If you have any thoughts on what foods are easiest to digest, please let me know. My guts are a mess... for various reasons. (Past medical issues that are not fully resolved.)

< sigh >


I need things that are very easy to digest right now. What fruits and vegetables are easiest to digest?

Now, before you tell me, "Whatever you find easiest to digest" please consider that I wouldn't ask if I didn't think there was some sort of objective truth to the fact that papayas are easier to digest than raw nuts. But, I don't know everything and as much as I love papaya, I need more choices.

Does making smoothies OR making juice from greens make them easier or more difficult to digest?

I love greens but sometimes but with IBS flaring up lately, I can't digest them just plain like usual, so I was wondering if smoothies would make the digestion easier or more difficult and also if juicing would make the digestion easier or more difficult.

When I get a flare up of IBS that is really bad, papaya and banana get really boring even though I absolutely love papaya. I just want to bring more into the mix. Apples are out -- OUCHY OUCHY OUCHY. Grapes are ok but my usual haunts don't have organic right now and grapes have a lot of pesticide residue.

I'm doing some wheatgrass and that goes through ok.

Thanks for any help.

Lee

Melons are easy.

If you have truly have IBS it's more than a matter of easy to digest to look for. You need to figure out which fruits/veggies agree with you and which won't cause discomfort.

Usually veggies won't do raw in your case. Steaming or juicing them is an option if you really want them. Far as fruits - try banana, mango, pineapple at first to test them. Normally oranges, plums, nuts/seeds, lettuce or grapefruit causes distress, but NOT always. It is always individual.

You can eat grapes?? Perfect example of people differing. Grapes with true IBS issues are seldom if ever tolerated. If you are hurting don't worry about the organic approach either.

Melons, right.

THANKS ARUGULA!!

You might think I could have thought of that on my own... but I'm in such severe pain (from an IBS flare up) that my doc prescribed narcotics (that I am not taking). The pain is making me stupid. I forgot my social security number today.

I know raw food is the way to go. I just can't think any more.

Any other ideas... please let me know.


Yeah, it's really IBS. I have awesome medical docs. I have, unfortunately, extensive experience as a medical consumer.


Lee



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2008 11:40PM by Lee_123.

Organic German Chamomile Tea works wonders on one's stomach & digestive system.

You could also try ground flax like in raw flax crackers or by itself mixed with coconut milk and cinnamon.

I don't do melons well. I've never have even though I don't have digestive issues anymore. I find them to cause burping for some reason. The same with bananas. You might want to stay away from hot peppers as that might irritate initially.

How about greens like mesclum? They are usually easy to digest. Oh, Young Coconut milk is great! You could also do almond milk and or sprouted almonds for protein and fat.

You could juice carrots and other veggies, too. Zucchini and tomatoes are good. Alfalfa sprouts might be okay. I'd stay away from cucumbers and potatoes as they sometimes cause me to burp, too.

Thanks life101.

I will make some chamomile sun tea. I've been experimenting with sun teas.

I will try the other things... except the sprouts. Aah, I love sprouts but not right now.

The coconut milk sounds yummy. I'll pick up some coconuts tomorrow. That and mesclum. I miss greens.

I really appreciate the suggestions. Ordinarily, I don't have to give what I eat much thought. And now that I need to give it a lot of thought, I can't think clearly.

I really appreciate the help. I don't have a juicer... but may have to make the commitment to juicing again. I used to juice a long time ago.

Lee

agree with tawanana... also try out slippery elm gruel... properly combine food so it is better before hitting the bowels.

papayas are supposed to have enzymes that even help digest M**T. so I bet they'd be easily digested (minus the M word).

How about some quality baby foods as I've heard they are very high quality and you can find them without any sugars, and additives? You might think it's a joke..but if you are having that hard of time you might want to try getting a couple cases of the stuff from costco or something. I believe things like peaches, apricots, plums were recommended by Ask Moreless Ph at curezone.org You can also buy jr. juices or go for something like the old fashioned type apple juices with the sediment..unfiltered kind, or juice your own from ripe apples or pears.

Or make your own gently pureed foods from very ripe organic fruits and start there.

