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Frustration about diet & nutrition

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 12/16/2011 5:31 PM (GMT -8)
I want to eat well but how can we optimize our nutrition when we can't digest the healthy foods they recommend people eat, like fruits, vegis, and whole grains??? It seems like every time I try to eat better, I just end up with symptoms. I'm guessing it was the fiber.

So, how many of us are able to tolerate cooked vegis? Once cooked, do they really retain enough nutrition? I don't want to force myself to eat a mushy cooked vegi if it's not really helping me.

I have colitis, so I'm guessing I am able to digest the nutrients well enough, but just can't tolerate the fiber. I don't seem to have too much trouble with dairy. I know I need to cut back on sweets. I've switched from coffee to tea. I'm getting older and getting scared that I'm not doing enough to keep myself alive.

So, if you have any great advice about your favorite, healthy choices for these important food groups, I would appreciate some advice. I know we're all different, but I'm willing to try, and since doctors don't seem to have it figured out, I'm hoping collectively we might have some ideas.

Thanks!
Posted 12/16/2011 6:14 PM (GMT -8)
I know exactly what you mean! I also have an ileostomy, so that increases my difficulty in both absorbing nutrients and finding acceptable foods to eat. I've also been on prednisone since January and gained 100 pounds, so I definitely understand what you mean by wanting to do more and finding an appropriate diet!

I talked to my GI and after she apologized for keeping me on prednisone for so long (thus, making me gain all the extra weight) she referred me to a nutritionist. Not just a regular nutritionist, but a medical nutritionist, someone who works with diseases and other issues that would require someone with more knowledge than the average dietician. My appointment is not for quite a while and while I'm excited to go, I'm definitely nervous. I love my sweets, too!

Could you possibly see a nutritionist who specialized in IBS or other medical problems that effect the diet, etc.? Maybe your GI could refer you to one? :)
Posted 12/17/2011 9:00 AM (GMT -8)
I once spoke with my GI about this issue too. He said to take a multivitamin daily so it helps you get the vitamins you can't get from your foods. But sadly in my case, at least, I can't tolerate the vitamins either. Can't win for losing! Haha...
Posted 12/17/2011 9:42 AM (GMT -8)
Heat, I think if you cook the veggies in a broth and drink the broth too, you get more out of the veggies.
I've also read that fermented veggies are easier to digest, but I've never tried them. Maybe you can do a google on that.
Posted 12/17/2011 11:32 AM (GMT -8)
I just take tones of vitamin pills.
Posted 12/17/2011 12:25 PM (GMT -8)
I too am in the same boat. I don't tolerate high fibre foods and am not allowed to eat raw fruits and veggies due to my narrow stricture. I cook my veggies until they're mushy and I do not eat anything leafy. No broccoli or cabbage, lettuce, or cauliflower. It sucks but it has to be done. I too eat a lot of unhealthy food b/c the diet is so strict. Good luck.
Posted 12/17/2011 1:08 PM (GMT -8)
I just was in the Er this week for a partial obstruction and I have strictures. I'm on a full liquid diet for now. I just went to get protein shakes from an herbalife distributor just to get some calories/protein and nutrition in until I can eat again. I don't do well with vitamin pills, but try to get it from food. See if your doc thinks you can tolerate pureed fruit like smoothies, or V-8 juice. I don't know, this is tough stuff...I guess we just have to do the best we can.
Posted 12/17/2011 6:40 PM (GMT -8)
Thanks for the replies!

Sarah, I didn't realize they had medical nutritionists.  I will look into that when I get my insurance back, hopefully soon. 

Nanners, that is a bummer.  I've done vitamins off and on, but am assuming better nutrition would come from food.  I need to be more consistent with that.

Roni, that is a great idea.  I've heard they do get lost in the water.  I just wonder if heat destroys them. 

Hopefully there would still be enough to make it worth my while.

I'm guessing I should keep a log and see what I can get away with.  I know at times I can do more fiber than I think I should, like if I'm eating my normal way (not altogether healthy) and I can throw in occassional salad or fruit or nuts.  But when I really make a good effort to eat better, I always end up feeling worse.  Maybe I need to take baby steps. 

 

Posted 12/17/2011 7:38 PM (GMT -8)
What about soups and smoothies? They can be choc-a-block with veggies or fruits. When I was on a liquid diet I would sometimes make my own soup. I would also make my own chicken stock for it, which is dead easy to make, once you know how, and nutritious and tasty in its own right. Needless to say you can always buy soup or smoothies if you don't feel like making them. The supermarkets nowadays sell some very high-quality fresh soups, at least where I come from. Expensive, that's the only drawback.

Another suggestion is root vegetable mash, made with potatoes, parsnips, swede, carrots, etc. My mum makes it occasionally and it actually is really nice. You make it like you would normal mashed potato, but with root vegetables. Should be recipes online.

Ultimately, though, I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's pretty much impossible to suffer from malnutrition in the west, assuming adequate intake of food. There are so many factors which lead to longetivity: food is just one of them. But in a nutshell, despite the rubbish food which abounds, people are actually living longer today than they ever were.
Posted 12/17/2011 9:27 PM (GMT -8)
It's always trial and error since what works for one of us, might not work for you. So maybe try a little bit of something and see how it goes.

I find I do pretty well with root vegetables, squash, mushrooms and spinach pretty much all the time. I throw a lot of veggies in soup, and that works for me since they are nice and soft. Sometimes I puree the soup to make it easier to digest. I also put fruit in smoothies.

Fpr whole grains, I've found quinoa and kashi to be pretty easy to tolerate, and most of the time brown rice. Some of the legumes bother me if I'm in a flare...like lentils or split peas.

Good luck!
Posted 12/19/2011 12:27 PM (GMT -8)
Thanks, it's nice to get some suggestions. I don't know why I seem stuck feeling like the only way to get them loaded with nutrients is raw. I actually had some time to look and some vegis are actually more nutritious cooked. I will try these great ideas. It gives me some hope anyway.
Posted 12/20/2011 7:09 PM (GMT -8)
My son, 30, was recently in the hospital for 2 weeks and the only way they'd let him out of the hospital was if someone was there, staying there at his house to take care of him. So he flew me, his mom, over to do the job. (I'm a California girl now in cold COLD UTAH!)

My son WON"T eat veggies, not even in my yummy soup! Makes me mad, LOL. So I got him a product called "Go Greens" that provides 6 servings of veggies when the powder is poured into a 16 oz bottle of water. Oddly enough he drinks that NO PROBLEM! I can even sneak 2 shots of Aloe Vera juice in there.

BTW is Aloe Vera juice supposed to taste like tap water with a tiny after-taste to it??

 

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