# Baked Potatoes



## AlittleFaithHelps (May 22, 2002)

Hey Heather, i have recently taken your advise about eating soluable fiber on an empty stomach. Every day for dinner, i eat a plain baked potato with garlic salt before the main corse, and it works like a charm.Now dont get me wrong, i am in love with baked potatoes and eat them like candy, but i kindof want another alternative with dinner.Please dont just advise me to have a main corse dinner thats full of soluable fiber, because unfortunatly im only seventeen, and my parents are pretty strict about me eating the same thing as the rest of the family (well for dinner anyway) so when we eat meat, and insoluable fiber, i feel better eating a bked potato first. please dont think my parents are cruel making me eat trigger foods, theyre just ignorant. im in the middle of going through tests to confirm my ibs, and until im fully diagnosed wth ibs, my parents give me little food alternative options.


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## Heather Van Vorous (Oct 2, 2001)

Hi there - I'm so sorry for the long delay in answering your question.There are actually quite a few alternatives to the baked potato before dinner that will still give you a foundation of soluble fiber. The easiest way to do this is to take a soluble fiber supplement right before you eat - something like Equalactin or Fibercon pills, or Citrucel or Benefiber powder. Take with a big glass of water and this should really help.For other foods, you could have a few pieces of white bread, some baked corn chips, a small bowl of white rice, or a small bowl of oatmeal. All of these will help like the potato does.I do hope you've gotten a solid diagnosis by now and that your family is willing to accomodate you a bit more. If they could cook skinless chicken breasts or seafood instead of red meat that will really help. And making some rice or pasta based meals would be good for you too. You might even want to start cooking a little yourself and see if you can play around with some recipes that are safe for you but that your family will enjoy as well. There are quite a few IBS recipes posted at http://www.eatingforibs.com/recipes.htm and at http://www.heathercooks.com/recipes.asp Best,Heather


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