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I have been having a very hard time with my UC I have been in a flare for about 2yrs.  I know that sugar can be a trigger for me, but that is all I can figure out, I know everybody is different but what are your trigger foods?

 Reply posted for daveswife.

Hello Again,

Sorry I posted the wrong link http://ulcerativeinfo.blogspot.com/ this is the right link.

Hugs,

Elizabeth

 Reply posted for mrsmillan.

Hello,

I posted today on our blog my husband's triggers. www.livingwithulcerativecolitis.blogspot.com

Thanks,

Elizabeth

 Reply posted for mrsmillan.

have u been checked for lactose intolarance??

it can feel like a flare if u dont know that u are an have the same symptoms.(lose stools stomach pain gas )

 Reply posted for MissB24.

continued...

I will keep you posted, but I think sometimes with some foods, you'll know immediately after eating it or even within an hour or so and some foods may be triggers but not as big triggers and those foods will take longer for you to notice - maybe that time it leaves your system which can be 12+ hours.  What I have been doing while going through this process is writing everything down along with my bathroom visits so that I can discuss this with my Naturopath, so he can give me better direction about what to add in, what to keep out, what he thinks are triggers, etc.  I think food has a stronger tie in to our condition that the Western Docs realize since UC is such a variable disease.  I am even asking him if he thinks if the raw fruit and veggies are causing my increased symtoms.  Start with a simple diet and write everything down and go for 2-3 days at a time before adding in new foods.  Good Luck!

 Reply posted for MissB24.

I understand you completely and have the same question, which I am waiting to hear back from my Naturopath.  Since I have been having UC flares more often in recent years, I've looked at diet as being a contributor and my Naturo recommended that I start out with eating just fruits, veggies and beans so no grains, no dairy, no animal protein or protein subs (like protein powder).  When he first said beans, I immediately thought no way, but I decided to listen.  After the first day on this diet with beans, my symtpoms went crazy and my bathroom visits increased crazy, so after two days of this diet and the symptoms, he said I should eliminate all beans as well, so for a day now, I've eaten fruits, veggies and nuts, no beans but since I am an athlete, I am worried about bonking on my workouts, so I have another email to my Naturo about where do I go from here?  What do I add in if anything while also telling him that I don't want to add in something before I really know what is a trigger because I don't want to start this process over.  continued...

 Reply posted for MissB24.

Speaking for myself: I can be specific because I started testing foods after a flare up when on a clear liquid only diet.  Then literarly, you add in one item of food, no reaction, nifty.  Continue the process, every now and then you add something, and you notice a reaction, even more so something specific to that food: bloating, cramps, nausea, etc.  There are different diets to test.  Clear Liquid, Bland Diet, Lactose Free, Wheat Free, Gluten Free...

The part that is most annoying is what is always repeated, everyone's case is unique.  What works for one may not work for you.

Consider this: 70% of people like Coke.  20% like Pepsi.  9% like Sprite, 1% like Other. 

Clearly everyone should drink Coke.

Nope, doesn't work that way.  Some like Root Beer, Cream Soda, Cherry, Orange, etc.  We are that 1%.  Thus, don't give into peer pressure, rather learn your body.

It might not even just be foods, it can also be ingredients in those foods, for example: for me: Sorbitol a synthetic sugar can't be broken down by most people, especially not me.  That's in things from toothpaste, to Gas Pills, which are supposed to stop my gas, yet complicate it when that brand has it.  (I'm also anemic, and have found it in Iron pills, sometimes I learned by the reaction.  Now, I do my best to always read labels.)  

 Reply posted for MissB24.

I forgot, one other thing I avoid is spicy (hot) foods. They will cause me awful pain.

 Reply posted for MissB24.

Hi there, I can tell you my experience and I hope it helps you. I've found peanuts are my biggest trigger. It doesn't matter if I chew them carefully. Also spicy food and apples with thick skins, like Granny Smith. Milk and things with lots of milk, like pudding. I've had Chron's for 25 years or so. It took me a little while to find my triggers and that was with the help of my doctor and imformation from websites like this. Sometimes something will bother me in under an hour so I know for sure that its a problem. Finding your triggers will be something that will make you very happy. It really puts you in control of your Chron's. Don't loose hope if it takes you a little while. I sure hope this helps you. Oh one other thing, Steer clear of popcorn. Even a little amount.

 Reply posted for littleone.

Thanks for the tips.  They are very helpful.  My daughter is allergic to fresh fish which limits her food a little and is also such a picky eater.  I bought some goat's milk.  My daughter hates it, of course, but I read it was easier to digest and was wondering if anyone had any comments about effects of goat's milk on your system.  Thanks in advance.

 Reply posted for littleone.

(continued)

The biggest thing too is that if I am sensing a flare up coming, I shift my diet to very easy to digest foods. I am on a different, more restrictive diet when I am having a flare up. My comfort food is grilled chicken, white rice and green beans. And always pretzels. . I can almost always tolerate them. When I have a flare up I do not eat anything with the skins on or anything that is raw. . .I cook mostly everything.

