March 3, 2012 - Crohn's and Your Diet

I have had Crohn's disease for 42 years and I have a really good handle on what works for me.  I really need to emphasize the word ME.  This disease is different for everyone.  I see many books on diets for Crohn's.  I also see many diets pushed on social media sites, such as Twitter.  I am sure there are some general principles that people with Crohn's can learn from in all of these diets, however, you need to do what works for you.  I had a really bad day on Thursday and I knew what the best plan of attack for me would be on Friday.  Nothing solid.  When I give my intestines complete rest, they respond positively.  I did my Myoplex Lite shakes all day on Friday and sure enough, snapped right out of my funk.  Other than being a little tired, having sore stomach muscles and throat from vomiting, I feel completely better today.  Although I feel better, I was still very careful with my diet today.  Again, for me, that means a combination of shakes and very easy to digest foods.  I want my intestines to have to do as little work as possible.  Also, I will not push myself physically until I am a couple days removed from not feeling well.  I may go for a run tomorrow based on how I feel in the morning.

I cannot emphasize enough how careful everyone needs to be with these "diets".  Do not jump in and completely change what you are doing.  Try things out and see what works best for you.