My name is ______ and I have IBS.
Ok, probably not something you really needed to know about me but it has recently become a very important part of my life. A few years ago (ok, 8 years to be precise) I started having stomach problems. Mainly it was upset stomachs and whatnot and it happened once a week or so. Mostly when I ate fast food or got stressed. Over time it has gotten worse. In the past year, I started having a problem where if I was really hungry, my stomach would get really acidic and then I’d get super nauseated and it would be hard to eat even though that was the only thing that really would fix me. Yeah, lots of fun.
It kind of hit an apex when the hunny and I were at a resort and spending time in a cute little town. I was hungry, and had gone too long without eating. We went to a lovely restaurant and I felt awful the whole time. I could barely even touch my parmesan crusted chicken. I felt like it was a sin against the chef. Oh how I wanted that chicken. And a glass of wine to go with it. Or a martini, or two. I knew I had to do something.
A couple of weeks ago I went to the doctor and she officially diagnosed me. I thought that is what it was, but having a doctor confirm it (and set my mind at ease that it wasn’t anything more serious) made me feel better. So she suggested I take an acid reducer every morning and a probiotic twice a day. I have to say, I think it’s starting to work. My good days feel better and my bad days don’t feel as bad. We’re still working on the stress thing, but that’ll come in time. I’ve also reduced sugar and fat. I’ve usually eaten like that, but now I’m even more conscious of it. I’ve reduced dairy which makes me sad. And the hunny thinks it’s weird. He just doesn’t understand how dairy could make anyone feel bad. So to make up for it, I switched to Almond Milk. I have to say, if you like almonds, this stuff is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I had some with a Carnation Instant Breakfast yesterday and it tasted like the leftover milk from Cocoa Krispies.
With that, does anyone have any good recommendations for healthy snacks? I’m great when it comes to meals, but man, I’m having the hardest time finding healthy, yummy snacks. There’s only so many carrot sticks and apple slices one girl can take!!!
It's a Dog Tag Wife Life 
So many women I know have something similar, including me! I thought my issue was lactose intolerance, turns out it’s all the soy and corn in processed foods. I try to eat whole, organic foods in their most natural form possible, with a little indulgence sometimes, of course! So, healthy snacks: nuts, string cheese, veggies & hummus, dried fruit, turkey jerky, rice crackers, pretzels, graham crackers, oatmeal bars… Hope this helps!
Thanks! I have been trying to stay away from the processed food too. The more I cook and make everything from scratch, the better I feel. I just wish it took less time! I think I need to hit up Trader Joes and get more dried fruit. I have apricots, but I know there a bunch. I bet I would get along with rice crackers, I recently saw some that had sesame and poppy seeds that looked delicious.
I have IBS, too! I was diagnosed several years ago after having many, many, many, many invasive tests—colonoscopy and blood tests just to name a couple. Of course, IBS was what she diagnosed me once everything came back negative. I’ve taken almost every pill my doctor could think of to help me manage it, and they would work for a little while, but after a couple months they’d just stop working. However, about two years ago I found the one thing that continued to work like a charm…. peppermint pills! I use Pepogest and I get it online or at Whole Foods. At least give it a shot—it’s seriously the only thing that works for me, and it’s fantastic for helping with the stress. In fact, when I start getting stressed and know my IBS is going to flair up, I’ll take a peppermint pill and drink peppermint tea. Works like a charm!
Yup, we did lots of blood tests. Thanks for the peppermint pill tip. I’ve thought about it and its good to have a recommendation. I will try them out!
I’m glad that you finally know what is going on and are working to make things better:)
My favorite healthy snack is apple slices with peanut butter or caramel. I’m not really sure what constitutes as “healthy” but I LOVE graham crackers with PB on them (may not be healthy, but its ALOT better than, say, Oreos.) Fruit popsicles are also really good. I get the 100% fruit kind. Basically it’s mashed up mango frozen on a stick. Yeah, its just plain fruit, but it’s a little different because its frozen 🙂
Thanks for the suggestions!!! I love apples and peanut butter. I really should do that more. They have single serve PB cups and I should just keep them in my desk at work. I’m glad I know what it is too, before my doctor confirmed, I had this fear of all the terrible things it could be. I should just be thankful that it isn’t any more serious, it’s just annoying.
Me too, me too! There’s a great book out there – Eating for IBS. Do you have the food-induced or stress-induced variety? Snacks with fiber really work for me, especially if you’re going too long without food. Right now I’m loving these Kashi bars that have dark chocolate and coconut on them – absolutely delicious!
I will have to check out that book. I’m always looking for new reads on this stuff. I know there’s a lot of info, but it sometimes feels hard to find. I actually have both. Certain foods trigger me and so does stress. I’ve been trying to add more fiber. I went a little too heavy when I first started and it was a disaster, haha! I actually have been doing really well with Luna bars and Fiber One bars. I’ve been meaning to try some of the Kashi ones. The dark chocolate & coconut sounds good!
Oh Wow! I was diagnosed with IBS when I was 12. (I had a very stressful childhood) For a while I took this real gross green stuff, but it wasnt helping. Now I take Librax, and that works wonders. IBS can actually go into a remission type state. Mine has been in remission for almost 3 years now, but I still keep my librax on hand just incase, especially since we are coming up on a deployment. I hear your pain though, IBS is so painful. I know when I get ready to travel, its the first thing I worry about when I start making plans. I always make it a point to know where the latrines are where ever I am at. Im glad to hear your course of action is helping you!
For someone who is new on your blog, I know I probley shared alot. LOL!
-M-
michelletherib.blogspot.com
Haha, that’s OK! There’s a lot of us out there. Traveling is hard. I’ve been trying more fiber and all the other stuff my dr have suggested. Its amazing how it can affect your life!