Food & UC

I know this topic can get pretty fiery but I really Am unsure if food is making things worse and causing shorter periods of remission. I was diagnosed almost 3 years ago and had one period of remission for about 1 year. Other than that I've had constant symptoms. I had a couple good months when the 6mp kicked in, then after about 3 months my symptoms began returning. (Blood,mucus,urgency) Symptoms straight now for 6-9 months. Everytime I think it is getting a little better it starts coming back. The doc wants me to go on simponi but I want to exhaust all the other meds first (mesalamine,6mp,)for fear of running out of treatment options.

I eat a lot of protein but not a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners. I don't like bread but don't eat gluten free. I normally drink 2 cups of coffee a day and don't want to give it up.(One first thing in the morning & one after lunch) I eat similar to the paleo diet, I like red meat (cooked) and I drink raw eggs. The reason I drink raw eggs is because I work out with weights and its an excellent source of protein. I drink 1 protein shake in the morning for breakfast with oatmeal. I've been working out for 10+ years so its a way of life for me. Some stuff I read is to eat high protein and some says not to. I'm naturally skinny and have eaten 6 meals a day for the past 10 years. I hated being real skinny as a kid and now have this fear of being like that again. Obviously with UC its hard for me to keep weight on.

Sometimes I think it does matter what I eat and sometimes I don't think it matters. What do you guys think?

There have been a lot of people in this lifestyle on this forum that have UC. Personally I think there is a connection, in particular to the things you eat and drink in strict regard to this lifestyle, not just eating in general, mostly as in these lifestyle drink concoctions which I believe cause UC. While I don't think drinking raw eggs actually is responsible for your UC (but maybe some of the other drinks you ingest) I have got to at least warn you that you are playing with fire, kind of like russian roulette. Certain eggs, here and there have salmanoella and one of these days you are going to drink the wrong egg and you will be in a full blown UC flare that you are going to have a very hard time crawling out of, not to mention you will be sick as a dog in the hospital.

Some dude....lol. There is actually all kind of positive studies about drinking raw eggs. Cooked eggs give me terrible gas! Its kind of like drinking hard liquor, hold your nose and kick it back.

Gary....as far as the salmonella, there is a small chance but if the egg has any discoloration or smell to it I don't eat/drink it. The farm raised chickens have a much greater chance than grass fed but I hear ya. Like I said it's a lifestlye I've lived for a long time and am not quite convinced that I need to stop how I've been eating and working out

ucinsouthfl,

I am also someone who like to lift weights and have been unable to for nearly 10mnths now and have dropped 2 and 1/2 stone of about 17kg and like you am feeling very slim at the minute but have now been in remission for nearly 5 weeks and am not lifting yet as I am putting all my energy into healing my colon.

I too would have to agree with Gary and say that I have seen a lot of people that live the lifestyle who have been diagnosed with UC. I'm not sure if it has something to do with all the protein shakes and other supplements we have taken over the years it could be I don't know???

I am also looking at different solutions as to get this in remission and keep it there and have had a great deal of advice from people on this site.

I have been looking at a diet called Patient Healthyself by some one called Jorden Rubin And am just about to put a post up to see if anyone has had any luck with it have a look at it and see what you think.

The thing that I often wonder is they don't know what causes UC but it is you digestive tract and some doctors say that food has nothing to do with it??? Well if they don't know what causes it then how do they know that food plays no part??

I believe diet affects UC, and I am having success with a paleo/SCD hybrid. You are asking for advice, but in the next breath, you say that you aren't willing to give up this or that, or change anything. There is a lot of junk in some protein shake mixes, and the raw egg thing?--wow. If you don't like cooked eggs, why not try another form of protein, like some pastured bacon or chicken, wild caught salmon, or leftover grassfed beef from last night's dinner? You don't have to eat "breakfast food" in the morning, if you don't want to. I eat paleo for the most part, and eat a lot of meat. I personally don't have a problem with it, but some people cannot digest red meat or other types of protein. It sounds like red meat works for you.

You may be a simple step or two away from allowing diet to maybe help you. It may not, but what if you changed things up a little bit (like, I don't know....cut out the eggs for a week....or don't drink the protein shake; eat real food instead). Neither change will turn you into a weakling in the course of a couple weeks, and one or both may help. :) There is no risk in it. You still may end up on the next med, but why not give diet a chance? A REAL chance, not just a couple days worth of 3 eggs instead of 4 or something. It sounds like you have the commitment and discipline to take care of your body by working out, and you are eating what you feel is "right". If you can do that, you can make a change and tweak something, and see it through. If that doesn't work, tweak the next thing. Or, remain hard-headed, keep the exact same diet, and continue up the medication ladder. Your choice. Just my 2 cents.