Should people with Crohn's Disease see a nutritionist

i am trying to eat better (not just because of the Crohns, but to be healthier overall). what can you guys suggest to introduce to my diet or reduce?? or, a specific diet to try out..

my symptoms are not terrible at the moment, haven't been for a while, but should i see a nutritionist? how many of you have done this..

You can try the SCD, here's a link to a recent thread.

http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=13679

Other than that, it's alll about trial and error. Every person is different when it comes to diet and what they can and cant handle. For example I cant handle any seeds or nuts or skins. When i'm flaring I live off white meat, bananas, bread, potatoes, rice. Basically a low residue diet. There should be something in the food and diet forum also. Maybe just go look around in there and you might find something that helps.

I like Buddy Fruits. They're like CapiSun packages of Applesauce and other things. No addatives or anything. Try their website. Also, I do Carnation Instant Breakfast Essentials for breakfast. There's something like 14g of Protein for only 230 or so Calories. Those kinda numbers I like.

Good luck! <3

well I basically stopped eating for 2 months and just started again.. Everyday I eat Salmon baked with a bit of seasoning and either rice or boiled potatoes. Salmon is way easier for me to process then chicken or white pork. Fish in general is easier for me. I do mostly a low residue diet also.. I avoid coffee ( which is hard with all the yummy christmas starbucks drinks) I have to eat 2 bananas a day ( I hate them now) for my super low potassium levels. My best friend is a GI nutrionist and she said I need 90 grams of protein a day ( that is a lot) and 1600 calories at least.. I get the protein but not the calories.. I lost a lot of weight so they want me to gain 10 pounds.. I am happy with only a 5 pound gain.. It seems that most of us crohns people tend to eat a low residue diet to some degree and usually stay away from beef.. good luck

thanks, Dras. i'll check that out. Jessica, the Carnation Breakfast Essentials don't sit well with me haha..thanks for the suggestions! like stated by Dras, everyone has different things they can and can't eat....coffeehouse, i know what you mean with coffee drinks! coffee and hot cocoa sometimes makes me pretty bloated and gassy. but i indulge every once in a while what is a low residue diet exactly? less processed stuff and what not..? good luck with the weight gain!

Low residue diet: Similar to a low fibre diet. It decreases amount and frequency of stools.

Foods to include:
White bread, refined pasta and cereals, and white rice
Limited servings of canned or well-cooked vegetables that do not include skins
Moderate fresh fruits without peels or seeds, certain canned or well-cooked fruits
Tender, ground, and well cooked meat, fish, eggs, and poultry
Milk and yogurt (usually limited to 2 cups per day), mild cheese, ricotta, cottage cheese
Butter, mayonnaise, vegetable oils, margarine, plain gravies and dressings
Broth and strained soups from allowed foods
Pulp free, strained, or clear juices

Foods to avoid:
Whole grain breads and pastas, corn bread or muffins, products made with whole grain products, or bran
Strong cheeses, yogurt containing fruit skins or seeds
Raw vegetables, except lettuce and other leaves
Tough meat, meat with gristle
Crunchy peanut butter
Millet, buckwheat, flax, oatmeal
Dried beans, peas, and legumes
Dried fruits, berries, other fruits with skin or seeds
Chocolate with Cocoa Powder (white chocolate has no fiber)
Food containing whole coconut
Juices with pulp
Highly spiced food and dressings, pepper, hot sauces
Caffeine
Popcorn
Nuts and Seeds


So basically all the stuff a normal person eating a healthy diet would stay away from. LOL!!!

Usually on a low res diet I watch the fiber content of things. If it's over 2 or 3g per serving, I try to stay away. Also, I've been told to stay away from milk, fresh fruits and veggies, ricotta, cottage cheese, and butter. Oh, except for potatoes. My doc says since they're so starchy to think of them with bread and pasta. And the more hard and aged a cheese is, the better for me. I'm not lactose intolerant. But it can give me gas pains.

Basically the more processed it is, the safer I am. Chips, fast food, homemade rice crispies, and everything else that people trying to eat healthy avoid.

Its so weird that I feel better on the more processed stuff. I can eat dorito's and be fine. Crackers with hummus kills me ( even though its healthy). I used to only eat whole grain everything now its all refined and white.. I dream of eating a huge salad with sunflower seeds and yummy fresh veggies.. but I know that will cause a blockage or just hurt like he-- and cause massive trips to the bathroom.. I think that part of the crohns issue is that we tend not to eat healthy cause we can't but then our bodies are not getting the right fuel to fight the disease. I tried juicing and only drank 4 oz of it and it makes me throw up each time.. not matter what the combo is.. lots of people say that juicing is the key to healthy for us.. but not me.. or just not me yet. I make a pot of boiled potatoes every day and I eat them mashed with a fork and a little salt. no butter or milk. I also eat white rice most days and fish of some sort and 2 bananas a day( I am super low on potassium).. I had an egg nog latte yesterday and it was so worth it.. didn't drink very much of it until I got home.. and yes it killed me but it was worth it..
I find that Salmon is the best fish for me. I buy them at Costco frozen and throw one serving size in the oven each day.. it is the only protein that doesn't seem to cause pain the whole way through..

