Low Fiber/Residue Diet Support Group

[nogutsnoglory]

Welcome to the Low Fiber/Low Residue Diet support group. This thread is for anyone interested in or following this diet. Topics for discussion can include q & a and discussion about the diet, foods that help/hurt inflammation & scar tissue, recipes and resources.

"What is a low-fiber with low-residue diet?

About two thirds of people with small bowel Crohn's disease develop a marked narrowing (or stricture) of the lower small intestine, the ileum. For these patients, a low-fiber with low-residue diet or a special liquid diet may be beneficial in minimizing abdominal pain and other symptoms. This diet minimizes the consumption of foods that add "scrapy" residue to the stool. These include raw fruits, vegetables, and seeds, as well as nuts and corn hulls. The registered dietitian associated with your IBD treatment program can assist you in devising such a diet when appropriate. Often, these dietary adjustments are temporary; the patient follows them until the inflammation that caused the narrowing responds either to medical treatment or to a corrective surgical procedure.

It is important, however, to watch out that you do not impose too many food restrictions on yourself or your child. These limit variety in the diet and make a balanced intake of foods more difficult to achieve." -CCFA

 

[nogutsnoglory]

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.

 

[bobisacrohny]

I feel this a science that is often overlooked and needs more resources based on research by the medical community as it is key to help.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

What do you mean Bob? I'm not sure there is much to investigate on this diet. On diet in general absolutely but I wouldn't recommend this diet to anyone who isn't inflamed or stricturing. It's a limited diet and often not the healthiest. It just has the least impact on our bowels.

 

[bobisacrohny]

I know about this but it is rarely discussed and know others with the problem that didn't even know about it. There aren't monitors that I know of inside patients bad areas knowing what is exactly happening in real time showing how the foods they are eating are reacting. I just think a lot of advice is based on speculation and judgmental theories. Some may be good, some bad. This method supports long term treatments without cure. Just look at the extreme amount of meds and vitamins but no cure.

If people affected knew exactly what was causing their inflammation and how to stop it there would be less amputations and would be a huge development. I believe there are people out there that do have this knowledge but aren't sharing because they are inventing drugs and vitamins to make big profits. The medical community claims there is no know medical cure which is based on science practice and research. If food is a proven answer then specific foods and timing should be prescribed.

When research is geared towards what is making our organs healthy and not what is going to make us healthy we may get answers. Knowledge of curing a Crohn's patients and other medical conditions effecting bodies organs through food would be instrumental in everyone's well being.

Non conflict of interest research would be helpful but that would tame or reconfigure the huge weight loss industry! Capitalism sadly is not conducive to cures where profits are at risk. This is where society morality needs to kick in, but don't get me wrong as there are many, many medical professionals that care and are making good strides but are disadvantaged because of the capitalistic system. I told a doctor that I like to try natural methods first before trying meds and laughed at me and said all things in the universe are natural. This is a undeserving horrible condition and hopefully in the future can be avoided. Just saying...

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I think there is a lot if opportunity to study integrative nutrition and natural supplementation. It's a bit hard to do a clinical trial on diet because you can't monitor what people eat and control what they do.

I think the premise of the low fiber diet is simply to eat foods that have demonstrated not to further damage the inflamed gut. I'm not sure there is much more that can be done in that area in terms of research.

 

[UnXmas]

I don't know exactly how a low fibre/low residue diet helps me, but I know that it does reduce my symptoms to a significant degree, so I'm pleased to have this group.

I don't have any strictures or anything like that, so I do eat some insoluble fibre, and can do so without noticable ill effects. So if I really want an apple, I can have one, but I'm not about to start having a bowl of bran for breakfast or start snacking on nuts.

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.

Have you tried canned fruit? Ripe bananas and avocados are also easier to digest from this perspective. Soups are good also. Root vegetables like carrots, parsnips and turnips, if pealed and cooked well, are easier to digest than other vegetables. Nut butters are also useful. I'm not sure if all these fully comply with criteria for a low fibre/residue diet, but I do know they're less likely to cause problems than most other fruits.

 

[Sarah50]

After following this diet and being on Asacol for 2 months... ALL my symptoms went away! I still follow this diet pretty much because I'm afraid if I don't, I'll have worse problems because of the stricture. However, I have been eating food that I couldn't eat while flaring and it's not giving me any problems (Crohn's symptoms). Am I headed for trouble if I don't stay completely on the low residue diet? I worry about the stricture getting worse if I don't.

Does anyone have experience to know if this is true or not?

Thanks for creating this group, Noguts!

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Sarah I think it depends on the severity of your stricture. Is it mostly inflammation or scar tissue? You can do some experimentation but if things get worse you know you need to stick with this diet.

What are everyone's thoughts on oatmeal? I have seen it on some low fiber diets and some say to avoid it. I'm scared of it but maybe strained oatmeal is ok?

 

[UnXmas]

What are everyone's thoughts on oatmeal? I have seen it on some low fiber diets and some say to avoid it. I'm scared of it but maybe strained oatmeal is ok?

I do alright with oatmeal. I believe oats contain both soluble and insoluble fibre, so they're hot as difficult to digest as things like wholemeal bread or bran, but they aren't low fibre/low residue, and probably pose more of a problem to people who have troubles with fibre than white rice, white bread, etc. Oatmeal I find quite filling though, which isn't good given my appetite problems.

 

[Tuff]

I don't have strictures, but my large intestine is covered in scar tissue. My doctor wants me to stay on low residue.
I eat a lot of peeled potatoes. There are many different ways to cook them, I like them mashed, with some cheese added for flavour, kind of like twice baked potatoes without the peels. Bananas and melons are good, and lettuce. Some canned fruits like pineapple give me pain. Soup is good. I don't eat much red meat, mostly chicken and turkey. Rice is also versatile, fried rice is quick and easy. Ethnic foods give me variety, like perogies and Cantonese take out.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I don't do low-res regularly, but if I get any symptoms then I jump right on the low-res diet until I'm feeling better. I don't have any strictures that I know of, but low-res helps me feel better whenever I have a bad tummy day.

With regards to oatmeal - I only seem to be able to eat it when I'm in remission. And even then, it has to be mushy and soft. I can't have crunchy oatmeal like in a cookie or a granola bar, that stuff causes me nothing but trouble!

I know a lot of fruit & veggies are high-fiber, and I cannot tolerate most fruit & veg, but I can juice almost anything and tolerate it just fine. I'm not sure if juicing is considered low-res? Even when I'm feeling unwell I can still tolerate juice, so I still juice when I'm doing low-res.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I read that strained oatmeal may be OK for low fiber but I am not sure how one goes about straining oatmeal? I never liked it that much and the thought of that bulk going through my intestines scares me! The only good thing is it's an easy fast breakfast type food and it has a decent amount of protein while allowing more variety in my bland diet.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I have no idea how you would strain oatmeal! That sounds like it would be messy and difficult, and I would think you'd get hardly anything out of it.

It is an easy breakfast, but there aren't many breakfast foods that are super difficult or time-consuming to cook. Scrambled eggs are one of my go-to foods, and I've been known to have pancakes for dinner.

 

[Michelle89]

Scrambled eggs are one of my go-to foods, and I've been known to have pancakes for dinner.

I like the way you think I love breakfast foods and especially pancakes for dinner! I haven't officially gone gluten free, although try eat gf when I can, but I was surprised how much I like the Gluten Free Bisquick pancake mix. Yummy!

