Low Fiber/Residue Diet Support Group

Crohn's Disease Forum

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nogutsnoglory said:
Not all of the government moves are good because it's hard to apply a generalization. For example I think there was a push to get the cereal manufactures to switch to whole wheat, whole oat etc. that's great because it's important people eat healthier but what about those of us on low fiber diets? I can't find any cereal that isn't full of fiber or whole this or that.
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I've though this too, when there have been proposals talked about in the media to put extra taxes on junk food. I wonder if I shouldn't get a discount if that happens, since I need all the calories I can get. I do find breakfast cereals quite limited because I need low fibre, but I have a bit of choice - Cornflakes, Special K, Rice Krispies and various supermarket-brands of the same cereals.
 
Wouldn't "hard meat" mean stuff that is harder to digest, like steaks (especially tougher ones) and such? I typically stay to ground beef if I eat red meat... but mainly eat chicken as that is easier for me to digest.
 
silverdiskdj said:
Wouldn't "hard meat" mean stuff that is harder to digest, like steaks (especially tougher ones) and such? I typically stay to ground beef if I eat red meat... but mainly eat chicken as that is easier for me to digest.
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Thank you Silverdiskdj, I am formed a plan of action in my head of what I need buy and now I hope it work.
 
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Hi, I am new to the forum and was diagnosed with Crohns in 1989 and Fibromyalgia in 2007. I have never been in remission and have had 2 resections and 1 exploritory. I no longer have the ileosecal valve. It seems the older I get the less I can eat. I keep off meds as much as possible by excercising regularly and watching my diet. I do take trazodone to sleep but that is it. I just deal with symptoms as they come. What I am trying to do is go to a more vegetable diet along with protein bars. But I am finding the protein bars are really "stopping" me up. Which is almost as bad as having diarrhea 5 plus times a day. Plus I get very bloated because nothing is moving. The protein bars seem to be the only "food" that does this to me. Does anyone have any idea what could be in the bars that would affect me like this?
 
Which protein bar are you using? Many of them are loaded with fiber so we would need to see the ingredients.
 
Pennstater68 said:
Hi, I am new to the forum and was diagnosed with Crohns in 1989 and Fibromyalgia in 2007. I have never been in remission and have had 2 resections and 1 exploritory. I no longer have the ileosecal valve. It seems the older I get the less I can eat. I keep off meds as much as possible by excercising regularly and watching my diet. I do take trazodone to sleep but that is it. I just deal with symptoms as they come. What I am trying to do is go to a more vegetable diet along with protein bars. But I am finding the protein bars are really "stopping" me up. Which is almost as bad as having diarrhea 5 plus times a day. Plus I get very bloated because nothing is moving. The protein bars seem to be the only "food" that does this to me. Does anyone have any idea what could be in the bars that would affect me like this?
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Are you on a low-fibre/low-residue diet? That could perhaps lead to constipation. Have you thought about trying any laxatives or stool softeners?

The protein bars - I agree with nogutsnoglory, it really depends on their ingredients and fibre content as to whether they could cause constipation.
 
Hi Everyone. I'm new to this group, and on a low residue diet for the last two years because of a narrow area in my intestine. I'm not sure if it's scarring or inflammation. It was at the site where I had a resection about 25 years ago, so could be either. I've been on Remicade for about 6 months, but my latest colonoscopy showed that it's not helping the stenosis, so I'll probably be adding Imuran.

The main question I have (and I've asked it elsewhere on the forum, so I'm sorry if I'm being repetitive, but I keep reading different answers, so I thought maybe someone here would know for sure) is: Can we eat raw greens on a low residue diet if they're blended into a smoothie?

I'm trying to decide whether I should buy a juicer, or whether a blender would be enough. I realize that it would still retain fiber, but if it's blended really smooth, would that be safe? My husband is pushing for a blender because it's less expensive, but I don't want to do something that would risk blockage. I really want a juicer, but on the other hand, if I can manage the fiber in smooth form, maybe that would be healthier overall.
 
aloe said:
Hi Everyone. I'm new to this group, and on a low residue diet for the last two years because of a narrow area in my intestine. I'm not sure if it's scarring or inflammation. It was at the site where I had a resection about 25 years ago, so could be either. I've been on Remicade for about 6 months, but my latest colonoscopy showed that it's not helping the stenosis, so I'll probably be adding Imuran.

