diets why

I got a question? I read so much on this forum and i notice so many people say they avoid this and that and all are on diets, Obviously a healthy diet is great.
But my GI said i could eat anything i wanted and that food does not effect UC.

He did how ever say! That some foods may make "flares" worse while in a flare. So i'm going to guess gassy foods and dairy and such. so my question is why is so many people doing diets and such if eating and avoiding so many foods...


This isn't a troll post i respect everyone who does do diets and avoid certian foods or what works best for that person. I'm just curious is all is it cause most want to just eat healthy or what cause like i said my GI dr said food don't effect it i have only been on my meds for little over 2 weeks now and i still got the soft stools but 0 mucus 0 blood and i go every other day now normally twice in that other day. and i eat pizza lots of pizza and well i eat 99% of the stuff people avoid on here... but maybe the diets are needed for people who have it worse.. idk just curious is all.


But i also got a hyperthyroid known as graves and have had it since i was 15 years old and i eat like a cow and i gain no weight i stay at 162 to 165 lb always so as food go's i eat 24/7...not sure if that has anything to do with it but its fully under control..

Post Edited (Ibanez01) : 3/24/2012 4:01:52 PM (GMT-6)

I was just asking. I didn't understand the diet deal is all. Am i not allowed to ask? Some people enjoy eating healthy foods and avoiding unhealthy foods and such. I didn't know it was cause of the meds not working and such. Obviously i could be in you're shoes one day. Im not judging anyone it was a simple question about the diets and why people avoid them. Just cause i don't have to diet yet doesn't mean im not sympathetic. geez i won't post on here again if i'm going be accused of being unsympathetic asking a question why do people with UC diet. my last post here thanks for making me look like the bad guy later.

My doctor only told me to avoid raw fruits and veggies and limit dairy when I was flaring. If I could tolerate them when not flaring great...if not stay clear. I also learned spicy is not good for me either. My second GI asked if I ever thought about going gluten free. I don't think gluten bothers me so I haven't done it. Some people have great success with helping to control their UC with the different diets. At this point I like you don't need to do much but one day...who knows.

Welcome to the group. :)

ibanez, i am kind of the opposite when it comes to flares. i eat a very healthy, vegan diet of mostly fresh fruits and veggies when i feel great. when i am flaring, i eat a lot of vegan junk foods. i lose weight really easily when i flare so junk foods tend to have the most calories in a small package. it's not ideal for my health outside of UC, but it lessens the amount of food that goes through my system.

twbb said...
When I was first dx with UC, the specialist told me "eat whatever you want" and I told her "well, I did a food allergy test and I have sensitivity to dairy, beef, etc." and she said "it won't effect your UC...eat McDonalds if you want, doesn't matter" and I said "well, I'm sure avoiding foods I'm allergic to and eating healthy foods will at least help my body be healthier and stronger, even if it doesn't 'help' my UC" and she replied "it doesn't really matter, eat what you want"

I had a doctor tell me something similar once, and I got a new doctor. There are some that are so reliant on Western medicine that they don't even consider food to matter. That's not a doctor I want.

I think its absolute BS when doctors say this. You know what I did the minute my doctor told me diet doesnt effect UC? I went to walmart and bought cookies and pastries and breads and cheeses, the next day I was back in hell. Whoever said it earlier was right, if Meds did the trick, we would not be modifying our diets and lifestyles to adapt to this profound condition here... but I've seen tremendous results with sticking to the SCD diet, i'm now able to live off of a gluten free diet, still on mesalamines however, -to each his/her own routine, whichever helps. Food irritates the gut while its trying to heal and some foods worse than others, drugs only mask symptoms but even I admit to their power of help when necessary.

Doctors don't know everything although they think they do.
My gastro also told me food had nothing to do with UC, except for alcohol and spicy foods.