Moderation is the key for sure if you want something. A piece of chocolate cake isn't going to kill me. . .but if I had it every day it probably wouldn't go so well!

Anyway- sorry for the long post, but it took me a long time to get to realize all of these little tricks. . .hopefully a few of them can help someone out there!

Best

 Reply posted for EZ.

I've had Colitis for 10 years. (Take Pentasa regularly and Rowasa when a flare up is coming). Diet has been one of the biggest contributors to my health for sure! Each person is really different on what they can tolerate, but here is the gist of what I do! I don't eat: Red Meat, Pork, citrus fruits (including limited tomatoes!), no oil or butter (except for olive oil),  no dairy products, no sauces, mayo etc., no fried foods. I also do not go on  anti-biotics (only if REALLY needed) because my stomach immediately reacts.

I have started eating soy yogurt almost every day and I think this could be one of the biggest contributors to my good health. I eat a banana each day. Sometimes I have smoothies made with soy milk or apple juice and frozen fruit (strawberries and blueberries only really).  I cook chicken, fish  (salmon mostly) etc. in water or in chicken broth.  . .even at restaurants I have them cook my chicken with water (no oil or butter).  I eat white rice and potatoes (brown rice when not in a flare up). I can tolerate most soy and rice things (although Soy isn't great on some people). I can eat nuts in moderation, raw fruit and veggies, but of course cooked are easier. I only drink water. (Or Vodka and 7up drinks. . .lol. I have recently started drinking white wine in moderation, but that is only recently and definitely can't be too much! Would not be able to during a flare up.) I don't drink juice or soda. I can drink soy milk, rice milk or apple juice (with only apples) but don't do that often. I eat peanut butter (natural- only peanuts and salt!) as well as jelly/jam (sugarless, fruit only!)

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 Reply posted for MissB24.

My daughter was 16 when diagnosed 2 years ago with UC.  We saw a nutritionist that told us one of the top foods that may trigger a flare up is hotdogs.  She said it was one of the worst foods to eat.  At 16, it was hard to get her interested in eating healthy foods and it still hard at 18.  There are foods she needs to avoid during a flare like popcorn, corn, raw vegetables, any skin on fruits so we have to peel the apples, grapes, peaches, etc.  No seeds or nuts. Limit dairy. 

 Reply posted for mrsmillan.

I am very newly diagnosed (UC) and still trying to figure out what my trigger foods are.  How were you able to determine yours?  I am confused because i would think that since food must pass through your system before causing any effects, by the time you had a symptom, you would have already eaten something else.  How do you know exactly what causes it in that case?

 Reply posted for mrsmillan.

My folks are diabetics, so I've learnt to limit my sugars.  I am not too sure if they are even a trigger for me.  But some foods that are triggers for me are coffee, milk ( i stay away from ice-creams too ), spicy foods ( like curries, and arabian type foods), fried / greasy foods and or gravies, sauces ( salad dressings, pepper, tartar, tambrind ), mayonaise, 'fast foods' ( i dont want to call names, but they kind that are finger licking good & others like it), sodas.

 Reply posted for mrsmillan.

I have crohns which may be different but we seem to react in alot of the same ways. My biggest problems are things that "excite" the intestines, such as alcohol or stronger caffeines( coffee, pops). Tea, especially decaf comforts somewhat but also hinders iron absorption. Spicy things are  a definite irritation, so much so that they are eliminated from my diet altogether. Some foods are not worth the effects afterward. I have been healing more and more daily, after a 5 year episode, due to remicade treatments. I am slowly adding more back to my diet, but anything that cause too much reaction is usually eliminated.

 Reply posted for mrsmillan.

Colored soda's are a big trigger for me along with lettuce.

 Reply posted for mrsmillan.

any raw foods, salad a BIG trigger!!! I do not drink alcohol anymore,sesame seeds, red meat, corn a no-no, just have to be super careful. I miss salad the most!! It really is different for everyone! Best of luck to you, I have had UC for 12 yrs!

 Reply posted for mrsmillan.

I think dairy is my big one, and soda. It's interesting that sugar is because  cookbooks for Colitis and IBD say that sugar shouldn't be. I've been trying to follow a good diet (even though GI dr's swear that diet has NOTHING to do with the disease). Wheat and red meats are said to be hard to digest also.

 Reply posted for mrsmillan.

My triggers are sugars, spicy foods, and fats (esp fried foods).  I find that I have to be pretty careful with sugars since they hide in a lot of foods like pasta.  Soda is like liquid poison for me.  I don't know if the carbonation makes it worse but I usually do ok with drinking juice in moderation when I want a sweet drink even though many juices can have lots of sugar as well.  I pay more attention to the nutrition fact labels on foods now.

 Reply posted for mrsmillan.

I think sugar is a trigger for me as well.  Nevertheless, I've just about cut it completely out of my diet because it's extremely unhealthy anyway.