 

[Tuff]

I forgot Cream of Wheat, or farina. This is quick to make, tasty and filling. I often make the Finnish version which is traditionally cooked in Lingonberry juice, but since I can't find any here I use cranberry and a little sugar.

 

[Ya noy]

I forgot Cream of Wheat, or farina. This is quick to make, tasty and filling. I often make the Finnish version which is traditionally cooked in Lingonberry juice, but since I can't find any here I use cranberry and a little sugar.

If you live in the U.S., IKEA sells a number of lingonberry products, including juice, jam, syrup and lingonberries.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Ikea has so many yummy desserts. God bless the Swedes!

 

[Tuff]

I'm in Ontario, the closest Ikea is an 8 hour drive unfortunately. I'll have to ask my local deli if they can bring some in. Lingonberries are very good for you, being antioxidants.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Do they have tiny seeds though? I know I was told to avoid berries because of the skin and seeds.

 

[Tuff]

I have a juicer, I want to cook with the juice. They're on the tart side anyway.
We have a Finnish dessert, kiisseli, which is a fruit or berry soup made of berries and water, or juice, sweetener and potato starch to thicken it. You can eat it as is, or put it on rice pudding, ice cream etc. I have a sweet tooth....

 

[Astra]

I like low residue, it works for me when I have urgency & frequency.
I also like this;
http://www.whnt.nhs.uk/directorates...ation/x-ray/bariumenema/low_residue_diet.html

When I'm flaring I like to stick to breakfast food too!

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Astra that site seems to heavily restrict fruits and veggies. I don't know how safe this one is but it is from the National Institutes of Health so I imagine it's reliable.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000200.htm

 

[Ellen_M]

Astra that site seems to heavily restrict fruits and veggies. I don't know how safe this one is but it is from the National Institutes of Health so I imagine it's reliable.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000200.htm

I tend to switch between this advice and the advice given on the NHS site that Astra gave a link for. The NHS advice is very good for "bad" days but is very restrictive if you need to follow low residue for any length of time. I tend to include the fruit and veg listed in the NIH advice, in moderation. I don't risk more than about three small portions of fruit and veg a day. If I feel any discomfort, then I go straight back to the NHS advice and eat mostly rice, cheese, and white bread for a couple of days!

 

[UnXmas]

I tend to switch between this advice and the advice given on the NHS site that Astra gave a link for. The NHS advice is very good for "bad" days but is very restrictive if you need to follow low residue for any length of time. I tend to include the fruit and veg listed in the NIH advice, in moderation. I don't risk more than about three small portions of fruit and veg a day. If I feel any discomfort, then I go straight back to the NHS advice and eat mostly rice, cheese, and white bread for a couple of days!

That sounds sensible. I agree that a completely low fibre diet would not be the best thing long term, in particular with the restrictions placed on fruit and veg. I do tend to eat low fibre long term, whether or not I'm flaring, as too much seems make me more uncomfortable and gives me diarrhoea even when I'm not at my worst. But because I don't follow the diet strictly, I manage to get a reasonable amount and variety of fruit and vegetables, and even occasionally whole grains.

A few things on those linked pages do seem to contradict each other. I noticed biscuits are not allowed on the Wirral list, though I've never had problems with them. Also both lists limit the amount of milk and related dairy products, which I'd never thought of as high in fibre, and I must eat over that amount of milk in a day - I find yoghurts, custards, ice cream, etc. go down easy when I'm not feeling well.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

It does seem the NIH list is more liberal. I'd be scared to fully follow it but I want to experiment adding more fruits and veg since my dairy and wheat diet is not healthy.

 

[Astra]

Sorry peeps, I should've said, this diet was given to me after surgery (hysterectomy)
It is restrictive, and I've used it many times, but only if I'm in agony! Then I slowly reintroduce veg and fruit back in.
Here's another link, American I think, but it's good, and it's got veg and fruit!
http://www.hhsc.ca/documents/Patient Education/LowResidueDietFoods-trh.pdf

 

[Ellen_M]

Just wondering what other peoples experiences are when they go off the low residue diet? I currently have a stricture in my colon, and have just started Humira. I have been following a fairly strict low residue diet, and apart from tiredness and some constipation, I don't feel any real pain or discomfort.

Yesterday, I fell off the wagon slightly and had one slice of flapjack (containing oats and desiccated coconut) and one rock cake (containing about 10 raisins). Today, I have had extreme bloating, discomfort, and pain. Could this really be the result of such a small amount of fibre?!

 

[nogutsnoglory]

It is definitely possible because the insoluble fiber might be scraping raw inflamed tissue in your stricture. If Humira is successful at opening up your stricture you may be able to resume a diet with more fiber.

 

[UnXmas]

Just wondering what other peoples experiences are when they go off the low residue diet? I currently have a stricture in my colon, and have just started Humira. I have been following a fairly strict low residue diet, and apart from tiredness and some constipation, I don't feel any real pain or discomfort.

Yesterday, I fell off the wagon slightly and had one slice of flapjack (containing oats and desiccated coconut) and one rock cake (containing about 10 raisins). Today, I have had extreme bloating, discomfort, and pain. Could this really be the result of such a small amount of fibre?!

I'm not sure. For me, it's only when I've eaten fibre in large quantities that it becomes an issue. My reaction is delayed by a few days. So if I ate a large bowl of bran and a big salad every day, then I'd probably start experiencing symptoms (my stomach much more uncomfortable, diarrhoea more severe and more frequent) after about three days. And similarly, if I then replaced the bran with low-fibre cornflakes, and replaced the salad with easy-to-digest bananas, my symptoms would change back to their normal levels after eating this for a couple of days.

If I ate what you did - one flapjack and one rock cake, I don't think I'd notice any ill effects from it. But you might be a lot more sensitive than me, especially if you have a stricture.

The only way to know for sure is to see if the effects are consistent. So if you go back to your low residue diet now, and feel fine in a couple of days, it suggests the flapjack and cake may be responsible. If you have more bad symptoms when back on your low residue diet, the fibre probably wasn't responsible.

And if you stick to your low residue diet and your symptoms are consistent, you can then test different types and quantities of fibre, if you don't mind risking provoking your symptoms again. If a flapjack and a rock cake consistently produce a worsening of symptoms, you have your answer.

 

[mccindy]

I'm glad to see this low residue group. I've been following (mostly) the elimination diet and have had some success. It seems like fiber isn't the only thing causing me pain though. I tried both beef and pork over the weekend and both gave me bloating and pain. The pain is always the next day so I assume that's how long it took to get to the part of my intestine that's sensitive? I've tried a white-flour popover (fail), nuts (fail), and bacon (fail). I don't usually get diarrhea (unless I drink alcohol, then I throw up and get diarrhea), I tend toward constipation, even now that I eat almost no fiber. Oh, I also had to eliminate even aged cheese - I tried Gorgonzola last week and that was also a fail.
I haven't tried oatmeal, scared of the bulk! I do eat cream of rice cereal sometimes but I don't really like it.
I might have to try the gluten-free Bisquick though, I'm dying for a pancake!

 

[lizbeth]

Hello everyone

I've been following a low residue diet for managing strictures (not sure I have one yet, waiting on tests results), initially when I was diagnosed 6 months ago I was told to follow a low residue and then remove anything that would upset my diabetes (type 1), I find it very restrictive compared to what I used to eat. I don't think there is much difference in the two diets but I did notice a slight improvement in symptoms after switching. I have tried a few tests with food, discovered spicy is really not a idea and lettuce as well so I was surprised to see it listed as a safe food on the medline website, though I do think it's a lot to do with trial and error for everyone individually. I'm a bit too scared of trying anything high fiber, one of these days I might pluck up the courage.

