Diet restrictions and food addictions

Welcome to the club

After almost 2 years on diet modification I can say that it does get easier but thoughts of doughnuts still cross my mind along with chocolate and... well no sense in going on. Food never seemed to be an addiction for me before getting UC but giving up "normal" food like bread and milk was extremely difficult because so much of our modern diet is built around wheat and dairy products.

I am a very strong-willed and disciplined person but boy it was hard in the beginning. The only thing that made it worthwhile was seeing some improvement in symptoms which was re-inforced when falling off the wagon and getting the bad stuff back (urgency, D, bleeding).

I really like food and cooking so instead of being afraid to eat I found lots of "safe" recipes, on the internet or at the library in gluten-free or SCD cookbooks. I bought a juicer and experimented. Learned how to make my own almond flour using the food processor and bake gluten-free biscotti once a week (I love snacks).

You probably won't be 100% perfect with your new diet but that's OK, just do your best. You'll need to change long-standing ways of shopping, cooking and eating out and it'll take some time to get used to it. If it helps you feel better it'll be worth the trouble.

Every now and then cheating is OK as long as you don't go overboard. And it gets better, I can eat some foods that were bad a year ago. And I just found a rice snack that my colon doesn't mind, whoohoo, almost like my old crush Doritos.

When I feel sorry for myself not being able to eat all the ice cream or chocolate like I used to I think of people who have worse troubles than me and my complaint seems small.

It helps to have support at home, my DH is there for me and luckily likes veggies and protein and no carbs because he is into healthy eating. He eats more salads than I do lol. I hope you have someone like that and can stay away from people who make you feel bad if you don't eat they way THEY want you to.

Hope the prednisone doesn't make you too crazy for food, I've heard that is one symptom. How long before you are off it?

Best wishes.

P.S. Are you using mesalamine retention enemas? If not please do so, they are a big help in lowering inflammation down below. PITA to get used to (like diet mod.) but well worth it in the end (punny).

i didn't notice prednisone making me hungrier than usual but i do have some foods that i just don't buy because i'll binge on them. they never make me feel good after i eat them but it's just so delicious and i don't care at the time. my family isn't helpful either because my parents always buy junk foods so they are always around. i think you just have to find ways to satisfy your hunger healthily.

EEKS, try not to give in, drink lots of water, pred can really make you crave salty foods and that just adds to pred swelling which is a common side effect for many....by increasing your water intake, this can help you from over-eating (which pred loves to make us do) and flush toxins out of your system too.

Hang in there and best of luck with it all!

I have repeatedly used food as a comfort in the past (ice cream, sugar, cheesey breads...) and it's a daily struggle to not go back to those old ways. I feel so stripped down, eating very strictly and counting every penny since I'm not working and it's so difficult. Is there anyone else out there who has dealt successfully with food addictions or is struggling now and wondering how to keep going while struggling with IBD?

According to Dr. Robert Atkins, the Atkins diet guru, not only is glutamine effective for healing the digestive tract, (which is what IBDers like us need), but that it also snuffs out cravings for sugar.

On page 168 in his book, 'Dr. Atkins' Vita-Nutrient Solution', he talks how glutamine "maintains the structural integrity of the intestines to such an extent that it is dubbed 'intestinal permeability factor.' No other nutrient is as important for gastrointestinal integrity."

Page 169 Atkins says he uses 12 grams (3 teaspoons) daily to curb alcohol cravings and 1-2 grams to curb cravings for sweets.

One heaping teaspoon of powder is 4-5 grams. I prefer powder because it is cheaper and to avoid the fillers that are found in pills. (I take too many pills with fillers as it is). I cannot vouch for Atkins but I have heard about the benefits of glutamine from other sources as well.

I am fairly sure I read somewhere that when bodybuilders take glutamine with food that it helps to build muscle. But when taken on an empty stomach glutamine helps heal the digestive tract.