diet and u/c

Welcome to Healingwell. I Find it hard to believe that uc'ers downplay the whole diet thing as well. I think b/c we have such a huge variety of foods available that we don't want to give up any of it. Also Doctors just want to push prescriptions I think.
I have been eating healthier and healthier and it seems to help. I tried the SCD diet once and It got me out of a horribly long flare but I am addicted to food so its hard to stick to the diet. Anyways, I am going to try pineapple and see what it does to me.

I thought pineapple was forbidden for UCers and mango. Since they aide in digestion, won't they also make you go more and that's not what UCers want. My husband was told to not even have any kind of fresh fruit juice b/c of the natural sugars which aren't good for the colon and the juice causes acidity.

This is great news if he can eat these things!

hi i think everyone is different in what they can eat, for me i dont have dairy milk, spicy foods, onions, i can eat vegetables and some fruit but not as many as i would like, i suppose i have quite a low fibre diet as that helps me, it just trial and error, if i eat something and get upset tummy then i try to avoid that food for a while, i may try it again after a few weeks if i get the same result then i know i have to leave that food alone.  

 

Remember a balance of enough fibre is quite necessary for IBDers, sure if you eat alot of cherries or grapes for example, you'll likely get D, but as far as I'm concerned, eating natural sugars (from fruits and veggies) will not cause D, of course if you eat tons of fruits and veggies, being fibre, this will promote more trips to the can but it won't likely be D either...I have nicely formed BM's and I eat plenty of fruit and veggies daily....it's processed sugar that is the devil, not natural sugars straight from the source of fruits and veggies.

:)

UC Spouse...I apologise for my rant.

I meant anyone who states UCers as all inclusive, especially regarding diet (notice the OP hasn't been back)....not you specifically...except the "forbidden" word. Not necessary for you to apologise for what you wrote or how I perceive your posts.

It's great you're enjoying....trial and error and moderation helps. Regardless...it won't make his UC worse...it will cause discomfort if he's flaring or maybe he just can't handle certain foods. Bananas, seem to be a staple in many diets...it gives me gasss worse than any other fruits.

Limitations are so .... well....limiting...creating so many fears unnecessarily. I've been at this too long I guess.

pb4...actually, too much fruit will cause the colon to increase peristalsis and loosen the stool...hence the reason they suggest to eat more fruit to help increase bms and prevent constipation. That reason as well as the fibre, both soluble and insoluble (which is separate from the fructose). As well, some of us don't have the ability to break down fructose...so, if it causes discomfort, then it should be consumed in either low amounts or not at all.

Fruit juices are more concentrated...if fructose is a problem, it's best to avoid it in juice form. One would tend to drink more than to consume in original form...

q

UC spouse said...
pb4-I wonder why my husband's GI said no grapes or strawberries or natural fruit juices. This was said to him within the two months after he was diagnosed.He was not doing too well at all. Maybe that's why. It's hard to tell how fruits affect him since he hasn't gone into remission since he has been diagnosed. There is no consistency. Bananas seem to suit him and peeled apples. We haven't tried pineapple, mango, strawberries, oranges, etc. after his doc. told him no for these things.

I guess he should try again. So, basically, fruits seem to be ok, as long as taken in moderation. Is that safe to say?

Any suggestions on what time of day one should have fruits? When my husband used to have big bowls of fresh mixed fruits, he would get a lot of gas and wake up at night to go to the bathroom. We weren't sure if that was b/c of the fruits that he was eating before sleeping or the diet he had for that day.

Some people may react to certain fruits and veggies, it's best to give him a little at a time to see how HE tolerates it...I wouldn't eat past 8pm, but that's just me and in regards to any foods, not just fruits, it's better for the digestive system not to eat past 8pm....I go to bed at about 11pm, this works best for me.

I would also try the fruits that are natural digestive enzymes and try them directly after eating each meal...mango, pineapple, kiwi and papaya, even if he has 1/2 a peice of fruit to start with after each meal just to see how he tolerates it.

Could be part of the reason some people have issues with all or certain fruits is when they're eating them, maybe eating a little after a meal would be easier on those who have issues eating them as a snack persay.

:)

Well... as far as fruits go.. I am ok with just about anything EXCEPT bananas and oranges.
The last time I had a banana was in 2004. I had an upset stomach and my boss told me to eat a banana and it would setlle my stomach.. WELL... all heck broke out.. I got intense abdominal pains, etc and had to leave work. I ended up going to see my Doctor, getting a colonoscopy and then my diagnoses. I doubt it was the fault of the banana.. but I can't say I have had one since. As for oranges.. I had a half of one about 3 months ago and it seemed to upset my stomach immediatly. And now, here I am in a flare.

