You know the expression, “Be careful what you say?” Well, the Fates must have heard me talking and said “Ha! We’ll show her!” and decided to smite me.
I’ve never liked eating. Not in an eating disorder type of way, but just in a general “this is such a pain” sort of way. Deciding what to eat, shopping, cooking, eating, and cleaning up afterwards. When you think about it, so much time and often at the time of day when I’m most tired.
Of course, there are foods I enjoy eating. But if science ever invents a meal-in-a-pill, I will be first in line to sign up!
Now, here I am, smitten with a condition that is affected by eating, something I cannot stop doing.
Stupid Fates!
Colitis Diet – Is there such a thing?
If you search for colitis diets on the internet you’ll find all kinds of websites, books, videos, etc. giving advice or trying to sell you on what is best for you to eat. (Buy my book! Buy my supplements!) The problem is that the term colitis diet is a misnomer. There really is not one. Does that mean you can eat whatever you want?
No. What it means is that everyone is different. And every BODY is different. You need to eat what your body lets you eat. And that may be very different from what you are told is the proper colitis diet.
There are so many conflicting thoughts out there when it comes to food. Some websites will list foods you can eat that are the same foods you’d find on any ‘healthy eating’ website. They’ll list fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, non-red meats, and legumes. But if you read what colitis patients are saying, a lot of those foods are not good. Even when in remission.
Nuts and seeds are bad. Nuts do have anti-inflammatory qualities but are hard on the colon. Breads and rice should be white, not brown. Legumes are often a problem. Some people can eat fruits and vegetables, but only if they’re very soft or peeled and cooked to mush. Others cannot tolerate them at all. Mashed potatoes are great for some inflamed colons, but not for others. Some can’t eat eggs. Others eat scrambled or hard-boiled eggs every day.
Some people unknowingly develop allergies to milk products and find that going dairy-free clears everything up. But others find that milk soothes their stomachs. And milk is full of nutrients and calcium which colitis patients struggle with, especially as some medications can cause osteoporosis.
Red meat causes problems for some and is sometimes listed as contributing to flares, but for others it is all they can eat. I read about a woman who ate steak for dinner every night for awhile because that was all her stomach could handle. She slowly introduced other foods, but most of her meal is still red meat. (Read her story here. She has Crohn's.) Myself, I experience the least stomach problems when I eat a meat heavy meal, even ground hamburger. The less meat I eat, the more my stomach is unhappy. I crave hamburgers.
I read about a colitis patient who said that during a flare about the only thing he could eat was chocolate. But for others, chocolate throws their guts into chaos. Another said that the foods that work best for her are the ones that are considered unhealthy. She said if a food is listed as “healthy” she stays far away.
Other colitis patients have cut gluten or stuck with
specific diets (like the Paleo, Keto, SCD, or Carnivore) or gone mostly vegan and had great success. Others have gone vegan and had to give it up.
Flares are another thing. Most people seem to be able to eat more kinds of food during remission but must drastically scale back to what works best or eat bland foods during a flare.
The thing is . . . TRY EVERYTHING. Don’t cross any food off your
list until you know for sure how it will affect you. Then once you know, stick
with it (or without it) no matter what you read or hear or are told. Everyone is different!
One of my early mistakes was not tracking my eating and bowel movements. I kept reading that I should do that, but just did not want to. Part of that was my belief that this was temporary. (You know, denial.) I never saw any patterns (except for my mother-in-law's fried chicken gravy, darn it all), but it was nice to be able to write notes for things that I knew I wouldn't remember tomorrow.
I made a food/bowel movement tracking chart. You can use one of your own (there are many online), use an app, or download mine here:
Colitis Food Tracker form from Colitis Senioritis.
If you’ve read “My Experience,” I relate how my first gastroenterologist visit was with the doctor’s medical assistant because the doctor was out of town for a month. Despite the fact that I had lost weight and was weak and in pain, she told me to stop eating dairy and sugar. After two weeks, I abandoned that plan as I was still losing weight and there was no improvement. When I was finally able to see the gastroenterologist, I told him what his assistant said and asked what foods I should eat. The doctor said, “Whatever your body can tolerate.” THAT is the diet that works best.
Great articles:
Helpful & Hated Food for People with Crohn's & UC
Benefits of a Bland Diet For Symptom Management
© Colitis Senioritis 2022
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