 

[Ellen_M]

I'm not sure. For me, it's only when I've eaten fibre in large quantities that it becomes an issue. My reaction is delayed by a few days. So if I ate a large bowl of bran and a big salad every day, then I'd probably start experiencing symptoms (my stomach much more uncomfortable, diarrhoea more severe and more frequent) after about three days. And similarly, if I then replaced the bran with low-fibre cornflakes, and replaced the salad with easy-to-digest bananas, my symptoms would change back to their normal levels after eating this for a couple of days.

If I ate what you did - one flapjack and one rock cake, I don't think I'd notice any ill effects from it. But you might be a lot more sensitive than me, especially if you have a stricture.

The only way to know for sure is to see if the effects are consistent. So if you go back to your low residue diet now, and feel fine in a couple of days, it suggests the flapjack and cake may be responsible. If you have more bad symptoms when back on your low residue diet, the fibre probably wasn't responsible.

And if you stick to your low residue diet and your symptoms are consistent, you can then test different types and quantities of fibre, if you don't mind risking provoking your symptoms again. If a flapjack and a rock cake consistently produce a worsening of symptoms, you have your answer.

Before I had a colonoscopy which confirmed the stricture, I found just the same as you to be true. It took a few days of fibre before I got any real problems. Since the stricture was found and I was actually advised to go on a low residue diet (rather than my own trial and error) I didn't dare go of the rails until this weekend!

It's a shame that the diet is so restrictive, mainly because I am currently back living with my parents along with my husband and kids and we all eat evening meals together. I work in the day, and my dad is the home maker so he cooks the meal. I keep telling him just to cook normally, and I'll pick out what I can't have. However, bless him, he goes out of his way to make meals as friendly as possible for me, but I can see that everyone is beginning to get a little tired by the lack of texture and flavour!

 

[UnXmas]

I'm glad to see this low residue group. I've been following (mostly) the elimination diet and have had some success. It seems like fiber isn't the only thing causing me pain though. I tried both beef and pork over the weekend and both gave me bloating and pain. The pain is always the next day so I assume that's how long it took to get to the part of my intestine that's sensitive? I've tried a white-flour popover (fail), nuts (fail), and bacon (fail). I don't usually get diarrhea (unless I drink alcohol, then I throw up and get diarrhea), I tend toward constipation, even now that I eat almost no fiber. Oh, I also had to eliminate even aged cheese - I tried Gorgonzola last week and that was also a fail.
I haven't tried oatmeal, scared of the bulk! I do eat cream of rice cereal sometimes but I don't really like it.
I might have to try the gluten-free Bisquick though, I'm dying for a pancake!

Is it possible that you're just reacting to eating, rather than reacting to specific foods? Even when I avoid anything I know will make me worse, my symptoms still get worse after eating.

But I know nuts would give me problems, and bacon is quite fatty which could make it harder to digest.

Also you said you tend towards constipation, but that you eat almost no fibre? Wouldn't you do better eating more fibre to stop getting constipated? :confused2: Or maybe I've not understood your post correctly.

 

[mccindy]

I think that fiber tends to add bulk, and I have been eating more foods that don't add bulk and are softer and more fluid, so I expected to be less constipated, is mainly what I meant. When I was eating a lot of fiber and this flare I was constipated as well, so I thought there might be a change with eating less, I guess. :confused2:
I don't react to everything I eat. If I stick to the few foods that are easy to digest, I don't have the pain level that I do when I try the other foods. I think sometimes eating anything causes me pain but eating trigger foods makes it MUCH worse.:yfaint:

 

[greeneyes]

Hi everyone! Reading your ideas and links for helpful diets is very useful. I was recently diagnosed with mild Crohn's. I have been having a lot of cramping after eating and I'm now on pentasa, which so far, is not doing a great deal. I was recently taken off of entocort. It was great for my symptoms but triggered daily migraines. So bye bye entocort.

Any ideas on quickly minimizing cramping with diet? What are your staples that always help?

 

[OzyJac]

After a couple of years in remission (following surgery) my symptoms are slowly returning.

First it was the pain from eating, then the nausea from the drugs so I switched to mainly a liquid diet - an Up N Go for breakfast, a cup of soup for lunch and a small meal at night.

This has helped enormously and I've pretty much followed this for the last six months or so. I've also added in tinned fruit, yoghurt - soft foods that won't cause too much pain and I avoid eating a lot of fibre.

The texture of food sometimes causes me more problems than fibre. I can tolerate multi-grain bread and a small bowl of oatmeal for breakfast is sometimes ok. But I can't eat hot chips and a couple of weeks ago I ate some risotto and was in agony for most of the night. Maybe the gluggy texture of the food without any fibre to help push it through is the reason. Anyway it was back to the liquid diet for a week until it all settled down again.

 

[UnXmas]

Hi everyone! Reading your ideas and links for helpful diets is very useful. I was recently diagnosed with mild Crohn's. I have been having a lot of cramping after eating and I'm now on pentasa, which so far, is not doing a great deal. I was recently taken off of entocort. It was great for my symptoms but triggered daily migraines. So bye bye entocort.

Any ideas on quickly minimizing cramping with diet? What are your staples that always help?

Hi, sorry you've been diagnosed with this - it's unnerving when you first find out, but with time you'll find ways of managing your symptoms and it will get easier.

The foods that upset my stomach most are nuts and seeds. However, smooth peanut butter is great for me, as it's a good source of calories from the healthy kind of fats, and it's texture means it's far easier to digest than whole nuts.

The fibre in vegetables and fruits can cause problems. To make sure I get enough fruit and veg vitamins, I eat mostly low fibre ones like bananas, avocado, tinned fruits, vegetable soups, and well-cooked root vegetables (carrots, parsnip, swede).

Refined foods are far better for digestion than whole grains, so I eat white rice and white bread rather than brown. I can't digest breakfast cereals like bran and muesli, but rice krispies and cornflakes are lower in fibre and these are my staple breakfasts.

Dairy products are also something I rely on for when I'm feeling ill and want something that will go down easily - ice cream, milk, yogurt, custard. However quite a few people with Crohn's don't do well with dairy, so although these are low fibre, you may have to be careful and see what you react to.

 

[mccindy]

The texture of food sometimes causes me more problems than fibre. I can tolerate multi-grain bread and a small bowl of oatmeal for breakfast is sometimes ok. But I can't eat hot chips and a couple of weeks ago I ate some risotto and was in agony for most of the night. Maybe the gluggy texture of the food without any fibre to help push it through is the reason. Anyway it was back to the liquid diet for a week until it all settled down again.[/

I think the risotto has cheese and stuff in it, doesn't it? That might have been the problem. It tends to be quite rich. I can't tolerate casein or gluten so the cheese and chicken broth in most risottos makes them a no-no for me. I hope you are able to find some answers and you feel better soon!

 

[jbpharmd]

I enjoyed reading your posts. I have discovered that fiber is a big irritant for me. I tried the SCD diet for a month and stayed in pain with diarrhea and weight loss. However, I still have problems figuring out which foods still bother me on a low residue diet. I am currently in a flare and/or having major crohns symptoms from a narrowing in intestines and fistula. I stay in a lot of pain when I eat. I have even thought about starting an elimination diet of chicken and rice with water and work up. I am really desperate to find a link to food triggers and my tummy pain. I will keep you updated. Any one know a great tracking app for this?