I am avoiding lettuces and peelings <such as apple peelings> and haven't had corn in a few months either. I also avoid spicy foods and haven't had black pepper in about 2 years either. I was never told not to eat these things.. I just found they don't agree with me anymore. I also pick some of the pepperoni off my pizza... too much of a good thing turns out to be a bad thing!!

My boyfriend recently bought me a blender!! I LOVE IT!! I drop strawberries and pineapple and some ice cubes in there everyday and blend it all up and drink it for a nice cool snack. :O) Its probably easier to digest that way too. :O) UC SPOUSE you should try the blender for your husbands fruits !!

:O)

I love bananas, but I can't eat them on their own, they give me horrible heartburn, so I have them on toast or in a smoothy.

Because everybody is different, I guess you have to try different things and see how your tummy is affected by it. Our bodies need enzymes, vitamins and minerals to be kept healthy, so eat all the healthy items you can, IMO.

UC spouse said...
Wow,you all seem to have a great understanding of what fruits suit you and what doesn't. How did you figure that out? Some of you even know if you have too much of a fruit, it causes discomfort. If you are having these fruits after dinner...how do u differentiate if it's the dinner or the fruit that causes u more bm's??

This has been the most difficult/frustrating part for us. To figure out what foods are suitable to my husband. We don't know if it was dinner, lunch,a snack that increased his bowels or stress. My husband hasn't gone into remission, so the number of bm's are very inconsistent. Is it easier to find out what suits the body when one goes into remission b/c then your body is more consistent and if u feed it something wrong then it reacts?

I like the idea about blending the fruits. I am sure your're right, that will make things easier to digest. Thanks for the idea Pooie1981.

pb4, thanks for the suggestion about half a fruit and the enzymes...I will try that tonight and onwards. My husband is one of those that eats peeled apple/fruits as a snack. Maybe that's too much.

princesa & princesscolon, I have the book: What to Eat With IBD by Tracie M Dalessandro . Do you know about this book? Is the one you guys suggested similar to this one? My book mentioned parmesan cheese and butter in one of their recipes. I was a little surprised at that.

One last question: I've noticed some people saying that canned fruits are ok. I have even seen  that on some IBD diets too. Don't canned fruits have a high content of fructose and/or corn syrup? I guess this would be another trial and error thing...one has to just try something to figure out if it suits you.

 

Trial and error. You can get advice from other sufferers all day long, but that won't guarantee how your husband will react. And you'll see plenty of conflicting advice on here.

The best thing to do is an elimination diet and keep a food journal. It's a tough deal and takes discipline, but it will help you pinpoint the problem foods.

I haven't read What to Eat with IBD, so I can't comment. Looks like it got great reviews on Amazon. Personally, butter and parmesan have never been a problem for me and I'm very intolerant of other dairy products, but it may be different for your husband.

Canned fruits are good because the tough fiber matrix has been broken down and peels have generally been removed. Look for "lite" varieties or those that are canned in their own juice. Better yet, go to an organic food store and get your canned fruit there where you won't have to worry about added sugar, etc.

According to food combination guidlines one should not eat dessert or fruit after a meal b/c it is harder for the body to breakdown the sugars and it just sits there and ferments.

I agree that it's trial and error on each person's part. I don't seem to have much of a problem with fruits. If I'm eating a peach or an apple, I won't eat the skin of it. But usually I just eat canned peaches or applesauce instead. Bananas and strawberries haven't given me any problems either. I think in my case, just about anything could give me a problem during a flare. Otherwise, I'm okay.

What are you talking about Q, they are a natural enzyme...and as you already mentioned, the fact that they are a fibreous food is a benefit since we need fibre (as you mentioned taking fibre supplements)

Pineapple has been used by many people for centuries as a folk remedy for numerous ailments, particularly digestive problems. Modern research has shown that bromelain, an enzyme found in both the stem and the fruit of a pineapple, may be where pineapple gets many of its health benefits. Pineapple contains substantial amounts of both vitamin C and manganese, so eating pineapple can help strengthen bones, relieve cold symptoms, aid digestion, and stop diarrhea.

I know some people have issues with certain fruits, but my point is that pinapple, papaya, kiwi and mangos are all natural digestive enzymes which aid in digestion when eaten directly after a meal.

:)