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I cannot for the life of me eat like I used to!!! I loved fresh fruits and veggies prior to my diagnosis, and since I've acquired colitis, I cannot, I repeat: CANNOT, enjoy my favorite foods!! the thing is though, that I can eat greasy foods and not have problems. I mean, things with MSG really hurts, but I can eat french fries and not have pain or anything.... what my point is, is this normal? Does anyone else have something like this, or am I a medical mystery like always? :( and I can't eat ANYTHING with tomatoes or whatever is tomato-based. bye bye pizza....

 Reply posted for Ash.

I wasn't in a flare until two or three weeks ago, until it started (flaring since) I was actually recovering from one that lasted quite a while.... I'm beginning the SCD diet (slowly) which is going to be hard for me... I heard that allergies can make a flare worse, which sounds right to me because where I live, we are having pollen alerts every day, :( Well, on GOOD news, I've been downgraded! I'm off the entocort, and I'm only taking 1 800ml Asacol 3 times a day... personally I don't know if I trust my doctor, because he's making me feel like my case isn't as bad as what he sees more often, but right now I don't have the will to go for a second opinion. 

What am I eating? well, I'm basically trying to eat anything that doesn't give me problems, no tomatoes, limiting caffeine, etc. I can handle fatty foods, but (maybe it's just because I'm flaring) anything fresh (and good for you) gives me trouble.

 Reply posted for Amerz.

Are you in a flare? (sorry, I'm not too familiar with colitis, only crohn's). I know when I'm in a flare the same thing happens to me. I can't have eat anything tomato based (yay white pizzas!!) and salads are definitely out of the question. As for vegetables, for me only leafy green ones bother me, or maybe I just ignore it because I LOVE vegetables as well. Fruit wise, most bother me in a flare as well, especially anything apple based (so no apple juice, or even woodchuck (hard cider)). I also can't eat potato chips, unless they are corn based  like fritos and tostitos. And yes, I am more attracted to fatty foods, like burgers and fries, or even sweets like cupcakes, because I can handle them better. 
My uncle gave me a book on digestive health, and while I'm not one of those people who believe crohn's, ADD and autism etc, are cause by food additives and preservatives, I did find some of it interesting. As Viking said, it told me that fruit was hard on the digestion and really should be eaten alone, not part of a meal. Maybe that might make it easier?
Even so, don't worry! I experience the same things, and I know its pretty common. I always tell myself to eat what I feel like eating, because its more important that you get food into your system, than making sure its super healthy. Besides if you feel like you're gaining too much, you can always do some walking, but if you don't eat, you won't have the energy to do anything, and you might weigh too little so that if you do get another flare it will hit you much harder because your body won't have any reserves to draw on.

 Reply posted for Lca.

Hello Amerz,

I disagree with Lca about the meat and the fish.  I would stay far away from both: even for healthy people, they are disasters waiting to give you problems.  

Could you give us more info about what you've been eating and with what?  For example, eating fruit and another food--especially a fatty food--is often a recipe for disaster.  Often, eating a mono meal of only one fruit is much easier on the body.

Thanks. 

 Reply posted for Amerz.

Our usual diet is woefully short of the kind of fats we need and I think many with chronic health problems crave fat and don't understand why. To function properly our cell membranes need the right balance of omega 3/6 oils and adequate saturated fat. Cut back the carbs in your diet and add  bone broth and plenty of good fat from fish, grass-fed meat including the fat, and coconut oil. Tomatoes are nightshades which don't help a damaged gut and nor does gluten.

Try the scd diet or Robb Wolf's auto-immune diet. It can really help. The early stages help to heal the gut and then vegetables, salad and  some fruit can be added back.
I actually lost weight and my skin improved when I started adding much higher levels of  the right fats to my diet. And no msg ever.

All the best