Hmmm? A diet?

[Starscream613]

Hey guys!
I was diagnosed with CD a few years ago. I had some bad symptoms and what not, but I finally managed to get some solid treatment (Remicade). I have been doing very well on the Remicade and have happily been pretty much symptom free for about a year. I tried a food journal a while back but could never seem to pin-point anything in particular that might trigger a flare. So, for the past year I have been really just eating what I want, when I want (the average teenage/college diet) and been doing just fine! But, I had a flare up about a week ago which kind of slapped me out of LaLa Land. I kinda thought to myself, "My Crohn's isn't going to be this easy walk in the park my whole life so I better get my act together!". So I have since been considering a diet. What do you all think, do I need a diet? If so, which one? I need a diet that would be feasible for a 19 year old college student (Poor, limited access to special foods being on college campus, etc.)....You get the picture :lol2:

Thanks!
Cameron

 

[KWalker]

Hello and welcome! I'm a University student myself in Canada but I don't live on campus so that changes things. I changed my diet significantly at the beginning of the year and I can tell you it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I started the SCD diet and have a thread in my signature so you can have a look at my progress if you'd like, but since you're on campus and most likely don't have access to much cooking/food prep I think you might find yourself having a harder time, especially with that diet.

At this point, my personal suggestion would just be to cut down on the processed foods and fast food as much as possible. Go for the real food. I know it probably won't be easy so you wouldn't have to completely cut out fast food but if you are eating it a lot I think cutting it down drastically would make a big difference.

 

[Starscream613]

Ya I've seen that! Would you say that the diet is relatively expensive? Also does it have a fairly high protein intake (I would like to lean toward something high in protein consumption)?

 

[KWalker]

I make it work for the same price as my normal (eating whatever I see) diet was. I don't live on campus though so I cook all my meals. Of course I don't know what your school is like but at mine a lot of the dorms don't have their own kitchen utilities so most kids are forced to eat from school cafeterias.

I like to think I get a lot of protein. I'm pretty much going to make almonds extinct with the amount I eat lol. Its all about putting your money towards different food groups

 

[Avery]

Starscream613
I noticed a big difference after I cut out fast food & junk processed foods.
If I eat sugary junk foods I quickly become nauseaous and just dont feel energetic for days. Afterwards the crohns starts acting up very slowly until I have a full blown flareup. I dont eat or drink anything that causes a flareup, like coffee(even decaf), milk, store bought orange juice, greasy foods. etc.
Fruits like apples, bananas are good healthy snacks. I peel apples, the skin can be irritating to an inflammed intestine. Some fruits may cause gas etc.
If you have to eat out stay away from all greasy fried foods. Also fast food hamburgers are very unhealthy since they contain fillers & other questionable stuff and not 100% beef. I actually get sick from eating them. By the way I have not used any meds since 1991. Some people may need meds depending on the severity of their condition. I also drink aloe Vera juice daily, it really helps the digestive tract to work better. It sounds like a boring life to a young person but you will feel much better. Fruits & veggies are affordable depending on where you shop. Compared to fast foods it may cost slightly more, since fast foods are cheap and consist of junk anyways.

 

[acc929]

Hi Starscream!
Good for you! I'm also a college student and it's true that, whether you live on campus or off, city or not, diet can be tough, especially when everyone around you just chows down on whatever they want, no consequences! Can you imagine?? Anyway, I cut out gluten a couple months ago and have found since then that certain grains more than fibre for me is an issue. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is very complicated and I'm not sure if I feel up to it quite yet, but I think I'm getting there. For me, corn and potatoes are unsafe as well as gluten, so just keep in mind that starches and grains can be dangers for some of us too! I will say that once I cut out gluten I completely stopped having D and have not really had it since. I'm still flaring from time to time but it feels more manageable. I would recommend that anyone try cutting out gluten to see if it works for them - honestly, I didn't know what brain fog was until I realized I'd had it for as long as I could remember, and my energy levels soared. Felt so much better in a lot of ways - a lot of people have gluten intolerances and the stuff isn't that good for you anyway! There are loads of good replacements - Udi's breads are delicious (so expensive in Canada though ).
Good luck!

 

[CrohnsChicago]

Hi there!

Attached is a link containing a list of common diets that people with IBD use to help try and control symptoms:

Diets & Supplements for Crohn's Disease and other IBD

If you click on the links within it you will find more information related to each specific diet to help you make an appropriate choice for your lifestyle and budget.

Best of luck!

 

[UnXmas]

What do you all think, do I need a diet? If so, which one? I need a diet that would be feasible for a 19 year old college student (Poor, limited access to special foods being on college campus, etc.)....You get the picture

Although I didn't purposely set out to do it as a specific diet, I ended up finding that the low residue diet is the best way of eating in order to manage my symptoms. http://www.crohnsforum.com/wiki/Low-Residue-Diet

I don't think it actually prevents flares (no diet does), but my symptoms are less severe when I eat less fibre. It's not restrictive compared to other Crohn's diets, and doesn't have to be expensive.

I don't think people with Crohn's necessarily "need" a special diet, but it is worth giving various diets a try and seeing if any help manage your symptoms and fit with your budget and lifestyle.

 

[Avery]

Unxmas,
In my case eliminating foods that clearly irritated my digestive tract and brought on pain, on more than one occasion, was worth every ounce of effort.
Certain foods and liquids are just bad for a person with Crohns. People have to accept that hard fact & not overlook a very important factor in staying healthy with crohns. There is no magic pill that is known to help all people with crohns to eat anything & not get sick.
Many dont want to give up milk, coffee, soda, alcohol, fast food hamburgers, , greasy foods, sugary junk foods, etc.
I have accepted that those foods cause a major problem for me. I made a decision to avoid them to minimize the terrible symptoms of crohns. I also use supplements to help like, Aloe, enteric coated fish oil, boswellia, primrose oil, lecithin, multi-vitamin, etc.