Love,
Prism

My GI doc seems quite conservative on the outside but he is totally supportive of my lifestyle. I think any smart, good doc is going to be supportive of anything that gets people off pharmaceuticals, out of the operating room, etc. He thinks I may have food allergies and we are fighting with my insurance company about their not wanting to cover testing me. (Don't get me started about how they covered testing for other allergies... to stuff that is easily treated with Xyrtec, Allegra, or a lifetime of allergy shots. I just want to avoid what is giving me these period problems.)

Anyway... bananas work ok. Dried mangoes that I have reconstituted are ok, but fresh mango (normally YUM!) seem too acidic. And pineapple is too acidic too.

I'll look into slippery elm.

I have had IBS for over twenty years but this is the worst and longest bout of pain, crapping my brains out. No brains left due to pain.

I love papaya, thank God. I am going to turn into a papaya if I keep eating it so much.

Thanks thanks thanks to all.


Lee

Another suggestion is to get away from the doctors with digestive issues. Trust me, I have been down that road farther and worse than you can imagine. I'll repeat also - Digestive issues are individual, find out what works for you and simply do not eat what causes distress. DO NOT worry about anything else till you get stable. Being a normal raw foodist isn't an option for you at this point, you have to find your own way. Forget the raw guru's also, noone has your version of IBS or whatever it may be but you. You need to think outside the box to get past it, which you can, it is possible.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2008 01:22AM by tanawana.

Cucumber without the skin might also work, it's a melon, too. Iceberg lettuce might be ok. Baby greens are better than mature ones.

Blending/smoothies will make it easier to digest but not necessarily less irritating. A pineapple/orange smoothie might still hurt.

I'm drawing a blank for other foods, maybe bananas, peaches, plums, apricots, and bananas. If I were really in pain I'd try cooked bland things, mostly brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potato, regular potato, cooked carrots, blended corn, maybe a little bit of cooked bean, maybe a little bit of cooked finely chopped broccoli.

A bit of olive oil and avocado should be ok also. The coconut suggestion is good also.

I agree with melons being easy to digest. They leave the stomach in as little as 15 minutes to 30 minutes.

As for other fruits, make sure the fruit you are eating is very ripe, as opposed to barely ripe. Bananas for example, are ripe when the skins are heavily freckled, as opposed to when their skins are bright yellow with no freckles. Most fruit bought in the store is not ready to eat the moment you buy it.

Hi
Things that really irritate me are flax seeds in any shape and form and oats in any shape or form. It's so individual isn't it as these two have been offered as help. Some combinations of juice can give my guts a hell of a hard time i.e. carrot and apple.

I can't suggest what might help - it must be down to trial and error but don't try to stay raw - I think arugula's advice is good. I really hope you feel better soon

You might talk to Dave Klein, editor of Living Nutrition magazine. He's the IBS expert. He's written about it and coaches lots of people about it.
love,
uma

steam and puree

Be careful of David Klein, alot of his view points are outdated when I talked to him last. He is surprisingly unfamiliar with IBS, but had Colitis issues many years ago and can help with that to a degree. His book is worth it to have on hand though. He pushes what works for him and NOT that everyone reacts differently, too bad, he's very popular.

I cannot reiterate enough, it's not about ease of digestable foods, it's about foods your system can tolerate. I feel people just don't quite get the difference.

Actually not eating or eating less and sleeping more is the best approach.
I would read and study this very old writing, replace cooked with raw in the writing
[www.soilandhealth.org]
The best writing on health so far.

I want to thank everyone for your suggestions and help. Yesterday completely sucked. I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy and I wouldn't recommend it as a fun way to spend a Spring day. Lots of biopsies inside of me. Ugh.

I am eating lightly. Today I had just very ripe melons.

Tanawana, you make a very good point about each of us finding out what we can digest and using caution regarding following another's path. That is so true.

For a while, I am going to try and mono eat. Today was just melons. Tomorrow, I'm going to try ripe bananas.

Thank you all again. I will get through this... with all of your help. This forum rocks!

Lee

hey, I just want to tell you that I have been there and I know what you are going through. I definitely think that sleep and plenty of water will do the best for you, with some fruits that you tolerate the most. This seems to work for me anyway, but like others have said, we all have different reactions to different things.

I wish you luck! you will make it through!