Diet

 Great news!  I am finally out of the hospital and have been for about a week.  I am still experiencing some UC symptoms, but it isn't as bad as before.  I am constantly afraid that it will take a turn for the worse again........especially since it is a super stressful time of year at the studio.  (3 weeks until the recital! OMG! So much stuff to do!)  If my symptoms flare again, I'll most-likely have the surgery.  So lets hope I can survive for a bit longer! 

Enough about me......let talk about Diet!   This is something that all of us with UC struggle with.  What the heck are we suppose to eat?  I've had many doctors tell me that diet doesn't matter.  Which sometimes can be pretty frustrating to hear when your struggling to gain necessary nutrients.  Each time I have been in the hospital my lab work came back terrible because I had gotten so sick that I wasn't able to absorb the food I ate.  At times I am almost afraid of food, and I'm sure I'm not the only one out there that feels the same way. 

I have tried every diet imaginable; SCD, Paleo, Atkins, Vegan, Vegetarian, etc.  And I can honestly say that none of them worked for me.  The SCD Diet almost killed me.  I lost 30 pounds on it, and the bleeding actually got much worse.  I stuck with it for 3 months because it's big claim is that you'll go through a detox phase where you'll feel worse before you get better.   Oh I felt worse for sure, I was miserable.  I don't recommend this diet to anyone with IBD.

While I was in the hospital I talked to a really good Nutritionist.  And she gave me some great pointers that I thought I would share with you all because this is the best information I've received regarding diet for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  It has helped me out, and hopefully it will be beneficial to you as well. 

✔Diet Tips and Suggestions!

• Eat small meals or snacks every 3 to 4 hours
• When you have symptoms, stick to the foods in the recommended foods outline below.  These foods are lower in fiber.  When diarrhea decreases, you many have small amounts of whole grain foods and higher-fiber fruits and vegetables.  Try them one at a time.  If you have abdominal pain or diarrhea, then stop eating the new food.  You can try it again at a later date.
• Drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration.  Aim for a least 8 cups of fluid each day.
• Eat foods that have added probiotics and prebiotics.  
• Use a multivitamin.  You may need more of some vitamins and minerals than you do when you are healthy.  (I also take a calcium supplement as well.)
• During periods when you don't have symptoms, include whole grains and a variety of fruits and vegetables in your eating plan.  Start new foods one at a time, in small amounts.  

 ✎ Proteins Recommended Foods

• Tender and well-cooked lean meats; poultry, pork, fish, eggs, and soy prepared without added fat.

✎Dairy Recommended Foods

• Evaporated, skim, powdered or low-fat milk
• Smooth, nonfat or low-fat yogurt
• Low-fat cheeses
• Sherbet

 ✎Grains Recommended Foods

• Choose grain foods with less than 2 grams of fiber per serving. (White rice, Bread, bagels, rolls, cereals, and pasta made from white or refined flour)  

✎Vegetables

•  Most well-cooked vegetables without seeds.  
• Potatoes without skin
• Strained vegetable juice
• VEGETABLES NOT RECOMMENDED!  (Beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and sauerkraut, cauliflower, corn, lima beans, mushrooms, okra, onions, peppers, parsnips, potato skins, spinach, winter squash, turnip, and collards.)

✎Fruits

• Fruit juice without pulp (except prune juice)
• Ripe banana or melons
• Most canned, soft fruits
• Choose canned fruit in juice or light syrup.  Heavy syrup has lots of sugar, which may make diarrhea worse.
• FRUITS NOT RECOMMENDED! (All raw fruits except ripe bananas and melon, canned berries, canned cherries, dried fruits including raisins, prune juice)

✎Fats and Oils

•  Limit fats and oils to less than 8 teaspoons per day.

✎Beverages

•  Drinking beverages with sugar or corn syrup may make diarrhea worse for some people.  Very sweet juices may also have this effect.
• Water, Decaffeinated coffee, caffeine-free tea, soft drinks without caffeine, rehydration beverages. 
• BEVERAGES NOT RECOMMENDED! Beverage with caffeine, such as coffee, tea, cola, some sport drinks, alcoholic drinks.  Avoid sweet fruit juices and soft drinks or other beverages made with sugar or corn syrup if they make diarrhea worse. 

✎Other

•  Sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol) cause diarrhea in some people.  These ingredients are often found in sugarless gums and candies, as well as some medications.  

Good luck and happy eating!!!  :)