# cooking substitutes



## ladydaisy (Jan 4, 2003)

as a newbie to IBS and to cooking, i have two questions: first, what is the best type of cooking oil for people with IBS? second, i read that sugar substitutes are usually "triggers" for people with IBS, however, my body does not respond well to regular 'ole sugar. (lately it's been giving me a sort of indigestion-down-there type feeling[that feeling before an episode of D, but i don't have any!] more often than not it acts as a stimulant: my heart begins to race and my face gets hot. needless to say, i try and stay away from "sweets", although sugar substitutes don't seem to bother me. on the other hand, i have never eaten large quantities of a sugar substitute, as a recipe may call for. is there anything i can substitute for sugar or a sugar substitute in a recipe? thanks!!


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## Heather Van Vorous (Oct 2, 2001)

Hi there - Since eating safely for IBS means eating low fat, it's important to make the fats you do eat count. They need to be monounsaturated and have essential fatty acids. Flax oil, avocados, finely ground nuts, and fatty fish are good choices. For cooking, canola oil or olive oil are best. Remember to still keep the quantities low - all fats are GI tract stimulants and can trigger IBS attacks.For sweets, are you having trouble with homemade recipes or store-bought/restaurant desserts? Many commercial sweets use high fructose corn syrup, which can cause problems. For home baking, I really don't know of any sugar substitutes. I would be worried about the effects of large quantities of those, even if you tolerate small amounts. You'd be baking with cups of them, and that just doesn't sound like a good idea for IBS. For sweetening drinks and such, try stevia, which you can get powdered at health food stores. For recipes with small quantities of sugar, try using succanat, an organic whole cane sugar, or maple syrup or honey. They're not refined as white sugar is, so they are healthier overall. They're still sugar, though, so you might face the same problems in terms of the stimulant effect.You might post for recipe ideas on the IBS recipe board at web page There may be some folks with ideas for baking without sugar and without resorting to the artificial sweeteners.Best,Heather


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