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Low fibre diet - just seems wrong

31 replies

BillStickersIsInnocent · 28/01/2014 17:53

I've been put on a low fibre diet after a hospital appointment today. I can't get my head around it really. Basically I need to eat (for the next month anyway):

White bread, pasta and rice
Jam with no bits (heinous - and no marmalade)
Juice with no bits
No raw vegetables and salad
Cereals like rice crispies
No skins or pips or seeds in anything (no jacket potatoes)
Tinned, cooked to a mush, peeled, de seeded or smoothied fruit and veg
I can eat meat, fish, eggs, cheese, cream etc and smooth yoghurt (no bits)
And chocolate is fine (hurrah)

Essentially it's pretty much the opposite of what I've been eating for the last 35 years, which perhaps explains the problem this is trying to tackle.

Anyone else done this? Does it get easier? I suppose it's just for a month. But if it works I'll have to eat like this forever SadAngry

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CogitoErgoSometimes · 28/01/2014 18:20

It does sound grim. I don't know what digestive problem they're trying to treat (severe IBS? Diverticulitis? ) but it could be that, once you've slowed down the passage of food through your gut and it has become less sensitive, you may be able to reintroduce a few fibrous foods without ill effect. With your fruit, veg and wholegrain intake substantially down have you been advised to take a few supplements? Wouldn't want you getting scurvy or anything :)

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BillStickersIsInnocent · 28/01/2014 18:29

Yes it's for IBS symptoms - hopefully you're right and once everything's settled I can re introduce stuff slowly and monitor.

The vitamin thing does concern me - especially as I thought loads of vitamins are in the skin of fruit and veg. I don't want to drink loads of juice because of the sugar content. I'll take a supplement - I'm breastfeeding so nipper leaches vitamins out of me I expect too.

The suggested meal plan was so depressing

Rice Krispies/sugar puffs

Cup of tea and a plain biscuit

White bread and fish paste sandwich or scrambled egg on white toast

Grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, soft carrots, soft waterlogged courgettes
Rice pudding, custard or smooth yoghurt, pureed fruit

Hot milk and a plain biscuit

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capsium · 28/01/2014 18:35

Could you cook yourself a nice smooth soup with that? If you can have veg smoothies...

Shepherd's pie would seem ok too. Chops or sausages and mash. Fish and chips / mash. Macaroni cheese. Whizzed up tinned tomatoes cooked with mince / bacon to make a pasta sauce, cheese on top. Carbonara would be ok too.

Drink the juice for extra vitamins.

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capsium · 28/01/2014 18:40

X post. Adding a bit of lemon juice to your water would not add too much sugar.

Toad in the hole with carrots. Casserole with potatoes, carrots, onions meat in gravy.

Beef in Beer served with mash and carrots.

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capsium · 28/01/2014 18:41

At least it's winter for this. All wintery meals...

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BillStickersIsInnocent · 28/01/2014 18:53

Thank you Thanks

That's really cheered me up. I just need to think differently about it - I'm so used to lots of fresh fruit and veg.

Pies of all sorts would be fine, plus most stews if vegetables really well cooked.

And omelettes, sardines on toast, stewed apple sponge.

Tomorrow is another day!

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capsium · 28/01/2014 19:07

Happy to help. Smile

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CogitoErgoSometimes · 28/01/2014 19:14

Your suggested meal plan actually looks like the national diet circa 1976 :) Lob in a packet of Angel Delight and a tin of Campbell's Meatballs and you're hot to trot. We survived... mostly. Definitely treat yourself to a good multi-vitamin. The vitamins aren't in the skin exactly but cooking things until soft tends to reduce the nutrition. Wholegrains provide B vitamins whereas the white flour/rice options won't.

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BillStickersIsInnocent · 28/01/2014 19:26

Grin
You're so right - my gran would have loved that menu, just add one benson and hedges and a murray mint and she'd be a happy lady.

Good call on the B vitamins, I'll buy a good supplement tomorrow.

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CogitoErgoSometimes · 28/01/2014 19:31

So we've saved you from scurvy and beriberi... :) There's a weight off your mind.

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LittleBabyPigsus · 29/01/2014 15:27

I have to keep my fibre intake down for my IBS, so yep, only white bread and pasta for me! I don't avoid skins/pips though, maybe I should.

Anyway I would def make lots of stodgy comfort food like macaroni cheese, sausage and mash etc if it's just for a month, make the most of it! Definitely take a vitamin - I take these as probiotics are really helpful for IBS sufferers. Aldi does a tablet version for half the price but I find taking non-coated tablets difficult so I stick to the capsules.

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pregnantpause · 29/01/2014 17:33

Scrambled eggs with black pepper and smoked salmon, poached egg on white cob toast, maybe some hollandaise, ham and poached egg on toast, omelette Arnold Bennet (eggs cream and haddock)- these are breakfasts of the gods, a month of these would more than please me!

