It’s not just what you eat: how to eat for IBS
It’s easy to get caught up in all the food charts and recipes and “how do I make this tasty” side of a low-FODMAP diet, and miss another key part of eating well: how am I eating? I made this exact mistake and only recently started thinking that maybe the way I was eating could be contributing to my discomfort. Alas, with a little bit of googling, I discovered a world of “how” to supplement my “what”. Below are some of my findings – tips & tricks for how to eat with IBS.
- Eat smaller portions of food, more frequently. The emptier your stomach is, the more sensitive you will be.
- Whenever your stomach is empty, eat soluble fibre first – things like oats
- Take your time to eat. If you’ve got to eat in a hurry, serve yourself smaller portions. When you eat too quickly you swallow air, which can trigger IBS problems
- Likewise avoid chewing gum, which also causes you to swallow excess air
- Make sure you chew your food thoroughly. Yes, to break things down (and prevent choking), but mostly because this will help prevent you from eating too quickly
- Avoid eating large amounts of food in one sitting – this can trigger an IBS attack
- When you have an empty stomach, avoid foods and drinks that are ice-cold. Cold makes muscles contract, which means your stomach and the rest of your GI tract won’t be as calm as it needs to be
- Drink a lot of fresh (not ice-cold) water regularly throughout the day. Try to limit the amount of water or other fluids you drink with your meals, as this can inhibit digestion
- Make things as easy as possible for your stomach to digest: peel, skin, chop and cook fruits and vegetables; mash or puree beans, corn, peas, and berries. Finely chop nuts, raisins and other dried fruits, and fresh herbs.