A foray into omnivorous definitions as a "semi-vegan/vegetarian".

I grew up in Illinois and as a child I remember that most people called non-red meat eaters (pork, beef, lamb): vegetarians. I always knew this was misdefined but it made me wonder if there is a name for those of us who do not eat red meat, etc. and there is!

Now that I know I am a "semi-vegetarian" I guess I can suspect that I am also a "semi-vegan" since I don't eat any dairy products.

So, why am I a semi-vegan/vegetarian?

Because I have IBS.

I think it is important to take a minute to talk about it because "An estimated 35 million Americans have the disease. It ranks second only to the common cold as a cause of lost work time and accounts for approximately 3 million physician visits in the United States every year."

Not only is it a very prevalent problem it is also a pretty serious women's issue because (according to talkibs.org) of the 20% of Americans suffering from IBS, 7 out of 10 are women.

I have had pretty severe IBS for almost ten years and I believe that the only way to truly control it is by regulating diet. (This opinion comes from years of unpleasant experience.) However, most doctors don't know enough about the importance of diet regulation for IBS and many people are given bad information or no information at all on how to control thier symptoms after diagnosis. It is extremely important to learn about diet in terms of IBS because it is not a curable disease.

In fact it was only 6 months ago that even I (a ten year sufferer) was able learn about any type of IBS diet after years of frustration and it only happened by chance. Exhausted and desperate I started to search for answers online and I was able to find a fantastic resource helpforibs.com.

I don't want to get all preachy and digress into some sort of heartfelt testimonial but I have been thinking about writing a post about this for a couple of weeks.
If I hadn't found helpforibs.com I would still be miserable and terrified by my condition, continually missing out on new oppurtunities. I know most people don't want to think about it but having IBS can be scary!

Heather Van Vorous (an IBS sufferer herself) is changing the lives of millions of people with her website helpforibs.com by providing tangible information (facts and ongoing research) and diet and health suggestions for those with IBS and other digestive disorders AND creating really fantastic recipes which follow IBS diet suggestions AND by creating an online community of support for those with IBS. I cannot endorse her website enough. If you have IBS (or think you might, she has lots of info on what to talk to your doctor about if you haven't been diagnosed yet too) go there, if you know someone who has IBS send them there. It will change thier lives for the better.

THE DIET BASICS

lots of soluble fiber (very low insoluble fiber)
no dairy or egg yolks
no red meat (beef, pork, etc.)
small portions, frequent meals
20-30% balanced daily fat intake

There is a lot more to it than this when it comes to an IBS safe diet though.

I highly recommend Heather's Book and/or website to get informed and stay informed.

So, there.

*UPDATE: (03/04/2006) I have now updated my foodie definition to semi-vegan pescetarian. No more chicken for me, I just can't eat it anymore. It grosses me out. And it should.

I'm still not grossed out by fish yet though and I don't really have any ethical problems about eating it, especially if its caught wild.