IBS + Raw Vegan?

[A Girl]

Hi there everyone. :) I Google'd IBS + Raw and this forum came up - the last posts are from 2007, and there must be at least partially a new crowd around right now so I didn't think it would hurt to post something new.

I'm 20, busy university student, and I have IBS. First I tried Metamucil wafers, every morning with 2 glasses of water, and wait an hour to eat anything. That helped a bit, but I was still getting sick on occasion. Then I tried going vegan, this past July (had given up meat on and off since April, and I'm lactose intolerant anyway), which resulted amazingly. Until now, I have rarely had any IBS attacks, which can be INCREDIBLY awful socially and mentally, it is just so stressful and I am afraid to even walk to school for fear of what might happen. It is so, so awful. This past week I have had awful IBS-D, even though I have been eating like I have always eaten. I used to be able to rely on the daily Metamucil to bulk everything up and save my ass, so to speak, but even now that gives me horrible attacks. I feel like I have run out of options.

So, that is how I came to the idea of being a raw food vegan. After some searching on the internet I saw that some people have apparently been able to recover from IBS after going raw vegan. Has anyone here achieved this, or maybe come from a similar background?

Is the method of starting a raw food journey different for people with or without IBS? I'm just terrified of setting myself off. My stomach is a bitch about a lot of foods so I'm just scared about starting what might be okay for everyone with a normal stomach. Right now I am just fasting on water because I am so scared to eat anything.

Any advice, thoughts, or help in any shape or form would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much. :)

[greenmama2]

I am fairly new on the raw vegan road, but I too have IBS-D. I was a vegetarian before because meat triggered my symptoms, but they would still appear occasionally. They have lessened greatly since I have been eating a high raw diet (I occasionally have yogurt) I honestly don't think I have had an episode since I started, so it is def. worth a shot! You do need to be sure to steer clear of any trigger foods or highly acidic foods to start with and let your stomach rest. You know what your stomach can and cannot handle, so you will have to eat differently at first. It will adjust and wont take long to feel great with all the benifets of the great food your eating. Good luck!

[Lady Green Jeans]

Great to see your post and know more about your journey. I had IBS when I was in my early 20's. Not much positive feedback from the MD's. Did get off coffee and always minimized flesh foods in my diet. Have you tried ground flax and/or hemp seed instead of psyllium? I have found it somewhat gentler. The raw food lifestyle will equlize your body. I have seen true healing miracles. I agree on steering clear of any 'trigger' foods. Please keep us post on your progress.

[michigan roman]

you prob saw post of mine in your search back a few years ago ,
well im still in same boat . and ive tried a million things here at 4 years raw ,
and before that long term vegan on good whole foods diet . but im 30 years older than you and before going vegan 15 years ago had eaten the standard american diet with barely any raw foods my entire life so ive got a whole bunch of pollution to flush out and i completely believe raw and juice fasting shall eventually do it and wont change my direction beyond once in a while eating lightly steamed vegis or dry roasted nuts / seeds

that said ive seen many heal their ibs going raw , many !!!!

i can say :

coffees bad , the battery acid affect isnt good on a g.i. tract

juice fasting could help you at minimum be better during the fast
as your gut shall be empty , and maybe long term itll heal ya .
and getting into nutrient dense juice fasting many people have
just as much energy as on solid foods . check out www.juicefeasting.com

ide look at changing water , and not anything from plastic containers .
maybe could get water from someones well / spring and store it in
one gallon plastic bottles just for drinking

www.sproutpeople.com , sprouts are cheap and very nutricious .
its to me like a cant go wrong food that could help heal

ive got more thoughts i'll post but gotta run right now

oh , i found deep breathing exercises helped relax me which had an over all affect of helping my stomach . could be part of peoples problem is all the fast pace , racing around in cars / tv blarring images - sounds constantly / etc , never know it could have a bad affect on the motor reflexes which underlyingly run the bodies systems causing them to malfunction . and deep breathing / meditation may help bring one back to their ' center ' or focus and bring their body systems back to properly functioning .

edit - some people have found the amino acid l-glutimine to help

if you juice fast a V8 type juice gives me alot of energy on a fast

cutting oranges in quarters on just sucking juice out without eating pulp is energizing

but also eating alot of oranges whole is good on my stomach

dont bum out about it as long term it could be great as itll force you to develop a habit if eating better / perfect as opposed to if it didnt happen you'd end up in about 25 years a basic fat american over eater . so its short term pain long term gain

[michigan roman]

many say dr david klein is the best at healing the g.i. tract

and many have suggested getting this book at link

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geuyvx60xLSgUAE2dXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzYmk3MG0 4BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNARjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0gzOThfMTA1/SIG=12q4nomhg/EXP=1263418737/**http%3a//www.amazon.com/Healing-Colitis-Crohns-David-Klein/dp/0971752613


* im sort of getting to a sprout and fruit diet , its mild on gut and nutricious

you can go to a ' whole foods market ' and buy organic rye wheat seeds for $1 = very cheap . then put like a cup in a big mason jar and soak 3 days , change water every day . after 3 days eat plain or with whatever added . mungs are anothe cheap / quick growing sprout

FRUIT / SPROUTS / WATER / JUICE FASTING , from what ive learned past 4 years plus thats what ide recomend

[michigan roman]

that above juicefeasting link doesnt seem to work right so heres another

http://www.globaljuicefeast.com/