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Posted 6/12/2008 1:13 PM (GMT 0)
I am so confused on diets for UC. My doctor tells me I do not have to be on a diet, but watch what I eat. He also suggested a food diary. My dad has celiac disease so him and my mom are pushing me to be on his diet. I am young! I do not want to be on a diet. I am also new to having UC this flared up, but I don't know what I can or cant eat until I try it, and then I face the consequences. Is their any advice you guys can give me? Foods to stay away from?
Posted 6/12/2008 1:44 PM (GMT 0)
When I got UC my doc said I could eat whatever. Then when I continued to always be flaring he said don't eat any junk your gut isn't any good. Now that makes a lot of sense.

I know your young and want to be like and eat like everyone else, but this disease will definately shape you into who you are or who you will become. Don't let it define you, but it will play a major role in your consumption. Try to find out what your body digests more of with doing less work. I don't know what celiac is, but I am sure any special diet is good for the body.

Posted 6/12/2008 2:26 PM (GMT 0)

The food diary is a real good idea.  This will give you information as to what you may have eaten prior to having an attack giving you an idea of things that can spur an attack.  Each person is different and different foods will cause problems for each person.  I am not sure if I would go with a celiac diet, this may be more restrictive then necessary.  Eat what you feel you can handle but stay away from high risk food when you are flaring.  These would be foods you know that produce high residue or cause problems during digestion.  The main reason is because the symptoms of a flare are bad enough, you don't need heartburn or a belly ache too.  Keep any spicy foods in moderation until you know just how they will affect you.  Other than that enjoy the foods that you know you can tolerate now and keep expermenting, keep your food diary so when you have problems, or don't have problems, you will have it documented and know whether or not to eat that food again.

John

Posted 6/12/2008 5:17 PM (GMT 0)
my GI also said diet doesn't matter, but he was and is...wrong.

I believe diet can determine whether or not you become a diabetic or whether you develop heart disease or high or low blood pressure and the list goes on and on.

Keeping a food diary is a very good idea in finding out what works for you and what doesn't.

NBT
Posted 6/12/2008 5:37 PM (GMT 0)
Don't forget, you are what you eat too and that makes a huge difference as well, you fill up with junk (processed foods/beverages, fast-foods, caffeine, animal fats, SUGAR, sugar substitutes are ALL known to exacerbate symptoms of IBD and are bad for your health in general...and throwing the word "moderation" around doesn't cut it either because most people have no clue what that means mainly because we live in a fast-food/processed food society and eating healthy gets thrown out the window when people are convinced that eating constantly out of a box/can can be healthy nowadays, cuz it's not.

:)
Posted 6/12/2008 5:42 PM (GMT 0)
pb4,

speaking of "you are what you eat", I remember my senior year of high school; some member of the track team and I were running on the roads when another member joined in. He was late because he decided to have breakfast before joining the run -- we all knew that he had bacon for breakfast because we could smell it in his sweat! lol

Imagine that!

tongue  

NBT

Posted 6/12/2008 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
Haha. My history teacher in high school ate so much garlic everyday he sweat that smell. lol.
Posted 6/12/2008 8:10 PM (GMT 0)
You can go on eating whatever you want and continue to have symptoms, or you can give up some foods in exchange for better health. No doctor's going to give you dietary advice, but many of the members here agree that dietary manipulation can lessen or relieve symptoms and/or help you gain and stay in remission. High sugar intake is a known risk factor for IBD. A family history of celiac disease puts you at high risk for the same. Celiac disease occurs more often in first-degree relatives (brothers, sisters, parents, sons, daughters) of people who have the disease. It is suggested that family members be tested for celiac disease.

If you'd like to learn more about generally helpful diets for UC, I'd recommend the following (from most lenient to strictest):
The New Eating Right for a Bad Gut
Listen to Your Gut
Breaking the Vicious Cycle
Posted 6/12/2008 8:41 PM (GMT 0)

Ditto everything pb4 and princesa said.

