tips for eating healthy with crohn's disease

anovembersoul_

at the end of last year i was diagnosed with crohn's disease. since my intestines hate me i have to watch what i eat to avoid flare ups. high fiber foods, spicy food, excessive dairy, raw fruits and vegetables are a no go in my diet. i continue to eat raw fruit and veggies in a reasonable amount. does anyone have any advice on how to keep my diet clean? or if you have crohn's disease how did you stay healthy?

89Madeline

I don't have Crohn but I do have IBS-C. You can add me if you want. I started a low-fodmap diet this week, google it. Might also be useful for Crohn suffers since I experience same pains with the foods you described? Happy to be friends if you'd like

jmule24

Feel free to add me. I've had Crohn's disease since 1996. I'd be happy to give you some tips that work for me.

HeySwoleSister

My sister has Crohn's. One of the toughest things about managing it is that it is so different for each sufferer. I know many people who have found relief through going gluten free....but my sister finds that bread and pasta are her BEST foods for keeping her digestion calm and comfortable. Some swear by paleo, she needs to avoid fiber like the plague and keep her fats low in each meal. (She also has no gallbladder anymore, so this may contribute to her problems with fats more than the Crohn's, but no-one can be sure.) She can no longer handle beer, but wine is fine. Basically, what has helped her is to ignore the "no processed food!" fad in favor of "the more processed, the better!" LOL

Because it sounds like you have some of the same trigger foods as my sister, I'll just say that I would recommend walking away from "eating clean" as a goal. (if when you say "clean," you mean what most people do these days...) Take a chewable gummy adult multivitamin or liquid (sometimes swallowed tablets can "make the journey" intact in a grumpy gut) every day and focus on eating a variety of the foods that upset your digestion the least. Eating raw veg and whole grains isn't going to get you superior nutrition to white rice and light fruit if the whole foods aren't in you long enough to absorb the nutrients!

GoTeamMeaghan

HeySwoleSister wrote: »

My sister has Crohn's. One of the toughest things about managing it is that it is so different for each sufferer. I know many people who have found relief through going gluten free....but my sister finds that bread and pasta are her BEST foods for keeping her digestion calm and comfortable. Some swear by paleo, she needs to avoid fiber like the plague and keep her fats low in each meal. (She also has no gallbladder anymore, so this may contribute to her problems with fats more than the Crohn's, but no-one can be sure.) She can no longer handle beer, but wine is fine. Basically, what has helped her is to ignore the "no processed food!" fad in favor of "the more processed, the better!" LOL

Because it sounds like you have some of the same trigger foods as my sister, I'll just say that I would recommend walking away from "eating clean" as a goal. (if when you say "clean," you mean what most people do these days...) Take a chewable gummy adult multivitamin or liquid (sometimes swallowed tablets can "make the journey" intact in a grumpy gut) every day and focus on eating a variety of the foods that upset your digestion the least. Eating raw veg and whole grains isn't going to get you superior nutrition to white rice and light fruit if the whole foods aren't in you long enough to absorb the nutrients!

^^ Basically this! I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2011. I definitely do better when I have plenty of carbs (Van's Power Grains Frozen Waffles are a staple in my diet). I LOVE raw veggies...I can easily make a meal of them but they just don't agree with me. I actually had to make a strong effort to eat less veggies! It's probably not what you want to hear, but it's a lot of trial and error. 100 people could have Crohn's that presents itself in 100 different way and needs 100 different treatments (slight exaggeration but I think you get what I mean). Your best bet it to fight like hell to get the proper treatment for you. Track symptoms...even if they seem unrelated...Crohn's can affect the entire GI tract, from the mouth to the colon. Your dr can only treat what they know about, so don't be afraid to speak up. I definitely feel for you, sister! I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy!!!

jmule24

HeySwoleSister wrote: »

My sister has Crohn's. One of the toughest things about managing it is that it is so different for each sufferer. I know many people who have found relief through going gluten free....but my sister finds that bread and pasta are her BEST foods for keeping her digestion calm and comfortable. Some swear by paleo, she needs to avoid fiber like the plague and keep her fats low in each meal. (She also has no gallbladder anymore, so this may contribute to her problems with fats more than the Crohn's, but no-one can be sure.) She can no longer handle beer, but wine is fine. Basically, what has helped her is to ignore the "no processed food!" fad in favor of "the more processed, the better!" LOL

Because it sounds like you have some of the same trigger foods as my sister, I'll just say that I would recommend walking away from "eating clean" as a goal. (if when you say "clean," you mean what most people do these days...) Take a chewable gummy adult multivitamin or liquid (sometimes swallowed tablets can "make the journey" intact in a grumpy gut) every day and focus on eating a variety of the foods that upset your digestion the least. Eating raw veg and whole grains isn't going to get you superior nutrition to white rice and light fruit if the whole foods aren't in you long enough to absorb the nutrients!

Great advice here! ^^^^^^^^ Check your messages too, I responded.

jmule24

GoTeamMeaghan wrote: »

HeySwoleSister wrote: »

My sister has Crohn's. One of the toughest things about managing it is that it is so different for each sufferer. I know many people who have found relief through going gluten free....but my sister finds that bread and pasta are her BEST foods for keeping her digestion calm and comfortable. Some swear by paleo, she needs to avoid fiber like the plague and keep her fats low in each meal. (She also has no gallbladder anymore, so this may contribute to her problems with fats more than the Crohn's, but no-one can be sure.) She can no longer handle beer, but wine is fine. Basically, what has helped her is to ignore the "no processed food!" fad in favor of "the more processed, the better!" LOL

Because it sounds like you have some of the same trigger foods as my sister, I'll just say that I would recommend walking away from "eating clean" as a goal. (if when you say "clean," you mean what most people do these days...) Take a chewable gummy adult multivitamin or liquid (sometimes swallowed tablets can "make the journey" intact in a grumpy gut) every day and focus on eating a variety of the foods that upset your digestion the least. Eating raw veg and whole grains isn't going to get you superior nutrition to white rice and light fruit if the whole foods aren't in you long enough to absorb the nutrients!

^^ Basically this! I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2011. I definitely do better when I have plenty of carbs (Van's Power Grains Frozen Waffles are a staple in my diet). I LOVE raw veggies...I can easily make a meal of them but they just don't agree with me. I actually had to make a strong effort to eat less veggies! It's probably not what you want to hear, but it's a lot of trial and error. 100 people could have Crohn's that presents itself in 100 different way and needs 100 different treatments (slight exaggeration but I think you get what I mean). Your best bet it to fight like hell to get the proper treatment for you. Track symptoms...even if they seem unrelated...Crohn's can affect the entire GI tract, from the mouth to the colon. Your dr can only treat what they know about, so don't be afraid to speak up. I definitely feel for you, sister! I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy!!!

^^^^^ This also ^^^^^