The main question I have (and I've asked it elsewhere on the forum, so I'm sorry if I'm being repetitive, but I keep reading different answers, so I thought maybe someone here would know for sure) is: Can we eat raw greens on a low residue diet if they're blended into a smoothie?

I'm trying to decide whether I should buy a juicer, or whether a blender would be enough. I realize that it would still retain fiber, but if it's blended really smooth, would that be safe? My husband is pushing for a blender because it's less expensive, but I don't want to do something that would risk blockage. I really want a juicer, but on the other hand, if I can manage the fiber in smooth form, maybe that would be healthier overall.
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I suspect the reason you get different answers is because it's different for everyone! What specifically do you mean by raw greens? Lettuce? (Sorry, I think the terminology for quite a few veg is different in the UK from the US.)

I used to be able to tolerate lettuce, cucumber, etc. raw as long as I kept it to small amounts - I didn't even need to blend it. However, now I have an ileostomy and it gets blocked at the slightest thing. I can't have anything like that now, no matter how well it's blended. Since you have narrowing of the intestine, I think you should also err on the side of caution here, as that sounds similar to the problem I have with my stoma - the stoma opening is too small.

I don't have a juicer, but I have a blender and I use it for cooked veg like sprouts, broccoli and a few other things. One thing I have found useful is, after blending vegetables, I put them in a sieve and mash them through with a fork. Whatever makes it through the sieve I eat, anything that doesn't, I leave. Again, this is only since the ileostomy.

So really you have to experiment to see what's ok for you, but if you are risking actual blockage, rather than just a temporary deterioration in symptoms, you may not want to experiment too far. Before the ileostomy, I ate moderately low-fibre and I knew that if I ate too much it would just cause me to feel uncomfortable and make the diarrhoea worse, but it was more the overall amount of fibre I consumed over consecutive days that was significant rather than any particular food. Now with the ileostomy I am strictly low-fibre, as eating it causes a blockage. The quantity of fibre eaten is still an important factor, but the foods most likely to cause blockages (some veg - in particular lettuce, cucumber, and other salads, - fruit skin, pips, seeds, nuts, dried fruit) I avoid altogether because even a small amount is a risk.

Have you had problems with fibre already and how severe were they? Knowing your levels of tolerance will help you know if it's worth experimenting with a blender, but since you have narrowing, I would suggest the juicer would be safer, especially if you've already found small amounts of fibre to give you problems.
 
I have a Blendtec blender that I love dearly. I'm new to Crohn's so I'm getting a lot of advice. Someone just recommended a Hurom masticating juicer that let's you let a little fiber in. It's the most expensive juicer I've seen but being able to control the fiber seems nice. It was on Williams-Sonoma.
 
UnXmas said:
I suspect the reason you get different answers is because it's different for everyone! What specifically do you mean by raw greens? Lettuce? (Sorry, I think the terminology for quite a few veg is different in the UK from the US.)

I used to be able to tolerate lettuce, cucumber, etc. raw as long as I kept it to small amounts - I didn't even need to blend it. However, now I have an ileostomy and it gets blocked at the slightest thing. I can't have anything like that now, no matter how well it's blended. Since you have narrowing of the intestine, I think you should also err on the side of caution here, as that sounds similar to the problem I have with my stoma - the stoma opening is too small.

I don't have a juicer, but I have a blender and I use it for cooked veg like sprouts, broccoli and a few other things. One thing I have found useful is, after blending vegetables, I put them in a sieve and mash them through with a fork. Whatever makes it through the sieve I eat, anything that doesn't, I leave. Again, this is only since the ileostomy.

So really you have to experiment to see what's ok for you, but if you are risking actual blockage, rather than just a temporary deterioration in symptoms, you may not want to experiment too far. Before the ileostomy, I ate moderately low-fibre and I knew that if I ate too much it would just cause me to feel uncomfortable and make the diarrhoea worse, but it was more the overall amount of fibre I consumed over consecutive days that was significant rather than any particular food. Now with the ileostomy I am strictly low-fibre, as eating it causes a blockage. The quantity of fibre eaten is still an important factor, but the foods most likely to cause blockages (some veg - in particular lettuce, cucumber, and other salads, - fruit skin, pips, seeds, nuts, dried fruit) I avoid altogether because even a small amount is a risk.