Just to add my 2 cents....my doctor(s) also told me that diet wouldn't help my symptoms...they were WRONG! Changing my diet, actually lifestyle, was the ONLY thing that helped me get well again. Do you believe that even when I told them what I did to get well, they said it was just a coincidence? I followed a phase one diet found on www.knowthecause.com under the FAQ link. Restrictive at first (not as much as the SCD), but eventually you can eat other foods in moderation (phase 2 and 3 of the diet) once you are well again. I know it seems tough to have to make a change, but wouldn't you really like to get your health back so you can feel like you once did? Don't live to eat...eat to live! No guarantees that diet change will help,but I'm betting you will see improvement. To tell you the truth, I was miserable thinking I had to give up my breads and such, but I don't even miss it now. The "addiction" is gone :) BTW, were you ever on antibiotics? You could have a fungal problem that's contributing to your symptoms. Take care.

Posted 6/12/2008 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
A food diary is really the best way. Some people feel that dietary changes have been very beneficial to them. Others have given various diets an honest try and found they made no difference. It's very individual, and only time will help you sort it out. Most people with UC can eat a normal, healthy diet (limiting fats and simple carbohydrates moderately) and do just fine. Doctors don't give dietary recommendations because there isn't one diet that helps most people.
Posted 6/12/2008 9:39 PM (GMT 0)
I've been following this book called eat right for your blood type O (I'm type O)
It really seems to be working. it has a list of foods that are beneficial for your blood type, foods that are neutral, and foods to avoid.
My dad also has celiac so i avoid all wheat (it's an avoid in the bood as well) and i avoid all dairy. If any of these things bother you there are many alternatives these days. Like for bread I can only tolerate white spelt bread, it's expensive but at least an option. and for mayonaise, there is veganaise which actually tastes good. i have yet to find a cheese sub. that doesn't have carogeenan or dextrose so some form of crap in it.
but diet is the key i believe!
good luck.
Posted 6/12/2008 11:50 PM (GMT 0)
The SCD Diet is awesome and a previous post quoted the book Breaking the Viscious Cycle which gives you the breakdown for it. This diet did absolute wonders for me and I'm no longer on meds or have any symptoms :) Give it a shot!
Posted 6/13/2008 1:48 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the advice. I will try looking into to some of the things you guys have mentioned. Actually, I have been on antibiotics too. How could that cause some of my problems?
Posted 6/13/2008 5:07 AM (GMT 0)

Jellybean4688 said...
Thanks for all the advice. I will try looking into to some of the things you guys have mentioned. Actually, I have been on antibiotics too. How could that cause some of my problems?

The antibiotics kill off everything, making your system that much more vulnerable, it's basically essential that IBDers (IBSers too) take a good probiotic daily and indefinitely and when on antibiotics, to take probiotics at least 2 hours AFTER you're done taking your antis for the day or the antis will just kill off the pros.

:)

Posted 6/13/2008 5:09 AM (GMT 0)

NuffinButtTrouble said...
pb4,

speaking of "you are what you eat", I remember my senior year of high school; some member of the track team and I were running on the roads when another member joined in. He was late because he decided to have breakfast before joining the run -- we all knew that he had bacon for breakfast because we could smell it in his sweat! lol

Imagine that!

tongue  

NBT

Ew, I don't want to imagine that...that sounds terrible LOL, it really does ring true when they say you are what you eat on more levels than I even realized...thanks for sharing (just when I thought I was beyond ever getting grossed out) LOL!

:)

Posted 6/13/2008 1:27 PM (GMT 0)
Simplified, antibiotics kill the good bacteria that keep your yeast in check. So, with the good bacteria gone, the yeast will proliferate and may (will?) eventually affect your body, in other places than just your gut. Fungi can penetrate cell wall, membranes, intestines (leaky gut), mucous barriers, alter DNA, etc. Hence, some people feel better after being on an anti-fungal program for awhile. Just eliminating a few foods here and there, trial and error, won't help you if you have a fungal condition. You have to kill the yeast with a strict diet.

Posted 6/13/2008 3:30 PM (GMT 0)
I believe in moderation where you can have a wide range of food.....but that doesn't mean eat an unbalanced diet or one filled with junk foods, etc.
Common sense rules.

quincy
Posted 6/13/2008 4:03 PM (GMT 0)
Jellybean, Did they explain to you what's good about keeping a food diary?

