Food/Drink No No's...still new to this

Im still very new to this disease, as this is my first real big flare.  Im trying to be as kind to my colon as possible and am struggling with what I can and cant consume.  I've always loved my red wine.  Obviously, since this flare I have stayed away from it, but now that things are possibly on the mend, can I add it??  Has anyone been successful with an occassional glass of red wine here and there??

Also, Stevia??  Is this a no no?  My son has GSD (Glysogen Storage Disease) so sugar is pretty non existent here.  When I make him almond flour cookies with stevia, can I eat them too??  Anyone been successful with Stevia.

Just looking for any input.  Im scared to put much of anything in my diet, but am hoping the occassional splurge with the two things listed above wont hurt.  Thanks.

I appreciate your honesty. I knew it was a tough question and was expecting all sorts of replies. I guess Im just wanting to feel normal again and with Easter here, I think im even more anxious. I think keeping a food journal is an awesome idea and I will be sure and do that. I have been gluten free for 2 years now, so i know that wasnt the answer for me, although i wish it was!! Im sticking to a SCD diet right now and have been for a week but just had my fingers crossed that everyone would come back and say...wine every now and then is just fine...lol!! Silly, I know! Thanks again!

I find that foods that people traditionally view as hard to digest are easier for me - Steak, Potatos, Burgers while lighter foods such as Soup and Salad give me trouble. Strange I know but this is what I am beginning to realize after 2 years with this disease.


My safest food is a cheeseburger on a potato bun - high quality meat, not mcdonalds lol. I am very lucky to have no issue with diary, most people do however.

Alcohol is the one thing that is hard on my colon, but now that I am not flaring I can certainly have a glass here and there. It will affect everyone differently so I would say give it a try but be careful.

being new to the disease is a bummer. you are going to have to find out what you can and cannot eat the hardway. for most of us experience is key. make sure that you have a journal going of all that you eat and when you flare. that is how I found out the very long list of food I cannot tolerate and will send me into a world of hurt. for me I do best on a low residue diet. some patients do well on a high fiber diet which would quite literally throw me in the hospital if I tried it again. wine...maybe once in awhile as long as it doesn't contradict your meds. I have had no personal problem with stevia but I prefer honey now since it has the natural antibiotic properties it just become my first choice. list list list mania!!! you need to be writing down everything you eat!!!! like others have said I do fine with red meat and dairy but even the slightest bit of rice or corn (popped or on the cob) will send me to the er. When you are in a flare is a very easy time to see what helps and what doesnt. Lately I am on a fully kosher low residue diet that seems to really be working!!!! Feel better and know you always have support on this forum

An occasional beer or wine is OK with me. Stevia is my staple sweetener, I love it in iced tea, but I can also tolerate moderate amounts of real cane sugar. That means most chocolate is OK too. What floors me is high fructose corn syrup found in most candy and soda.

I can tolerate dairy, (not everyone can), and non-gluten grains such as oatmeal, corn (even popcorn), quinoa, buckwheat, and rice. Gluten in wheat and barley kills me but for me diet modification is more than eating gluten-free. I can understand avoiding donuts and Starbucks hot cocoa, (but homemade cocoa seems OK), but some wholesome, SCD-legal food from Whole Foods Market was also triggering flares for me.

I came from a dirt poor Italian family that ate macaroni every day except for the special days when we had it twice. So I can see why my body finally rebelled against gluten. But since living on my own I avoided pasta and switched to wholesome food and vegetables. I ate kale, brussel sprouts, and carrots almost every day for years without any problem. I thought I was eating healthy. But I think now my body has finally rebelled and cannot eat those specific vegetables anymore. The only way I know to determine what is kosher for each individual is thru trial and error.

For years I had been looking forward to late Spring/early Summer when stone fruits come into season. No problems for over 50 years but recently my body has finally rebelled and I cannot pig out on plums and cherries anymore. My first major flare coincidentally started in June, 2009 when my favorite fruit became available. I had no idea what hit me.

If you are having joint pain then perhaps check to see if you increased your omega-6 intake. That could mean eating more margarine or vegetable oils, or even healthy foods like nuts and meat. That happens to me sometimes and I just decrease the 6's food and increase my omega-3s to balance it. I find that fish oil is more effective than flax but both are good.

Start keeping a food journal. Foods that bother some people, don't bother others. It's a very individual thing.

I wonder if in your experience nuts were originally OK when you started diet modification and did not turn bad until eating them every day as a staple snack of the SCD.

Maybe. Things seem to go in and out. Yogurt was no good for 6 months and then as I started feeling better I tried it again and now no problem. And why is almond butter OK with my gut but whole almonds are not? so confusing.

All I can say is that less insoluble fiber is better for my gut. When I eat too much insoluble fiber there is blood, more BM's then C. My gut is crankier than a 2 year old needing a nap, but still soooo much better than 2 years ago.