Have you had problems with fibre already and how severe were they? Knowing your levels of tolerance will help you know if it's worth experimenting with a blender, but since you have narrowing, I would suggest the juicer would be safer, especially if you've already found small amounts of fibre to give you problems.
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Thanks for your reply UnXmas! I haven't really noticed problems before with fiber specifically but was told by my doctor to not eat raw vegetables, nuts and seeds because of the narrowing in my intestines. She said that would help me avoid blockage and surgery. If I was to just eat what agrees with me, I would probably be able to handle a lot of those foods, but I certainly don't want to risk blockage. It seems like a smoothie should be okay, because other chewed up food I eat makes it through, but I just don't understand how the body processes fiber that is in the form of smoothies, and it sounds like it still might be too risky. I guess I'm trying to get around the fiber restriction, but probably shouldn't risk it.
 
aloe said:
Thanks for your reply UnXmas! I haven't really noticed problems before with fiber specifically but was told by my doctor to not eat raw vegetables, nuts and seeds because of the narrowing in my intestines. She said that would help me avoid blockage and surgery. If I was to just eat what agrees with me, I would probably be able to handle a lot of those foods, but I certainly don't want to risk blockage. It seems like a smoothie should be okay, because other chewed up food I eat makes it through, but I just don't understand how the body processes fiber that is in the form of smoothies, and it sounds like it still might be too risky. I guess I'm trying to get around the fiber restriction, but probably shouldn't risk it.
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Although we are always getting messages about fibre being healthy, such advice is aimed at the general population, and doesn't hold true for those of us who are so far from the average, healthy digestive system. You can get all the vitamins you need without raw veg - maybe a supplement or vitamin pill would provide you with reassurance you are getting all you need.

If you've not been getting symptoms from other foods with fibre, raw veg might be ok, but it's sensible not to risk it if you're at all uncertain.

I don't know much about how the body processes different types of fibre either - it is confusing at times! I know, however, that when I first tried eating fibrous foods after my ileostomy surgery, there were clearly visible differences in the stoma output. Sorry to be graphic, but my stoma output is usually smooth; when I eat anything with fibre, the output contains little hard bits, like it's full of gravel. It was so obvious that my body was just not breaking down fibre at all, even though I'd chewed everything really well, and these unbroken bits can clump together and block the stoma. After one blockage and two further attempts to try fibre which, although I didn't eat enough to cause a complete blockage, did lead to stomach cramps and more gravel-like output which hurt as it came through the stoma, I gave up experimenting and now eat strictly low-fibre, low-residue and my stoma output is always smooth.

I know our problems are different as narrowed intestine is not the same as a stoma, but there is clearly something about fibre that means it isn't processed by our bodies as other food is, and even blended and chewed it can form into clumps and block narrow spaces.
 
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Thank you UnXmas. That helps a lot. Your explanation makes a lot of sense, and I hear ya. I think I'll play it safe and go for a juicer when I can afford it. Thanks also for the assurance about not eating raw veg. That has been stressing me out a little bit, because I feel like I must be depriving my body terribly, but I do take vitamins and supplements, and eat cooked veggies, so hopefully that is enough. I do feel better overall since going on the low residue diet, it's just been confusing because I also eliminated a few other things that were causing problems, like coffee, so I'm never quite sure what it is that has helped the most.

The other reason I've been worrying was I just have the narrowing in this one spot, (the ileum where I had a resection), plus now two fistulas. But the rest of my system, what's left of it, is healthy looking. So I was worried I'd be hurting the healthy parts and causing those to deteriorate without fiber, in an effort to save the damaged parts. I realize that's just how it will have to be though, because doing further damage to the bad parts could kill me, and the healthy parts have withstood the low fiber diet now for over a year and haven't deteriorated.

Thanks for all your advice and sharing your experience.
 
I think you've got it exactly - it's about weighing up the different risks and benefits. By not eating much fibre, you may miss out on some optimum health benefits that you'd otherwise have, but the risk of a blockage probably makes that a worthwhile sacrifice to make.
 
How are you guys with tortilla chips? I have avoided them for years because it's corn based, hard and rough but it's listed as low fiber.

I have had it a few times now because I love nachos and cheese and I have episodes of pain and times I felt fine. This is still questionable yet exciting for me to possibly incorporate.
 
I have little trouble with the chips. It seems the cheese or salsa do me in. So I avoid most of the time. I occasionally indulge right after infusion. I have about a ten day window then when I can have some items I'd normally pay for.
 
Hi,
Just a quick question. At what point did your doctors tell you to being trying to normalize your diets?
I would ask my doctor but I have a sneaking suspicion that he really doesn't know much about Crohn's given the previous information and recommendations he's given me. (Primarily telling me it's ok to have salads and fruits but to avoid dairy and cabbage.)

