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Random question - brownies!

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Posted 6/25/2013 3:27 PM (GMT 0)
Just curious if people are able to tolerate 'thick' foods like brownies and things like that? I know the key is to always chew well, but how do you do with things where chewing doesn't really have any bearing since brownies - well, they can still stay the same consistency even after chewing :).

Just wondering if things like that can cause blockages or if it's really more along the lines of "roughage" that doesn't get chewed down enough, versus thickness of how well it's chewed.
Posted 6/25/2013 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
Has wayyy more to do with roughage. Brownies would be pretty easy actually... they're considered "GI soft" (anything you can cut with the side of your fork) so as long as they aren't whole grain or anything (and no nuts, obviously) you could eat them a few days after surgery wink The main issue with brownies would be that chocolate and sugar can decrease transit time leading to possibly liquidy output.

The foods that thicken me the most are bagels and peanut butter. I have naturally thin output because my loop ileostomy is pretty high (about 20% of my small intestine is "offline" right now) so I'm always eating thickening foods purposely (marshmallows, potatoes, cheese, pretzels, potato chips) but I have had a couple of incidents where Imodium + bagel or Imodum + too much peanut butter thickened me up too much.

Anyway, it suffices to say that you can eat practically anything with an ileostomy once you're healed up. The *amount* might need to be restricted and you might need to eat certain foods with other foods to move them along (e.g. popcorn with a piece of bread), but in general the dietary restrictions are pretty loose.
Posted 6/25/2013 4:08 PM (GMT 0)
Curious why nuts and popcorn in general are frowned upon? I mean, I don't eat nuts whole and chew them even now. I would imagine with brownies with nuts theyre usually diced so small.

And with popcorn, aside from the unpopped kernels, seems like chewing it would still get it pretty pasty? Just surprised really because to me it seems like things like asparagus would be way worse given the strands and fibers of the vegetable. Or brisket or even bread since it's such a dense food and doughy!

Is it because these things tend to bulk up even after the fact and form a small ball that gets lodged in the small intestine?

Post Edited (tiesto81) : 6/25/2013 10:11:51 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/25/2013 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
It doesn't really have to do with the state that food is in while you're eating it, it has more to do with what happens to the food after it's been mixed with stomach juices and digestive enzymes. So, for example, if you soak in a piece of bread in water (or more precisely some water and acid), it will eventually turn into a "slurry" that is just like a thick liquid. Nothing sharp or thick. Even a really tough piece of bread or something hard like a pretzel does soften with liquid.

Whereas, if you soak chewed up nuts in water... you end up with chewed up nuts. They don't really soften. They can ball up in your intestines or the sharp edges can scratch the sensitive insides of a swollen intestine (intestine will be swollen for several weeks due to being manipulated during surgery). The same is true of popcorn kernels, even when they're popped they have that plasticky bit of shell on the inside that does not dissolve or soften (personally I swore off popcorn years before I had UC because I got those shells stuck in my gums so often that I once had to go to the dentist to have it removed!). You'll be surprised when/if you get or ostomy to see that even when you feel like you're chewing REALLY well, relatively large pieces of veggies will pass out of your stoma.

The common thread with all of these is insoluble fiber. It's right there in the name -- it's insoluble (doesn't dissolve) in gastric juices.
Posted 6/25/2013 9:22 PM (GMT 0)
Nuts and seeds can't be digested, by anyone. Think about it, that's how a lot of trees and plants spread seeds. Animals eat it, go along later and poop it out! They break up however small you chew them into though. I love popcorn and used to eat it all the time, what bothered me were the little hard pieces coming out, same with nuts. Someone on here had a nut poke a hole in their bag!
As for brownies and stuff like that, if I eat them with ice cream they just shoot right out, I guess the combo does it. If I eat them seperate they stay kind of gunky but still come out fine. Like cake comes out kind of sticky, it will stick to the toilet bowl, so will syrup! Bananas and applesauce seem to triple in volume and make output a lot thicker.
Posted 6/26/2013 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
now I want a brownie! seriously.. no reason you can't eat brownies with an ostomy.
Posted 6/26/2013 1:06 AM (GMT 0)
If anyone wants a great, simple brownie recipe, just ask. Took me over 30+ years to find it and it was always right there under my nose. lol
Posted 6/26/2013 1:17 PM (GMT 0)
Marsky post the recipe please...I like simple
Posted 6/26/2013 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
Better Homes & Gardens (from an old 1975 edition I have)

Fudge Brownies

1/2 butter or margarine
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 One Ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I skip these)

Preheat oven to 350. In medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate. Remove from heat, stir in sugar. Blend in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and then flour. Stir by hand. No mixer needed. Add nuts if you so desire. Line a 8" by 8" baking pan with foil, allow foil to drape over at least 2 sides so you can easily lift out the brownies after baking. Spray the foil with cooking spray, add batter, smoothing out top. Bake just until a toothpick comes out nearly clean. I set my timer for between 17 and 20 minutes. Original printed calls for 30 minutes - that's far too long! Brownies will be rock hard. Check every minute. Pull out when just a few crumbs remain on toothpick. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Lift out, place on dishtowel on counter. Unfurl foil edges, sift confectioner's sugar over brownies. Allow to cool for 5 or 10 minutes but not too long. Cut into small 1 inch squares, keep a wet paper towel nearby to wipe off knife, for smooth cuts. My family seems to prefer these small size brownie portions too. Enjoy!

Start to finish, assembly, baking, cutting, takes about 40 minutes.

Once you pop them in the oven, watch carefully. It is SO EASY to bake these brownies too long. Everyone I make them for prefer they be soft and moist. I know that contradicts the recipe instructions, but this is the feedback I continually receive.

I also substitute Hershey's baking cocoa for the cooking squares (conversion is on the back of the tin).
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