Question about whey supplements and dieting with Crohn's-Colitis

[Robbie-181]

Hey everyone,
I was diagnosed with Crohn's-Colitis back in 2005 when I was 13. As well as this, I've also been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I've recently been looking to start dieting a bit and exercising more. My appointments with my gastroenterologist keep getting postponed as I recently moved, which isn't great because there's been some blood in the stool for a while now. My question to everyone here is what would be an optimal dieting plan (Looking to lose roughly 20 pounds in four months - No rush) while on a fairly semi-regular exercising cycle. I work out maybe 2-3 times a week for about an hour, I ski on the weekends, and I use free-weights and do push-ups/sit-ups everyday for about half an hour. On this note, I was wondering if anybody in a similar situation would recommend any specific type of protein powder for putting on muscle and losing fat.
Cheers!

 

[SnowDay]

To begin with I think eating plenty of leafy greens (cooked is probably best for the Crohn's-Colitis) such as spinach, cabbage, kale, broccoli, peas, etc., and lean meats such as chicken, turkey, beef and venison (skinless and poached in water is optimal for weight loss and non-inflammatory properties, next best is grilling, then roasting. Avoid frying if possible). Also fish, and fruits/whole-grains if they agree with you. Get good fats from avocados, coconut oil (for cooking)/olive oil (for raw).

Organic/free range is of course going to be healthier for you and give your already overworked liver less pesticides/toxins to deal with. It's important for Crohnies to rotate foods as well so try to avoid eating the same thing over again.

Good luck.

 

[rygon]

i'd recommend you take one step at a time. either change you diet first or change the exercising 1st. That way if you notice a change in your bowels you can easily pinpoint the reason.
Have you tried interval training (I use it for running, lampost to lampost, one sprinting the other jogging).

Im on Omni-MX and find its ok for my gut and do notice a difference (dont ache as much after training and seem to have more muscle). I also use PhD Battery for energy boost. Again try your exercise routine for, say a month, then try the shakes to see if theres any difference

 

[sunflower]

Ah, I miss leafy greens! I eat them sometimes, and then suffer.

If milk products bother you, then whey supplement is not good. I have been told by several GI's to avoid milk products. There are supplements out there that you can order that are made from different proteins. Do a search under Bariatric supplements and you should be able to find some different choices.

Talk to your GI about using supplements and find out what he/she would recommend!

 

[Robbie-181]

Thanks for all of the info and advice, guys. Just to answer some questions asked by you, my crohn's-colitis is not relatively active other than the mentioned issue. I'm planned for a 'cleaning' sometime within the next few months. I am not intolerant to any types of foods but I will definitely speak with my GI before starting any supplements in order to avoid any potential issues that would arise.

 

[mnsun]

I've heard the key to losing weight, other than the exercise your doing, is to have plenty of Omega 3s (4 grams a day, enteric coated), protein and minerals. These things particularly help in keeping cravings at bay while building muscle. I take an unflavored whey product with no rbgh (Jarrow product).

Nuts or mineral supplements may help out. Hemp protein would probably be good too, but it is hard to find a palatable smoothie mix for this. Hard boiled eggs have about 6 grams of protein each. Just stay away from sweets, processed foods and transfats. I've never stuck to a workout routine, so I cant speak from experience. I could use a few more pounds of muscle though...

 

[Robbie-181]

I have an allergy to some fish and I'm unsure whether or not it's related to Omega-3. Most probably not since Omega-3 is in everything nowadays but I will ask my GI (who I haven't seen in God knows how long) about it