Anyway, just looking to more info as I enter my second month of low res/low fiber dieting.
 
Jaron I think each of us differs and you just have to experiment to find out what you can tolerate. According to my GI doctor, it's not the diet per se, but what causes irritation and inflammation for you. I was eating a very restricted diet and still ended up in the hospital. I have only recently gotten to where I can eat any fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. I still am very limited on proteins, mainly very well ground turkey, hot dogs and fish. It took nearly two years and monthly Remicade treatment to get here.
 
I've been low residue since Feb and am just introducing fruits & veggies. Am I probably correct in assuming this is why I'm
having reflux/heartburn sometimes? I've been off heartburn meds all summer and now might need them again?
 
Jaron Smith said:
Hi,
Just a quick question. At what point did your doctors tell you to being trying to normalize your diets?
I would ask my doctor but I have a sneaking suspicion that he really doesn't know much about Crohn's given the previous information and recommendations he's given me. (Primarily telling me it's ok to have salads and fruits but to avoid dairy and cabbage.)

Anyway, just looking to more info as I enter my second month of low res/low fiber dieting.
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The low residue diet is supposed to be temporary, not a life long diet. After my first 2 Remicade infusions, I asked if I could eat more fruits/veggies or wheat bread and I was told I could and to pretty much play around with different foods. Just don't do a bunch of foods at once, try one thing at a time for about 2-3 days, before adding something else.

When I started to incorporate more fruits/veggies, I put them in a smoothie to see if my body could tolerate them better. Funny thing is, I've been making these smoothies since May with blueberries in them, I just tried eating blueberries outside of a smoothie and I had an issue, so my belly isn't a fan of whole blueberries. I also don't do well with processed, greasy meats, like pepperoni & sausage.

It's different for everyone and it's good to eventually start to branch out. I'm more about trying out fruits/veggies, I have yet to experiment with oats, granola and nuts. I'm dying for a salad too, but the most I do right now with lettuce, is putting a few pieces on a sandwich/sub. Are you not seeing a GI for your Crohn's?
 
Alley2231 said:
Are you not seeing a GI for your Crohn's?
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I'm a bit limited as to my choice of medical treatment. Most medications are unavailable to me and the doctors here aren't the highest quality.

Most of what I know about my condition comes from online medical journals and self-observation. Without top-notch medication, I'm entering my third week of remission and second month of strict dieting.

I'm just curious to see what western doctors are recommending for their patients.
 
It seems that roughage of any kind is not easy. I've removed grains completely from my diet for now and feel so much better. No bloating, etc. I sure do crave them though!

Carrie is spot on with the smoothies. I can put things in smoothies I can't eat whole.

So you'll need to experiment with foods to see what you can tolerate.
 
Hey my husband really wants to go to Red Lobster for dinner. What seafood is low fiber/residue? I hope shrimp! Haha
 
Red Lobster would be easy, especially if you can eat greasy food. Hush puppies, biscuits, shrimp, lobster. Yum!!
 
Asher said:
Hey my husband really wants to go to Red Lobster for dinner. What seafood is low fiber/residue? I hope shrimp! Haha
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No clear answer on this:

Should be fine according to this guide: http://www.hhsc.ca/documents/Patient Education/LowResidueDietFoods-trh.pdf

But I remember being told to avoid these types of food with an ileostomy, because they're not low fibre. I found this which agrees: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/Documents/Digestive_Disease/HavingIleostomy.pdf
(The advice about avoiding "Shellfish, e.g. lobster, scallops, shrimp, crab" is on page 7.)

So to be safe I'd avoid shellfish!
 
Hi guys been awhile since I been in here just had my second stay in hospital due too a flare up they found another abscess same area the terminal iliem lager this time they had to drain it no fun :( but better than I expected I have now been out on a low residue diet as well but I'm not to sure what that is and what foods are better for me ?
 
