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The Water Closet

Steppin' Out

5/7/2016

8 Comments

 
While an ethic of compassion is the underpinning of a vegan lifestyle, many people adopt a plant-based diet for a wide variety of other reasons. First and foremost among those is health. ​
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There are countless stories of people who have recovered from debilitating illness or disease, went from obese to svelte, or miraculously rose from the brink of death just by moving to a plant-centered diet. I'd wager that almost everyone who becomes vegan expects to feel better, or at least feel good, even if they didn't have health problems before changing their diets.

Because of the high expectations new vegans have, and because we all want veganism to receive positive press, people who don't feel good after adopting a plant-based diet are usually given a litany by other vegans of what they are doing wrong or all the approaches they need to try. The truth is, if someone doesn't feel good on a vegan diet but is committed to being vegan nonetheless, chances are they've already tried all those approaches and the last thing they want is somebody telling them what else they should attempt.

Because vegans who are flourishing can often be judgmental and critical of vegans who aren't, those of us who aren't thriving are, not surprisingly, frequently unwilling to admit it to our fellow vegans and expose ourselves to disapproval. But the fact is that some people simply don't do as well or feel as well on a totally plant-based diet as others, and there are actually some very valid (and scientifically proven) reasons for that, particularly when it comes to people with IBS. That's because the foundation of a plant-based diet (whether it's a diet that's raw, oil-free, fat-free, sugar-free, low-carb, high starch, or something else) are foods that are high in FODMAPs, which are specific types of carbohydrates that are difficult to digest and trigger or worsen IBS symptoms. Just as cholesterol is only found in animal products, FODMAPs are only found in plant foods.

I became vegan "back in the day," before it was cool or trendy. I was on a mission to spread the gospel of animal rights and wrote numerous books on vegan cuisine and compassionate living, which were difficult to get published because, at the time, the topic of veganism was way more controversial and taboo than it is today. I promoted vegan eating and living far and wide, and I hope my efforts have contributed in some small measure to the current global vegan movement.

But, as you might imagine, divulging that I haven't felt very good all along, and that I felt even worse after becoming vegan, is a rather difficult revelation. (And, yes, I've tried all those different approaches that you might be thinking of suggesting right about now.)

IBS is a chronic condition that as yet has no cure. So although well-meaning vegan friends (and nonvegan friends, acquaintances, and family members) may think they have the brilliant solution that nobody else has managed to stumble upon until now, the bottom line is they don't. The best that those of us with IBS can do is try to manage our symptoms.

And that's the whole purpose of this website and blog. If you are vegan and have IBS, I want you to know that you aren't alone. There is a whole community of us around the world -- we just need to find each other, support each other, and bolster each other up, especially when we're having a flare-up or are feeling isolated and alone.

With this blog I'm taking what feels like a huge risk and leap of faith. Even though I'm usually a very private person, I'm steppin' out of the water closet to say that I'm vegan, I have IBS, and I often don't feel well. Whether you're vegan, vegetarian, halfway there, or still undecided, if you have IBS, I welcome you here! 

*****

Please post in the comments and let me know what you'd like me to cover in future blog posts and on the website. I look forward to getting to know you!


8 Comments
Holland MacFallister link
5/8/2016 02:03:43 am

Oh Jo, this is just wonderful...and brave...and so you. Your compassionate advice along with your beyond the moon culinary/literary skills have had a deep impact on so many of us and your work continues with this new chapter. I can only imagine how you may have felt all these years as I myself have often thought when suffering from tummy distress or bloating or finding yet another vegan food that doesn’t really agree with me – gee, and I had hoped to be the poster boy for vegan health. Well, let’s just opt for becoming the poster men and woman for vegan compassion...for the animals, for our fellow humans, and for our sensitive digestive systems. Excited to be following you down the yellow-bricked FODMAP and welcome out of the WC!

Reply
Jo Stepaniak link
5/8/2016 12:31:02 pm

Thank you so much, Holland! Your comments mean so much to me. If there's anything you'd like to see me cover on the website or in the blog, please let me know. Any suggestions you have would be welcome.

Reply
Becky
5/9/2016 12:11:42 pm

Just lovely, Jo! You've expressed so well what I think many of us vegans know to be true, after a time - just switching to a vegan diet will not be the absolute cure for every ailment out there. Initially there is that hope and belief that this will be the case, but it just doesn't work that way. And it's discouraging when you get the message from certain vegan "experts" that you must be doing something wrong if you don't always feel good on a vegan diet. Thank you for this!!

Reply
Jo Stepaniak
5/9/2016 12:48:16 pm

My pleasure, Becky -- and thank you for your comment! If there's anything in particular that you'd like me to cover in the blog (or on the site), please feel free to let me know!

Reply
Natalie
5/9/2016 06:47:36 pm

Jo, I appreciate you asking for feedback on issues that are of the readers' interest. Speaking for myself, I'd like to hear more about your journey to discovering what works, what challenges you had, what mistakes you made and how you solved them. It would warn us around what issues to be more vigilant.

Reply
Jo Stepaniak
5/10/2016 08:09:58 am

Hi, Natalie. That's a great suggestion -- thanks! I'll have to give that some thought, especially since everyone's experience with IBS is so individualized, and I certainly don't have all the answers. What works for or helps me might be the undoing of someone else. However, there are definitely some tips I could pass along that might be of value to others, so I could indeed do a blog post around those. I greatly appreciate your suggestion and plan to follow up on it!

Reply
Kat
7/16/2016 08:53:55 pm

Hi Jo, I'm vegan and was just diagnosed with SIBO and have to go on a low FODMAP diet. After a few days of panicking and thinking that there's nothing really left that I can eat, I discovered your book and I'm so grateful for it! Thank you soooooooo much for taking this step, and for creating such a beautiful resource that will help many many others on their journey. I hope we will keep hearing from you on this blog and your website, please keep sharing and inspiring. So happy that I found you here!!!!!

Reply
Jo Stepaniak link
7/17/2016 08:12:57 am

Hi, Kat! So nice to meet you. Thank you for your kind comments. I'm so sorry about your diagnosis, but I'm very glad you found my book and the website. I hope the information and guidance in both resources will give you lots of support and guidance.

Yes, I definitely intend to continue posting on the website and blog. The News page is updated whenever I come across some new or current discoveries or interesting articles. I be posting a fresh blog about twice a month. Please subscribe so you can get updates sent straight to your inbox.

I look forward to seeing you here more, Kat, and wish you the very best!

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    Vegan author Jo Stepaniak, MSEd, has endured IBS for decades. She understands firsthand the challenges of living with dietary restrictions as well as chronic pain and illness.
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