diets for colitis?

Does anyone have any kind of diet they follow for Colitis that they think helps? or supplements that help?

I tried researching some and found them all to be quite different. The reason I ask is not that I want to stop taking meds....right now anyways.

My mindset is that (hopefully) I am on these meds now to get this under control...and work on putting it into and keeping it in remmission.

I have read many different stories of long battles with this disease. I know I don't want that to be me. I know that I can't control it neccessarily, but I'm not going to a gun fight with a knife. I'm not going to sit here and eat things that may be doing me harm, while passing up things that may help and just try to let the meds do their thing.

If anyone has any ideas they can share, what works for them...or helps at all...that would be awesome. I don't exactly want to go on a strict diet. I have heard eliminating carbs etc. What I want to do is incorporate all of these ideas. I mean pasta and pizza are my favourite meals. I could eat them all week. If it means eating pizza OR pasta once a week, and eating fish, chicken, eggs, and rice for the remainder....IF it would help....I'm all for it.

Hit me with your ideas  

Good suggestions Christine. 

Well, the allergy connection would be with food, not UC...making it two issues. I don't believe it's allergy related...but one can definitely have food allergies with UC. I would think, however, one would have more systemic symptoms or quicker gastro issues...considering UC starts at the rectum and the basic "food" stuff would be processed and absorbed in the mouth/ stomach and small intestine respectfully.

Eating as normally as possible...I should have added with common sense. Do the homework. We are told to eat lots of fruits and veggies to avoid constipation..if one has diarrhea, don't eat as many, chew well and cook veggies to the point of easy chewing.

Coffee can trigger a bm...maybe have it in the morning and if it causes bms in the afternoon while working, not a good idea.  Save it for when you know what to expect.

I'll point out one issue.....regarding the new spinach and seeds diet that many are following. While this may create a rise from those who are eating it....my observation is that they are finding new and creative ways to eat it. Foods that people may have cut out before...they've added because of the spinach..etc. I see them as eating...eating a lot more food....and that, in turn allows the colon to actually function better. Is it the spinach? Well, spinach sure absorbs a lot of water...it's a natural fibre source. I would worry about the fact that it's high in oxalate...can cause kidney stones..but they're eating!!

Limiting foods based on gut comfort is one thing...but one is going to have more bms anyway while flaring...while on meds, that should take care of the inflammation, and eventually, the comfort level will even out.

Pizza is pretty subjective...we all don't eat the same kind. So, eat pizza, but eat it with common sense and good health in mind.

Digestive enzymes can help...although too many can encourage diarrhea or gas. So, that's a suggestion depending what one's needs are.

Fibre supplement to help bulk the stool...good idea.

I will, however....suggest that anyone not overly consume any artificial sweeteners.

I'm sure many others will give lots of suggestions.

I don't like the yes and no rules, however....keeping a food diary is helpful. Remembering that food eaten one minute isn't the cause of symptoms....it will help kick start the peristalsis, and whatever is in the lower colon will be emptied whether one has necessarily eaten or not...especially with an inflamed colon.

I had lots of foods come out looking as they did going in (after chewing, however). It's not a bad thing...because if one has diarrhea, that's how it would look anyway. I believe that understanding how it all works, adding foods or fibre supplements to help change the consistency and look of stool can aid in the frustration and the distress that one might not be improving.

Don't make it all about food....but if one truly believes that certain foods cause problems or allergies, it should be brought up to the doctor and a referral to an allergist to have it checked out should be in order.

Way too much said, I know, but it's difficult to say to people, don't eat that and have it true for everyone.

quincy

pb4 said...
Q,

fruits and veggies are fibre so the chances of them inhibiting D is not likely, sure if you eat a ton of cherries or grapes in one sitting it can get you going but in general fruits and veggies are both soluble and insoluble fibres, they help bulk up stool and make it easier for bulked stool to pass through the digestive tract, fruits and veggies do not exacerbate D.

:)

Fruits are also high in fructose, which we don't digest....some people have problems with some fruit, but not all. 

Fruit  and some veggies are high in vitamin C.....vitamin C, if taken in high dosages (through foods or supplements) can cause diarrhea or at the very least, a looser/softer stool.

Fruits and veggies will also help in quickening the peristalsis.....they also have soluble and insoluble fibre.   Some have more water, some don't.   Both of which do can absorb fluid, although, not all insoluble absorb.  The insoluble also takes up space, so that stool isn't as compacted. 