Well it looks like it's confirmed that I'll be on a low-fibre diet for life. I'm on my third ileostomy now, and all the advice I got from the surgeon and stoma nurses was that this stoma shouldn't block so easily as the last two, because it's an end ileostomy rather than a loop ileostomy. So I had some hope that I'd be able to tolerate more fibre now, but when I started testing eating it, I was straight back to the stomach cramps which I know mean I am on the way to a blockage. So I'll be sticking to low fibre from now on!
 
leezapeza said:
Hi guys been awhile since I been in here just had my second stay in hospital due too a flare up they found another abscess same area the terminal iliem lager this time they had to drain it no fun :( but better than I expected I have now been out on a low residue diet as well but I'm not to sure what that is and what foods are better for me ?
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Foods high in fibre tend to be the ones conventionally classed as "healthy" - fruit, vegetables, whole-grains, nuts and seeds. These foods don't break down easily during digestion, and they're the ones you have to avoid if you are eating low-fibre or low-residue.

There are a few fruit and vegetables that you can eat on a low-fibre diet: bananas, avocados, fruit juice, tinned peaches and tinned apricots and some pureed or boiled fruit.

You can eat grains that are not whole-grains: you can eat white rice, white bread and white pasta. There are some low-fibre breakfast cereals: Cornflakes, Rice Krispies, Coco Pops, Frosties and some others.

You can eat protein foods like fish, meat, eggs, cheese and other dairy.

If you google it you'll find many web-pages with lists of foods you can and can't have, though you may find you come across contradictions, where one site says a certain food is allowed, and another forbids it, but you can get the general idea of which foods are mostly well-tolerated. Here's an example which is quite straightforward: http://www.gwh.nhs.uk/media/140811/low-residue_diet.pdf
 
Asher said:
Hey my husband really wants to go to Red Lobster for dinner. What seafood is low fiber/residue? I hope shrimp! Haha
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I have not been able to eat shellfish for many, many years. It would give me diarrhea. Sure wish I could enjoy some food with flavor. : - 0
 
Nancye50 said:
Red Lobster would be easy, especially if you can eat greasy food. Hush puppies, biscuits, shrimp, lobster. Yum!!
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Oh, please don't tease me with those biscuits :lol::lol:
I cannot eat greasy foods at all, sends me right to the bathroom. I was at the airport with my sister and niece in August. My sister and I shared some food.
I really miss eating food with flavor, so I ate fried fish, french fries and coleslaw:poo: I was running to the restroom in less than an hour. A lady waiting in line in the restroom saw the desperation on my face, so she let me cut ahead of her line !!!!!
 
Ok, I was looking for somewhere to post a question I had about Whey Powder Isolate. I unfortunately posted my question on the Paleo diet "thread".
I got a pretty opinionated response.....yikes.

I bought some Whey Powder at Sprouts Grocery store to use in my smoothies as a source of protein ( I guess body-builders use a lot of this whey or soy powder ). I have been using plain Greek yogurt in my daily smoothies for a while and needed a change, so I chose the Whey Powder. I only use 2 level tablespoons in my 24 ounce smoothie and then I add some extra water in it too. Well, if I look online to.research the powder, of course I get a lot of conflicting stories about whether it is good for you or not. Has anyone here ever tried a whey or soy powder if they make smoothies ? My digestive system can tolerate a liquid diet WAY better than a solid food diet. I cannot eat a raw apple, but I can put one in a smoothie with no colon issues. I recently had a CT Scan for my Urologist to check a cyst on my right kidney and something on the scan showed the possibility of terminal ileitis. I just had a colonoscopy and it was normal ( but I am still having symptoms ). Anyway, I hate my new GI from this year, so I will be looking for a new one in 2015 and I will have to bring along my latest colonoscopy results and my CT Scan results. How can they diagnose terminal ileitis ?????
 
I have some good news - despite my earlier posts where I said my new stoma seemed to deal with fibre as badly as my previous stomas, I've recently been eating a bit more fibrous fruit and veg without any blockage symptoms! I think maybe I needed a bit more time for this stoma to heal, and now it has. I think I'll always be eating low fibre, but now not so very low fibre. :)

Ann Morgan - I know little about whey protein powder, but if you're finding the internet is divided over it, perhaps the best thing to do is try it for yourself enough times to know if it's making your symptoms worse? Or are you worried it could do silent damage, making your health worse in the long term while you feel no worse at the time you're eating it? My personal feeling is that it is probably an unnecessary food: there are plenty of easily available protein sources where there is a lot of established understanding about the effects they have on health.
 
