|
This diet was inspired by
Carol Sinclair's Low
Starch Diet
Her book contains many recipes suitable for this diet.
-|-
PLEASE NOTE... if
you do not like this diet after reading about it OR it is
unsuitable for some reason, then the other diet options
are much healthier but require more discipline.
-|-
Who Will Benefit… All types of IBS can be
treated by this diet. This is an 'easy' diet that most
people will choose as it cleverly uses the foods that you
are already eating. The key is in the foods that you do
not eat. These are cereals, legumes & root vegetables.
How this diet works… This diet takes no
account of the tastes of foods and the food combining
rules. You just eat the same foods that you have always
eaten and leave out cereals, legumes and root veggies. It
is a low fibre, high protein diet that reduces the speed
of the small intestine to a low level. It can then be
controlled by using the heterocyclic amines (HCAs) from
cooked animal foods, and the opioid peptides from dairy
proteins, as anaesthetics to slow the digestive system.
Your IBS symptoms then disappear. We also use protease
fruit enzymes to prevent constipation, and a Vitamin B
supplement to help process the proteins.
Foods you can eat…
- Cooked meat, fish, eggs
- Dairy Foods
- Tofu, soy milk, nut milks
- Fresh & dried fruits, juices
- Protease fruits
- Non-fibrous vegetables
- Fruit, Nut, & Seed Oils
- Honey, and sugars
- Chocolate & Sweets
- Nuts & nut flours
- Vinegars & Pickles
- Salt, spices and herbs
- Alcoholic beverages
- Coffee and teas
- Enzyme supplements
- Vitamin supplements
- Maize cornflour
- Tapioca cornflour
Notes regarding permitted foods…
- Cooked proteins are needed to provide HCAs.
They need to be eaten with every meal containing plant
fibre to anaesthetize the digestion (except when dairy
products are eaten). It is not necessary to use high
temperatures to cook them.
- Dairy Foods… these may cause constipation. The
constipation is not relieved by protease enzymes. Keep
them to modest amounts. Eat a maximum of one dairy
food meal a day. Avoid any processed ones with
additives (stabilizers/thickeners) as these may have
gluten in them. To minimize constipation problems when
eating dairy proteins try eating them on their own,
without any other foods except, honey, teas, herbs,
spices, & juices.
- Tofu, soy milk etc… these bean products generally
have no fibre with them. Be careful however as some
soy milks have fibre and other additives. Avoid these.
- Fruits… eat them raw, cooked, juiced or dried…
have some raw for Vitamin C supply. They should be
ripe, avoid green ones.
- Protease Fruits… papaya, pawpaw, babaco,
pineapple, kiwifruit, tamarillo, figs… these all
contain protease enzymes that can replace your
pancreatic proteases that are destroyed by the HCAs
from cooked protein foods. Eat them raw as their
enzymes are destroyed by heat. Have a small serving
with every cooked protein meal.
- Non-fibrous vegetables… cut off any parts likely
to contain fibre (stems etc.). Alfalfa and fenugreek
sprouts are OK but avoid bean sprouts. No broad beans.
Avocado, cucumber, capsicum, courgette, zucchini,
tomato, asparagus tips, baby peas & beans,
broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach leaves, cooked
onions, mushrooms, salad greens etc. are all OK.
- Oils… olive oil and nut oils are best, but on this
diet you are not trying to be healthy. Restrict them
to modest amounts as too much speeds up the small
intestine.
- Sugars & honey… don't overdo them as this
overloads your pancreas.
- Chocolate & Sweets… avoid any with gluten in
them. Nougat and Turkish delight are usually safe. If
you have difficulty with fats, then leave chocolate
snacks alone and eat your fats with cooked protein or
dairy food meals. Instead use cheese on its own for a
snack.
- Nuts & nut flours… nut fiber is completely
neutral and does not stimulate digestive movement. If
you have difficulty with fats, then leave nut snacks
alone and eat your fats with cooked protein or dairy
food meals. Instead use cheese on its own for a snack.
- Vinegars & Pickles… Olives, capers, gherkins,
cucumbers etc. OK. Avoid pickles with hard fibrous
foods such as lime and lemon peels, green mango, green
tomato etc., and hot spices.
- Salt, spices and herbs… avoid overdoing
excessively pungent spices such as garlic, pepper and
chilli. Green herbs are OK.
- Alcohol… in modest amounts.
- Coffee & Teas… anyway you like them.
- Enzyme supplements… if fresh protease fruits are
not available take fruit protease enzyme supplements
from your health food supplier or body building shop.