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I think the best route is to eliminate one food at a time for 1-2 weeks and see how you feel. I think the danger of total elimination and increasing slowly is that you will lose weight and be malnourished.

GI Buddy by CCFA is a good app for tracking food.

 

[UnXmas]

I enjoyed reading your posts. I have discovered that fiber is a big irritant for me. I tried the SCD diet for a month and stayed in pain with diarrhea and weight loss. However, I still have problems figuring out which foods still bother me on a low residue diet. I am currently in a flare and/or having major crohns symptoms from a narrowing in intestines and fistula. I stay in a lot of pain when I eat. I have even thought about starting an elimination diet of chicken and rice with water and work up. I am really desperate to find a link to food triggers and my tummy pain. I will keep you updated. Any one know a great tracking app for this?

I think I agree with nogutsnoglory - I tried a very basic diet and I lost loads of weight that I really didn't have to spare.

The concept of an elimination diet didn't work for me, because I did not react to particular foods. What I did react to was the overall content of my diet. If I eat a diet high in fibre, my symptoms get worse (hence my membership of this group!), if I eat a diet high in fat and stodgy foods, I get worse on that too. But if I eat one food item that's high in fibre - e.g. a cereal bar - I wouldn't have a noticeable reaction. I think this problem is something that elimination diets don't take into account. I could test any high fibre/high fat food and be fine. But if I ate large quantities of that same food, or ate it along with many other high fibre/high fat foods, it would contribute to worsening my symptoms.

The other problem I had with elimination diets is that I always have symptoms. No matter what I eat I will have some symptoms, and sometimes they will be better or worse without any external factor to explain the change. Or it might be due to a different medication, or because I've caught some minor temporary illness, or whatever. So I could feel absolutely awful one day, but it wouldn't necessarily be anything to do with my diet at all. This makes the process of finding the right diet extremely difficult, even with the help of food diaries, etc.

Unless you have really obvious, consistent reactions to particular foods, it may be better to look at your overall diet and symptoms over the course of a few weeks rather than trying to test individual foods.

 

[mccindy]

On the elimination diet I am fairly symptom free, but I do have problems maintaining my weight. I do try to supplement with kefir milk and Bolton Farms Green Goodness juice. I can't tolerate and gluten or dairy at all, as well as fresh or frozen veggies and most raw fruit. Nuts are out too. Beef and pork as well. It's difficult to take in enough fat to keep weight on, but I have found that coconut oil does help quite a bit. Peanut butter is a good source for me as well. When I've tried to reintroduce foods, it's pretty much been a failure. I tried gluten last week - first time was okay, second was not good, third was quite painful! So gluten is still out.

 

[cleuger]

I don't have strictures, but my large intestine is covered in scar tissue. My doctor wants me to stay on low residue.
I eat a lot of peeled potatoes. There are many different ways to cook them, I like them mashed, with some cheese added for flavour, kind of like twice baked potatoes without the peels. Bananas and melons are good, and lettuce. Some canned fruits like pineapple give me pain. Soup is good. I don't eat much red meat, mostly chicken and turkey. Rice is also versatile, fried rice is quick and easy. Ethnic foods give me variety, like perogies and Cantonese take out.

I was told not to eat lettuce. Is there a certain type of lettuce that's OK to eat?

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Lettuce is tricky, I can't tolerate it but some do just fine. I think most with IBD would approach it cautiously. My nutritionist says only Boston or Bibb lettuce if I want to try it.

 

[Amy2]

Although my son is on the SCD, I try to include lots of legal, low residue foods, so he doesn't get too much fiber. He doesn't eat nuts, but he eats nut butters (so far only almond and pecan). And last night he had lentil soup - pureed. These were his first lentils since getting sick, so I will be a bit nervous until he poops. Is anyone else doing this? Eating low-residue for the most part, but with the addition of high residue foods (for added nutrition) in the form of smoothies and pureed soups? What happens in our bodies when we eat pureed foods? How are they a problem?

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Amy I have had puréed beans a few times now and it's been great. I get the nutrition and hopefully the iron without taking a risk of having the peel hurt me.

 

[cleuger]

Amy I have had puréed beans a few times now and it's been great. I get the nutrition and hopefully the iron without taking a risk of having the peel hurt me.

OK these are things I'm looking for. So there are actually ways for me to still enjoy the foods I like. I hate this diet it makes me feel sluggish. I am juicing now which should help next I'm going to slowly cut out Gluten I'm starting to hate the taste of bread and its probably better for me anyway. There's not a lot I eat Ive been living on Ensure clears and vitamins I never really have an appetite. I love Bean soup so Maybe I could puree it Yumm!!! I read somewhere that butter lettuce is ok. Does anyone know? I miss my greens :frown:

On a side note I did purchase the boo Breaking the viscous cycle. Problem with some of these foods is I do have a small stricture. I have no idea where it is I thinks its on my left side bowel anyway it never bothers me they were not sure if it was scar tissue or inflammation when I was diagnosed. So does anyone with a Stricture go by this diet? Curious to know

TIA

 

[Amy2]

Amy I have had puréed beans a few times now and it's been great. I get the nutrition and hopefully the iron without taking a risk of having the peel hurt me.

Can pureed beans be considered low residue?

 

[723crossroads]

Although my son is on the SCD, I try to include lots of legal, low residue foods, so he doesn't get too much fiber. He doesn't eat nuts, but he eats nut butters (so far only almond and pecan). And last night he had lentil soup - pureed. These were his first lentils since getting sick, so I will be a bit nervous until he poops. Is anyone else doing this? Eating low-residue for the most part, but with the addition of high residue foods (for added nutrition) in the form of smoothies and pureed soups? What happens in our bodies when we eat pureed foods? How are they a problem?

I think it is the fiber content that we can't seem to digest properly. I eat salad, but the lettuce doesn't digest. Juicing is good for you because it removes the fiber and leaves all the vitamins. You might want to try that.

 

[723crossroads]

Can pureed beans be considered low residue?

Nope, still has the fiber content.

 

[723crossroads]

OK these are things I'm looking for. So there are actually ways for me to still enjoy the foods I like. I hate this diet it makes me feel sluggish. I am juicing now which should help next I'm going to slowly cut out Gluten I'm starting to hate the taste of bread and its probably better for me anyway. There's not a lot I eat Ive been living on Ensure clears and vitamins I never really have an appetite. I love Bean soup so Maybe I could puree it Yumm!!! I read somewhere that butter lettuce is ok. Does anyone know? I miss my greens :frown:

On a side note I did purchase the boo Breaking the viscous cycle. Problem with some of these foods is I do have a small stricture. I have no idea where it is I thinks its on my left side bowel anyway it never bothers me they were not sure if it was scar tissue or inflammation when I was diagnosed. So does anyone with a Stricture go by this diet? Curious to know

TIA

I can't do beans at all, just not worth it for me.

 

[Amy2]

Nope, still has the fiber content.

And fiber, even in this form makes the body have to work hard, or ?

I'm trying to give my son the fiber and nutrition he needs, without stressing his body too much and without risking a blockage. And smoothies and purees seem to be the answer. Or am I wrong?

So many low residue foods are off limits because of the SCD.

