Can you still enjoy food with IBS?
It is surprising the number of IBS sufferers we meet who have a passion for food. Despite the fact that many have to endure a highly restricted diet food remains in their hearts. So how can you maintain a sincere and genuine love of food, when so many of the great treats remain problematic to sufferers of IBS?
Before proceeding I must come off the fence at this point and confess that the first ten years of my career centered around the hotel and restaurant industry in a variety of guises. I entered the profession as I had a bona fide passion for food and cooking and could imagine little else. Despite going on to gain other professional qualifications and a degree the passion remains strong.
There remains some debate about the role of diet in IBS. While it is a source of frustration, we have always struggled to see how it could not have an effect. The nature of the modern world means that our diet bears little resemblance to that which our bodies were designed. Our increased life expectancy suggests that it is not all bad, however only the churlish would suggest that a good diet is not a valuable tool in maximising our potential.
Say goodbye the good stuff
When tackling IBS there are foods which commonly cause problems. In the past we have detailed how and why that is (click here for more), however the bottom line is that for foodies they mean eliminating some of the tastiest food around. We talk of gluten and dairy.
While gluten free food has improved dramatically, it is never going to be as silken and as a delicious wheaty treat. Much of the gluten free bread available is dry unless warmed, and without gluten lacks the texture of a good bread. The flavour is often impaired by excess sweetness and some of the flours used contain distinct flavour tones, which may or may not be to your taste.
Dairy omission, is equally hard when you consider what you may lose. One of lifes simple pleasures is a good lump of cheese* and warm bread. With IBS that pleasure may be gone forever. Although many soya, oat and rice based milk products exist, some of which are very good, they are not ideal replacements for lovely cheese and cream.
So as an IBS foodie, you already lose wheat and dairy, the next hammer blow is spice. While not everyone has a passion for exotic spicy food, for those of us who do, the repercussions of indulging in a spicy meal can be quite dramatic. Pepper of any variety can upset the digestive system, from chilli to simple ground black pepper, a whole world of food enlivenment can be removed.
The food news for an IBS foodie
It would be easy to fixate on the omissions, however that would failing to acknowledge a number of truths and some good news. Firstly that while we mentioned a humans ‘natural’ diet earlier it must be remembered that until relatively recently we ate what was local and in season. Everyone man woman and child around the world has a naturally healthy diet based on geography. By fixating upon what we are no longer able to enjoy, we are simply failing to acknowledge this basic and obvious fact.
We also need to acknowledge that wheat and fatty dairy are not great for us anyway. They are clearly not evil and both contain benefits, however they are rarely at the forefront of any healthy diet, whether you are reducing fat or carbs, in many senses an IBS restricted diet can remove some of the temptations which would have a negative effect.
Finally, while gluten free bread products may not be great, if you need an unhealthy treat, gluten free flours are often very short, thus they make great crisp biscuits and pastry. You can also make wonderful crispy coatings using gluten free products, it is only the bread which represents a problem. We realise that this contradicts our healthy point above, however no one suggests that the occasional treat in moderation is a bad thing.
Chance to experiment and create
The reality is that even if you are the most rabid food lover, the omissions recommended are only really a problem if you fixate upon them. There are still thousands of alternative and thousands of new idea to be discovered. Even a heavily restricted diet such as the low FODMAP diet will leave you with lots of choice, we now have in excess of two thousand recipes and counting on our sites.
So while a food lover with IBS will have to make concessions there is no doubt that we are in fact very lucky. There are still lots of ingredients to play with and most importantly it is our choice,(unless you are a celiaic obviously). If you want to enjoy so of the known IBS trigger foods you can, it is your option and yours alone, we all know the consequences.
*Many cheeses use their lactose content up during the ripening process. Do check to see if you are completely dairy intolerant, or whether it is just lactose. If it is just lactose then the degree of dietary omission will drop significantly and few products are unavailable.
