Diets to Control IBS

Living with irritable bowel syndrome can be a nightmare. Your suffering doesn't need to be endless, however, because many elements of this disease can be controlled. It's not easy, but it's possible with enough time, discipline and diligence. Many foods trigger bouts of IBS--the challenge is learning which foods cause it and conditioning yourself to eliminate those items from your diet.

Dieting Tips

• There are different trigger foods for different people, and these must be determined over periods of trial and error. But there are general eating recommendations for IBS sufferers, and there are a series of rules to live by to minimize the likelihood of a flareup.

  IBS sufferers should incorporate foods that are high in soluble fiber into their diet. Soluble fiber soothes the digestive tract, helping both diarrhea and constipation. Soluble fiber foods include pasta, rice, potatoes, oat bran and oatmeal. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, should be consumed as sparingly as possible, and never on an empty stomach. Raw fruits and vegetables are rife with insoluble fiber. Also, minimize fat intake to ease digestion, drink plenty of fluids and eat frequent small meals. Be cautious of dairy, and limit caffeine and alcohol to keep your IBS under control.

The Zone Diet

• The Zone Diet encapsulates many of these principles. It encourages you to eat a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat with every meal. Regarding protein sources, the Zone Diet recommends chicken breasts, egg whites and tofu, which are all IBS-friendly. The Zone Diet does recommend fruits and veggies for your main carb sources, however, so IBS sufferers on the Zone Diet will want to substitute that recommendation for the soluble fiber choices listed above. The Zone Diet recommends keeping fat intake to a minimum, which is also in accordance with IBS diet rules. With minor modifications, the Zone Diet is ideal for controlling IBS.

7 Rules of Good Nutrition

• With a bit of tweaking, Dr. John Berardi's 7 Rules of Good Nutrition can also work to control IBS. Dr. Berardi earned his Ph.D. in nutrition and biochemistry, and he has spent his career helping people achieve their weight-loss goals. His seven rules are a brief synopsis of his work, which encapsulate many concepts about proper nutrition. The original seven rules are as follows, with suggested modifications following when appropriate:

  1. Consume small meals every two to three hours.
  2. Consume lean protein with every meal--meat, fish, chicken or eggs. Limit total red meat intake and remove egg yolks to avoid trigger foods.
  3. Consume fruit and vegetables with every meal. Eat sparing amounts of fruit and veggies and replace the bulk of these foods with soluble fiber choices.
  4. Consume carbs from only fruit and vegetables--with the exception of your recommended soluble fiber.
  5. Consume at least 25 percent of your daily calories from fat. This is important to ensure healthy hormonal development, but do not stray far above 25 percent to avoid triggering IBS.
  6. Drink only zero-calorie beverages.
  7. Consume only solid meals. No liquid nutrition permitted.

  If you follow these rules with slight changes, you can enjoy this healthy style of dieting while keeping your IBS under control.