may react to the gas from them just like you would gas from lactose, or resistant starch or any other potentially gas producing carb.Some people have to use rice milk rather than soy milk.K.


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## 23394 (Jul 14, 2006)

Its not the gas that cause me problems with I eat soy; its the cramping and the time spent sitting in the bathroom. I was told by my GI doctor that if you do have GI tract problems to stay away from soy products as they too can cause your IBS to flareup.


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## 14448 (Jun 14, 2006)

I can't tolerate oats in any form, which is a shame becasue I love flapjacks! I realised I was intolerant when I started eating hot oat cereal for breakfast and had cramps and D every time. All grains cause problems for me, though strangely, wheat is better. The worst time was when I tried to cut out wheat and ate rye, millet and gram-flour breads instead- they caused really bad cramping and gas. Most of the time, the only carbs I eat are 4 slices of wholemeal toast a day, 2 at breakfast, 2 at lunch, as I find I can't tolerate more.I avoid dairy and am wary of soya as it seems to worsen my symptoms. I use rice milk, coconut milk or cashew milk for cooking, and sunflower margarine. I occasionally eat soya yogurts.


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## 23394 (Jul 14, 2006)

I tried rice milk and they too gave me the D; but its funny I can have dairy and have no problem, go figure. I also found that staying away from white and brown rice/pastas (although being 50 percent Italian that is a bit difficult) and of course French Bread (which I would eat by the loaf) but these are empty carbs and empty calories)) has really made a difference also in my symptoms. After cutting out the high-starches, high carbs, my symptoms have besided alot. I do eat carbs like green veggies and apples, oranges, but do stay away from the bananas as they are high in sugar and high in starch. I do miss having that nice bowel of oatmeal in the morning but am learning to adjust.


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## 22163 (Aug 26, 2006)

Oh man! I guess I'll go back on soya milk from Friday, as I'm not going anywhere this weekend, and see what happens. No way am I trying it during the week while I have class.


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## 22771 (Aug 27, 2006)

I used to drink soy milk for an alternative for a cow's milk because I'm lactose intolerant but the results are still the same but less than worse than the cow's milk.


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## Gret (Sep 23, 2003)

You could try rice milk. I hate it, but it's suppose to be easier to digest. My brother had to be on goat's milk as an infant because that is easier on human systems.I wish I hadn't read all the trouble with oatmeal! I've been having oatmeal with peaches and walnuts every morning and feel fine. I don't want to blame that for any problems! (I don't think it would be though.) Soy products do produce gas, which can cause cramping, etc. FOR SOME PEOPLE!


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## 22163 (Aug 26, 2006)

Thanks, but no thanks...rice milk is gross. I really like my soya milk so, I'll experiment with it. I was brought up on soya milk as I was lactose intolerant from birth. I don't mind having gas...I don't need a toilet for that







I'm sure my husband would disagree...


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## 23394 (Jul 14, 2006)

If Oatmeal doesn't give you any trouble don't stop eating it. I love oatmeal (I do have it on weekends) that way if I have to run to the bathroom I don't have to worry about rushing off to work.


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## 13639 (Jun 27, 2006)

I have Celiac Disease so any oat, wheat, barley or rye is out.


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## 23394 (Jul 14, 2006)

Thanks for your input. I tried giving up coffee (have only one cup a day now) I tried one of the coffee-substitutes made with grains (rye, etc.) oh man, the pain and I had D for hours.


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## Twocups424 (Mar 26, 2002)

anybody do goats milk or anything other like that????


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## 23394 (Jul 14, 2006)

I tried goat's milk didn't like the taste but then cow's milk gives me no problem but soy milk does.


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## 14448 (Jun 14, 2006)

I used to drink goats milk before I cut out dairy completely. I used to like the strange taste until my boyfriend claimed you can 'taste the dung in it'!







That put me off.I've read that with soya milk you're supposed to build it up slowly ie. start with half a cup a day, as the body has to learn to digest it.Has anyone tried COCONUT MILK? I love it. You can buy a 'light' version that's low in fat. I use it on cereal, in baking and cooking.


