I have been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, and still don't under stand what kind of foods I can make for myself that will be good for me and my husband who has heart disease. Any answers will be a big help. I suffer from Crohns' disease, my hubbby suffers from Heart Disease, and we need help with meals. I'm a farmers daughter, used to alot of fresh fruits and veggies, and all that good stuff. I'm learning slowly, and I have done research, but still no ideas for menu foods. Help!! Most importantly, foods that do not make you feel worse...
When I went through the diagnostic process, I focused on NOTHING except how sh***y I felt. Later on I realized that I felt better if I was more regular in daily activities. That means everything--exercise, eating, sleeping, and so on. It did take me years to get "better" and feel like I wasn't at risk of falling off of the remission wagon but after a while I stopped fearing it. I now feel great, I eat foods that are good for me in moderate quantities. I drink alcohol when I want, but never to excess. I drink coffee every morning but never at night. I still have internal bleeding problems, but I would say my flare ups are a couple of days at a time and maybe once a year, and they are not major ones. I can deal with that. Also I don't take drugs or run to the doctor anymore because that seemed to make it worse, getting tested, trying medication, feeling like crap, etc.
Of course, my experience counts only towards my life... yours may be totally the opposite. One thing about Crohn's Disease is that it affects different people in different ways.
By the way, I don't drink milk and I don't eat corn or anything that is "bad" for you (including nuts and stuff like that). But I DO eat salad almost every night for dinner, and eat carbohydrates in very minimal quantities. This may be something that could work for you too, but be careful.
Last, I noted that doctors do not know everything, despite often professing that they do. Therefore, do what makes you feel better and most of all (in my case) do it as regularly and as predictably as possible. For me that made ALL the difference between weighing 120# and being the normal 150. I used to practically puke when I saw food, I now feel great and get hungry often. In fact, I used to get sick from just SMELLING food. What a horrible life. Do whatever it takes to make yourself feel better, no exceptions. I am an avid mountain biker and I have a very nice life with minimal impact from Crohn's Disease.
This may be only my story... but if it happened to me it must be good for someone else, somewhere. Here are some links to IBD (irritable bowel disease) which includes Crohn's and UC (ulcerative colitis)...there is a nutrition and diet link in here..
IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) -Crohn鈥檚 Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Colorectal cancer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crohn's_dis... (wikipedia on Crohn鈥檚 disease)
http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdbde... (National Organization for Rare Diseases鈥croll down for support organization list..)
http://www.ccfa.org/ (Crohn鈥檚 and colitis foundation)
http://www.ccfa.org/trials/?TMI=3 (find clinical trials in your area)
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/search?... (Crohn鈥檚 disease clinical trials鈥on鈥檛 forget to turn page)
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/search?... (ulcerative colitis clinical trials..don鈥檛 forget to turn page)
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/search?... (clinical trials for IBD..don鈥檛 forget to turn page)
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/info/re... (introduction to clinical trials)
http://www.ccfa.org/physician/?LMI=3.6 (find a physician in your area)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/diet?LMI=3.2 (diet and nutrition)
https://www.kintera.org/site/pp.asp?c=hw... (IBD..Inflammatory Bowel Disease friendly recipes)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/crohns (about Crohn鈥檚 disease)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/ucp (about ulcerative colitis and proctitis)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/diagnose (how is IBD diagnosed)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/complicat... (possible complications)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/complicat... (intestinal and local complications)
http://www.ccfa.org/frameviewer/?url=/me... (Crohn鈥檚 and UC鈥omen鈥檚 issues..need adobe reader)
http://www.ccfa.org/frameviewer/?url=/me... (understanding colorectal cancer..need adobe reader)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/treatment/medic... (types of medications)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/treatment/kidsm... (treating children and adolescents)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/treatment/maint... (maintenance therapy)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/brochures/?LMI=... (educational brochures)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/webcasts/?LMI=3... (CCFA webcasts)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/surgery/surgery... (surgery for Crohn鈥檚 disease)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/surgery/surgery... (surgery for ulcerative colitis)
http://www.ccfa.org/living/?LMI=2 (living with IBD..see topics on the left side)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/links#medorg (medical organizations and support groups)
http://www.ccfa.org/chapters/?LMI=6 (find a CCFA chapter in your area)
http://www.ccfa.org/living/disability/?L... (social security disablility...applying for benefits)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/links#ibdpeople (for people with IBD by people with IBD)
http://www.ccfa.org/info/links#newsgroup... (newsgroups and messageboards)
http://www.ccfa.org/research/?LMI=4 (research)
3 books on disease symptoms and treatments
you could also get these books on ebay or amazon or a half price book store. (last two are very similar)..
