There are a lot of people out there living with IBS ever single day. Quite a few of those people may not even know that they are dealing with IBS, as it often gets misdiagnosed as a food intolerance or another digestion-related condition. If you know or suspect that you might be dealing with IBS, you can always take a look at an IBS diet and see if living with that makes you feel better. There are certain foods to avoid with IBS and, in doing so, you’ll find your food-related and digestive-related lives are going to get a whole lot easier.
Top foods to avoid with IBS
While this is not a full list of foods to avoid with IBS, you will find that this covers quite a few of the basic food categories that you are going to have to avoid when you want to keep your gut healthy and happy as much as possible.
1. Sweeteners: Sweeteners of many kinds contain all sorts of FODMAPs, which can irritate IBS and your gut in general. Examples include sorbitol, high fructose syrup, honey and even fructose. Eliminating or minimizing foods with these sweeteners can be helpful.
2. Wheat products: A lot of wheat products are going to be off-limits when it comes to keeping your gut healthy. This includes bread and pasta. It also includes pancakes, waffles, crackers and quite a few options for breakfast cereals. When choosing your cereal, in particular, it’s best to take a close look at the ingredients list.
3. Juices and pops: Anything with carbonation is not something you want to rely on. Avoid drinks such as beers or soft drinks. Also, try to avoid soy milk or a lot of fruit juices due to their use of sweeteners and other additives that irritate the digestive tract.
4. Dairy products: Most dairy products are off the table. These include dairy milk, ice cream, sour cream, cheese and even protein supplements in a lot of cases. Anything with dairy in it can be especially painful and symptom-prone.
5. Certain fruits and vegetables: You may be surprised to learn that fruits and vegetables are also filled with FODMAPS. Asparagus, cabbage, mushrooms, apples and figs are all examples of foods that you should limit or avoid on a daily basis.
What’s left?
If you see this list and wonder to yourself, “what’s left?”, you aren’t alone. When adopting an IBS-friendly diet, you will want to avoid these sample foods and food groups. However, there are hundreds and resources online that can help you enjoy some IBS-friendly recipes that minimize FODMAP foods as much as possible. The goal is not to cut out all FODMAPS, of course, just to limit them. You even get a chance to enjoy some new recipes.
Unfortunately, eating an IBS diet is not a cure for IBS. However, it will help you minimize flare-ups, and it can even make those infrequent flare-ups easier to manage. If you want to ease up those IBS symptoms and enjoy some great recipes while you’re at it, use this list of foods to avoid with IBS to guide you in the right direction.
