Having IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) makes it challenging to get through the day. Typical signs and symptoms of IBS are nausea, wind, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal discomfort, and constipation. There are plenty of steps you can take to help remedy a number of symptoms. Foods for IBS are one way many people use for making their life more comfortable.

An excellent start is to avoid foods that create intestinal stimulation (for lack of a better term). Foods including cabbage, greens, radishes, broccoli, cucumbers and beans are all famous for producing gas plus they can also result in incidents of diarrhoea and IBS.

Among the best things you can do when you know that your IBS is acting up would be to eat foods which are bland. Stick to the BRATY diet till the symptoms start to ease up. BRATY is short for for the foods that are on the IBS-friendly diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, toast and yogurt. For the most part, these are all foods which will be quite gentle on your digestive system. However, everyone is different, so if these foods don’t agree with you then don’t eat them; remember to stick to foods which are more bland.

Naturally there are other foods that can bring some much-needed relief when your IBS flares up. A number of people have found success with peppermint, ginger ale and plain black tea. If one of your symptoms is diarrhea, then replenishing your body with fluids is very important. Dehydration is very serious and will only cause you to feel worse in addition to the symptoms you’re already having. If you do not stay hydrated you might even end up in the hospital.

Just as there are foods you should eat, there are also foods that you ought to avoid. Foods that are high in fat are on the No-No List; that means greasy, fried and other foods packed with fat. How you prepare your food creates a big difference. For example, if you are having any meat or poultry, take off the skin and all visible fat. Don’t fry the food (deep-fried or pan-fried), but opt for baking, grilling or broiling instead. You also should not use any oil in the cooking process whenever your IBS is bothering you.

Again, everyone is different, so you should try to learn which foods for IBS work for you and those that don’t. The simplest way to do this is to keep a food diary. Make a note of all of the food you eat during the day and record any symptoms you have as well. You should take note of any details you can; for instance how much you ate and how it was prepared. Be sure you write down what time you ate and the time you had any symptoms of IBS, and what those symptoms were. It takes longer for many foods to result in a flare up, so it won’t often be immediately apparent which foods are resulting in grief.