1.Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine
2.Handbook of Diseases (Lippencott)
3.Professional Guide to Diseases (Springhouse) Click on the below website for website for recipes for people living with Crohn's Disease. I alwo added more helpful information below on what to eat, what to avoid, etc. Hope this helps.
http://www.livingwithcrohnsdisease.com/l...
You鈥檒l want to maintain a diet rich in protein and vitamins, especially vitamins A, D, C, B-12 and folic acid. Also add foods that contain calcium, iron, and zinc. In order to make sure you鈥檙e including the proper nutrients in your diet, it鈥檚 best to eat a variety of foods from the four basic food groups:
Meat and meat substitutes (protein, iron, Vitamin B-12)
Dairy (calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin A)
Cereal and grains (zinc)
Fruits and vegetables (calcium, Vitamin C, B-12, zinc)
You may also want to lay off the spicy food. Soft, bland foods may cause less discomfort than spicy or high-fiber foods when Crohn's is active. Alcoholic beverages may worsen symptoms as well by irritating the gastrointestinal tract. Think about reducing or eliminating your alcohol consumption, particularly when you are experiencing symptoms. Except for restricting milk in lactose-intolerant patients, most gastroenterologists try to plan flexible diets for their Crohn's patients.
Talk to your gastroenterologist or a dietician about developing a healthy diet that is 鈥淐rohn鈥檚 friendly.鈥?br>
This chart shows you key sources of important vitamins and minerals. Not all of these foods may be right for you. It鈥檚 best to talk to your gastroenterologist about customizing a diet that suits your specific nutritional needs.
Nutrient Source
Vitamin A Liver, eggs, dairy products, fish liver oils, dark green leafy vegetables (e.g., green peas, spinach)
Vitamin D Liver, fish liver oil, fortified food products (e.g., milk, butter, and cereals)
Vitamin C Fruits (e.g., citrus fruits, bananas, apples)
Folic Acid Liver, beets, corn, legumes, green leafy vegetables
Vitamin B-12 Meat, fish, poultry
Calcium Cheese, ice cream, milk, yogurt, sardines
Iron Red meat, fish, poultry, eggs
Zinc Animal protein (e.g., beef, chicken), plant foods (e.g., legumes, bran, green peas)
For your quick reference 鈥?Crohn鈥檚 diet do鈥檚 and don鈥檛s
Do eat regularly. Crohn鈥檚 disease can sometimes interfere with your appetite and cause malabsorption of nutrients. You need protein, vitamins, nutrients and calories. So eat!
Don鈥檛 indulge your taste for spicy foods, at least while your Crohn鈥檚 is active. It can worsen symptoms.
Do talk to a doctor or dietician about developing a healthy eating plan that will help you maintain energy and get what your body needs from the food you eat.
Don鈥檛 get bored. If you limit yourself to the same foods all the time, you will simply tire of eating altogether, which isn鈥檛 good. You want to maintain a healthy weight and include those essential vitamins and minerals in your diet. That means you have to eat.
Don鈥檛 drink alcohol. At the very least, reduce your alcohol intake and definitely forego the cocktails, wine and beer while you are experiencing symptoms. It will only make you feel worse.
Do keep in mind that while Crohn鈥檚 disease cannot be cured by following a specific diet, your condition can be better managed by eating healthfully and avoiding certain foods that may worsen or trigger symptoms.
Good luck Not real spicy and not real fatty/greasy - if it gives you gas, it's not a good choice. Also, be careful of stuff that is real high in fiber as well as things with seeds and small nuts. Actually, a lot of things on the heart healthy diet should be good for you with Crohn's. Just be careful of all the salads and vegies. I was married to someone with a severe case of Crohn's and he lost his large intestine (at age 21) - it's nothing to mess around with. |
