I love SALADS!!! they HATE!!! me!

[Patchouligroove]

So i was wondering does anyone have trouble with salads. Or maybe fiber in general. I'm wondering if I have an IBS problem and digesting fiber. I know it's good for you and keeps you full and gives you energy but it makes my stomach feel TERRIBLE!!! Is this IBS or is my body not use to it I figure I eat pretty good in the fiber field. But I love salads like big meal salads, always have not diet salads, but they kill me and so does yummy raisin bran, fiber one, etc... bran cereals.

[ronni62]

I have also had problems with fiber-mostly bloating and constipation (sorry if that's tmi). I tried fiber powders that you mix with water and ended up really sick. Lettuces, beans, whole wheat breads are ok, but some cereals make my tummy issues worse, so I eat cereal only 2 or 3 times a week or less.

My only advice is to take a few days off the high fiber stuff, then add things back gradually until you figure out how much you can eat without getting the bad symptoms.

Also, might try to exclude the gluten-containing fibers and see if that helps. I cut the gluten for a couple months and it didn't make a difference, but I know that gluten can be a big issue for some.

[kaplods]

It could be IBS. I do have IBS, and salads used to kill me too. They still do if I suddenly out of the blue start eating huge salads. For me, gradually increasing vegetable/fruit servings and other sources of fiber helped a lot. I discovered that for myself consistency is the most important. If I eat quite a bit less or more fiber than I'm used to, then I get a painful in-the-bathroom-all-day flare.

I eat quite a bit more fruits and veggies in the summer and fall, and I while I try to increase gradually, I usually have at least a few problem epidsodes as I get so excited about all the wonderful produce, that I forget how important it is to make changes gradually.

I do wonder about a gluten sensitivity, because I do react poorly to wheat (though the worst symptoms are skin-rash related, not as much digestion). I did test negative for celiac disease (though I had been virtually wheat free for months prior to the test, which can skew the test resuls). My doctor said the newer tests are sensitive enough that it no longer matters, so maybe it's a wheat allergy or sensitivity rather than an inability to digest the gluten.

Either way, I feel better when I avoid wheat.

[justjen78]

I could be IBS. Some people's bodies can not process certain foods (Lettuce is very watery). I had my gallbladder out in 04 and havent been able to eat a salad since. I also have IBS so I know how you feel. When you can't eat what is supposed to be really good for you, you have to find ways to get creative and sometimes its alot of trial and error!

Good luck to you!