What is the best breakfast for IBS sufferers?

   05/07/2016

breakfast bloating

What is the best breakfast for IBS sufferers?

For an IBS sufferer the answer is this: One that YOU can digest and makes you feel good (and doesn’t cause post breakfast bloating!)

Do you find that after breakfast you start bloating? Or you feel tired?  If so, you need to change what you are eating and drinking first thing.

What is a healthy breakfast?

Read any magazine or blog. They all say that a healthy diet starts with a good, healthy breakfast.  This will vary from country to country, but it usually involves some combination of fresh fruit, dairy, protein and bread.

For an IBS sufferer, finding a good breakfast to start the day without any breakfast bloating can be daunting. Especially if you have food intolerance.

Forget the “shoulds”!

You really need to listen to your body if you don’t want start bloating before you even leave the house.

Cereal with milk?

When I was young I used to be given a bowl of cereal with milk and a glass of orange juice. Trouble was, as healthy as that may seem, it wasn’t for me – and I spent all day bloating, trying to digest it.

Why? Processed cereals have a large amount of sugar in them, as well as gluten. The fibre in them would irritate my bowels. So much for high-fibre foods that are often advised to alleviate constipation.

High-fibre cereals may be causing post breakfast bloating

Fibre is often recommended if you suffer with constipation. Yet it’s not always the best solution.

Have you tried adding fibre, but you felt awful? Try consuming more foods containing INSOLUBLE FIBRE that are ALSO low Fodmap. Foods like bran are high-Fodmap, so you may well have difficulty digesting them for this reason. Check out this list instead and try a few!

Trust yourself

I could not digest the lactose in milk. I didn’t know why at that time, but my tastebuds did not attract me to cereal and milk.

I naturally preferred toast and just a glass of water.

You may also find you tolerate a drink at room temperature or a warm drink rather than chilled. It is closer to your body temperature and less of a shock to your sensitive stomach first thing.

But always go with what feels better for YOU. Trust yourself!

You may also find that get a reaction to the foods you used to eat for breakfast. This might well be why. 

Orange juice?

Chilled ready-to-drink orange juice may seem fast and healthy – but it has a lot of sugar in it too, often with some preservatives and artificial vitamins. I personally found these substances very difficult to digest and they started off bloating.

orange juice for breakfastPhoto by shadi rahmati on Unsplash

Buying fresh oranges and squeezing them is much better for you all round (and squeezing them takes out the fibre that can cause you trouble).

Tip: To get all the benefits, don’t leave your orange juice hanging around on the breakfast table. Squeeze,  then drink it. Vitamin C is very volatile. After 30 minutes all the vitamin C has evaporated, so don’t prepare it too much in advance.

Also, have just a small glass. Adverts have conditioned us to thinking that we need a big glass of juice, but this will probably overload your digestion. One squeezed orange is sufficient.

If you find that you can’t digest even natural orange juice at breakfast, try a small glass later in the day. Vary the amount you drink to see what suits you best.

The best breakfast for IBS sufferers?

best breakfast for IBS sufferers?

The best breakfast for IBS sufferers may be no breakfast. There is pressure to eat a big “healthy” breakfast to start the day. But this just may not be for you.

Maybe you are just not hungry first thing. If you are still having trouble digesting last night’s meal, your stomach doesn’t not need to you send down more food before it is ready.

Starting the day with food triggers is not a good option, even if it may seem healthy.

If you ARE hungry first thing

If you are an IBS sufferer who is actually hungry in the morning, check out these 10 low Fodmap recipes for size.

Try making slow changes to your breakfast to see what you actually digest. Vary the content and the size of portions and see what works for you and when.

Your body knows what is best for it. Listen to your body – instead of the media!

Are you ready to reverse your IBS and eat more of what you love?

Why not work with me…

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