All kinds of stuff stimulate or dry up the mucus...if you are on antihystamines then you will dry out the mucus (allergy and cold seasons kills my stoma...I need double doses of lube)...
The more you intubate, the more you produce...spicy food stimulates production too...things getting caught too.
As for irrigating and intubating...I average about 8-10xs day...before every meal plus when I wake up and before bed for sure plus mid morning and mid afternoon.
I only irrigate if I need too (thick output)...If I am nice to my pouch and drinking enough fluids (and the right ones: prune or grape juice, hot green tea, coffee and gallons of water) then my output is pure liquid and does not require irrigation...you get a feel for it...irrigation does help to remove the left over gunk that sits on the bottom of your pouch...you can 'swirl' things around in there by pushing and aspirating abut 5ccs of water (not more than that or you could hurt your pouch) when it gets really thick...That could help you too.
Some foods I cannot seem to give up...so I blend them for the taste even if I can't eat them normally (corn, peas...) and for the others I limit myself to 1 tbs (humous, anything bean related).
You can eat anything...just in moderation.
Sharon