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You can design your own special diet for irritable bowel syndrome control by keeping a food and symptoms diary. There are some common diets for irritable bowel syndrome control that include recommendations about what foods may or may not cause problems. But, these can only go so far. Some people are sensitive to wheat products while others are sensitive to dairy. And still others are sensitive to fructose and sugar substitutes. In order to keep restrictions to a minimum and still control symptoms, it typically works best to design a unique diet for irritable bowel syndrome, based on individual preferences and sensitivities.

The common diets for irritable bowel syndrome typically recommended by doctors are healthy and well-balanced. A diet for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea will differ from a diet for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. In cases where both constipation and diarrhea are experienced at different times, a food and symptoms diary is particularly helpful. In the diary, you would note what symptoms you are experiencing and what foods you ate recently. Balance is the key to a diet for irritable bowel syndrome control when both constipation and diarrhea are experienced.

Fiber is an important part of any diet for irritable bowel syndrome control. It is recommended that healthy adults consume 20-35 grams of fiber per day. A food and symptoms diary will also help you determine how much fiber you are consuming and supplement when necessary. Certain types of high fiber cereals may need to be excluded from a diet for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, but fiber should not be excluded completely. If you are designing your own diet for irritable bowel syndrome control and you commonly have diarrhea, you may want to start with twenty grams of fiber per day, the low end of the scale, rather than a larger amount.

Common diets for irritable bowel syndrome recommended by doctors to control symptoms typically exclude caffeine, alcohol and sodas. These products can increase diarrhea, but they can also slow down the digestive system causing bloating and constipation. In addition, a diet for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea should exclude chocolate and fructose. Fructose is a simple sugar found in most fruit and fruit juices. It is an ingredient in many processed foods. If you are designing a diet for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, you may need to check the ingredients on foods that you commonly eat. You do not want to exclude all fruit from your diet. Fruit is an important part of any well balanced diet, supplying many essential vitamins and nutrients, as well as dietary fiber found in edible skins. This is why a food and symptoms diary is so important. Undoubtedly you will find that there are certain foods that cause more problems than others. Common diets for irritable bowel syndrome include recommendations for eating yogurt, which contains probiotics, a substance believed to improve the balance between good and bad bacteria in the digestive tract.

If you are designing your own diet for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, you may want to avoid the fried and fatty foods, as well as products containing the ingredient olean. If constipation is your problem, you may want to avoid highly processed foods like chips, cookies and white rice. Any of these could be causing you problems; the best way to learn what foods to avoid is by using a food and symptoms diary. This cannot be overemphasized, in this writer's opinion. And don't forget to drink plenty of water. Water is an important part of common diets for irritable bowel syndrome control; both when constipation is present, to soften the stool and when diarrhea is present, to prevent dehydration from fluid loss. Most experts recommend eight 8 ounce glasses of water per day or 64 ounces total.

For more information about irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive problems, visit www.digestive-disorders-guide.com.