I'll give you an example of what I learned by keeping one and how I'm not what I would consider a "diet" just a change of eating what everyone else does....

I kept track of what I was eating and how I would feel after, through this I discovered that after eating plain lettuce I was in more pain but if I ate spinach instead I was ok. So now when I want to have a salad when I'm out I ask them to use spinach greens instead of lettuce. I still get to eat out but I know what to ask for so I don't suffer the pain.

The bumber about UC is that something that bothers me may not bother you, that's why you should try to keep the food diary. I've been talking for years with a friend that has UC and while I can eat ice cream and cheeses she can't touch them, on the flip side she has no trouble eating a big bowl of lettuce while I can't even have a leaf of it on a burger.

Good luck, keep your chin up and keep talking to other UC survivors. It's an inconvenience in your life for sure and flares can be horrible at times but it's not life stopping if you can find your triggers and avoid them so you can go about every day living.
Posted 6/16/2008 4:30 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, I swear by fresh carrot and apple juice.

Buy a juicer and try some. If it works as well for you as it has for me it will change your life.

My diet consists of Fish, fruits, vegetables,(mostly raw but also steamed) and whole wheat bread and pasta.

I NEVER eat fried food.

I don't eat processed foods.

I don't eat red meat.

I eat very little dairy, most cheese.

My condition has changed tremendously. From not being able to work to being more active than ever.

Try the juice slowly about half a glass a day to start and progress up to 2 glasses a day.

Also I practice deep breathing and relaxation everyday.

Posted 6/16/2008 6:32 PM (GMT 0)

Judilyn said...
Doctors don't give dietary recommendations because there isn't one diet that helps most people.

Doctors don't give dietary recommendations because most have no training in diet or nutrition. They're trained in traditional allopathic methods - pharmaceuticals and surgery. They are trained in treating symptoms, not in rebuilding health and reestablishing healthy gut ecology. There are a few exceptions to the rule - doctors that practice complementary medicine - but they are few and far between.

There are general dietary guidelines and various similar diets that help a lot of IBD patients. If there weren't, we wouldn't have so many informative books on the subject.

Posted 6/16/2008 6:55 PM (GMT 0)
And doesn't it seem soooooooooo ridiculous that a doctor of all things woudn't have much of a clue when it comes to diet??? Typically commoners can figure out what's healthy and what should be avoided, you'd think docs would urge people on a regular basis (regardless of what their health issues are) about proper diet and the link to health...

GI's act like it makes no difference what an IBDer eats and that is so wrong to me because it's pretty common sense that we might be that much more sensitive to diet compared to others with different health issues...Docs should be promoting excellent dietary health especially to IBDers and IBSers as well (since IBS can be greatly impacted as well when it comes to diet).

:)
Posted 6/16/2008 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
JellyBean, you could get tested for celiac disease and get a definite answer. I think it's just a blood test.

I agree with keeping a food diary. I did it for a month and found out that food wasn't really a factor for me. I do think it's a good idea to keep away from spicy and fried foods--that's pretty much my only restriction.
Posted 6/16/2008 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
I think I am just going to try the food diary. I had started one the last time I was put into the hospital. Recently, I have figured out that dairy is my enemy. Spicy foods and fried foods have always not settled well with me. I have actually been trying to keep my diet pretty much on bland foods this past week and I am already noticing some differences.
Posted 6/16/2008 9:01 PM (GMT 0)
Speaking of doctors and their "wisdom"...don't forget, that not that many years ago, 4 out of 5 doctors smoked "Camels" :) Hopefully, they'll also eventually get this nutrition/healthy food thing figured out, instead of just treating symptoms.

 

Posted 6/16/2008 10:00 PM (GMT 0)
From the book, The Fungus Link, from the Web site Kim mentioned:

David A. Holland, M.D. said...
Over and over, we have had patients with symptoms of IBD who have experienced incredible improvement once they followed a yeast-free, low carbohydrate diet.

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