Primal & IBS page

[HonuRacer]

About 5-6 years ago I started having problems with IBS. I also have Factor V Leiden, which means I'm a hyper-clotter and have to watch my Vitamin K intake (dark leafy greens). I had laproscopic surgery last summer. Right after the surgery (which fixed another serious problem) the IBS really took off and now I'm struggling. I started out taking large doses of acidophilus and other gut bacteria "specifically formulated" for IBS sufferers. That helped, for a while.

Part of the primal diet means you have to eat veggies. But the IBS causes serious problems when I eat any cruciferous vegetable, any cabbage & related vegetable, tomatoes, beets. About the only vegetables that I can stomach, pardon the pun, are avocados, celery, carrots, mushrooms. I can't eat grapes, citrus, plums, pears, and apples have to be skinned and in small quantities. Pineapple causes no end of digestive pain.

I'm hoping that being on the primal diet will help with my IBS, but since all these vegetables cause serious digestive upset, what do I do?

If there are any other people on the primal diet and suffer from IBS and have made headway in controlling their IBS, I would love to hear from you.

[jasonmh]

I was "diagnosed" with IBS about 8 years ago, but nothing as bad as you have. What is your diet like now?
I would start by cutting out as much grain and sugar as possible, focus on: beef, eggs, pork, chicken, fish, the veggies you can have, etc. After 3 days of eating primally my chronic stomach pain went away, after several weeks I noticed that I could now tolerate things that before would have set off my IBS. I don't know if you will respond the same way, but it is worth a try. After a while you may find that you can eat some of the things that used to cause you trouble. Good Luck.

EDIT - Also meant to say that I found it helpful to make a list of all the things I can have (including herbs and spices), then use that list to come up with different recipes and combinations. Seemed easier that way, rather than thinking of all the things I can't have.
Trying to avoid the things you can't have (for example), breakfast could be bacon, big omlette with avocado and maybe some cheese, tea or coffee. Lunch could be chicken or fish, some celery, maybe some almonds, etc. Dinner could be steak or pork tenderloin, grilled mushrooms, steamed carrots, etc.
I found that after eating this way for a short time I just wasn't hungry at breakfast anymore, so now I mostly eat between 11-6 every day. That also means fewer meals to plan.

[strom]

hyper clotter? In regards to your blood platelets? Fish oil should help with the overclotting if I understand you correctly.

I have IBD irritable bowel disease, Chrohns. http://www.ccfa.org/about/news/ibsoribd

Several things I can think off to help. If your having flare ups go zero carb (no fruits or vegetables) or no nightshades. I tend to limit vegetables as well since too much fiber can trigger a flare up. I can eat more vegetables than I used to without adverse effects but I have been primal for awhile. Potatoes and rice may also be helpful, not quite primal but it might be worth trying. No digestion problems with them for me. Also its extremely important to be aware of how much Omega 6 your taking and trying to limit it as much as possible. This is nuts, nut butters, vegetable and seed oils. It easier to limit the omega 6 than try to 2+ tablespoons a day of fish oil to counteract it for me at least. Although I still do 1 tablespoon of fish oil a day.

Are you sure dairy isn't an issue?

[HonuRacer]

My diet now is rather plain. I try to stay away from spiced foods which I used to love. I don't use any sugar. I don't eat junk food (chips, candies, chocolate gives me migraines, so does booze, cake, cookies, etc). The only cake I'll eat is my home-made cheesecake, because I know what's in it. But I'll take off the crust before I eat it. I do eat yogurt often, especially the Greek-type, high-fat 11%, 15% ones, but again, without sugar.

Our meals are high on the protein scale - beef, chicken, pork, some seafood. Unfortunately we've been eating whole-grain breads, too. My doctor suggested that since I can't take fiber supplements I have to get fiber somehow. Whole grain breads would be a solution and as long as the wheat portion was not so high, it might not aggravate the IBS so much. I don't think that's working out.

I've already got a list of foods, spices, herbs that cause me problems. I guess I should convert it into the 'can eat' list - it'll be short.

Breakfast has never been easy for me. I just don't get an appetite until close to lunch-time, but I know how important breakfast is. I guess I'll start slowly with some lighter fare and see if I can handle that.

[Balance]

I used to have major IBS problems along with serious allergy issues. Going on a paleo style diet relieved those two issues about 90%. I also used to eat a lot of whole wheat bread and cereals. Removing those from my diet was the key to eliminating my IBS and allergies. Gluten is a serious concern to people with gut issues since they destroy the micro villi in your small intestine. Without your small intestine working properly you won't be absorbing key nutrients. It was a long process of eating gluten/grain free and removing dairy products. I made a lot of bone broth early on. Cruciferous vegetables tend to give a lot of people gas and discomfort. But I do pretty well with most vegetables. For me the main perpetrator was grains and gluten especially. You may want to look into that if you can.

[HonuRacer]

I don't think dairy is a problem. I've tried cutting it out completely and it made no difference. When I added it back to my diet there was no change with the IBS. Ice cream on the other hand is another matter entirely. I don't eat nuts or nut products, don't use vegetable oil other than olive oil and that not often either. Main fat is butter and for some frying it's rendered goose/duck fat. I also can't stand anything that's been deep-fried.

[strom]

I don't eat breakfast, lost fat from not eating it. Ditch the grains stat. Especially wheat. Corn can be problematic too, so I try not to eat it. I'm not perfect though. But wheat you need to completely cut out. NO whole or half grain breads. Fiber isn't necessary, fat can do the same thing along with magnesium. You may eventually be able to tolerate more vegetables after being wheat free for several months or more.

IBS and IBD have different treatments that's why I brought it up.

[HonuRacer]

Ok, so I'm tossing the grains altogether. Haven't eaten corn in years - can't digest it. How much magnesium should I be taking? I was on it for a while when we were trying to figure out a way to help with the migraines.

[strom]

I use 2 magnesium chelate pills (400 mg) and 600 mg oil spray if I remember it. I am not quite at optimal level, you really need to experiment with that. Too much causes diarrhea or lose stools with a magnesium smell. Too little and your constipated and have muscle aches.

[Balance]

I take 1 400mg pill a night if needed. But I tend to snack on almonds and walnuts which tend to have a good amount of magnesium. I also hear that Natural Calm is an excellent magnesium supplement. Robb Wolf endorses it.