I put myself on a low res diet after my first hosp stay, which was an abscess drainage. At the time I didn't know I even had strictures, that news came last week during my first colonoscopy for the "official" diagnosis of Crohn's. I pretty much stick to my diet, but being new to Pred, my hunger is huge! My diet consists of grilled steak (NY Strip or Ribeye), lean pork chops, chicken breasts, potatoes no skin, mashed or baked, white rice, gravy and canned green bean and canned carrots. A few surprising things I can tolerate is caffeine, haven't had to stop coffee but switched to agave nectar instead of refined sugar, any kind of cheeses, real butter, and Coke, but Dr. Pepper makes me sick. Fried foods in moderation aren't an issue and I seem to be able to eat candy, cake and brownies. Not healthy at all but I have no pain and fairly "normal" BM's. There are other foods I tolerate without problems but no need to list everything. I thought I'd share b/c my particular diet intake seems a little wider in choices than others and I know everyone is different. I want to start juicing a few fruits and veggies but don't know if I'll be able to handle the taste and texture. Plus, I need a blender! Maybe Santa will bring one for me!
Doc said considering the narrowing of my strictures, he's amazed that I can eat the things I'm eating. But you never know, things can change. So I'll enjoy these while I can.
I forgot to mention that Chocolate Muscle Milk has become my best friend!
 
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I will look into the Nutribullet. Thanks!
My only concern is feeling like I'm constantly either having warm soup or cold juice. I know this will all take some getting used to, I can be picky.
 
Hubby and I are currently at his company Christmas party. They are giving out door prizes and 2 of them are NutriBullets! Of course we didn't win anything, but one of the employees wins one, they know of my current situation, and gives me the NutriBullet. Now I can juice! Thought I'd share this cause I'm pretty excited about it AND I never, ever win anything. What great people!!
 
Hi guy just got out of hospital for the 3rd time this year they had to do a resection of my illiem and I had a fistula in between my bowel and bladder had to take that out and bit of my bladder they were took my appendix as well and done a wedges resection so I'm feeling a bit empty I've lost 5 kg since then op was on 27/11/14 so I'm on very soft foods and smoothies my mum and dad have a thing called the bullet it purée everything and anything I been on that the first 7 days after surgery u couldn't eat anything but ice
 
Remember that smoothies from a blender or bullet still have a lot of fiber. A juicer is the only way to remove the fiber.
 
I have a Nutribullet and I like it, but it may not meet everyone's dietary needs. I do NOT make any of the Nutribullet smoothies that are listed in the recipe book that I received when I purchased the blender because they all contain raw fruits and vegetables that I cannot tolerate at all in their solid form. I guess one day I should mix up something that resembles one of suggested recipes to see how my colon reacts. I am just afraid I will really get bad diarrhea from their recipes. I saw a nutionist/dietician in May and she gave me a paper with ideas for smoothies recipes, so that is the list I have been using. I don't have my Nutribullet recipe book any longer because I sent it to my Aunt. My smoothies have fruit,vegetable, protein, dairy, flavoring, and honey.

Every day I have my smoothie. It is refreshing because I also add 6-8 min ice cubes. It makes 24 ounces. I can digest liquid food easier than solid food. I gave up coffee seven months ago because coffee is a stimulant and creates more anxiety, as does candy. But now I am back to my 12 ounces of coffee in the morning, with liquid creamer. I really had missed the whole "coffee experience" in the morning. I like the hot coffee in the wintertime and the coffee aroma. Now instead of drinking my smoothie in the morning I drink it on late afternoon. I figured out how many calories were in my smoothie and it is no more than 600 calories. This may not be for everyone. I suffer from dry mouth too, so I like my liquid smoothie.

I use one medium ripe banana, one medium apple ( no core or skin, 1/2 cup of real carrot juice ( the refrigerated kind ), 5 ounces of plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup of soy milk, 2 tablespoons of honey and one tablespoon of real vanilla extract and 6 mini ice cubes. The NutriBullet is not made for ice cubes ? Recently I have been experimenting with whey protein powdrr to replace the plain Greek yogurt ( which is the protein part of my smoothie ) and I have also been adding one level tablespoon of ground up flaxseed seeds. The protein powder is 2 level tablespoons. If I use the Whey powider I add 1/2 a cup of water. I have heard that whey and soy protein are not good for you. But I will try both of them so I can have some sort of variety in my daily smoothie drinks.

My sister gave me a huge book about different types of smoothies, but a lot of the "smoothies are just the sugary types of smoothies that contain real sugary ingredients like ice cream, sweet juices chocolate and coffee. I don't to drink a dessert type of smoothie.

I know that this is not for everyone, but we are all constantly experimenting with what we can and cannot eat based omat our health condition is.

