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I just had surgery on April 9th of this year and they removed part of my large and small intestines due to my crohns and colitis. I am so afraid of having another flare up. Does anyone have any suggestions on what food or exercise to do to help? My doctors say that I just have to try to eat whatever i can and see what works... thats a little scary. Does anyone know of any good cook books or have they done any yoga or anything? i want to try to get healthy ,,,plus from all the steriods i have gained some weight...lol.... any advice is welcomed. I cant however right now do weights or any heavy cardio as i am still recovering. I wish they would find a cure already,,,,, Does anyone ever feel like ,,, what the f....? lol...

 Reply posted for sueymac.

I am having a bear of a time trying to find diet related material as well.

I had Ileostomy surgeyr July 2007 and I haven't stopped gaining weight ever since.  My surgeon states that I needed to gain 20 of the 35 ilbs I've gained.  Yikes!!!! 

 Reply posted for sueymac.

I am having a bear of a time trying to find diet related material as well.

I had Ileostomy surgeyr July 2007 and I haven't stopped gaining weight ever since.  My surgeon states that I needed to gain 20 of the 35 ilbs I've gained.  Yikes!!!! 

 Reply posted for sueymac.

I am having a bear of a time trying to find diet related material as well.

I had Ileostomy surgeyr July 2007 and I haven't stopped gaining weight ever since.  My surgeon states that I needed to gain 20 of the 35 ilbs I've gained.  Yikes!!!! 

 Reply posted for Jackie1980.

i had surgery myself over christmas this past year. it was a good thing, since i had a severe stricture that could have turned into an obstruction. i wasn't absorbing any nutrients (i know this now because i've gained 10 pounds and eat the same as i did before going in!) because my ileum and part of my colon were, literally, dead. recovery time was hard for me because i couldn't get back into my regular work out routine which, at the very least, helps me cope with stress that can irritate symptoms of crohn's.

to address your question, yoga helps to soothe internal organs, especially the intestines. try to learn twisting exercises and core strengthening moves. being physically fit is essential in my book. so is eating fiber to move everything along. i cannot stand to be 'irregular!' education is so important, because with all the jazz that goes around about chron's and colitis, half of it is *** (excuse my language). life stressors effect our condition the most, so anything we can do to combat those-meditation, exercise, eating well (small portions and often, limited sugar), keeping up with lab work and blood counts, and resting-all contribute to a better quality of life and a longer remission time.

good luck and hopes for a speedy recovery!

 Reply posted for sueymac.

People really just need to do what's best for them.  Personally, I avoid large quantities of high-fiber foods (I was miserable after I ate a bowl of fresh pineapple) and greasy foods.  Right after my surgery, I was most comfortable with a diet free from froots and vegetables. 

One thing to note is that processed foods may sound bad, but the more processing and refining that's done in the factory, the less your bowl has to do. 

My sister, who is more financially well-off than I, has been able to maintain a lot of Chron's symptoms with an organic diet. 

 Reply posted for Jackie1980.

I had severe ulcerative colitis for 8 years. I realize that Crohn's is different than UC, but I can tell you that staying in top shape and working out 5 days a week for over 10 years has made a huge difference in my recovery. I know how horrid those steroids can be... working out and eating the healthy diet helps a ton. 

 Reply posted for sueymac.

Thank you so much for your reply! It is frustrating one person says this and then another book say that! lol... hope your child is doing well!

 Reply posted for Jackie1980.

I can't believe no one has responded!

My son has been diag. with Crohn's and yes, I feel like "what the..." when I learn how little is really really known about this disease!  Why can't Crohn's be like Diabetes?  Whenever I am looking for IBD books at a bookstore I am overwhelmed by the amount of books for Diabetes.

Diet-wise I have read about the Anti-Inflammatory Diet--very interesting...but eating fish four times a week would make me worried about mercury amounts...

I have read about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet which I have been doing along with my son.  We are now both eating non-SCD foods with little change in our bods.

Not eating processed foods makes sense.  Eating fruits and veggies if one can tolerate them--but not everyone can.

Oh,I bought "What to eat for IBD" and the author, who has Crohn's and a masters in nutrition, recommends foods that the inflammatory-diet guys say are no-no's  ..so these days I am a bit freaked about food!

It seems walking, swimming--gentle exercises, are very good for all.  Running can make some people's bowels get a bit too active...I haven't read about weights and crohn's..

Alright, need to wrap this up.  Read all you can.  This site seems very balanced and well-rounded.  I hope you continue to do well!