An apple is the perfect example...it can be eaten cooked, peeled, not peeled, sauced, drank.  There are also different apple varieties...some less water, some less fructose, some harder peels, some more pulp, etc.   I compare it to making concrete...one needs to mix water in cement and stones or pebbles or gravel...depending on what the need is.   

Regardless....f & v can change consistency of the stool, the peristalsis, exacerbate some symptoms...etc.  but, they can help as well. 

One also needs fibres such as grains....not all agree with everyone, not all work the same on everyone, some can cause constipation, others cause more discomfort.

Definitely all subjective, but fibre is necessary in helping keep the colon in a good rhythmic flow, even during the spasming, etc.  Not all will work as well as the others for everyone. 

In general....eat as normally as possible.  Foods digest and go through the system at a different rate.  Foods high in water will go through quicker, foods that demand more processing/digestion go through slower.  That's also why I suggtest meat and fibre "supplements"...because most will avoid veggies and fruits.  You and i know the importance, but it's a learned process. 

The bottom line is comfort, but with an inflamed gut/butt....it'll all come out regardless if we're eating or not.  It's best to eat as balanced as possible and help the colon either slow down or quicken up, to change consistency depending on what one's symptoms are (diarrhea or constipation) so that exit is a bit more comfortable or that one has less digestion distress.

Doctors suggest the BRAT diet for a reason...so that the colon doesn't have to work so hard.  But, that in turn can set one up for a lazy colon if it's continued over long periods of time.

Keep warm!!!  Hey, doesn't it just bug you that the newscasts are now stating our temps in the windchill form as the real temp and not what the actual temp is?  did you know it's going to be -45C!!! bwahahahahaaaaa...some people couldn't even imagine the actual -45C....I could only imagine their horror!     (ok vent over)

Be well...

q

quincy

Fructose is a sugar found in fruit. It's also a basic component in table sugar (sucrose). In addition, sorbitol — a sugar alcohol — is converted to fructose during normal digestion. So if you have fructose intolerance, you should avoid foods that contain fructose and sucrose as well as sorbitol. These include:

• Fruit and fruit juices
• Meat products cured in sugar or breaded
• Sweetened milk or sweetened milk beverages
• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Corn syrup
• Table sugar (beet and cane)
• Confectioner's sugar

Some vegetables as well as some bread and cereal products also may contain fructose. Consult a registered dietitian for a complete list of foods your daughter should eat or avoid. The dietitian also can help create a healthy diet plan for your daughter to make sure she gets the nutrients she needs.

It is important to note that "fructose intolerance" is a general term that describes two possible conditions:

• Hereditary fructose intolerance, a rare genetic disorder. People with hereditary fructose intolerance lack an enzyme that breaks down fructose. This is a serious disorder that can lead to liver and kidney damage.
• Fructose malabsorption, a digestive disorder. People with fructose malabsorption have difficulty digesting fructose. This is a less serious disorder because it doesn't result in liver or kidney damage. But it can cause abdominal pain, nausea, bloating and diarrhea.

Ya, I heard that it'll be/is -45 with the windchill in winnipeg BRRRRRRRRR, although it sucks here too, -30 with the windchill, oh how I HATE winter!!!!!

:)

You guys all have such great suggestions.

A thing I started doing is keeping boiled eggs in the fridge so I can just grab one anytime during the day. I know how important protein is and I think, even if I just eat the whites (sometimes yolk too) that this is a great shot of protein that I can just grab and eat in 30 seconds while walking by the fridge.

I'm glad to hear that pineapple has such good effects. Fresh pineapple has become one of my fav's. I will make sure to eat it with something else and give it another shot.

I also love salmon. Still learning the trick of not overcooking, but not undercooking. Here we can get salmon marinated in a wine and herb base at my Loblaws...so good. Sometimes I just bake it plain and add a bit of lemon pepper or something. Not the best chef, but learning new things all the time. I even pan fry it quite a bit. You don't have to add any oil at all since it has enough natural fats...trust me, if it didn't stick to my crappy old pan, it won't to anyones.

Do any of you drink green tea? I've been trying to drink more. I have been told it has an anti-inflammatory effect as well.

Just a thought. Great ideas everyone...you all help me out alot for a guy who's just trying to figure this all out.