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Hi.  I was wondering if you could help me try some fruits and vegetables.  I have crohn's and uc and am terrified of the pain and nausea.  I could put up with the diarhea but the nausea knocks me off my feet.  I know I need to try things but am just too nervous.  Some say have things with seeds some say do not.  Also, I've been off dairy and see a difference but still have flare ups.  I miss yogurt terribly and I know how healthy it is for you.  Any suggestions there?  I've never been told I'm lactose intolerant I was just trying no dairy.

Thanks and have a great day!

ngc

 Reply posted for ngc249.

ngc, I encourage you to go online and get the specific carb diet chicken soup recipe.  It is really easy on you and it is good.  Fin fish baked with just a touch of seasoning (be careful) is always a good choice.  Bread can and will aggravate you.  Pasta is a no no for me.  Bake a sweet potato.  Avocado soothes me.  Pineapple Coconut juice is my pick me up.  I add olive oil to my veggies and I overcook them (I use the broth from the veggies as a base for soups) when I am inflammed.  Do not eat peelings while inflammed.  Stay away from sugar.  Eggs are a good choice.  I also drink V8 type juice when I do not want to eat.  Cut down on your beef, pork, lamb when inflammed.  Salmon really helps inflammation.  Bananas are good.

These are just a few of the things I have learned over these many years.  Let me know if you have any questions.  There are alot of us on this board that use diet for IBD.  Read up on the Specific Carb Diet. Life Without Bread is an excellent book.  Eating Right for a Bad Gut is all about inflammation and the foods we eat. 

Breezy

 Reply posted for Long road.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.  I also tried a little bit of fiber before bed and it acted like a sponge for a little while.  Right now I'm in the middle of a flare up and I probably shouldn't have had the fiber lastnight.  Can you give me some more suggestions of what you like to eat.  I would love to eat yogurt that much a day but I think it would be too much.  I also think I definitely over did it on bread on Saturday night.

thanks,

ngc

 Reply posted for TobyKai.

I also agree with tobykai the yogurt I have had great success with is stony fields organic I eat it three times a day 10 min before a main meal.I eat five times a day two times are small ones I have had crohn's for going on 17 years. You asked on things with seeds or nuts nuts are just to hard to digest and seeds are really bad because it ripes up your small intestines this in tern starts the inflammation in turn starts a flair up. Also I recommend to go gluten free gluten grains and things with yeast in them are just to hard for us to digest. This is only part of what I have learned to stay clear of. Plus I feel that all crohn's sufferers in in a state of adrenal fatigue so our systems can not handle any stress.    

 Reply posted for TobyKai.

I agree with TobyKai. Soft, cooked veggies are better, easier to digest. Soup is good because they keep the nutrients in the broth. I sometimes eat soft fresh fruits, but not the peel. If I can't chew it into a mush, I don't eat it.

As for dairy, maybe try small amounts at a time. Sometimes really cold milk and dairy gives me stomach cramps, but I don't seem to be lactose intolerant either. I do like yogurt, and sometimes I make my own pudding from scratch, and eat it still warm.

You might want to keep a food diary. Enter what you ate at what time, in one column, then the next column you put a time when you went to the bathroom. I did that once during a flair, and was surprised to see a pattern for a particular food I thought was okay for me. Basically, you want to find out what's best for you, and what doesn't work.

 Reply posted for ngc249.

 I  make a pot of vegetable soup and put it in the blender. I  then portion it out a freeze it. I  do beef and use whatever veggies I want. I also add barley or you can add rice.  When you eat out, ask if they have a blender. Some will say no because they don't want to dirty it but any restaurant that has a bar has a blender. Olive Garden is real good about putting their soup in the blender. For home cooked veggies I use a steamer and make spinach, carrots, green beans, brocolli and cauliflower. My steamer is electric because I like to be able to plug it in and walk away from it. With fresh veggies cooked this way, you keep all the nutrients and don't add sodium. Fresh fruits can be a problem. I know that the skin is a real problem. Maybe if you peeled grapes and tried a few of them you could handle them. The only thing you can do it try.Like everything else we eat, it's try first in small amounts. Good Luck, Marilyn

 Reply posted for ngc249.

First, every person is different so you may get a lot of advice, but only you can find out what really really works for you.  I try to eat yogurt everyday for the good bacteria but I avoid other dairy as much as possible-- unfortunately ice cream is really bad for me. 
As far as fruits and veggies the general rule is the mushier the better.  If it takes a long time to chew it's no good.  Try cooked veggies like spinach and carrots and squashes.  You could make a yummy soup.  I avoid corn and celery no matter what.  Bananas are nice and mushy and fine for me to eat.  I think avocados are beneficial because they have the good fats. 
These are some things that I think help me, but it's always an adventure.  On rule I think would apply to everyone is that moderation is key.  Never eat tons and tons of one thing, every body needs variety.