 

[cleuger]

If I make a pot of beans for my Family usually what Ive been doing is taking the juice with ham and then dipping my cornbread in that Yumm but I would love have the beans if possible even pureed. Blockage is my main concern. I'm looking into a hand blender, went to Target earlier and the cheapest one was 39.00 which to me is not bad. Pea's are something else I truly miss is there a way to have those? does anyone eat them? Its funny before I was diagnosed I was eating all this stuff with no problem now I cant have it because my DR says so.

 

[723crossroads]

If I make a pot of beans for my Family usually what Ive been doing is taking the juice with ham and then dipping my cornbread in that Yumm but I would love have the beans if possible even pureed. Blockage is my main concern. I'm looking into a hand blender, went to Target earlier and the cheapest one was 39.00 which to me is not bad. Pea's are something else I truly miss is there a way to have those? does anyone eat them? Its funny before I was diagnosed I was eating all this stuff with no problem now I cant have it because my DR says so.

I eat regular peas and they don't bother me. I cook them till soft though. As long as you cook alot of things well, it seems not so bad. But beans give me pain really bad and splitpeas too. As much as I love my splitpea with ham soup, it kills me! My hubs doesn't like me eating that! LOL:rof:

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I so miss split pea soup but in going to try to strain and purée it. It probably won't be the same but that with a dallop of sour cream sounds amazing.

 

[UnXmas]

Although my son is on the SCD, I try to include lots of legal, low residue foods, so he doesn't get too much fiber. He doesn't eat nuts, but he eats nut butters (so far only almond and pecan). And last night he had lentil soup - pureed. These were his first lentils since getting sick, so I will be a bit nervous until he poops. Is anyone else doing this? Eating low-residue for the most part, but with the addition of high residue foods (for added nutrition) in the form of smoothies and pureed soups? What happens in our bodies when we eat pureed foods? How are they a problem?

I can tolerate fibre in small quantities, but yes, I also recently started having more smoothies, soups and juice to get vitamins, as I'm not getting so many fruits and vegetables in their normal forms. I can't really tell you the differences in digestion, but I do know they cause me less problems when pureed. If your son does alright with purees and smoothies, you might try him on some of the fruits and vegetables that are the easiest to tolerate - bananas, avocados and root vegetables. I can manage all of these pretty well. Especially if you do find the lentils still give him trouble - lentils are probably more likely to cause him difficulties than if you make a soup from root vegetables like carrots.

Also you can get vitamins from fortified breakfast cereals. As far as I know, most breakfast cereals are fortified. You have to be careful because some are very high fibre, but cereals like Cornflakes and Rice Krispies are not.

And another way of getting nutrients is from liquid supplements.

I'm not sure whether these are allowed on the SCD, I'm guessing the cereals aren't, but there is no reason that someone would have to be short of nutrients when eating low fibre, unless you have to an extremely strict low residue/low fibre diet, but a really strict low residue/low fibre diet would usually only be used short-term.

 

[723crossroads]

I so miss split pea soup but in going to try to strain and purée it. It probably won't be the same but that with a dallop of sour cream sounds amazing.

One good thing is when it is cooked thoroughly, it pretty much purees itself.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Still that peel could be hard to digest. I might make it today and purée ill report on the outcome. Hopefully I won't be hunched over in pain.

 

[Amy2]

Son did fine with the lentil soup, so we will be trying other beans soon. Very happy, because he really needs the iron!!!

My lentil soup recipe is an old family favorite that just happens to be SCD legal (when you leave out the potatoes). So, it has the added bonus of being a familiar food.

 

[723crossroads]

That's great Amy!!!

 

[723crossroads]

Still that peel could be hard to digest. I might make it today and purée ill report on the outcome. Hopefully I won't be hunched over in pain.

I put carrots in mine also and it gives it good flavor, They get super soft too. I add chicken broth too and a whole onion and remove it when cooked.YUM!

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Had split pea with onions, carrots and spices puréed tonight and I live to tell the story

 

[Bamafan94]

Hi! I've had Crohn's Disease for 14 years. I recently got it back into remission after a minor flare-up, but now I've discovered that I've developed a complication.
My GI recently put me on a low residue diet because of a narrowing in my small intestine caused by scar tissue.
The diet is not to keep food from irritating the Crohn's, because it's in remission. It's only to try and keep food from getting stuck in the narrowing.
All the information I can find about low residue diets online is contradictory. My GI said absolutely no green vegetables and nothing with a skin. No nuts, anything high in fiber, corn or popcorn, and no meats that have fat or are grissled, including steak. Also nothing involving any kind of seeds.
I'm fine with all this, but there are so many foods I'm not sure about. I know that everyone's different, but I really don't want to eat anything potentially dangerous.
Does anyone have advice on pulled pork, bacon, pepperoni, tortilla shells, spicy food, and Mexican rice?
There are probably more, I just can't think of them right now. I appreciate any advice that anyone has.
I apologize if I posted this in the wrong place. lol!

Current Medications:
Imuran
Lialda
Remicade (Every 8 weeks)
Multivitamin
Prayer

 

[Amy2]

My son is in a similar position as you and he eats most things in smoothie form. Steamed super greens or spinache, fruit smoothies with blended nuts, pureed soups, like lentil, broccoli, tomato, mushroom...everything is blended. He eats no corn, rice or spicy food.

 

[Rosie L]

Hi, my dietician provided me with a diet sheet which was really useful, everyone is different as to what they can tolerate, I had the same problem as you and after a year on a low residue diet I have had surgery now and am slowly re introducing other foods.

Some of the things on my diet sheet were: well cooked root veg, e.g. Carrots, parsnip swede. I lived on mashed potato adding different things to it to change the flavour such as cheese, swede, parsnips, etc.
Fruit- juices, smoothies, cooked or stewed fruit with no skin. I found I could eat tin peaches or pears.
Breakfast cereals & grains - nothing with wheat, they suggest things like Rice Krispies, cornflakes, ready Brek etc any products made from white flour, white bread/ pasta.
Plain cakes, or muffins, rice pudding,
Meat etc- soft tender mince or poultry, they say that tough meat such as sausages, burgers bacon etc may be eaten in a small amount but not if you have regular bloating.
Fish- any without bones, seafood such as prawns should be peeled
Dairy- all types of milk, cream, soya, butter, margarine, most cheeses, yogurts (not containing dried fruit, nuts or cereals), custards, mousse, yoghurt drinks
Misc- clear, cream or strained soups, sugar, honey, syrup, seedless jam, chocolate, ice cream, jelly etc.

Hope this is of some help, occasionally I would eat bacon and pepperoni and get away with a small amount but it would make me bloated. Spicy food can upset some people.

Hope things settle down soon for you.

 

[Sarah50]

Hi! I've had Crohn's Disease for 14 years. I recently got it back into remission after a minor flare-up, but now I've discovered that I've developed a complication.
My GI recently put me on a low residue diet because of a narrowing in my small intestine caused by scar tissue.
The diet is not to keep food from irritating the Crohn's, because it's in remission. It's only to try and keep food from getting stuck in the narrowing.
All the information I can find about low residue diets online is contradictory. My GI said absolutely no green vegetables and nothing with a skin. No nuts, anything high in fiber, corn or popcorn, and no meats that have fat or are grissled, including steak. Also nothing involving any kind of seeds.
I'm fine with all this, but there are so many foods I'm not sure about. I know that everyone's different, but I really don't want to eat anything potentially dangerous.
Does anyone have advice on pulled pork, bacon, pepperoni, tortilla shells, spicy food, and Mexican rice?
There are probably more, I just can't think of them right now. I appreciate any advice that anyone has.
I apologize if I posted this in the wrong place. lol!