Thank you for listening. Have a great week. : - )
 
600 calories is an awful lot for a smoothie - it's almost twice the calories that are in one off the Ensure supplements my doctors prescribe to try to help me gain weight. Is the smoothie very filling? I'd love to find more sources of calories that won't fill me up!
 
UnXmas said:
600 calories is an awful lot for a smoothie - it's almost twice the calories that are in one off the Ensure supplements my doctors prescribe to try to help me gain weight. Is the smoothie very filling? I'd love to find more sources of calories that won't fill me up!
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I know the smoothie I generally make for breakfast fills me up and is about 300 calories. I use - vanilla unsweetened almond milk(1 cup), spinach (2 handfuls), frozen blueberries(1 cup), frozen strawberries(1 cup), banana(whole), light vanilla yogurt(1/2 cup) and a few ice cubes. It fits nicely into a 32 oz water bottle that I have. Sometimes I switch out the strawberries and use pineapple. Yummy! :ysmile:
 
Alley2231 said:
I know the smoothie I generally make for breakfast fills me up and is about 300 calories. I use - vanilla unsweetened almond milk(1 cup), spinach (2 handfuls), frozen blueberries(1 cup), frozen strawberries(1 cup), banana(whole), light vanilla yogurt(1/2 cup) and a few ice cubes. It fits nicely into a 32 oz water bottle that I have. Sometimes I switch out the strawberries and use pineapple. Yummy! :ysmile:
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I need things that won't fill me up!
 
Thanks, Ann for the smoothie recipe! I've been thinking about doing smoothies but can't do any fiber so was wondering about ingredients. This is a helpful starting point!
 
UnXmas do you mean you're bogged down by heavy calorie sources?

Are you using things like coconut oil, avocado, etc?
 
UnXmas do you mean you're bogged down by heavy calorie sources?

Are you using things like coconut oil, avocado, etc?
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I'm sorry, for some reason I missed this post until now. My situation has changed a lot. I'm still very underweight but gaining very slowly. However, since my last surgery I no longer have to eat as low fibre as I used to. I still eat only a moderate amount of fibre, but with my new ileostomy I've gradually been increasing and eating more fibre than I have in years without issues. However, I still get incredibly full, and eating fibre doesn't really help with weight gain, as the fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc. I can eat now don't really add more calories to my diet, much as I appreciate the variety of food I can eat now.

When I was having to eat low fibre, yes, I ate a lot of avocados, smooth peanut butter, etc.

Marlena said:
Is it still low fiber if you cook your veggies to death? Which I despise.
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Cooking vegetables generally makes them much easier for people who can't handle much fibre. I believe it lowers the nutritional value of the vegetables too though, and some vegetables may cause problems even when well cooked, so be careful.

I used to eat well cooked vegetables when I had to eat low fibre, mainly carrots and other root vegetables, some others would still give me problems even when thoroughly cooked. I just felt my meals were more normal and complete with a token piece of veg, cooked veg still provide some nutrition, and I like the taste. If you don't like the taste of well cooked veg, and find veg that hasn't been well cooked gives you problems, you may as well skip veg in their normal forms altogether, and maybe try smooth vegetable soups, or get your vitamins from supplements. I've not tried it myself, but some people find juicing is a way they can have veg without fibre issues.
 
I don't eat raw OR cooked vegetables, I get diarrhea from both. But I do believe, from previous experiences, that I could probably eat cooked carrots and cooked root vegetables with little problems. But I am afraid to experiment on myself all of the time, so I have a tendency to eat "safe", but I am in no way getting the proper nutrition. A lot of foods that I can tolerate are foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates. I can tolerate all dairy and all bread and pasta. I started making one smoothie every day last year. My Nutribullet "blender" works well for me. Actually, if I could withstand it, I would just have TWO smoothies a day and bypass all solid food altogether ( except my 12 ounces of coffee in the morning and any kind of food that is chocolate : - ) .

Thanks for listening. I am staying home today. I am tired, as usual. : - (

Have a happy and healthy week.
 
Next time you feel you try something, find a juicing recipe and try it. Many Crohnie's who can't do veggies find this works.
 
