IBS Diet

IBS stands for irritable bowel syndrome. This problem is associated with the functioning of the intestines. During digestion, the food that we eat moves from the stomach to the small intestine and then it passes on to the large intestine or colon. To ensure smooth passage of the food through the digestive tract, the intestinal walls need to squeeze a bit. Irritable bowel syndrome is one such condition where the intestines contract abnormally. Sometimes, it is too hard and at other times, it is not adequate. As a result, people with IBS tend to get frequent bouts of diarrhea and constipation alternately. An IBS diet should have all such foods that can prevent both these symptoms and restore normal bowel movements.

Causes and Symptoms of IBS

So far, the exact cause of irritable bowel syndrome is not clearly known. It often arises when the contraction of the muscles present in the lining of the intestine is not proper. In some people, it is found to be genetic. Some get it after eating certain kinds of food such as fatty foods, caffeine substance, etc. Side effects of some medicines and psychological stress are the other factors often held responsible for this. A few typical symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are abdominal pain and cramping, constipation, inconsistent bowel movements, gas, bloating, diarrhea usually after eating, etc.

IBS Foods to Eat

When you are diagnosed with IBS, medicines are prescribed to treat the symptoms of IBS. Along with the medicines, a suitable irritable bowel syndrome diet is recommended. The foods to be included in this diet largely depend on the symptoms that you show. When you are having diarrhea, then the choice of foods will be slightly different from that of constipation. A list of suitable foods for IBS is given below.

Foods with Soluble Fiber Content
This kind of dietary fiber dissolves easily in water and forms a thick jelly like substance. Hence, it can be safely used during constipation as well as diarrhea. Foods that contain good amount of soluble fiber are rice, oatmeal, pasta, corn tortillas, carrots, potatoes and so on. These foods should be included in larger quantity in your meals and snacks. You can take these foods even on an empty stomach.

Foods with Insoluble Fiber Content
Wholewheat bread, cereals, bran, seeds, nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables are some of the foods that have insoluble fiber. Insoluble dietary fiber improve bowel movements when you have constipation. For this reason, such foods are included in IBS constipation diet. However, you should be a bit careful while eating such foods, they are not suitable for empty stomach and should be eaten only in small amounts.

Foods with Low Fat Content
High fat foods are not at all suitable when you have bowel problems. Therefore, opt for those foods that are low in fat content. The total fat intake should not be more than 25 percent of your diet. Use monosaturated oils like olive oil for cooking. While buying packed foods like potato chips or soups, read label to check fat content.

Bland Foods
When you are going through an episode of diarrhea caused by IBS, then you have to eat bland foods to control upset stomach condition. The main component of bland foods are bananas, white rice, applesauce and white bread. These foods are suitable because they do not cause any kind of stomach irritation.

IBS Foods to Avoid

There are some IBS trigger foods that tend to aggravate its symptoms. Hence, they have to be eliminated from the IBS diet. Some foods to avoid with an irritable bowel syndrome are as follows:

• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Onions
• Red meat
• Egg yolk
• Fried foods
• High protein foods
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Chocolate
• Processed foods
• Artificial Sweeteners
• Dairy products particularly if you have lactose intolerance

General Dietary Advice for IBS

To achieve maximum benefits from IBS diet, you have to follow some healthy eating habits. A few suggestions in this regard are given below:

• Avoid eating large meals as they can cause abdominal cramping. Rather, eat small meals more frequently. Ideally, you should have six small meals throughout the day.
• Eat your meals on time. Do not skip any of the meals.
• Do not eat in a hurry. Sit in a relaxed position and enjoy the food that you are eating.
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water everyday.
• You are aware of the IBS foods to avoid. Stay away from all those foods.
• If you are not sure whether a food item is among the IBS trigger foods or not then it is better to avoid that to be on safe side.

The characteristics of IBS is quite unique in every individual's case. Some of the foods for IBS that are recommended in this article may not suit you but they may work for other patients. Therefore, it is advisable that you monitor the foods that you are eating and the IBS symptoms for 2 weeks. If you find that you cannot tolerate any of the foods given in the IBS diet then you can stop that food or cut down on its intake.

Pre Diabetic Diet

Normal blood sugar ranges between 70 and 150 mg/dL in adults. As this is normal, there is no restriction in the daily diet of a person. But if the blood sugar is measured above or below the normal value then it may be a matter of concern. The pre diabetic value range from 150 mg/dL to 200 mg/dL. Any value above this is considered as established diabetes. If you are diagnosed with pre diabetic conditions then you have a chance to convert this condition into normal. You just have to concentrate on the pre diabetic diet and some exercises to get over pre diabetic conditions.

A healthy diet can keep you away from lots of diseases and switching to a healthy diet is always considered as the best way to overcome any disease. If you have been detected with pre diabetic conditions, this means you need to bring it to its normal value. So, we are here to give you few of our pre diabetic diet recommendations which will help you to get back into your normal blood sugar level.

Pre Diabetic Diet Guidelines

Pre diabetic condition can be easily overcome by following a pre diabetic diet plan. You just have to concentrate on some of the healthy food and prepare a proper diet to avoid diabetes. By this and few exercise routine you can get back to your normal blood sugar level. Following are some of the tips to get yourself out of pre diabetes.

Vegetables in Pre Diabetic Diet
When you are in a pre diabetic condition you need to have lots and lots of vegetables which are rich in fibers and are nutritious. Following is a pre diabetic food list which can help you to plan a pre diabetic diet menu for yourself.

