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Elemental Drinks and 'chewy' food......

I've been reading through the forums and I'm just wondering what elemental drinks are and maybe where I could get them. Also some ppl avoid red meat b/c it is chewy..I'm just curious why some would have to avoid chewy food? Maybe I should try avoiding it too when this bout is over.

Currently in 5th month of flare up. :angry-banghead:
 
Also, why do some eat baby food? Is it b/c it is cooked through and canned?
I know, so many questions...I'm just so lost and just want to feel better.
 
Oh dear....more questions..... Coffee.....is my favorite thing! Do I need to be avoiding this during a flare?



Ugh....I need a freakin DR!!!!
 
Red meat is a difficult food to digest, partly because it is chewy so is still quite solid when you swallow it, and partly because of the protein and fat in it which take more digesting than carbs.

Some people eat baby food because it's cooked and mashed. Sometimes in a flare, particularly if you have strictures, cooking and mashing veg breaks it up and makes it easier to digest. Baby food is also likely to be bland and not have spices or other stuff that could upset your stomach.

As for coffee, some people have to cut it out, others don't. I find I can have coffee with a meal, but need to be careful how much I drink on an empty stomach. I assume the food absorbs the coffee and prevents there being a 'tidal wave' of caffeine scouring the gut walls (if that makes sense!). You could try cutting it out to see if your symptoms improve, or keep a diary and see if there is a pattern between drinking coffee and your symptoms.
 
Sorru, I missed one! Elemental drinks consist of nutrients (protein, sugar, vitamins etc) in a liquid form. The best ones that are suitable as a sole source of nutrition are only available on prescription.

Alternatively you can buy supplement drinks (in the uk we have complan and build-up) in a chemist (these are designed to be drunk alongside 3meals a day to help you gain or maintain weight). or you can get meal replacement drinks designed to help people lose weight (eg slim fast). I usually buy slimfast as it is the cheapest, and I drink one a day in addition to meals, just to make sure I am getting enough nutrients, but I also buy complan when it's on offer.
 
Hey Stylin! One of the things you want to keep in mind is that all of us have disease in different areas, so different things bother us. I only have disease in my colon (that we know of) so I usually don't have trouble swallowing food, or getting it to go down through my intestines. I have not had to eat pre processed food.

But, I have to watch the amount of fiber I eat, and nuts and popcorn are brutal if I do indulge. I love them, but they hurt. Some veggies are okay, and some are not. Raw carrots make me blow up like a balloon and they come out in the same form as they went in. Cooked are good.

I am in the US and we have Ensure and Boost that you can get without a prescription. We also have Slimfast, but it stops me up like a cork. I can tolerate Carnation Instant Breakfast sometimes. You just have to try things.
 
I avoid red meat because it is hard to digest - produces a lot of gas for me and some not so pleasant mornings the day after. I was never a coffee drinker, but I did switch to decaf tea because I was starting to find that caffeine has a real laxative effect for me and that is the last thing I need!
 
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