IBD: The diet

The worst part of ulcerative colitis (IBD) is figuring out what I can and can't eat. The 'can't eat' list includes much of what comprises a healthy diet: whole grains, raw veggies, most fruits, legumes and nuts, eggs. Also nothing spicy and no caffeine. Oh, and minimal sugar. I can have an occasional glass of dry wine. Here's the diet I've now formulated:

Protein/carb shake

• Whey protein: A recent study showed a possible healing effect of whey protein and IBD
• Carbo-Pro: Glucose polymers are easily digestible and give me some much needed calories without the sugar
• Banana. I'm trying pineapple today due to digestive benefits; it's gotten mixed reviews on the forums so I have my fingers crossed. Blueberries are another fruit I think would be ok to try. 
• Yogurt

Hot rice cereal

• I love oatmeal but it's not sitting well right now. Neither is granola. Neither are eggs. So... rice cereal with honey for breakfast it is.

Almond butter on GF toast

• The week I went gluten-free I had more energy, less cramps, less stomach discomfort. I loved it. But the doc said I needed to go back to gluten to (essentially) keep damaging my small intestine so they can test for celiac in my endoscopy 6/12. This topic merits a separate post so I'll save more for later. 

My staple meal for lunch and dinner

• Protein: chicken or fish. Salmon is supposed to be one of the better foods for IBD
• Carb: I make a big pot of white rice and eat it for days
• Veggie: I can do green beans or zucchini so far. No broccoli or cauliflower (bummer).

Re-do: Veggies with coconut milk

• I made a yummy dish with potatoes, carrots and green beans with coconut milk, curry and some other Indian spices. Bad move... spices killed my gut. I'll try this again just with turmeric, which is supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties. 

I haven't yet tried:

• Sweet potatoes are supposed to be ok (without the skins -- ack, that's the best part!), but I normally eat them with cottage cheese. Dairy is supposedly off limits for UC but cottage cheese might be acceptable. 
• I could try a low-fiber cereal like Cheerios. I'm really unenthused. 

As I figure this out I'm creating a spreadsheet (and hopefully some more interesting recipes) that I'll post. 

Comments

[Casey Dickinson]

You seem to have the exact same diet I follow, it does work pretty well keeping things under control. I have tried sweet potatoes with out skin and they sit well with me. I have just recently had a colostomy reversal a couple weeks ago and bowel wise I have felt amazing. Feel free to check out my blog if you would like, http://livinthetrilife.blogspot.com.