How to Choose A Smart Diet for IBS-D?

Q:
How to choose a smart diet for IBS-D?

A:
It’s important to stick to a balanced diet when you have IBS. Keep a symptom journal to track which foods and which amounts seem to give you diarrhea.

Simply eat more soluble fiber, rather than the insoluble kind. Soluble fiber stays in the gut longer, which helps the colon work normally.

You find soluble fiber in foods such as:

• Oats
• Peas
• Beans
• Apples
• Citrus fruits
• Carrots
• Barley

Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, is found in things like:

• Whole-wheat flour
• Wheat bran
• Nuts
• Beans
• Cauliflower
• Green beans
• Potatoes

Drink plenty of water.

Be wary of certain foods:

• Broccoli, onions, and cabbage
• Fried or fatty foods like French fries
• Milk or dairy products such as cheese or ice cream
• Alcohol
• Caffeine in coffee, teas, and some sodas
• Carbonated sodas
• Chocolate
• Gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley
• Sorbitol, a sugar substitute found in gum and mints

Try to eat less at each meal, or have four or five small meals a day.

Keywords: IBS-D diet; diet IBS-D; irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea diet.