Ann Morgan said:
I don't eat raw OR cooked vegetables, I get diarrhea from both. But I do believe, from previous experiences, that I could probably eat cooked carrots and cooked root vegetables with little problems. But I am afraid to experiment on myself all of the time, so I have a tendency to eat "safe", but I am in no way getting the proper nutrition. A lot of foods that I can tolerate are foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates. I can tolerate all dairy and all bread and pasta. I started making one smoothie every day last year. My Nutribullet "blender" works well for me. Actually, if I could withstand it, I would just have TWO smoothies a day and bypass all solid food altogether ( except my 12 ounces of coffee in the morning and any kind of food that is chocolate : - ) .
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If you're able to tolerate whole grain bread, you may be ok with more vegetables, because whole grains contain fibre too.

Start with very small portions of vegetables and build up.

Dairy can be a healthy food, and if you don't want too many calories, could you try dairy products like low fat yoghurt and cottage cheese?

And you've probably seen them already in many of the posts around here, but bananas, avocados, smooth vegetable soups, tinned fruit (except tinned pineapples), and fruit juices - all are good fruits and vegetables for people with issues with high fibre.
 
Looks like I am going back on a low fibre diet again. Fibre isn't blocking my stoma like it used to, but it seems to make my output far too thick. :(
 
Went to the GI guy and still no fresh fruits - and it's summer! And I absolutely love peaches and all the others. Oh well, better safe than sorry, I suppose. But I could have peach cobbler. Hmmmmm.
 
nogutsnoglory said:
I am on this diet by doctors orders due to severe stenosis in my colon and small intestine. I have trouble finding healthy foods to eat on this diet. I would love to incorporate more fruits and vegetables but anything aside from juice scares me. I mainly eat white flour products and dairy. This has helped me gain weight but long term I know this is unhealthy.
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I'm so sorry to hear that you're struggling with your diet. There's a book out entitled "What To Eat With IBD" by Tracie Dalessandro, MS, RD, CDN. It is a good food resource.

There is a soup in this book - cream of potato carrot (page 90)- and it is packed with nutrition. Because the soup is pureed, it is very easy to digest and makes you feel full. I make a pot of it when I have a flare, and live off of it for a week. I would list the recipe, but the book is copyrighted. I highly recommend it, though. BetterWorldBooks has used books for incredibly low prices. Maybe they'll have a copy of it. (free shipping!)
 
Oh, I read that and it is indeed a really good book. I'll check out that book site, too, thanks. And I love potatoes and carrots. I do a lot of juicing - you get most of the nutrients and none of the fiber.
 
Marlena said:
Oh, I read that and it is indeed a really good book. I'll check out that book site, too, thanks. And I love potatoes and carrots. I do a lot of juicing - you get most of the nutrients and none of the fiber.
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I haven't tried juicing - I guess I should do that!
 
Marlena said:
Went to the GI guy and still no fresh fruits - and it's summer! And I absolutely love peaches and all the others. Oh well, better safe than sorry, I suppose. But I could have peach cobbler. Hmmmmm.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean, I walked through a market today and all the stalls were overloaded with all this amazing fruit or fresh smoothies/juices. There have been a few occasions throughout the year where I decided to risk it, but 75% of the time I end up worse off. Rhubarb crumble was tolerable for me though, did the peach cobbler work out OK?

Fruit juice (unless it's something really mild like pear) can really sting, but I haven't tried a pure vegetable one. Will look out for it :)
 
The peach cobbler was just fine. The batter is like runny cake and the peaches are all cooked, but taste way better than canned. Rhubarb has worked for me, too. It's the black and red raspberries that really get to me, but I think I had better be good. The recipe for the peach cobbler - google "easy peach cobbler" and you'll find it. Goes together in about 10 minutes. And you can use any fruit. Probably not applesauce, though. But you can use drained cooked fruit as well. In the veggie section of the market, in the part that's refrigerated, there are usually a number of juices. they can be expensive, so I try to make my own. I get them when they're on a big sale.
 
Oh, you can also water down your juice or mix it with seltzer and then use a straw to drink it, so the bubbles bother you less.
 
Marlena said:
Oh, you can also water down your juice or mix it with seltzer and then use a straw to drink it, so the bubbles bother you less.
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Thanks :ybiggrin:

I'm currently living without an oven :cry: badly-stocked rental property. But perhaps stewing the fruit and topping with pancakes would be a good non-oven version.
 
You could try very gently stewing and top with batter under a closed lid and see how it works, but just do enough for one small serving incase it doesn't, but the pancakes sound good, too.
 
My partner has just been diagnosed with crohns in his small intestines and ulcerative colitis in his large , as i prepare all his food i am looking for advise about the best food / diet for him
many thanks in advance
 

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