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## 23394 (Jul 14, 2006)

The thing i don't like about soy is there is an 'after taste' a metallic taste; i tried the soy milks, the cheeses (and soy cheese just doesn't melt like real cheese) and i tried eating soy pasta; i wasted food and money; i tossed almost everything;


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## 22163 (Aug 26, 2006)

Beware of coconut milk, very high in cholesterol(I paid attention in my nutrition class







)


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Um...coconut milk has no cholesterol. But it is loaded with saturated fat. Only animals have cholesterol, plants do not.Some of the most recently studies show the saturated fat in coconut may not be as bad as the saturated fat in animals.http://www.calorieking.com/foods/calories-...NDkmcGFyPQ.htmlK.


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## 22163 (Aug 26, 2006)

OK maybe I wasn't paying that much attention then...although I could swear my teacher said to avoid coconut milk at all cost if you have high cholesterol(like I do)...


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## 23394 (Jul 14, 2006)

I guess theory behind what is a good fat compared to a bad fat is that if the fat is at room temperature and it still is solid (like butter, coconut, etc. its bad). Coconut is high in the BAD fat. I use no butter, etc. I use Olive Oil. That probably why my bad cholesterol is low and the good is high.


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2006)

I cannot eat Oatmeal, gives me cramping and now bananas are giving me problems. Two healthy foods off my menu, I can eat junk like Twix bars for breakfast, gives me no problems. My banana trees are full of bananas and last night the bunch I have hanging under my carport was raided by a raccoon. Oh well, I cannot eat them and I watched the raccoon eat 4 of them. The raccoon stood on my bike seat to reach the bananas.char


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Saturated fat in general raises cholesterol levels even when it doesn't have any cholesterol of it's own in it. The type and amount of fat you eat seems to effect cholesterol more than how much cholesterol you eat (which is why some of the egg restrictions have been lifted especially since some of the fats and stuff in egg yolks seem to be good for you)Coconut oil is really high in saturated fat, but even within the broad catagories of saturated and mono-saturated and poly-unsaturated you will find that some of the ones in a particular group are better or worse.Trans-fat, which everyone put in everything to avoid the "bad" saturated fats and animal fats with cholesterol in them is probably even worse for you than anything nature created.No one knew awhile ago that butter and lard fats are still better for you than the transfats in Crisco or Margerine. You can now get those trans-fat free but that means they may use some of the fully saturated fats like coconut or palm oil to make them more solid.http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/article10132.htm has some information on the saturated fats in coconut oil and how they are different than the saturated fats from animals and why it may not be as bad for you as once was thought. However, there are conflicting studies in the medical literature so it isn't always completely clear cut all the time.As the science gets more detailed we find a lot of the simplistic all X are bad all Y are good information doesn't quite give the full picture of what are the best fats to eat and what are the fats you should avoid.It gets really complicated, but in general lowering the amount of fat you eat and making sure the fats you eat tend to be things like olive oil and fish still seems to be a pretty good bet.One of the things that has been noted a lot in anecdotal stories, but I don't know if they've done the studies to show why, is that for some people small amounts of coconut oil (like you would find in a couple of coconut cookies) seems to ease diarrhea. The thought is that it has to do with the relatively unique fats in the coconut.K.


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## Prudy (Jan 21, 2006)

I don't do well with soy either.. and milk forget it.. took the last IBS attack in DEC for me to realize no milk products.. I do eat one small yogurt and do ok with that...it is plain with no sugar in it..I wonder if making your own soy milk makes a difference??? My daughter in law is Asian.. and she buys the soybeans.. and has a machine which compresses them and makes the milk..she makes it daily.. They love it.. it causes them no problems.. of course she was raised on it..My son and grandkids love it too... no problems.. even son.. who seems to be taking after me with the bowel problems... poor guy.. I know soy brings on gas big time for me.. I have tried the soy based products and bingo... gas..and D... I have the rice milk here buy am afraid to try it.. go figure... Grains and fibers are big issues for me.. I am not sure if it is the diverticulitis or the IBS that they affect... as I get the familiar cramps and the D..... The cramps for diverticulitis are not gas... as they originate form stationary spots... where gas would travel and relief would come when passed...So I just avoid what bothers me... based on general principles.. I can no add butternur squash to my list of no no's.. I had some on Friday... and whamo.. yesterday.. not a good thing.. I really am sad cause I love them... an now they are in season.. and Apples.. what I wouldn't give to be able to sink my teeth into a fresh crisp apple... but I know if I do.. what will happen.. Maybe I will make some applesauce out of them.. that I can do.. Not the same.. but hey.. maybe as good..


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