For My Tummy

Organic and Gluten-Free Foods for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Policy Decision
I wanted to add a link or two for spelt to ForMyTummy’s Amazon Page. Is spelt gluten-free? I had thought so, but a little research revealed that it is not. Because gluten in spelt is different from the gluten in wheat, I will include some spelt products on the Amazon Pages.

Gluten
Most of what are mentioned here as IBS-diet-worthy foods are free of the known triggers that affect us. In the case of spelt, which contains gluten, I am making an exception.

• Spelt, as a grain, is similar to wheat; therefore it has gluten.
• Spelt, as a grain, has a different kind of gluten in it.

People with celiac disease are completely unable to process anything with gluten; most of us with IBS find that restricting foods with gluten in them make our tummies happier. So if I (with IBS) can keep my diet down to 10% to 25% of
the usual gluten “load” in the average American diet, I will generally do ok. Your mileage on gluten may vary. (That’s abbreviated YMMV, in forum-speak.)

Information on Spelt
I stumbled upon a fascinating and informative web page from Doves Farm in doing research on the spelt + gluten issue. They are in the United Kingdom (UK), so their products will not make it into my Amazon Page(s). Nevertheless, their web site has a great deal of information about grains and special diets, about organic and gluten-free products.

This is important why? –Because earlier I published a recipe for tuna melt for IBS, that was built on bread made of spelt. I had assumed then that spelt was gluten-free, not classed with wheat. It turns out that it is a cousin of wheat, with differences in flavor and kind of gluten. To recap; while people with Celiac Disease are completely unable to tolerate gluten in any form, that doesn’t (necessarily) apply to people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome who are wheat intolerant.

Also a voice for organic foods
The Doves Farm site mentioned above is also an advocate for organic foods. If you are negotiating a food budget to deal with IBS, the higher cost of organic foods versus traditionally farmed foods may add a point of disagreement. Therefore, I’m not going to come down on both feet with a strong recommendation for organic foods.

Feedback
Do you agree with the policy on foods containing gluten for this site? If not, would you suggest a complete ban? A stricter ban? Let me know with a comment. Your comment will count toward the September Top Commenter award. This is a good thing.

September 9th, 2007 Posted by tummyblogger | IBS food, IBS Diet | no comments

IBS Food: What Can You Do with Hummus?

Hummus: What is it?
Hummus is a food of Near Eastern origin that is traditionally used in a filling “sandwich” of pita bread, falafel balls, shredded lettuce and perhaps other vegetables. Hummus has the function of holding all these elements together, or at least flavoring them. The thicker the hummus the more it holds together; the thinner the hummus, the more it flavors–and drips.

It is made of mashed or ground chickpeas (=garbanzo beans), often with ground sesame seeds (tahini); in general, hummus serves as a dip for pita bread or vegetables. It may contain lemon juice or garlic flavoring, so reading labels is advised.

Where to find it?
The best hummus I have had recently came from a small neighborhood Near Eastern store. In the very varied neighborhood in which I live, hummus can be found in the two big grocery stores, also. I would think that Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods chains would carry it. It comes in cans and in dip containers. You could also find it in Hispanic-themed groceries, or make it yourself from canned garbanzo beans (=chickpeas).

Why is it good for IBS?
The packaged hummus without lemon juice or citric acid is good for building alternative meals for (us) people with IBS. You can use it directly as a substitute for mayonnaise–no eggs, no oil. I use it with a 3 oz. can of tuna as a quick lunch, or put it on rice cakes to moisten the dry chew.

How would you use it?

Let me know how you do use, or would use, hummus. No reward this time, except that sending a comment will count toward “top commenter” recognition for September.

September 9th, 2007 Posted by tummyblogger | Food for IBS, IBS food, IBS Diet | no comments