While doctors and dietitians can tell you which foods bind your stool if you have diarrhea, and which ones move waste through your colon if you are constipated – only you truly know how foods effect your symptoms.

The first essential step to begin experimenting with foods is to buy a notebook. Label it with a big sharpie “IBS Food Journal.” Keep it in your kitchen and use it as faithfully as you use Joy of Cooking.

 

As you prepare a meal, list all the ingredients. Leave nothing out – even spices or salt. If you use pre-prepared foods, such as salad dressing or chicken broth, take note of the brand you use.

 

After you eat, pay attention to how you feel.

 

 

Develop an IBS vocabulary for the subtle differences in your pain, the texture of your stool, and time how long it takes to have a bowel movement. And above all, write it down! After few weeks, even one week, you will begin to notice patterns you hadn’t realized were operating. Or you will confirm what you have long suspected. Most important -- you will have an IBS reference you can use from now on, whether you’re preparing a dish for an evening meal, packing a lunch for the office, or ordering at a restaurant.

 

Remember that you are not condemned to a bland diet because of your IBS. By keeping this journal, you will see how ingredients actually affect your digestive track.

 

While it’s a good idea to keep this journal regularly, say you get your IBS diet down pat and stop entering things into your journal. Then you have a flare-up and suspect something you ate. Write down what you think the cause was – that way, in the future you’ll be able to compare similar experiences. And you’ll be all the wiser!

 

 

Once you’ve figured out what you major triggers are through your IBS Food Journal, you can begin experimenting with therapeutic IBS foods. But remember, the lists below are only starting points. Everything depends on your own reactions, positive and negative, that contribute to how you feel.

 

These foods may cause diarrhea:

 

 

These foods may help ease diarrhea:

 

 

In general, if you have diarrhea it is important to cook the ingredients in your meal, eat small quantities at a time, and let your meals cool a bit before serving them.

 

These foods add fiber to your diet and may help ease constipation:

 

 

With constipation, it is important to be careful about adding too much fiber into your diet at once. Incrementally add unfamiliar ingredients, otherwise you could end up doubled over. Drink a lot of water or fruit juice.

 

If you are struggling to keep a journal, want more details on specific foods, or need some IBS-friendly recipes, consult a dietitian. They are an invaluable resource to help you control your symptoms and live a full life.