Current Medications:
Imuran
Lialda
Remicade (Every 8 weeks)
Multivitamin
Prayer

I was on a low residue diet and Asacol and within 6 weeks, all my symptoms went away. My GI recommended the low res diet and I was following (so I thought) but was still having pain. GI sent me to a dietician and she helped me figure out the food I was eating that was still causing problems - yogurt with fruit in it, eating preserves instead of jelly, and any fruit or veggie with skin.

As far as the food you listed, I would cut out pepperoni (you're not supposed to eat any processed-type lunch meat) and definitely spicy food! Not sure about Mexican rice unless it's spicy, then no. Not sure about bacon.

Definitely follow the 'ok' veggies and fruit - which is limited. I just ate bananas and that was fine. Definitely no seeds or nuts! If you have any other questions about certain food, please don't hesitate to ask. Good luck!

 

[Bamafan94]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses!

Amy2,
It hasn't even entered my mind to try blending foods! Now, that seems like an obvious choice! lol!
I had wondered how long I could survive on Ensure. Not a great way to go, but I thought maybe just until this settles down.
Thanks for the advice on blending. I'll definitely try that!

Rosie L,
Of the foods you mentioned, so far I've figured out that burgers, bacon, white bread, fish, dairy, jelly, and chocolate are okay.
I drink fruit juices as long as there's no pulp or seeds. And I'm on a multivitamin, so hopefully I'm getting enough nutrition.
Somtimes I'm hungry, but it just seems like too much trouble to figure out if a certain food will bother me. I stay bloated a lot, and I wonder if it's because I'm not eating often enough.
Was your surgery a bowel resection? If so, what was that like? Long hospital stay, and recovery time? I'm trying to get several opinions because my GI says I'll eventually end up having the surgery if nothing changes. He wants me to put it off for as long as possible.
Thanks for all the advice!

Sarah50,
I've branched out a little in the past week. I ate pizza, but picked the pepperoni off, and drank Gaviscon afterward, and that worked out well.
I even ate a chicken taco salad. It was only chicken and cheese in a tortilla shell, (not spicy) and again, drank Gaviscon, and it didn't bother me other than some rumbling and rolling sounds, but for me, that's pretty normal! lol!
I don't eat anything that my GI said not to, and that includes seeds, green vegetables, nuts, and anything with a skin on it.
I thought pepperoni was a pork product, but when I started asking family members, I found out it's a mystery meat! Like Spam and such. I didn't realize that, but I'll stay away from it. After all, it's a small price to pay if I can avoid surgery.

Thanks again to all of you for the advice! It's been very helpful!
I wish you all good health!

 

[Rosie L]

I can certainly relate to the trouble of finding new foods to eat, some days it's just easier to stick to what you know is ok.
Yes my surgery was a bowel resection - ileocaecal resection (this was my second my first a hemi-colectomy was over 13 years ago), I was on the enhanced recovery programme, where they get you out of bed asap, and you drink a carbohydrate pre-load before surgery to enhance your recovery. I was in hospital for 7 days, the stay can be anything from 4 days onwards, I was in a little longer as my bowel was slow to kick start again due to my surgery taking over 5 hours to do so it made my insides very sluggish and they needed help to start up again. It's tough at the beginning but I forced myself to follow all the advice and it definitely makes a difference. The information I picked up from this forum helped prepare me for what I was going through and I picked up some valuable information from it.
The first 2 weeks are the hardest, but after that it gets easier. You can go back to work anything from 4 weeks. I went back this week after 8 weeks off (6 as sick leave and then I just had a 2 week holiday as well). I was unlucky to get an infection in my wound and had to go to hospital daily up to last Friday to have my dressings done etc. but even though this happened it was still all worth it for me as I was having regular blockages as nothing could get through the stricture, i have been on a low residue diet for over a year and was permanately on laxatives to makes sure everything went through and I still had blockages.
I am now at the point of slowly re-introducing normal food back into my diet. The hardest part now is fatigue but as long as you allow yourself time to rest, it's manageable. I will be starting B12 injections shortly. I do not know what other medication I will need until they do a follow up colonoscopy at 6 months after surgery.
Hope this helps, if you want to know anymore detail, do not hesitate to ask me

 

[Bamafan94]

Rosie L,
Thank you so much for the info!
Sorry to hear that you've had to go through so much.
This truly is a nasty, ugly disease. I hope and pray that someday a cure will be found and also preventative messures so that no one has to suffer from this ever again!
I seem to be finding my way through this diet. It's not quite so confusing now that I've had so many in this forum to help me out!
My problem isn't as serious as yours was, not yet anyway. I'm still having diarrhea because of 4 tiny fistulas that are connecting my small intestine to my colon. Hopefully, the Remicade will eventually heal those, and the diarrhea will stop. I occasionally have normal bowel movements too, so I know it's not a blockage. My GI wasn't overly concerned. He just said I should start thinking about surgery because it would most likely come to that at some point.
I was the one who freaked out! lol!
I've been afraid of this very thing for 14 years. Ever since I was diagnosed and the doctors explained to me all the things that can happen.
There are so many possible complications it boggles the mind!
Thank you again for the info, and advice! I appreciate it very much!
I wish good health your way!

 

[Bamafan94]

Hi!
Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm doing much better. The pain and bloating caused by the narrowing in my intestines has almost completely stopped.
I'm still able to eat plenty of good foods, I had to cut out several of course, but it's a small price to pay if it let's me avoid surgery.
I wanted to thank you all again for the great advice!
Hope you're all doing well!

 

[Emmy]

I'd like to join this please :3
I'm on a low fibre/low res diet right now... stomach still reacts to any food I eat though, some worse than others, things with too much seasoning or flavour don't seem to agree with me at the moment, but I went through a phase of craving salt.... now it's salt and chocolate... to balance the flavour I spose...

 

[mccindy]

Welcome, Emmy! Salt and chocolate - those things do go together! Lindt makes a really good Sea Salt Dark Chocolate bar that is pretty good for satisfying the need for the taste of both at once. It's also gluten- and dairy-free and pretty easy on the belly. My permanent diet is one that is pretty low residue and low fiber, so I supplement with psyllium husks on the advice of a friend, Cat-a-Tonic (moderator here).

 

[UnXmas]

I'd like to join this please :3
I'm on a low fibre/low res diet right now... stomach still reacts to any food I eat though, some worse than others, things with too much seasoning or flavour don't seem to agree with me at the moment, but I went through a phase of craving salt.... now it's salt and chocolate... to balance the flavour I spose...

Could it be you're not getting enough salt? Have you had any resections? I recently got an ileostomy, which can make you more likely to become deficient in salt, as can any removal of the large intestine. The nurses told me that a salt deficiency can lead to cravings - advice that seems to be repeated in all the stoma literature I've been given. They've told me not to ignore a craving. Even if you've not had any intestine removed, you might want to check roughly how much your diet was providing. It's confusing though because most of the information you find seems to assume people go the other way and get far too much salt and that that's the biggest risk to health.

If a chocolate craving indicates a deficiency, I must get chocolate deficiencies pretty often.

 

[Emmy]

Could it be you're not getting enough salt? Have you had any resections? I recently got an ileostomy, which can make you more likely to become deficient in salt, as can any removal of the large intestine. The nurses told me that a salt deficiency can lead to cravings - advice that seems to be repeated in all the stoma literature I've been given. They've told me not to ignore a craving. Even if you've not had any intestine removed, you might want to check roughly how much your diet was providing. It's confusing though because most of the information you find seems to assume people go the other way and get far too much salt and that that's the biggest risk to health.

