# Fruit & Veg - what's okay for you?



## boadicea79 (Dec 13, 2002)

Hi!I'm new to this board. I'm 23 and I've often had the typical IBS symptoms ever since I was a kid. I know it's mostly stress-related, as I have anxiety disorder and my bouts often don't occur unless I have some kind of stress.However, my mother is lactose intolerant and a whole part of her family (my mother, her father and her brother) have an incredible reaction to onions - awful cramps and flatulence, sometimes diarrhea. I have the same symptoms, and unfortunately it seems that it's starting to extend to most fruits and vegetables. I've excluded many from my diet, including onions, leeks, cabbage and any related veg (cauliflower, broccoli, etc), cucumber, raspberries, cherries and others. Nuts are all absolutely awful for me, beans are a nightmare and now even peas are starting to irritate me. I've ended up avoiding nearly all fruit and veg in the fear that they'll trigger cramps or diarrhea (they cause serious distress for me, because I'm have a phobia of vomiting and I tend to see every small abdominal cramp as the onset of food poisoning)It's driving me crazy. I enjoy eating all those foods, and it's a nightmare to eat at family reunions or restaurants because people pop onions everywhere and many things that I like don't suit me afterwards. Besides, I know it's not particularly healthy to be avoiding fruit and vegetables most of the time. So here's the question after my long blurb. What foods do you find less irritant? Is there a chance that my body will get used to fruit and veg again? There was a time where I could eat most of the stuff mentioned above without any problems whatsoever.Thanks!Viv


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## PippylongStockings (Jun 6, 2002)

I know a lot of people get irritated with anything that has seeds, so you might want to watch out for that. Also acidic things might make you ill. Do a trial and error and keep a journal so you can pinpoint and get rid of things that you don't agree with.


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## AlittleFaithHelps (May 22, 2002)

vegetables i can tolerate- peas, green beans, corn, carrots, potatoes (my fav) veggies i cant tolerate- broccoli, lettucefruit i cant tolerate- applesauce, blueberries, watermelonfruit icant tolerate- apples, bananas, peacfhes, pears, strawberries


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Spinach is the only vegetable I don't eat because of IBS as it gives me diarrhoea. Fruit is another matter, but this seems to be due to acid idigestion rather than IBS. Bannanas are always ok, other fruits I can rarely eat without a lot of discomfort. I don't eat white onions much because they also are a problem with acid reflux, but they don't effect my IBS at all.


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## Engine23 (Nov 19, 2002)

I do pretty well with most cooked veggies...I can not eat more than a few bites of salad...I can eat cole-slaw unfortunately I dont really care for cabbage.Seeded fruits tend to bother me but i can eat them in moderation. I also stay away from most nuts however I can eat almonds.


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## Julia37 (May 9, 2001)

I had tummyaches all my life until I began avoiding dairy, and then also learned I'm fructose sensitive.To avoid fructose I have to avoid all fruits, onions, carrots, sweet potatos, and winter squash, as well as all natural sugars and sugar alcohols. I do pretty well with cooked veggies and salads if I don't eat them on a empty stomach.I'm also allergic to soybeans, which are a legume. They're closely related to peanuts, so I have to avoid eating peanut products 2 days in a row so I won't get a cross-reaction. I also don't make other legumes a staple of my diet. They tend to upset my tummy if I eat them too often.I eat cashew butter or almond butter instead of peanut butter - I like them better anyway.







I also eat a lot of bread. I've found I do much better with salads and raw veggies if I eat bread with them, or I eat them at the end of the meal.If you eat something that triggers a food sensitivity reaction it can take several days for the symptoms to subside and during this time it feels as if everything you eat is upsetting your tummy, but it's actually a continuation of the original reaction. This book explains food sensitivity to lay people and it also has a list of related foods and cross reactive allergens.FOOD ALLERGIES AND FOOD INTOLERANCE: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THEIR IDENTIFICATIONAND TREATMENT", Professor Jonathan Brostoff (M.D.. Allergy, Immunology and EnvironmentalMedicine, Kings' College, London) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/089...6487508-3420903 Also this company has a program called LEAP that includes a blood test for food sensitivities and diet counseling. www.nowleap.comKeeping a food and symptom journal may help you pinpoint what's disagreeing with you. Good luck


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## marvin3784 (Nov 17, 2002)

Banannas and potatoes are fine. anything else I avoid.


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## Cathy4471 (Feb 22, 2003)

Since a high fiber diet increases stool bulk and increases transit time through the colon, it is helpful in constipation and diarrhea. Chronic constipation is a risk factor for colon cancer; and since a high fiber diet is associated with a decreased risk of colon cancer, I try to include plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains in my diet. If you're not used to consuming a high fiber diet, (20-35 grams a day) you should increase your intake slowly. Also, not taking in enough fluids with a high fiber diet can cause you to get "bound up." Drinking plenty of water is important to help the stool pass through the colon. I also find I feel better if I eat small frequent meals slowly in a relaxed atmosphere. You might consider taking "Citrucel" every day if you haven't already tried it or "Beano" before you eat high fiber foods. With these things tried, you may still find that you have to avoid certain foods but I would give these suggestions an honest try first. Good Luck!


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## WD40 (Jun 7, 1999)

Citrus fruits and tomatoes bother me quite a bit, and bananas will sometimes give me a headache and crampy gas. I stay away from zucchini and plums/raisins/prunes. Otherwise fruits and veggies seem fine for me. Fruit juice tends to give me D, I think it's the corn syrup.


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