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Wife diagnosed with UC 3 years ago (@ age 73); upgraded to UC + Crohns a year ago.  Asacol helped a couple of years, then not.  Now on humira, works pretty well, but far from perfect.  Her body seems to reject the medicines over time and I fear surgeries ahead,  so I am somewhat desperately reaching out to diet modification.

Two questions; has a gluten free diet helped any of you; and do you bake your own bread or just buy the frozen GF stuff at Walmart.  Not much difference in price, but maybe home baked is more appetizing?  At least initially,m the GF diet does seem to be relieving symptoms ---- don't know if it will last.

 Reply posted for kokomojo.

Hi. I make nut or coconut flour bread and buns. Recipes can be found on the Internet. 

 Reply posted for mbeatty71.

The UMass study used a modified SCD called the IBD-AID or Anti-Inflammatory Diet.  It allows more foods, including but not limited to white rice and oats.  The difficult part of the SCD is finding ways to circumvent the ban on wheat, corn, potatoes, rice, and dairy.  The AID makes it a little bit easier by allowing more varieties of yogurt (such as Greek yogurt), and as any good vegan will tell you, almond milk is your friend.  You can still eat butter, aged cheeses, and meats that don't have added sugar.  It's really up to you how you want to tailor the diet for yourself, but as with all things, it is wise to err on the side of safety.  The entire SCD is available online for free, and the website at University of Massachusetts is full of useful information.
If you want to learn more, you might explore http://www.umassmed.edu/nutrition/ibd/ibd-aid-reference/
I've also found a topic from the forum http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=47342

 Reply posted for djtom317.

Thank you for your response to my post. I will try the SCD diet.  It seems so restrictive, however.  I remember when I was first diagnosed in 1970 and I followed a strict diet, my nutritional status went down the chute.  I may ease into this diet at first eliminating one thing at a time....I may be more successful with the discipline.  Will be honest... I don't see myself making my own yogurt! 

I'm now at a crossroad where I'm running out of medications.  Remicade no longer works for me and I had to go off humira due to demyelination of my spinal cord (this fact eliminates all TNF blockers).  I'm now on Entyvio, which so far has not been as effective....hence I'm back on prednisone.  Sometimes this disease just sucks the enthusiasm right out of you!

 Reply posted for mbeatty71.

In my experience, almond bread is crumbly compared to wheat bread, and my sandwiches tend to be a little messy. The important thing is, I don't have to sacrifice eating them. Same goes for pizza crust, although to a lesser extent. It can be expensive, but if you find a cheap supplier it is not so bad. I was motivated out of necessity, having gone through several flares and feeling uncomfortable all the time. I could feel my gut loving the food I gave it. I recommend trying some recipes at the popular SCD websites and seeing how you like them. My mom still cooks SCD by default much of the time, even though I don't live at home anymore. A year into the diet, I was at a Mexican restaurant and decided nothing was more important than tortilla chips, so I stayed eating corn again and felt immense relief. I read up on a study at the University of Massachusetts that allows more beans and oatmeal, but has a similar success rate, so now my diet is a little more expansive. After 2 years or so on the diet, I started to allow myself little bits of sugar or flour here and there, and now I eat a little non-SCD food once every week or two.

 Reply posted for djtom317.

Do you find bread made with almond flour similar to regular bread?  I have tried the Udi's White Gluten Free bread.  It's Ok but I think I would rather do without at this point. 

Unfortunately, my biggest obstacle is discipline with diet, especially when on prednisone.  Feel like eating most of the time and also feel like I can do anything.  Then I pay the price later.

 Reply posted for kokomojo.

I, too responded negatively to medications. I didn't get better until I implemented the SCD. I prefer homemade bread, because I know everything that goes in it. Almond flour is my favorite, but finding it for cheap can be challenging.