Irritable Bowel Syndrome – Page 21

Stir up Sunday – ‘free from’ fun! Low FODMAP, wheat free, gluten free, milk free

By this I certainly don’t mean devoid of pleasure! it is a tradition in our household to make Christmas puddings, but for this year I have decided to make a pudding that you can make just before Christmas and is made from ingredients that are cows milk protein, gluten, and wheat free plus Low FODMAP to ensure you have a symptom free Christmas. Everyone in the household would stir the pudding and a sixpence was often hidden inside, a nice surprise for someone on Christmas day. As long as you don’t choke on it that is!

Ingredients

120g wheat/gluten-free self-raising flour*

1 tablespoon cocoa powder** (gluten free, dairy free – see link below)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/4 freshly grated nutmeg

1 cap full of vanilla essence

100g dairy free margarine

2 eggs

1 tablespoon of treacle

grated rind of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 an orange

Juice of 1/2 an orange and 1/2 lemon

90g soft brown sugar.

2 tablespoons of dried blueberries

*this recipe does not work well with flour based on chickpea and chickpea flour is a source of FODMAPs.

Method

Weigh out and sieve the dry ingredients into a small bowl, add gluten substitute and mix well into the dry ingredients.

Generously grease a pint pudding basin

Weigh out margarine, treacle, soft brown sugar, lemon + orange rind, Lemon + orange juice, vanilla essence into a mixing bowl and using a hand mixer, mix well till the mixture is pale.

Add 1/3 of the egg and a tablespoon of the dry mix, mix well, if it looks like it is curdling add a little more flour. It will likely look like it is curdling so don’t be put off, just add some more flour. This recipe needs 2 eggs to stop it from crumbling, repeat till all the egg is used up.

Fold in the dry ingredients to the batter.

Then add the fruit and again mix into the batter. Get each of your family members to give

the pudding a stir – if you can drag them away from the tv. Add the batter to the pudding basin and cover the top with a grease proof paper lid tied with string, add a fold in the paper to allow room for the pudding to rise. Cover the whole dish with foil and steam for 1.5 hours. Serve!

If you follow a gluten-free diet then ensure your spice ingredients are gluten-free – supermarkets usually ensure these ingredients are labelled appropriately.

The pudding has dried fruit – but not too much, so that a small portion should be suitable for those with fructose malabsorption. It is very light and a good choice for Christmas day pudding.

I found this really interesting blog on recipes from history with a plum pudding recipe – don’t try this at home it contains FODMAPs 😉

http://lostcookbook.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/plum-pudding/

**For milk free cocoa powder check out the following link

http://whatallergy.com/2013-07/can-you-buy-nut-and-dairy-free-cocoa-powder

November 25, 2013November 25, 2018

Jules_GastroRD2 Comments

My annual toilet rant

I have to say I find the price of toilets rather expensive and unlike last year when I travelled to London, this year I am going to blog about the problem. My bladder is partly at fault here, because it does not feel the need to empty whilst I am on the train but as soon as I arrive at any railway station I have to go, and usually quickly.

Toilets are a problem for many people with bowel disorders, or lack of them to be precise, many people feel anxious at going out because they need to know where the toilet is, as they can need to go with some urgency. This can increase feelings of anxiety increasing symptoms, making the problem worse. I have recently written an article on IBD and quality of life and the survey (The IMPACT study) I used for the article contests to this very fact in people with this condition. The UK part of the survey revealed that during a flare 97% of IBD sufferers needed to open their bowels urgently, this only dropped to 70% between flares – this therefore represents the majority of responders. Episodes of diarrhoea were 5-10 times per day for 38% during a flare, this level remained at 11% during remission, and this clearly has a major impact on an individual’s ability to travel, work and to function day-to-day. Perhaps not surprisingly this affected the unemployed to a greater extent. One of the primary reasons for work absence is frequency of needing the toilet (38%) and anxiety due to the risks of incontinence (33%).

The British Toilet Association says that the provision of public toilets is a vital service for those people with medical conditions. They campaign for ‘provision of clean, hygienic and safe publicly accessible toilets that are available where and when needed, for all types of users. They request an end to public toilet closures and authorities acceptance that access to safe, discrete toilet facilities are a basic human need. The IBD quality of life study also highlights the need for accessible facilities, unavailability of toilet facilities can increase a persons’ anxiety at going out, which can make symptoms worse. 26% of people with IBD have found they have had to be rude with staff in public areas, whom often do not appreciate the person with IBD’s needs, and have refused to allow people access to staff toilet facilities.

