So before I return to regular-life-in-Cape-Town posts, I wanted to go back and address the whole IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) thing ... because for a while there, I really didn't think I'd be able to join Aaron at the archaeological site at Mossel Bay.
When I started writing this blog, I talked about why food would be one of the things I focused on -- because cuisine is a wonderful way to learn about a culture, because it allows for experimentation and exploration, and because -- more than anything -- I love to cook. I find it fun, very therapeutic, challenging. I love to feed people and try new things and comfort and soothe people with old favorites.
But then, about 6 weeks into being here in South Africa I suffered a terrible series of painful abdominal attacks.
For that horrible week when it seemed that all my stomach would tolerate was dry toast, white rice and bananas, I was feeling quite distraught. And of course it was when we were just about to go to Mossel Bay!
I was really at the end of my rope. Nothing made sense. I tried one thing after the other, nothing worked and each night I'd be hunched over in pain. Thankfully, I am a total Hermione-Granger-type-book nerd, and when presented with a problem, I turn to the books (and the internet, of course.)
After reading through many things and assessing all my symptoms, it became clear that I definitely have IBS. And it also became clear that although this attack was the most acute I had ever had, I have had this (or been close to it) for a long time. As I mentioned before, I have had doctors rule out allergies, infections, lactose-intolerance, etc., for my recurrent stomach problems for years now. And quite frankly, the doctors have been useless. They shrugged their shoulders and told me to eat fiber and I think one told me once, "well maybe you have a touch of IBS" -- and then did nothing about it.
But research is a good thing my darlings, and pain is quite a strong motivator, because after my Cape Town attacks, I started reading up on it, and it really made so much sense. Which didn't make me feel much better at first because most of the things I read were depressingly vague or hopeless. For example, no one knows what causes it. There is no test for it. Some things seem to work for some people but not others. The one thing they all agreed on was that there is no "cure."
There were tears my children, many tears.
But I kept at it, and I'm very glad I did, because I found this book: Eating for IBS by Heather Van Vorous. (I got it on my Kindle.)
Seriously, I can't say enough about this book. It was written by a woman who suffered from IBS for many years and who through lots of painful trial and error and research has come up with the most comprehensive and helpful resource I've come across yet.
Some of the book reflected things I had already begun to figure out (applesauce is much better for me than apples) and it also answered insanely detailed questions that had baffled me like, why are toast and avocado OK, but toast and scrambled eggs not? (The answer, egg yolks can be a trigger -- who knew?)
I found her explanation of IBS really helpful. She writes, "My favorite analogy is that having IBS is rather like having very sensitive skin, only the problem is internal. You cannot visit a dermatologist to cure sensitive skin, because there is nothing physically wrong that can be fixed. No surgery or drug can eliminate the problem . It is simply a condition that must be controlled on a daily basis by avoiding those things that trigger the symptoms. IBS requires the same type of precautions."
And she gave me lots of hope because she said that a change in diet could all but eliminate the symptoms.
She goes into detail about soluble vs. insoluble fiber and how important it is to understand their differences and functions when dealing with IBS. And she talks about eating things in a certain order, and how that alone is a huge help and goes into a detailed list of the most common trigger foods (the worst being red meats [and all fat-heavy meats], dairy products and fat.)
She's very helpful on the psychological/emotional side of things too -- you can tell she has personally dealt with IBS because she often talks about the pain and fear associated with it -- fearful that the next thing you put in your mouth will cause you pain, fear of suffering an attack in public, etc., etc. And she's very firm about YOU being firm with waiters, relatives, friends, etc. about your dietary restrictions -- social stigma, embarrassment, etc. be damned. And she's absolutely right, your health is more important than eating Granny's pudding.
Oh, plus, over half the book are recipes.
I made this Cherry-Almond Cake from the book -- reallllly delicious, and even Mr. I-can-always-tell-when-it's-that-low-fat-crap loved it! All the recipes so far are great!
So I started to follow the suggestions in the book and I immediately started to feel better. (And within a week I was climbing around in caves in Mossel Bay.)
All in all what she recommends is a very sensible diet, a good balance of soluble and insoluble fiber, lean meats, low fat, smaller meals ... and she recommends trying small bits of trigger foods to determine your own personal tolerances.
It's been a little over a month now, and when I follow her suggestions, I'm fine. And as she recommends, I have tried a few trigger foods and have discovered, for example, that I'm fine with all raw fruits and veggies (unfortunately not the case for some people with IBS) and am OK with a little wine (alcohol can be a big trigger, but I'm OK if I have it with food) and I can have small amounts of lean red meat. What I seem to not be able to do AT ALL though is high fat foods (like french fries) or ... woe of woes ... dairy. SIGH!!!! The couple of times I've tried, OH have I paid for it!
But so far, I've been able to stick to her recommendations easily. The dairy is hard, I admit, but I'm telling you, right now, even the creamiest, most meltingly delicious bite of brie could not tempt me. It is simply not worth the hours of feeling like someone is twisting your guts from the inside. Perhaps down the road, I'll try dairy again and see how it goes.
Anyhoo, that's my saga with IBS. I can't tell you how much happier I feel to have some answers and to find something that my body is really responding to. I'm determined that IBS won't stop me enjoying my food, and I'll continue to document the journey here ...
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