# To People That Can't Eat Nuts/Seeds



## Tilt

Hi everyone,
So recently I was told by my doctor to avoid things like popcorn or sunflower seeds which I guess cause irritation on ulcers on way out. My question is, what else should I avoid? Please! Tell me everything that falls under this type of category. Thank you very much.


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## My Butt Hurts

I am doing mostly a low residue diet (google it if you want all of the details) which is mostly avoiding fruit and veggie skins and seeds and whole grains.  Sesame seeds seem to bother me, and the doc is right about popcorn.  I will never ever eat popcorn again.  Last time I did it was NOT a pretty sight.  I have even been cutting the outside off of strawberries to eat them and avoid those seeds.  
Anything fiberous that you think might rub the inside of you like sandpaper before it comes out might be something that you want to avoid.


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## Mark33180

Please Please Please don't try to eat Pecans.....  For christmas last year (07) I got 2 bags of those candied pecans (look like sugar coated) and i ended up in the hospital, and everytime i ahve tried just eating a small ammount of them i find i have lots of trouble...  So just might want to avoid them at all cost.


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## Guest

i would agree with MBH and Mark.. all things which are hard to digest, or 'scratchy' should be kept at arms length, particularly if you're prone to pain regularly or are flaring.

it's not just the issue of this type of food irritating our sensitive ulcerated areas.. Crohns can cause narrowing of the intestines, and eating a few handfuls of, say, nuts can cause a partial or full blockage if there is such a narrowing.

so yes, your doctor has given you sound advice.

welcome to the forum, by the way


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## Tilt

Thank you everyone for the answers so far. About fruit, what about fruit with no skin, like oranges? Are any fruit ok? 

Another question, which is hopefully not too personal...what exactly happens when you eat nuts/fruit/popcorn/etc? Do you go poop often? Does your stomach hurt immediatley? Later that night? Do you get diariah?  

Also, thanks ding for the welcome


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## Mazen

Hi Tilt. for some great advice on what you can eat and what might irritate you, a good book is "The New Eating Right for a Bad Gut"; it has sections on vegetables, fruits, meats, grains etc..........

http://www.amazon.com/New-Eating-Ri...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233821588&sr=8-1


As for oranges, they don't suit me personally, as even when you peel them you still have that hard to digest white stuff.... The most fruits I eat (Always ripe) are bananas, peeled pears, peach, apricts and some melon or cantaloup....

When I eat a food that doesn't suit me, I usually feel nauseaus and then have very painful cramps all night........


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## danman

Echo... echo....

(sorry Mazen, couldn't resist!!!)


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## Mazen

Thanks Dan


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## GregD

I think I've mentioned this in a post before, but my GI gave me some good advice about how to determine what foods are safe to eat. 

She said to imagine putting the food on a sunny windowsill. If after a week it would look more or less the same, don't eat it. If it would be all mushy or decomposing, it is probably okay to eat. (NOTE: don't test this out be eating food that has actually sat on a sunny windowsill for a week)

Also, avoid foods that cause gas. 

-Greg


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## djshax

Guest said:


> Crohns can cause narrowing of the intestines, and eating a few handfuls of, say, nuts can cause a partial or full blockage if there is such a narrowing.


Hi Guys,

New here. I ate a packet of nuts and seeds yesterday and had the night and morning from hell!!!! If, like me, you have a narrowing of the colon due to crohns, steer well clear of any nuts or seeds!!!!!

I find it helpful to chew my food really well. The more it's mush when it goes into your stomach, the better it goes through the rest of the system. I now eat crispy roast potatoes on a Sunday but really chew them to death before swallowing.

David


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## Poppysocks

I disagree, I think eating things like nuts and seeds NEED to be eaten by people with Crohns/UC. How do you expect to have a strong digestive system if you've only eaten easy to digest grains (oxymoron). Same goes for fruits and veggies. These things need to be eaten everyday by people with Crohns/UC. At first it will be hard for the body to acclimate to eating a high fiber diet but the body will adjust. High fiber foods such as fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds soak up water in the colon and make food easier to pass. You're body must acclimate though, if you never eat these things it's going to hurt when initially starting to consume them.


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## djshax

Poppysocks said:


> I disagree, I think eating things like nuts and seeds NEED to be eaten by people with Crohns/UC. How do you expect to have a strong digestive system if you've only eaten easy to digest grains (oxymoron). Same goes for fruits and veggies. These things need to be eaten everyday by people with Crohns/UC. At first it will be hard for the body to acclimate to eating a high fiber diet but the body will adjust. High fiber foods such as fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds soak up water in the colon and make food easier to pass. You're body must acclimate though, if you never eat these things it's going to hurt when initially starting to consume them.


I'll let you crack on with that Poppysocks. Never again for me.


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## Rebecca85

I'll pass on the nuts and seeds too. Eating fibre, fruits and veggies is one thing, nuts and seeds (and some skins) are a different matter. Think what happens to fruit and veg when you cook and mash them, I imagine that's more or less what happens in your stomach. But nuts and seeds will still have sharp edges, and won't break down into a mush. Best case scenario, they scratch and irritate your intestines as they go through. Worst case scenario, if you have narrowing, you could get a blockage and end up in hospital. 

I have tried small amounts of nuts (like a single nut) and no matter how well I chew, I get bad diarrhoea. However I can eat processed forms of nuts, such as almond flour, so I often add it to recipes, figuring it's better than nothing. But I'll be avoiding whole nuts for a while yet. I also find very small seeds (eg strawberry) to be tolerable, possibly because the seed doesn't break up, so no sharp edges, and possibly because the fruit passes through with the seed, preventing scratching.


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## HeatherMN

Popcorn is a big no-no for me, but I do eat almonds, sunflower seeds and peanuts often. My GI and I talked about it and she said as long as nuts are chewed well it should be OK for me. I also don't have issues with fruit, I eat strawberries, raspberries, grapes, etc. with seeds and skins. I don't however eat raspberries or blackberries-I hate the seeds in my teeth.
Everyone is different, you learn by trial and error what you can and can't tolerate. I ate popcorn for YEARS with this disease, never had a problem and ended up in serious pain after eating it two different times (slow learner). Now, never again.


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## Miss Spencer

Tilt said:


> So recently I was told by my doctor to avoid things like popcorn or sunflower seeds which I guess cause irritation


I can't eat many raw nuts, and have to totally avoid roasted nuts.

But I have discovered that I can eat *activated nuts *and *sprouted seeds*.

Activating nuts involves soaking raw nuts for 12 - 24 hours in water, then draining them and gently dehydrating them. Once activated, they are very easy to digest.

I am sure you know all about sprouting already, so no need for me to describe that.

Somebody above mentioned sugared pecans, and that would be a no-no for me. But I am absolutely fine with a small serving of plain activated pecans.

So you may also discover that you can still consume foods in different forms.

With anything like this, when experimenting, start off with a spoon full and only increase if you can tolerate them. Also chew well. In other words, don't swallow whole nuts or seeds. It needs to be mush in your mouth before swallowing.


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## slightlysilly

If I chew something to complete and total liquid, I'm usually ok.  But like.. we're talking a hundred chews... I can't be whorking something down...


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## Lee

My recommendation because it works for me is to NEVER eat nuts when you are flaring, but after you're in remission eat as many as you'd like


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## nogutsnoglory

I do have nut flours and butters and was told it's OK but not sure if they hurt me.


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