From WikiHealth

Crohn's and colitis: foods to eliminate

Role of diet in IBD

Each individual has varying degrees of tolerance and intolerance to certain food groups. Some may find dairy to be a huge problem, while others are fine with it. It is important when researching diets for healing your gut, that you slowly and patiently listen to your own body and test what seems to work best for you. It can take lots of trial and error, and it is easy to get frustrated during the process. Some recommend doing allergy testing and/or trying the Elimination diet to discover which food groups to eliminate first.

However, there is no doubt that the food that is put into the body and passes through the gut, is going to affect a disease that involves the gut. Thus, some foods can make the disease worse, while other foods can actually help to heal the gut.

The list of foods also changes depending on the active state of the disease. It is important to eliminate certain foods during a flare up that are actually recommended and necessary when the disease is in remission. It is important to distinguish between the two states and be aware of when the gut can tolerate things such as the fiber from vegetables, nuts and fruit. Regardless, it is MOST important to have a wholesome, well-balanced diet of natural, organic, fresh, and un-processed foods at all times. A person with IBD should treat their gut with great care, and think of how each thing that passes through it will affect both in the immediate and in the long term.

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Key foods to eliminate

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Sugar

Sugar is one of the most toxic foods on the digestive lining and pretty much intolerable by all those with IBD. The most deceiving part of sugar, is that when eaten it does not cause pain or bowel obstruction as nuts or a high fiber food might when eaten during a flare up. So, some think it is not a problem.

However, sugar totally strips the intestines of its healthy bacteria and replaces it with an overgrowth of the bad bacteria, leading to a condition known as candida. Sugar leads to a serious PH imbalance in the body and thus, makes it harder for the body to heal from a flare up.

Sugar causes gas, bloating, diahrrea, mouth ulcers (even in those without digestive problems). Sugar can be addictive and hard habit to break. And it can be especially difficult to wean children and teens with IBD off of sugar as they see all their peers eating it.

The worst kind of sugar to eat is corn syrup. If one must eat sugar, stick to small amounts of honey. Imitation sugars, such as nutrasweet and sorbital are also should be avoided as they are proven to upset the digestion of almost everyone, even those without IBD.

Note that alcohol behaves like a sugar in the body as well. Some find they can tolerate small amounts of white or red wine as well as small amounts of high quality vodka. But these should be consumed in moderation and avoided during a flare up.

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Some Fruits

Too much fruit can be really upseting to the digestive tract. Some make the mistake that thinking, because fruit is healthy, lots of it should be eaten. Fruit is a sugar; and in a serious flare up should be avoided all together.

Acidic fruits are the worst; this includes citrus fruits such as oranges, pineapple and tangerines. Pears, mangos, bananas, and papaya tend to be ok on the gut and some find papaya to actually aid in digestion (given the papain enzyme that it has.)

Fruit juice should generally be avoided completely unless it is diluted with water.

Note: that while fruit is natural and is not as difficult on the digestive tract as refined sugars, it can still upset the PH balance of the intestines. Many find that fruit greatly contributes to mouth ulcers as well as digestive cramping and pain.

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Wheat

It is common for people with IBD and digestive problems to be allergic to wheat. Even if you do not test postive for a wheat allergy it is probably one the most important foods to eliminate with IBD. Wheat is very difficult on the digestive tract and digestive lining. Among other things, wheat turns into a sugar in the body, which is particularly upsetting for those with IBD. Wheat can upset the PH balance in the body as well as upset the healthy bacteria of the intestinal lining. This is why taking acidophilus is key for those with IBD, even if wheat is not part of the diet. Acidophilus restores the good and healthy bacteria to the gut lining.

If you are prone to mouth ulcers with IBD flares, eliminating wheat will help minimize them.

Many find that when they eliminate wheat, their gas, diarrhea, bloating and pain lessen.

In general, Americans eat too much wheat. Some theories link excessive wheat consumption with many disorders such as depression, obesity, and diabetes. Unfortunately, wheat is in many foods, so it is important to read the labels. There are many wheat substitutes now - so eating a wheat-free diet is not difficult. You can find corn and rice pasta at most health food stores. Rice is a great alternate starch, as is corn meal. Rice is probably the least offending of the starches and should be a staple in the IBD diet.

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Dairy

Dairy and lactose are common offenders for those with IBD. Lactose is basically a sugar. However, it is one of the most common allergy causing foods; many with IBD are lactose intolerant. However, even if you do not test positive for lactose intolerance, eliminating dairy is likely still essential for a healthy gut. Dairy also upsets the PH of the gut lining, and causes an imbalance of bacteria.

Some find that certain dairy can be tolerated, with milder cheeses such as goat cheese, which has a lower lactose content than that made from cow's milk. Also, yogurt, especially that which is homemade, has been found to be tolerable, which is of extra benefit due to the acidophilus (good bacteria) that it contains.

However, if you suffer from pain and diarreah due to IBD, try to eliminate dairy all together for at least 3 weeks and see if your symptoms improve.

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Steps to Change your Diet

Making drastic changes to the diet can have great results for most people with Inflammatory bowel disease. However, making the changes can be very difficult as they might require some shifts in lifestyle. For example, it becomes much harder to eat meals out. Thus, it is important to set extra time aside to prepare or buy meals in advance. Adhering to a strict diet can also be embarassing in social settings, such as when ordering a meal at a restaurant or when being invited to dinner at someone's house. It can take awhile to get used to asking for food to be prepared for you in a certain way, but it is worth it.

It is important to be patient with yourself and others as you adopt a new diet. It can be frustrating and alienating to have to eat different food from those around you and from what you would like to eat. However, the payout of improved health is well-worth taking the time and energy to find a diet that works.

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From WikiHealth

Crohn's and colitis: foods to eliminate

Role of diet in IBD

Key foods to eliminate

Sugar

Some Fruits

Wheat

Dairy

Steps to Change your Diet

Related links