Risotto of all kinds, with cream cheese and smoked salmon, goats cheese, bacon, chicken, a seafood risotto with a bit of lemon at the end. You can make extra for arancini, which are a wonderful creation.

Same goes for omelettes, I love a goat cheese and thyme omelette.

With white rice maybe have baked salmon with chilli and soy sauce? Or sea bass / any fish? prawn or chicken and egg fried rice?

Mussels in garlic cream sauce.

sticky chicken wings? Great for movie night in front of sofa.

Pasta in cream based chicken sauces, carbonara, cheese based sauces- macaroni, or cream cheese and salmon( I'm obviously a fan of salmon and cheese) prawns and mussels in lots of garlic butter tossed through tagliatelle mmm


Fried potatoes, bacon, sausages and egg, with a slice of white toast- can't beat a good breakfast for dinner!

Potato bake with layered potatoes and bacon baked in peppered vegetable stock, feeling flash? Tartiflette- forbidden for most of us, you can eat with gay abandonWink for the next month anyway.

That's not to mention yer standard meat , mash ,gravy combos! chips are also fair game I think, egg and chips, steak and chips, pork in a mustard cream sauce and chips, chicken and chips, and the classic, fish and chips! Yum.

What's the situation on sauteed potatoes- with no skin they're fair game right? Sauteed With garlic and Rosemary and a cheese stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon you've got a delicious showy meal!

Leftover mash makes lovely bacon and potato cakes or fish cakes! And a fish finger sandwich sounds good too.

I think I could manage a month without fibre, though I would clearly eat my own body weight in cheeseWink

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pregnantpause · 29/01/2014 17:37

Ooh- tinned peaches and cream make a vaguely convincing Eton mess type thing, with a crumbled digestive? A tinned pineapple and cheese toastie is no bad thing IMO either. Are you allowed to make your own white bread dough? Of so three cheese pizza, with a garlic cheese base is open as is cheese and tinned pineapple presumably as long as you don't use a tomato base!

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AmelieRose · 29/01/2014 17:47

I sympathise BillStickers - I have ulcerative colitis and have to go on this diet from time to time and I usually eat loads of fruit and veg.

I eat a lot of potatoes when I'm doing it. Chips with everything Grin!

I also eat risotto, and a lot of bacon sandwiches. I'm writing down all pregnantpause's recommendations though as they're fab!

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OldBagWantsNewBag · 29/01/2014 18:10

This reply has been deleted

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AmelieRose · 29/01/2014 18:21

Interesting Oldbag, if anything it exacerbates my symptoms. I need to eat loads of fruit and veg or I flare. And they claim there's no link to diet...

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OldBagWantsNewBag · 29/01/2014 18:32

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BillStickersIsInnocent · 29/01/2014 18:44

Brilliant suggestions - pregnant you are amazing!

My first day in this brave new world went sort of ok:

Poached egg on white toast for breakfast
Avocado for lunch (I did take some hard boiled eggs but didn't feel like them) Smooth yoghurt for afters.
3 choc digestives Blush
Dinner is minced beef cooked with mushrooms and mash

I am so looking forward to eggs Arnold Bennett at the weekend Smile

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BillStickersIsInnocent · 29/01/2014 18:46

I need more fruit and veg though don't I. Tinned fruit for pudding then.

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LittleBabyPigsus · 29/01/2014 19:25

I'd have tinned fruit baked with a sponge cake topping (lovely if you add some coconut or ground almonds) and served with custard or cream. Takes no time at all to cook, just a basic sponge cake mix on top of fruit with a little juice/syrup left in so it doesn't dry out. I often top with some flaked almonds before baking.

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BillStickersIsInnocent · 29/01/2014 19:42

Sounds lovely - nuts and coconuts aren't allowed but I sometimes do a sponge over fruit so I can do that more often.

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LittleBabyPigsus · 29/01/2014 20:26

Didn't realise nuts weren't allowed - are ground almonds verboten too? I have had reactions to things like sesame prawns on toast (boo!) but ground almonds aren't a problem.

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BillStickersIsInnocent · 29/01/2014 21:07

Yes I was told no nuts at all, unless completely blitzed - so smooth peanut butter is ok.
I was surprised about coconut but I guess it's pretty fibrous.

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teta · 30/01/2014 23:09

I have IBS and am on the fodmap diet.Some of the things I have to avoid are gluten containing foods and certain fruits and vegetables.Its really helped me but I can still have wholegrain bread and vegetables and small portions of nuts.Do most UK doctors advocate this diet for IBS?

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LittleBabyPigsus · 31/01/2014 06:09

teta I think it depends? I know FODMAP helps some sufferers but I think it's more for IBS-c rather than IBS-d? I have predominantly IBS-d and my doctor hasn't mentioned FODMAP at all.

For me personally, I find that I have to go easy on the cruciferous veg, but root veg, peppers, aubergine etc are OK. All cooked btw, I do avoid raw veg, but not cooked into mush. I haven't noticed a problem with chopped/ground nuts but whole seeds can be a problem.

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