This can lead to an individual being housebound by their symptoms, reducing access to society, friends and family. 81% of people with IBD reported that they are anxious about toilet facilities when travelling somewhere new. Perhaps surprisingly, the Impact survey found that the level of concern about toilet access increased with increasing age, clearly these worries are a very personal and significant problem for people with IBD. I suspect that the same is likely true for people with IBS and other bowel conditions. I do feel that it is the responsibility of the station operators to keep these prices in proportion, particularly when we are having to experience price hikes in other areas and many people who rely on government aid to live, especially those with bowel conditions, whose anxiety at trying to make ends meet can have a direct impact on the symptoms they experience. So come on guys please consider your toilet prices – available toilet facilities are a basic human need, not an excuse for making money.

Can’t wait cards can be purchased from

www.theibsnetwork.org

www.nacc.org.uk

Radar key for disabled toilet facilities and guides are available from

www.radar-shop.org.uk/Detail.aspx?id=44

Read Peter’s blog on toilets and IBD here

http://www.crohnsupport.com/toilet-finder/

The impact study can be downloaded from

http://www.efcca-solutions.net/country.php

Is this the end of the public loo? (express.co.uk)
Singing Toilet Will Make You Laugh And Care About World Toilet Day (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
Keeping (Rediscovering?) Your Sense of Humor (mygutsforgarters.wordpress.com)

November 17, 2013November 17, 2013

Jules_GastroRD3 Comments

It’s a FODMAP free fishy friday

Do you eat fish on Friday? Do you know where this tradition came from?

I think one of the most comforting foods during dank winter days is fish pie. It is warming, comforting and can be a really healthy option too. Great to come home too after work when you need something tasty and filling after a full week at work a great start to the weekend. Now our usual fare on Friday is pilchards on toast – but I will bring you this delight some other time.

Ingredients

300g mixed fish, this can be purchased from supermarkets already prepared, use a white fish, a smoked fish and salmon.

2/3 pint of lactose free milk

1 tablespoon of cornflour

1 1/2 teaspoons of mustard

Small handful of flat leaved parsley

salt

2cm piece of freshly grated parmesan

1/3 small Butternut Squash, 1 tablespoon of garlic infused oil, 1/2 lemon

600g of potato

1 tablespoon of margarine

3 tablespoons of lactose free milk

Method

Chop the squash, drizzle with oil and lemon and roast in the oven till soft

Boil the potato

Mash the squash and potato with margarine and 3 tablespoons of milk add a small amount of salt

Add milk to a pan with mustard, parsley and mix cornflour with a little milk and add this to the pan – cook till thickened.

Add fish to a dish and pour over sauce till the fish is covered, keep remaining sauce to serve with the dish later.

Spoon on the mash, level with a fork and then sprinkle on the cheese.

Place the dish in the centre of an oven at gas mark 6, 250ºC for 25 minutes.

Serve with the warmed sauce.

November 9, 2013November 16, 2013

Jules_GastroRD7 Comments

Stir fry beef low fodmap

This recipe is suitable for a Low FODMAP diet, lactose free, wheat free dairy free and some advice later will show you how you can modify this recipe suitable for Crohn’s and colitis too. Give it a go – also check out the following tool to help you monitor your symptoms of diarrhoea it is not a diagnostic programme so if you have a diagnosis and wish to know more read on…….

A new free online health programme and app called MyRhythm has just launched and is used to track your digestive health on the go discreetly and with ease. By inputting your food and mood, the app will draw up a monthly report, identifying certain triggers unique to the user for digestive upset.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of Ginger, chopped

4 tablespoons of Tamari soy sauce

1 tablespoon of golden syrup

1 tablespoon of garlic infused oil (to ensure it is totally FODMAP free you need to purchase this)

1 pak choy

1 courgette

1 red pepper

1 spring onion, green part only

1/2 tin of bamboo shoots

250g of lean beef – cut into strips.

Method

Chop ginger and add to a pestle with the golden syrup and garlic infused oil, grind to form a paste

Add this to the beef and chopped spring onion pour on the Tamari, mix well and leave to marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Chop the vegetables thinly and heat a wok – I use a non stick wok so I don’t need to add any further oil to this to cook the meat.