- Vitamin supplements… a small vitamin B complex
taken daily is advisable on a high protein diet.
- Maize & Tapioca cornflours… fibre and gluten
free. Use these as thickeners.
Foods you need to avoid…
- Cereals
- Legumes
- Fibrous vegetables
- Gluten
Notes regarding foods you should avoid…
- Cereals… ban all cereals and cereal products, also
buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth and such. They are too
fibrous.
- Legumes… ban all dried beans, peas, lentils,
tempeh, broad beans, old starchy green peas/beans,
& bean sprouts.
- Vegetables… all starchy vegetables and fibrous
vegetables are banned. Especially; sweet corn, potato,
sweet potato, taro, cassava, yams, Jerusalem
artichoke, parsnip, pumpkin. If in doubt leave them
out.
- Gluten… is present in the cereal additives in many
processed foods. It causes severe constipation that
can only be shifted with laxatives. Watch for it being
used as thickeners and stabilizers in processed foods.
It is often listed on the packet as a number. If there
are any numbers on the packet DON'T eat that food.
When you eat other peoples food, keep to simple stuff
like steak/seafood and salad with French dressing,
followed by fruit, cheese and drinks. Complex foods
are likely to have gluten in them. Its sticky
properties help hold them together.
Typical daily menu…
- Breakfast… fruit juice followed by a two/three egg
omelette with butter/olive oil, onion, mushroom and
bacon, topped with spinach and cheese. Protease fruit.
Drinks.
- Lunch… lamb chop or steak cooked in butter or
olive oil, and an avocado/green salad with dressing.
Raw fruits and/or cheeses to follow. Drinks. Finish
with a protease fruit or enzyme pill.
- Dinner… selection from raw and dried fruits, soup,
stews, casseroles, salads, olives, nuts, milk,
yoghurt, cream, ice cream, butter, biscotti, wines,
beers, whisky and cheeses.
- Drinks… juices, teas, coffee, milk, soy milk,
water, wines, and beers… whatever you fancy.
- Snacks… fruit, nuts, butter, cheese, chocolate,
Turkish, nougat etc. No nuts and choc if you have
difficulty with fats.
Eating out… Most restaurants will have at
least some choices that can be eaten. Keep it simple.
Oysters, raw seafood, cooked meat/fish/egg and salad,
pickles and cheeses, dairy & fruit deserts with
pavlova, cream etc. Eat meat and seafood soups without
hard veggies or thickeners. Don't eat any croutons and add
sour cream if you like. Avoid burger shops and sandwich
bars!
Eating Ideas…
- Soups & stews & casseroles - meat, herbs,
spices, vegetables and wine, thickened with
maize/tapioca cornflour.
- Salads - avocado, tomato, cucumber, red capsicum,
fruits, nuts, tofu, cheeses, salad greens, alfalfa
& fenugreek sprouts, spring onions, green herbs,
dressings, mayo, etc., etc.
- Starters - anti-pasto, tapenade, olives, raw
seafood.
- Fruits, fruit juices and dried fruits.
- Sauces - thickened with maize cornflour or made with
eggs.
- Yoghurt - with fruits and honey. Get Greek/Organic
yoghurt with no additives or make your own.
- Cheeses - with fruit, nuts, vegetables, olives,
salami, wine.
- Omelettes - eggs, butter, olive oil, bacon, ham,
cheese, mushrooms, spinach, onions, herbs, spices.
- Quiches - use blanched cabbage leaves instead of
pastry.
- Stir Fries - just about all of your favourite
ingredients except for noodles and rice. Use more
meat, fish, tofu and eggs.
- Seafood - all very good especially raw and with
salads.
- Meat - avoid the processed ones containing
cereals/additives. Eat bacon, ham, real salami, roasts
(hot & cold), steaks, stews, soups, curries,
casseroles, chops etc.
- Pickles and Relishes… no additives.
- Dips & pates... make your own, dairy and egg
based dips, flavoured with spices and herbs, eaten
with vegetables…
- Jams and Conserves… no additives.
- Sweets… Turkish delight, nougat, chocolate,
toffee, fudge…
- Biscotti… made from almond flour or walnut flour.
- Desserts… dairy, eggs, fruits, meringue, pavlova,
whipped cream, cheesecake without a crust, egg
custards, ice cream, mousse (watch for additives).
Side Effects… The side effects of this diet
are ones that you are already experiencing, because the
foods are ones that you are already eating. You have eaten
these foods from infancy until now and you will not even
realize that they have side effects. Nevertheless it is my
duty as a scientist to let you know what is happening.