• Carrots
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Onion
• Cucumber
• Mushrooms
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Tomatoes
• Green and fresh beans
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Lettuce
• Okra

Fruits in Pre Diabetic Diet
Fruits are also very helpful in curing pre diabetic condition. Both fresh fruits and dry fruits are good for a pre diabetes diet. Fruit juices of the below given fruits can also help you if they do not have added sugar in it.

• Apple
• Oranges
• Grapefruit
• Lime
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Dried Apricots
• Purines
• Pears

Sea Food and Meat in Pre Diabetic Diet
You can have sea food and meat when you are suffering from pre diabetic conditions but you need to restrict the daily intake to a weekly basis and have to choose the options from the below given list.

• Sea food may include fishes such as sardines, tilapia, tuna, haddock, cod, halibut, catfish herring, etc. It can also include shellfish.
• Poultry product may have egg, chicken, turkey, duck, etc. but all without skin.
• Other meat may have beef, pork and lamb but they should be fat free.

Grains and Legumes in Pre Diabetic Diet
Concentrate more on whole grains than on processed grains. Following list may help you with pre diabetic conditions.

• Grain bread, such as buckwheat bread, oat bran bread, multi-grain bread etc.
• Other product may include oat bran cereal, muesli, wild rice, brown rice, whole barley, buckwheat, whole wheat spaghetti etc. You can go through cereals for diabetics to get a detailed information.
• Legumes may include kidney or pinto beans, soybeans, garbanzo beans, split peas etc.

There are a number of diabetic foods to avoid from the pre diabetic diet. The food products which contain high amount of cholesterol and fats should be avoided at this stage. You should avoid fried and oily things. Concentrate more on nutrients than on the taste of the food product. Avoid having desserts like ice creams, sweets, pudding, etc. at least till you achieve a normal blood sugar level. There are many pre diabetic diet recipes by which you can get better taste in a healthy way.

Apart from all these things, you should also include some exercises in you daily routine, which will help you to stay fit and away from pre diabetic condition. So, prepare a menu out of the pre diabetic diet guideline given in this article and have something healthy and nutritious. Follow it daily and very soon you will observe your blood sugar coming back to its normal value.

Alkaline Diet Benefits

Foods are said to have alkaline and acidic properties. Our body needs a balance of acidic and alkaline foods in order to function smoothly. In cases where the acids in the body have increased, people switch to alkaline diet. This alkaline diet is made up of certain fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, etc. However, there are no scientific studies conducted to ascertain the alkaline diet benefits. Some believe that this diet is another fad diet followed by some people.

What is Alkaline Diet?

When we talk about alkaline diet and alkaline food, what do we mean? What determines if the food item is acidic or alkaline in nature? It is the pH of the food item that determines the nature of the food. The ideal pH level is 7. Any food with the pH greater than 7 is alkaline and the ones that fall below the pH 7 are known as acidic food items. If the body has an acidic pH level, there are chances of suffering from stroke, obesity, high blood pressure, etc. This makes normalization of the body's pH level, mandatory. In order to do so, it is believed that food items alkaline in nature need to be consumed.

When alkaline food is consumed, it burns in the body and leaves ash or alkaline residue. This residue contains minerals and helps the body restore itself and balances the acids in the body. Cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, chives, broccoli, celery, garlic, cucumber, radish Brussels sprouts are the foods that are alkaline in nature and are a part of the alkaline foods list. Avocados, olives, coconut oils are also said to be alkaline. These are the food items that are included in the alkaline diet plan. But what are the alkaline diet benefits?

Benefits of Alkaline Diet

Alkaline diet is believed to prevent some kinds of cancers, obesity and allergies. However, the authenticity of this is yet to be determined by the experts. Still, there are several other benefits of alkaline diet. As mentioned above, alkaline diet consists of fresh vegetables, low sugar foods and meat, dairy, alcohol and fungi needs to be consumed in a very less amount. The important point to remember here is that there are no medical evidences to prove the alkaline diet benefits. The benefits mentioned below are based on the reports of the people who follow and believe in alkaline diet.

Health Problems
Due to the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet, the body flushes out the toxins. This prevents the body from suffering from other complications. By consuming alkaline foods, the acidic nature of blood is also controlled. This also prevents further illness caused because of high acidity levels. However, eating too many alkaline rich foods cause high alkaline phosphatase in the blood level.

Acid Reflux
Alkaline diet benefits the people suffering from acid reflux. This condition is normalized by consumption of alkaline rich foods. The alkaline foods for acid reflux, helps relieve the acid reflux in our body.

Loss in Weight
It is believed that alkaline diet results in weight loss. As you consume fresh fruits and vegetables regularly and the meat consumption is low, weight loss is natural. It is believed that increase in the acidic pH of the body is responsible for weight gain. As the acid consumption is low, weight loss takes place. The processed foods and sugars that you otherwise consume, are avoided in this situation and this contributes towards reducing your weight, considerably. Hence, alkaline diet for weight loss is desired.

Energy Levels
Fatigue is a side effect of increased level of acidity in the body. Alkaline food helps you to remain energetic for a longer duration of time. People believe that following an alkaline diet has made them more energetic than the high protein diet that they otherwise follow.

Eating too many high alkaline foods may create problems in the working of the liver, bone conditions, and other health related issues. People have claimed that by following alkaline diet, they have also experienced relief from arthritis pain. As mentioned earlier, there are no experts claiming any specific alkaline diet benefits. Hence, it remains to be seen if following this diet really helps the human body to eliminate painful diseases. However, experts believe and have always said that our diet should be a healthy diet and a balanced diet, a combination of both - acids and alkaline food items. Both are necessary for our body and we cannot claim that acidic diet is harmful nor can we claim that alkaline diet is beneficial.