If a chocolate craving indicates a deficiency, I must get chocolate deficiencies pretty often.

Hmmmm... well no resections or ops yet thank god, but it may come to that soon if things don't get better with what I'm on... My crohn's is mostly active in my ileum, terminal ileum I think. I had an albumin/protein deficiency when I was in hospital though... made my legs and arms and face all puffy, face was already kinda puffy though from pred, but being in hospital my arms just inflated popeye style o_o; and you could press fingers into my ankles/legs and leave indentations... kinda scary... better now, but if I leave them at the wrong angle they can get a little puffy still...
Salt wise I thought I'd be getting enough D: But I spose I may not be.... I started sucking on pretzels and having salt with boiled eggs, and some of the snacks I eat are pretty high in salt... maybe I should just get a salt lick.... I did at one point just suck on some salt... while I was on the fresubin... cos they're all sweet, I got really desperate for other flavours of any kind XD
I'm keeping track of the protein I eat/intake everyday though, keeping track of salt too won't be much harder, will just have to list down the everyday stuff and check packets. I try to make it into a regime/routine, in a cute little notebook XD

 

[Jag23]

My GI has suggested i go on a low residue diet. I've only had symptoms of crohns since September 2013 but weight loss for around 2 years so my GI thinks I've had crohns for around 2 years.

I've been trying to get recipes for new foods but all the website I see seem to have a lot of fruit or veg which aren't good for me.

I eat a lot of Turkey, potatoes, pasta, rice and sausage and stew.
I seem okay with all of the above.

I tried a prawn cocktail before Christmas and that was a mistake. Woke up at 3am with bad cramps even though I'm on 35mg of Pred.

All the salad in it was de seeded and skinned, thinking it could have been the lettuce in it :/
I will try prawns on their own at some point.

Sometimes though I think what's the point of trying new food when you are in pain and I'm even sometimes scared of trying things.

PS. I would like to join this group but I don't know how.

 

[UnXmas]

PS. I would like to join this group but I don't know how.

You've automatically joined it by posting in the thread.

Were the recipes you were looking at supposed to be low-fibre/low-residue? Not many kinds of fruit and veg are good when on this diet. Bananas, avocados, and tinned fruit are the easiest to tolerate. Some might be ok with very well-cooked veg.

Lettuce is not good at all on a low-fibre diet - no raw salads are - so that may have been why the prawn cocktail didn't go down well. Although sometimes we get symptoms and it's just a coincidence - it's hard to know for sure if it's due to something we ate unless we eat the food multiple times and get a consistent reaction each time. But lettuce is definitely not low-fibre, so it is something to avoid.

 

[Jag23]

I was just looking for something other than potatoes to try and eat, I love them but others in my family aren't always massive fans.

How is everyone with gravy?

 

[bobisacrohny]

I would try using a broth instead of gravy as fat is bad.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

The fat wouldn't be bad in terms of fiber though. Gravy should be fine in terms of being low-fiber.

The only things that bother me that are low fiber are chips because I don't chew properly and I feel scraping.

 

[UnXmas]

I do just fine with gravy.

 

[UnXmas]

I was just looking for something other than potatoes to try and eat, I love them but others in my family aren't always massive fans.

Have you tried sweet potatoes? Also pastry is usually low-fibre - you might try pies, quiches, etc. If you make your own you can fill them with whatever meats and veg you can tolerate.

 

[Jag23]

Not sure about pastry.
I had a piece of Stand Pie (pork pie) and I didn't feel well later on.
I heard pastry was bad.

Really new to this

I haven't tried sweet potatoes, thanks. Will give them a try

 

[mccindy]

I have to avoid gluten, so no pasta or bread for me. I do ok with oats, rice, potatoes (skinless) sweet potatoes, chicken and seafood/fish. Lettuce can be tough but I do well with raw spinach. Most raw veggies are not my friend, or fruits, so I avoid a lot of then and I can have some of then canned.

Gravy is okay if the fat is skimmed and made with gluten-free broth, for me, and corn starch as the thickener.

 

[Emmy]

So it seems a super well cooked Lancashire hot pot(potato, carrot, lamb/pork in gravy sorta thing) does NOT give me happy feels. Pains since I ate it. I didn't even finish it.... I had a shortcake biscuit afterwards, which I think tipped me over the good edge of full.... too much butter/fat maybe? Either way. Paaaaaaain. But it tasted so good. Maybe the strong flavours don't do me good either....

 

[mccindy]

With a mixture like that, it's pretty difficult to tell what might have been the troubling factor. I've found I don't mix things up too much anymore, simply because I won't know what's causing me pain or trouble. Spices can be trouble, thickeners can be, meats can be, gluten can be, dairy can be. You might want to do simple for a while and track things keeping a food diary just to find out what exactly might be triggering your problems.

 

[Jag23]

So it seems a super well cooked Lancashire hot pot(potato, carrot, lamb/pork in gravy sorta thing) does NOT give me happy feels. Pains since I ate it. I didn't even finish it....

I've found that certain gravys aren't good for me.
I'm okay with oxo cubes and bistro gravy but i tried knorrs stock pot gravy (chicken, beef, lamb) and they came up on my food diary as bad.

 

[UnXmas]

So it seems a super well cooked Lancashire hot pot(potato, carrot, lamb/pork in gravy sorta thing) does NOT give me happy feels. Pains since I ate it. I didn't even finish it.... I had a shortcake biscuit afterwards, which I think tipped me over the good edge of full.... too much butter/fat maybe? Either way. Paaaaaaain. But it tasted so good. Maybe the strong flavours don't do me good either....

It may have not been anything specific in the meal - it may be that whatever you'd eaten would have triggered symptoms at this time. Shortcake should be absolutely fine for a low-fibre diet. If it were me (though of course we all react to different foods) the meat would have been most likely to give me problems. Not because of fibre, I just find red meat tough to digest for some reason, so I haven't eaten it for ages. Well cooked potato, carrot and gravy I'd be fine with. So yeah - if it was something specific in the meal, I'd suspect the meat. But it might just have been your digestive system wasn't happy for other reasons, or it might perhaps be just too much food? Depending on your portion size and what you're used to eating, but since you were full, it's possible your stomach was just reacting to the amount of food rather than the specific ingredients.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Today's experiment: baked beans that I strained. I think even straining there probably is a bit of fiber so I hope I'm not in for a disaster. Anyone else try beans and ok? I'm not worried about gas only about obstructions.

 

[mccindy]

Beans are not on my good food list - they cause me a lot of pain. It's really a bummer because I love to make chili in the winter, and now I can't even eat it. I hope the experiment worked for you NGNG!

 

[UnXmas]

Hope it went ok for you! I'm not risking trying beans. I never liked baked beans much anyway. I wouldn't mind being able to eat green beans again though.

 

[Josephine]

Just started residue diet today, due wait for phone back.

 

[mccindy]

Hope it went ok for you! I'm not risking trying beans. I never liked baked beans much anyway. I wouldn't mind being able to eat green beans again though.

Oh, I miss baked beans. I always did like them. I miss eating chili too, but can't because of the beans. Darn things. i can eat green beans, though, which is good because they are yummy. Wish I could eat fresh asparagus and brussels sprouts though!