Add the meat first and cook, then add the vegetables and keep stirring till the vegetables are cooked.

Serve with boiled rice – ensure you use freshly boiled rice and eat whilst hot to avoid resistant starches, if this is a problem for you.

If you have colitis and don’t tolerate red meat you can use chicken or fish to make this recipe. If you are experiencing diarrhoea symptoms and have been advised to have a low fibre diet, you will need to reduce the amount of vegetables in this dish, 1/2 carrot and 1/2 a skinned red pepper cut finely and cooked well will be adequate (boil for 10 minutes – boil the pepper whole for 10 minutes and the skin will peel away, before you put the vegetables into a wok) and use powdered ginger instead of ginger root to make up the recipe. Discuss the iron content of your diet with your dietitian or IBD team – do not be tempted to try iron supplements without discussing this with your doctor or dietitian, they can make symptoms worse. Low FODMAP diet is suitable if you are in remission (your inflammatory markers or CRP are normal) with your colitis and are continuing to experience symptoms, your dietitian can advise you how to use the diet, to see which foods result in symptoms.

For Crohn’s to make this diet suitable for LOFFLEX you can use the modifications which have been suggested for the low fibre diet.

Please note I do not endorse any medication companies but this app tool might be useful – only use medications on advice from your healthcare professional.

November 6, 2013April 25, 2014

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Pork steaks with a sweet southern twist plus fried green tomatoes Low FODMAP (contains fructose)

I have always wanted to try fried green tomatoes ever since I watched the film ‘Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-stop Cafe‘. It is one of my favourite films starring Kathy Bates and Jessica Tandy, it has a complex plot but is worth watching. Well, on Saturday I bought some green tomatoes and decided I would finally give it a go! I also bought some pork steaks so here is the recipe:

Pork Steaks

2 pork steaks

1 tablespoon of golden syrup

1 tablespoon of garlic infused olive oil

½ teaspoon of paprika

½ teaspoon of ground allspice

1 large sage leaf

3-4 strands of thyme

Salt

1 inch piece of ginger

Method

Chop the herbs and ginger and mix with golden syrup, garlic infused oil, paprika, salt and allspice.

Rub this mixture into the pork steaks.

I cooked this immediately but it will probably benefit from marinading for a couple of hours.

Cook in the oven at gas mark 5 for 1.5 hours (the longer the better really to ensure the pork is really tender.)

Fried green tomatoes.

4 green tomatoes

Gluten free flour

1-2 eggs

maize meal

salt & pepper

Garlic infused oil

Method

Slice the tomatoes and dry them between pieces of kitchen paper.

Put the gluten-free flour on a flat plate and season with salt & pepper

Crack the eggs into a dish and beat with a fork

Put the maize meal onto another flat plate and season with salt & pepper.

Dip the sliced tomato into the gluten-free flour first, then egg and finally into the maize meal. Coat thoroughly with each dip.

Fry the tomatoes in a little oil till golden.

I served both these dishes with a little boiled rice and tomato with rocket.

According to the reviews I read on the internet before I tried this dish people have lots of memories of eating fried green tomatoes cooked by their mothers and grandmothers. I am sure I cannot give this dish the taste that someone who has cooked this for family for years. But I have to mention that it is a dish that doesn’t seem to be worse for using gluten-free flour – in fact I think by using a rice based gluten-free flour blend, the crispness may be better than the original!

September 23, 2013October 30, 2013

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Bonsoir mes amis voules-vous des Madeleines sans gluten? Milk free, low FODMAP.

These little plump cakes are easy to make and are just the ticket if you want to have a little something sweet but don’t want to go overboard on calories, they are gluten-free, low fodmap and milk free. The secret is to eat one! I love France, particularly Paris I have been twice and still would love to go back. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

130 g Castor sugar

2 medium eggs

Grated rind of 1 lemon + juice of 1/2 lemon

225 g of gluten-free self-raising flour

120 g of dairy free margarine

Method

Add the castor sugar, lemon juice and eggs to a bowl. Whisk over a pan of warm water until at least double the volume.

Melt the margarine and add the grated lemon rind, pour into a measuring jug.

Drizzle the margarine slowly into the batter and continue to whisk, then add the flour and mix slowly with a metal spoon until it is fully incorporated.

Allow the batter to cool and put a heaped teaspoon of batter into a Madeleine tray. Cook at gas mark 6 until risen and golden.

Remove from the tray and cool – makes about 18.