Diet

Your diet needs to fit with your symptoms. Those of us with significant strictures have a hard time following the SCD or makers diet because it has too much fibre, especially unsolulable fibre (veggies and fruits etc) Some of us have gluten intolerances, some have fat mal-absorption issues. Your best course of action is to keep a food journal and really get to know how you react to different foods. If you keep a journal it is much easier to see patterns that will help you determine what foods to avoid.

In general, you should try to eat as healthy and balanced a diet as you can tolerate. If you can manage whole grains and fresh fruit and vegetables then eat them. If your symptoms increase when you eat fresh oranges, avoid them. Etc.

most diets are hard at first as you have to eat totally different than you do now to get any results. but once you get used to it, it becomes a habit and then it is easy. the problem with most diets is that most have gimmicks and sell you lousy products to eat or drink that just dont work and are full of artificial synthetic ingredients that are junk.

if you cant hang with the makers or scd (which i believe are the best for crohns), then here is what i'd do, bare minimum:
1) stop drinking soda and drink a ton more water. use fruit juice at a minimum. coffee, tea, milk, alcohol are not water.
2) cut out processed foods and sugars. if you want a cookie, make it yourself from scratch using better ingredients. you gotta stop eating the junk food.
3) go organic. it is worth the price.
4) keep a food journal to figure out what foods bother you.
5) educate yourself on nutrition and diet. by doing this you can tailor a diet that is right for you and your food intolerance(s).
6) cut out gluten and dairy for a month or two and see what happens. (keep a journal when doing this).
7) eat more fruits and veggies. if you are worried about insoluble fiber, cook your veggies (soups are great) and peel your fruit.
8) stop eating out (or do so very seldom) and make your own meals. you must learn to cook. it is fun. truly.
9) take digestive enzymes with every meal. take a fish/krill/cod liver oil daily. use a green drink supplement. get a good b-12 and vitamin D supplement.
10) get some will power and do a detox. in doing this reseed your gut with a good probiotic. this is where i'd actually start, but it is rough thus the will power.
11) bar foods and protein powders are not necessarily healthy. most are a waste of money. skip them.

teas are a tough call cos of the quality. so much of it is junk. a cup or so every day or every other day wont kill you, but dont count it in your daily water consumption. a good quality green tea has good stuff in it (ie antioxidants). loose leaf tea is best, but again, so much of it is junk it is hard to know if you are getting a good quality one or not. teas are also diuretics so be careful there. black tea isnt supposed to be so good cos it naturally contains fluoride, which isnt good. ginger and peppermint teas are great digestive aids. very handy when i have a tummy ache.

I agree with Zanne in that diet is very individual. Like her, one day I can eat one thing and then the next it kills me. I live on a low residue diet, and it works well for me. I too can only tolerate very little fiber, although I can eat beans no problem and it gives others grief. I also, eat NO red meat, and only eat fish, turkey or chicken. Keep a food diary and find what works for YOU. Good luck!!