 

[silverdiskdj]

I swear by the low residue diet... and even though I received surgery a few weeks ago... will most likely continue it. I have been on it for probably 6-7 years, and it does really help and make me feel better than foods that are high in fiber/greasy. As I usually tell people, it is the "middle of the road" diet... nothing too healthy, nothing too unhealthy. Of course, I need a properly working medicine to calm my disease down and put me in remission... this diet just makes me better in regards to day to day....

I think the huge thing with this disease though, and what I am learning, is that diets will widely vary person to person. Some people are so gun hoe about the SCD diet that it really irritates me when they believe it will work for everyone. I believe the same for this too (that it is very individual)... and luckily this is a diet IMO that is less restrictive and more my kind of diet (a comfort food diet) than the others.

Baked Beans, actually, seem to be alright for me to eat no matter what... and I really like them during summer grilling, so that is one thing I am happy about....

 

[UnXmas]

I swear by the low residue diet... and even though I received surgery a few weeks ago... will most likely continue it. I have been on it for probably 6-7 years, and it does really help and make me feel better than foods that are high in fiber/greasy. As I usually tell people, it is the "middle of the road" diet... nothing too healthy, nothing too unhealthy. Of course, I need a properly working medicine to calm my disease down and put me in remission... this diet just makes me better in regards to day to day....

I think the huge thing with this disease though, and what I am learning, is that diets will widely vary person to person. Some people are so gun hoe about the SCD diet that it really irritates me when they believe it will work for everyone. I believe the same for this too (that it is very individual)... and luckily this is a diet IMO that is less restrictive and more my kind of diet (a comfort food diet) than the others.

Baked Beans, actually, seem to be alright for me to eat no matter what... and I really like them during summer grilling, so that is one thing I am happy about....

I've been relatively low fibre for years, but since my ileostomy and subsequent blockage the moment I eat even small amounts of fibre, I'm strictly low-fibre, low-residue to the extreme now. It seems kind of unhealthy to me though, in terms of the mainstream idea of healthy eating. Specifically the 5-a-day rule (five portions of different fruits and veg a day, not including potatoes). I can only tolerate bananas, tinned fruit and juice now, and deviating from that doesn't mean I just feel bad, like it would pre-ileostomy, it lands me in hospital. So clearly fruits and vegetables are not healthy for me. But the government has so forcefully pushed the "5-a-day" rule that the complete lack of greenery and fresh stuff in my diet, plus no whole-grains, nuts or seeds, plus a lot of high-calorie (i.e. junk) foods because I need to gain weight, and complete lack of exercise also due to health issues, I don't feel like I'm living very healthily!

I get annoyed with people who push alternative diets too, primarily because I tried many alternative diets trying to heal myself (and I mean really tried, sticking 100% and for long periods of time) and only got sicker. And found the nutritionists and alternative health practitioners who advised me on these diets seemed to become very annoyed and disappear (with my money) when I told them it wasn't working.

I need scientific proof of diets (or any therapy), and most of those claimed to help with Crohn's don't have that. The mainstream medical approach, from what I've seen, advocates the low-fibre/low-residue and "soft" diets, which are supported by solid evidence, and my own personal experiences have backed up my faith that these can in some cases be helpful. The fact that mainstream medicine doesn't present this diet as a complete cure, doesn't usually expect 100% adherence and doesn't present the dietary advice with such a forceful moral message as many of the alternative diets often do sits well with me too. The fact that the first time I tried any food which conventional medical advice warns as those which potentially cause blockages for ileostomy patients I got a blockage (more than once), and that since avoiding any of these high-risk foods I've had no blockages, convinces me.

Btw. apparently soon fruit juice won't be counted as one of the 5-a-day because it contains too much sugar. :confused2:

 

[silverdiskdj]

I totally understand the "five a day" thing myself... and like you, stick to canned fruit if I eat any fruit at all. I guess I have just become accustomed to this diet, and my nutrient levels have remained relatively healthy for the last year or so... so I figure I shouldn't mess with what seems to be working.

I have tried cutting things out of my diet, and like you... ended up worse off (or even in the hospital as I wasn't getting enough fluid or enough nutrients and ended up on TPN). This is why when people tell me "go on this, you won't need these meds anymore" irritates me. When I am on something that works... why mess with it?

In regards to my disease, Tysabri seems to be working, as my inflammation levels have dropped and nutrients/vitamins have stablized. However, I had at least three strictures in my intestines that caused me to have partial obstructions and I strongly believe the medicine couldn't rid itself of this due to it being scarred... so I think that now that they are out, starting with my next infusion... hopefully it will put me in remission. That is my ultimate hope...

 

[mccindy]

I've been relatively low fibre for years, but since my ileostomy and subsequent blockage the moment I eat even small amounts of fibre, I'm strictly low-fibre, low-residue to the extreme now. It seems kind of unhealthy to me though, in terms of the mainstream idea of healthy eating. Specifically the 5-a-day rule (five portions of different fruits and veg a day, not including potatoes). I can only tolerate bananas, tinned fruit and juice now, and deviating from that doesn't mean I just feel bad, like it would pre-ileostomy, it lands me in hospital. So clearly fruits and vegetables are not healthy for me. But the government has so forcefully pushed the "5-a-day" rule that the complete lack of greenery and fresh stuff in my diet, plus no whole-grains, nuts or seeds, plus a lot of high-calorie (i.e. junk) foods because I need to gain weight, and complete lack of exercise also due to health issues, I don't feel like I'm living very healthily!

I get annoyed with people who push alternative diets too, primarily because I tried many alternative diets trying to heal myself (and I mean really tried, sticking 100% and for long periods of time) and only got sicker. And found the nutritionists and alternative health practitioners who advised me on these diets seemed to become very annoyed and disappear (with my money) when I told them it wasn't working.

I need scientific proof of diets (or any therapy), and most of those claimed to help with Crohn's don't have that. The mainstream medical approach, from what I've seen, advocates the low-fibre/low-residue and "soft" diets, which are supported by solid evidence, and my own personal experiences have backed up my faith that these can in some cases be helpful. The fact that mainstream medicine doesn't present this diet as a complete cure, doesn't usually expect 100% adherence and doesn't present the dietary advice with such a forceful moral message as many of the alternative diets often do sits well with me too. The fact that the first time I tried any food which conventional medical advice warns as those which potentially cause blockages for ileostomy patients I got a blockage (more than once), and that since avoiding any of these high-risk foods I've had no blockages, convinces me.

Btw. apparently soon fruit juice won't be counted as one of the 5-a-day because it contains too much sugar. :confused2:

Have you thought about making your own juice? YOu won't get the fiber but you'll still get all the nutrients and calories. My son and his wife bought a juicer and joined an organic veggie/fruit delivery service. They use a combination of vegetables and fruits and make their own juice every morning in place of breakfast. They get multiple servings of some very healthy fruits and veggies that way with no added sugar. They use kale pretty much every day.

 

[UnXmas]

Have you thought about making your own juice? YOu won't get the fiber but you'll still get all the nutrients and calories. My son and his wife bought a juicer and joined an organic veggie/fruit delivery service. They use a combination of vegetables and fruits and make their own juice every morning in place of breakfast. They get multiple servings of some very healthy fruits and veggies that way with no added sugar. They use kale pretty much every day.

I have, but I wasn't sure that it would be any more beneficial than bought juices - finding juices with no added sugar doesn't seem to be a problem where I live. (The government's move to exclude juices from the dietary guidelines includes the natural sugar in fruit juice, not just added.)

 

[mccindy]

The government is stupid. There, I said it.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

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.