Yeah, sure....IMO, diet has EVERYTHING to do with UC.

i think diet affects it! i remember when i was sick, if i would eat broccoli or a salad i would be sick for hours and hours. towards the end, i was living mainly off fries, pizza, chicken tenders and cheese sandwiches, not what i wanted to eat, i love fruit and veggies, but those were the only things that didnt send me to the bathroom for hours.
Some people have trouble with different foods, its just because we are all different.

lbanaz...speaking of a pandora's box.

I don't believe food causes UC, flares nor heals them...but I certainly wouldn't eat some foods regardless of whether I'm flaring or not.

Actually, what some people find comfort foods, I'd be writhing in pain. My comfort food is Salsa and corn chips. No problem. Others would never touch that.

I don't follow a "diet" but I try to eat as healthy as possible for my tastes and wants. Healthy is subjective ...and one thing you will find that if you get on the topic of a doctor said that food has nothing to do with UC..you'll get the same members' responses as any other poster will who asks the same question.

All food has action in the digestive tract. We eat certain foods to change stool quality, quicken activity, lessen activity, change comfort level....blah, blah, blah.

Do what's good for you, but please use common sense in what you choose to eat, and if it doesn't agree....don't eat it just because it's deemed "healthy".

I just saw on TV that a woman who ate "healthy" ended up eating foods that contained nickel, and the continued intake eventually overloaded her system that kicked her allergy into gear that caused many symptoms. She was finally diagnosed, and With the change in foods, she has improved.

You'll figure it out over time....but don't believe there's one thing that fits us all. And remember that some of us have other issues such as IBS, celiac, gluten sensitivity, lactose intolerance, etc...at the same time. With changes in foods, symptoms can improve. But it doesn't necessarily mean that it's the UC that's improving.

q

Quincy-I envy your ability to eat Salsa. I love it but UGH if I eat it. I can tolerate a little bit of mild salsa if its cooked in with something but to eat a bunch of chips and salsa would be setting myself up for major problems the next day. I really miss it. Don't you eat hard boiled eggs too? I can't eat them either. <sigh> But hey at least I can eat popcorn!!

Sheri..yes, I have a boiled egg for breakfast...however it turns out, either soft or hard (with toast and coffee).
My stool will be "fluffier" and reddish from the salsa..lol

q

The bottom line is that different things work for different people. Period. If there WAS something that worked for everyone, then everyone would be doing it. But the truth is that some people have great results with certain meds, others with certain restrictive diets, and yet others with natural supplements or lifestyle changes. We all try different things until we find something that works for us. I have had this disease and have been reading research and message boards for long enough to know that this is the most frustrating thing about IBD. What works wonders for one person does nothing for the next person.

It is true that western medicine downplays the role diet has in IBD. When I was diagnosed, my doctor told me that diet didn't really have anything to do with the disease, but that high-fiber foods might make symptoms worse during flare-ups. Other than that, eat whatever you want. Well, five years later after doing some extensive research, I found a diet that worked for me (no meat, wheat, dairy, fatty, sugary or processed foods). I was flaring at the time, and as soon as I started the diet, all symptoms disappeared within a couple of days. I later went off my meds and lived med-free and in remission for eight months just by altering my diet. Eventually I got sick of such a restrictive diet and went back on my meds just so that I could eat whatever I wanted again, but I had proved my point - diet CAN play a huge role in gaining and maintaining remission in some people.

Also, our bodies and our disease change over time. My colitis recently spread and became much worse, and diet didn't seem to do much of anything to relieve my symptoms when I was at my worst. I DO know, however, that certain foods still trigger worsening symptoms during flares: coffee, alcohol, and chocolate are big ones. If I'm on my meds and fully in remission, though, I can basically eat whatever I want without any problems whatsoever.

You just have to experiment with diets, drugs, and treatments until you find a combo that is acceptable to you. Some would rather deal with prednisone side-effects than restrict their diets. Others would do anything to avoid pred, even give up their favorite foods forever. Do what works for you.