Community Forum

Hello Everyone,

For some reason, I have a very bad habit of burying my head in the sand when it comes to Crohn's. I was diagnosed about a year ago (I think). I have been meaning to research this. I don't know what I should and should not eat.

So far I have been lucky, I have had a flare up 4-6 months ago when I was in a lot of pain, but it has been okay mostly since then. However, over the last month, I have started to see some of the early signs. This has got me thinking if I should be more proactive in managing my situation. Because so far I haven't been overly picky about what I eat and what I don't eat. I have been very busy and not paying attention. 

So what I want to know from other sufferers is what are the common foods that make it worse, and what are the foods which are good for you and also keep the symptoms down.

Please help and advise if you can.

Thank you.

Reply posted for RyanLondon.

I highly recommend you look into SCD. There is promising research in it you can find on pubmed. Here is the original website http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/. Only trust this and pecanbread http://pecanbread.com/ (others are trying to make a profit off of it at the expense of patients' heath (adding foods that aren't okay). I know a patient who went into remission for 10 years with only the diet, absolutely no drugs. It was only when they stopped following the diet that the symptoms returned. Be warned that many people who try to diet, stop following it, flare, and try to go back to it often find it no longer works. This person was a child when they started, so I don't know for certain how that might change for an adult or any other person but many other people have had success stories. Most important thing I'd say is watch your systems. If you try the diet and are not getting any better you may want to take extra steps. You don't want to fuck with this disease.
Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

Reply posted for RyanLondon.

See a naturopath and diet person. Get on a good probiotic like Floural source. It's amazing. Get off gluten for sure it causes inflammation in gut, skin and brain. They know the mechanism now, body attacks it in our cells and try to kill our cells causing inflammation, bleeding etc. That was the best thing I did, that and quit alcohol. Use CBD for pain or unwind. Exercise. Drink s ton of water not sugar Gatorade junk. Good electrolytes. I eat high healthy fats nuts ground meat, fish, chicken, eggs and alot of bananas and veggies. It's easy! We eat for fuel not comfort craving non sense. Don't binge, eat alot of small meals. Stay off otc pain meds like Advil etc. I also drink aloe vera juice and take tumeric, echinacia, fish oil multi vitamin. Nature's away pea protein shake. Stick with it you are worth it! Oh and exercise and sleep good.

Reply posted for Ethan.

Diet is everything. Lower stress too and exercise. I had colitis 30 years ago. J pouch installed after three fighting it with drugs and losing. After J pouch it was incredible to go without pain etc. I played sports all my life and hid it. I didn't change my diet that much until about 4 years ago. Dropped gluten and way less alcohol, sip wine. Added Floural source probiotic. What a difference! Way less trips to the bathroom, no more bleeding. Cut back on carbs but still ate them until a few weeks ago I went full keto with my son's. I know many people who swear by keto and since we were gluten free it has been an easy transition. Iron digestive tract now. Don't drink alcohol, no added sugar, drink alit of tea only 1 coffee a day and alittle dairy is ok. I eat nuts and alot of ground meat, veggies, fish, cheese and eggs. Feel good! Exercise regularly and good sleep habits. Oh and CBD for muscle pain or to unwind. No way to otc pain meds like Advil, Tylenol or aspirin I would bleed for sure. Now nothing! J pouch works good. Diet is everything.

Reply posted for RyanLondon.

Remove common food allergens corn, wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, potatoes, and alcohol. Avoid carageenan in milks and foods. Avoid sugar! L-glutamine, probiotics, omega 3, Vitamin C and E can all help. Green vegetable juice 3x per week with kale, cucumber, celery, green apple, parsley, ginger is best for healing. Castor oil on tummy every night with heating pad can help restore structural integrity. Exercise 3x per week to keep things moving and improve immune system. Find a holistic, naturopathic doctor. They will teach you how to improve your health and stay in remission. Hope this helps :)

Reply posted for RyanLondon.

I to have flair ups,but some foods i have found don't effect me that much such as spegetti squash and my homemade vegtable soup. I put carrots and celery to start with

Reply posted for Misselmo.

I've lived with chrons for 25 years and have talked to lots of people and lots of doctors, and the only thing that's certain about diet is this: Nothing.

Everyone is very individualized.  Moreover, when I was younger popcorn would send me to the hospital, but now I eat it with no problem.  Dairy used to be the only thing I could eat, then I found it caused a lot of discomfort.  So I've found my own dietary requirements change.

The only thing constant for me has been that brussel sprouts almost always cause a blockage and a trip to the ER.

Note: I have a j-pouch; but I've been in many support groups and everyone has different dietary good/bad lists.

Reply posted for RyanLondon.

Well, as you will soon learn as you dive into research, there is a lot of information. Pretty much every plan or diet you see is going to have IBD folks who swear by it and others who swear because of it.

The best bet, as already noted, would be to ask your GI for a recommendation to a Registered Dietitian (RD).

The problem is, all of us are unique. What some folks can eat, others cannot. What helps your symptoms is going to hurt others. Some IBD folks can drink coffee all day long. Others cannot have it at all. Some find that going gluten free helps. Others find that bread/wheat products are one of the few things they can eat without triggering anything.

When I was diagnosed in 2016, I also jumped on the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). It is an elimination diet where you cut out everything that could possibly cause a trigger and then slowly, very slowly, reintroduce things to see how your body actually handles them. This helps you identify what works and does not work for you (same way you introduce foods to a baby, actually).

The problem I had with AIP is that because it eliminates so many things, it relies pretty heavily on veggies and salads. Most everyone with IBD struggles with raw vegetables and nuts (I found nut butters work for me, but your mileage will vary).

Personally, I found a few things that I have cut out completely. I have gone gluten free because I found that when I reintroduced it, I would get severe cracks in the palms of my hands and other skin issues. (Skin issues are common with IBD, by the way.) I avoid all nuts, though if they are highly ground/smoothed I cam okay. I eat small salads very rarely. No whole corn, but corn products are okay (corn chips, corn tortillas, grits).

There is no diet "magic bullet" for IBD. You have to go through the process to see what works for your specific body. Eventually, you come to it by trial and error.

If you want to try anything like an elimination diet, please, please, please work with your GI and an RD as you do. Nutrient deficiencies are a very real threat as we work our way through what we can and cannot eat. A dietitian will help you navigate those pitfalls and stay as healthy as you can.

(Some RDs specialize is GI issues and even IBD specifically. If you are lucky and have access to one who does, take full advantage!)

Hope this helps.

Reply posted for RyanLondon.

Experts advice would be good.

Reply posted for Misselmo.

I'm new here. I'm surprised that there are only 2 replies to the " What Can I Eat" question.
I'll look at other posts, there must be more than 2 people responding.
Any suggestions helpful and I'll google crohnes also. I'm trying to help a friend who has it.
 

Reply posted for RyanLondon.

I don't have crohn's but have UC. I have been reading this book that deals with diet when it comes to all autoimmune diseases like Crohn's and UC. Might check it out. I am currently on the AIP (autoimmune protocol) diet. I was just diagnosed last month.

https://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Approach-Reverse-Autoimmune-Disease/dp/1936608391/ref=sr_1_2?crid=NROH4EHD1HTN&keywords=the+paleo+approach&qid=1556216251&s=gateway&sprefix=the+paleo+app%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-2

Reply posted for RyanLondon.

Yes I would like to know that as well. I read that raw vegetables are bad for Crohn's but other than that I know nothing else. I am newly diagnosed 1 week. Wish I was more help.