The Easy IBS Diet…

Acknowledgement…

This diet was inspired by Carol Sinclair’s Low Starch Diet www.lowstarchdiet.net
Her book contains many recipes suitable for this diet.

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 will 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 www.ibsspace.com & join the Paleo Diet Group.

You might also like to practice a relaxation therapy. This helps with the stress of coping with IBS and minimizes any symptoms. Details are on the website.

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…

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Brian C. Dobson April, 2009