Dietary nonsense

This is a list of foods suggested for when a person with IBD is not flaring, ie, is in remission. Most Crohn's docs would agree with it, from my experience. There is (very limited) evidence that eating well like that can reduce/prevent future flaring of the disease.

Now, when a person is flaring, the list would be very different, to be sure.

But you're absolutely right that many - or most - people with IBD would have a hard time with many of the suggested foods. That's the catch-22 involved here - it may be better for one's IBD to eat well, but it's exactly the foods that constitute 'eating well' that are the ones that are hard to tolerate.

I dont think diet causes crohns , some people were vegan for years anyway then got crohns, why do some people eat terribly an dont get crohns but others who eat better do get it, doesnt make sense to me

JakeB said...
If I want to have some McDonalds chicken nuggets sometimes, those sit well with me... and I will eat them! ...
but it sure sits better than if I had boiled broccoli, beans, or a salad!

No argument here. I have no problem eating chicken nuggets but eating broccoli, along with most cruciferous veggies, will soon trigger a flare for me.

straydog said...
someone that has a very, very mild disease maybe, or were they misdiagnosed, who knows. I have read many posts in this forum & the UC forum over the years, new members claiming diet fixed them, well, as it turns out they did not have IBD, infectious colitis, not the same.

When I was in a flare my symptoms were as bad or worse than most of what I read here in HW. Multiple colonoscopies over the years with biopsies leave no doubt that I have IBD.

Monitoring my diet for my individual triggering foods, (like broccoli, see my signature), helps me maintain my remission. I may need meds (antibiotics) to get out of a flare but otherwise once in remission I don't take meds. But I find that supplements such as curcumin, psyllium seed, probiotics, etc., are very helpful. Research published in NIH's PubMed indicate that these can be just as effective as mesalamines for prolonging remission.

I've had chronically low intake of 'healthy food' i.e. veggies over the years. And agree with Breve about 'eating well'. We seem to be forced to choose the lesser of two evils - low intake of 'healthy foods' or inflammation caused by 'healthy foods'. It's frustrating to all of us I am sure.

However I did want to motion something - recently I've found success over the last month and a bit by juicing my veggies. On the surface it seems it's the fiber my body did not like (so-far). I started with just veggies from my safe list which was about 4 items and gradually added more variety over time.

The interesting thing is the first week was a little rough but I stuck with it because 'it felt right' or ok I guess one could say. Not like the start of an IBD flare. Just loose stool and D, but over time my body seems to have accepted it and things have normalized to solid stool. I can now juice Kale, Collard Greens, Carrots, Cucumbers, Beets, Spinach and so on. These's things would normally take me out if I ate the raw/cooked veggie. I have about three glasses a day now - or one with each meal.

My energy level is sure up... But I have never tried juicing in the past while in a true flare or highly active disease state. I might be a bit hesitant should this be the situation.

As for the other items on that list - grains and fermented foods seem to be a no-go with serious consequences even though I am technically in 'full remission' according to my GI and recent tests. I'm not willing to risk flaring by trying to re-introduce them at the moment. I'm probably pushing my luck a little with juiced veggies.

Anyway, I think ambling summed things up perfect - "Everyone seems to eat the best they can, according to their own situation. And during a flare.....it's just OUCH."