Thursday, March 14, 2013

Crohn's and Food

I get asked alot about what can I eat?
It's a great question I wish I had an answer for.  The easy answer is.....I can eat anything I want.

But.........

Then you have to ask yourself, "how much do I want to pay for it afterwards?"
After over 20 years of trial and error I can sum up what I need to avoid.  Some of these items cause me discomfort, while others can end me up in the hospital.

My top 10....

10.  Lettuce
9.    Milk (but I have no problem with yogurt so I can't put 'dairy')
8.    Fried foods
7.    Alcohol 
6.    Any fruit that has a skin (I peel almost everything)
5.    Raw vegetables
4.    Chocolate (I know, sad really)
3.    Coffee, Tea, Juices (but brewed coffee seems OK...weird)
2.    Popcorn
1.    Nuts and Seeds

1, 2 and 5 have ended me up in hospital with bowel obstructions.  Raw carrots are a definite no no!

What it boils down to....there is no cure, no cause....you live with it and deal with the situations, no matter how bad it can get, the best you can.

There is no easy answer to the question about what a Crohn's patient can eat, it's highly individual

In the beginning, I kept a journal and kept track of what I ate and the reactions I had.  BUT, even that is deceiving because it depends on whether or not you're having a flare at the time.  Sometimes you can eat something one day, and then can't handle it the next.

Trial and error my friends......trial and error.

1 comment:

carrie said...

I realize tonight that I cannot do chocolate either. Still trying to wrap my arms around what I can and cannot eat. I can't do popcorn or corn and no raw all vegetables. I stay away from bulky meats.I just started a food journal I was diagnosed in September 2010. I do know however, 'Wilbur'(my colon) loves sweet potatoes and pasta with marinara sauce