- HCAs (in cooked food) have these effects…
constipation (in the absence of cereals, legumes &
root veggies), erratic physical performance, and
inhibition of pancreatic protease enzymes. They can target
the brain and nervous system where they mimic
neuro-transmitters and may make your performance erratic
and unreliable.
- Opioid peptides from dairy foods make you sleepy, slow
your reactions and slow your mental processes.
- Cooked proteins can cause acne and cellulite in some
people.
These effects vary considerably from person to person.
In most cases they are minor effects. If you start to
notice them and want to stop them happening, then change
to the IBS Paleo Diet. In a few cases the side effects may
cause major problems. This may be in those of you who
have a mental illness. If you have such an illness then I
recommend that you eat the Paleo Diet.
Despite the (often un-noticed) side effects I suspect
that most will choose this diet to control IBS as it
enables them to eat a conventional diet that is easily
available and socially acceptable.
The author's favourite snacks…
- Cheese sandwich… two large thick slices of cheddar
cheese. Spread each one with butter or avocado. Add to
one a layer of walnuts, dried fruit (raisins, dates,
figs), and slices of raw apple. Stick them together
and eat. A real doorstopper.
- Meat sandwich… two large thick slices of cold
roast meat. Spread each one with avocado. Add to one a
layer of pickle or relish, then
tomato/cucumber/capsicum etc. Stick them together and
eat. Two of these are lunch. Yum.
Problems…
- If you do not take fruit protease enzymes with the
cooked proteins, you will suffer from constipation.
- Dairy proteins should be restricted somewhat as the
constipation caused by these is not relieved by fruit
enzymes, but it can be eased by eating your dairy
proteins alone.
- Fats should be restricted as too much fat can
neutralize the HCAs and cancel their anaesthetic
action.
- Gluten (often present in processed foods) should be
banned. It causes constipation. Check any processed
foods carefully before eating. If in doubt do not eat
them.
- If you have difficulty with fats then DO NOT eat
chocolate and nuts as a snack. Eat them with cooked
protein or dairy meals. Eat cheese as a snack instead.
- If you have objectionable mental or nervous system
problems when eating this diet, then change to the IBS
Paleo Diet. It does not have these effects.
- If you get acne or cellulite on this diet, then
minimize cooked proteins and eat more dairy foods.
This means no more than 100g meat/fish per meal or 2
eggs, and do not eat cooked nuts, eat only raw
ones. If this does not ease the problem then switch to
the IBS Paleo Diet.
Difficulty with Fats… If you have severe IBS
then you may have this problem. It is called IBS-B. When
this happens your gall bladder is not releasing enough
bile to emulsify the fats in your food.
Typical symptoms are… severe IBS, distressing
indigestion after a fatty meal, and one or two days later,
a loose grey bowel motion. If you have had your gall
bladder removed this fixes the problem.
You can easily find out whether you have it by doing
the following… when you have a BM use a bucket with a
little water in it. Then inspect the surface of the water
for any sign of a fat slick. This is easily seen. It may
not be present every time so do the procedure for several
weeks to see if the slick appears.
If you have IBS-B then you need to take a little care
with fatty foods. Eat them with cooked proteins (meat,
fish, egg). Eat already emulsified foods such as avocado,
butter, mayonnaise, nut milks, & soy milks etc. Avoid
eating too much fat and avoid deep fried foods. Do not use
chocolate and nuts as snacks, use cheese instead.
IMPORTANT
This diet is called the EASY IBS Diet BUT it is not
that easy. You do need to do a few things for yourself. It
is not just a matter of leaving out the cereals, legumes,
and root veggies.
For a start you need to read this document quite a few
times to become familiar with it, and understand it. Print
it out and have it on hand for the first few months as you
implement the diet. Ask me if you have any problems or
other queries. I welcome these questions as it enables me
to fine tune things.
So if symptoms are still there, then read this again,
and again, and ASK. Do not give up. Never give up! This
diet works. I (and others) have tested it extensively.
You can find me on Facebook www.facebook.com
Search for 'IBS Explained' or Brian C. Dobson
Or at www.ibsspace.com
Join the Easy Diet Group...
You might also like to practice a relaxation
therapy.
This helps with the stress of coping with IBS and
minimizes any symptoms.
Lastly, if you are wanting recipes then
purchase Carol Sinclair's book at www.lowstarchdiet.net
Her book is full of great food ideas for the EASY IBS
Diet.
Bon appetite…
-|-
Brian C. Dobson April,
2009
PLEASE NOTE... if
you do not like this diet after reading about it OR it is
unsuitable for some reason, then the other diet options
are much healthier but require more discipline.
|