OOh.. just remembered egg whites are good with me. Boiled, friend.. either way I'm a happy camper. Subway flatbread with egg whites are wonderful. 6" flatbread, egg white, pepperjack cheese, and tomatoes = 355 calories. That and a 110 calorie apple juice is what I call a nice lunch.

thanks for the info on low residue diets! i'm not quite sure how i feel about it haha..

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You should always eat a low fiber diet which means no raw fruits and vegetables–nuts seeds or corn–law you are seeking or in treatment for any inflammatory bowel condition. The reason is that your intestines are already inflamed and dragging roughage over them will just them further.
You may notice when you eat something that is high-fiber it exacerbates your symptoms often times diarrhea.
This occurrences because you lost your mucosal lining which normally coats and protects the intestinal tissue–but now it is exposed and raw. After replacing the mucosal lining you may go back to eating anything you want.
By the way IBS is not caused by poor diet and cannot be cured with a good diet. the symptoms can only be managed until you receive proper treatment.
Of course you should avoid foods that are bothering you until then.

Food does cause or cure crohn's ect.

You should always eat a low fiber diet which means no raw fruits and vegetables–nuts seeds or corn–law you are seeking or in treatment for any inflammatory bowel condition. The reason is that your intestines are already inflamed and dragging roughage over them will just them further.
You may notice when you eat something that is high-fiber it exacerbates your symptoms often times diarrhea.
This occurrences because you lost your mucosal lining which normally coats and protects the intestinal tissue–but now it is exposed and raw. After replacing the mucosal lining you may go back to eating anything you want.
By the way IBS is not caused by poor diet and cannot be cured with a good diet. the symptoms can only be managed until you receive proper treatment.
Of course you should avoid foods that are bothering you until then.

I eat a whole foods diet. I cook from scratch, and I try to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. Ex. I choose frozen or fresh veggies over canned. I make rice/pasta sides from scratch and season it myself instead of by processed boxed stuff with lost of additives. I bake my own bread. I use healthy fats, like olive, grapeseed, butter or coconut oil in my cooking and baking. I make smoothies with fruit and greens. Its a good diet because there is always a healthy whole foods version of all of my favourite foods.

Diet is so individual, what irritates some wont bother others. Fiber has never been an issue for me, but greasy food bothers me a lot when I flare.

I think eating the right food can help your condition and there are a lot of people that maintain remission with diet.

Excellent Lydia,
Good points- you can't really expect to get better if you are not eating properly. You might consider taking a good probiotic with colostrum if you haven't already.
You can tell that Lilly eat good food- looks like the poster girl for "organic"!

I put up a wiki thing about resistant starches. This is what my nutricienist told me to try and avoid (not completely stop just in moderation). Shes supposed to be quite educated in crohns, but seeing ive been flaring 1 week b4 (and since) i havent had the chance to try it out properly.

Biggest one ive found out that sets me off recently is caffine (tea, coffee, coke) cut that out and have halved my trips to the bathroom

Aw thanks. I am gonna make a post a new pic for y'all. She is going to be 3 in March. She is eating some frozen blueberries.

She is one of the biggest reasons we eat well. If her parents dont eat well, then its unlikely she will eat well. I like to think I take really good care of her and her gut too.

i was going to try to see a nutrionist when i first found out i had crohns, but my insurance didnt cover it and it was very expensive! i just kind of read things on here and got a few books and started some things on my own. i dont do wheat/gluten, any dairy, no nuts, no sugar, no red meats, no soda... basically nothing that i used to love snacking on haha. i just went to a local health market and looked at what they have. now i just carefully read labels and take my time while shopping. hope you find a diet that works for you!

if your symptoms aren't that bad right now, try writing down what you eat. Everything and some nutritional facts. Just doing this will help you realize what good and what's not. Most people start removing things from their diet that are bad for them or empty calories pretty fast. Also keep a rainbow in mind. Your food should resemble one.

Try some liquid acidophilus the GERD. Every time that you drink a tablespoon full it will leave a residue of the probiotic bacteria that will grow there like it should permanently.
That supposed to be there naturally blocking the acid from making direct contact with the tender tissue in the esophagus. By just taking Nexium etc. you are allowing the acid to continue to make that contact and eroding it. That leads to Barrett's syndrome. Besides–the Nexium is squashing your digestive acids hampering its ability to digest food and kill off bacteria's etc. It's worth checking out–good luck!

I have been using a diet from a guide I purchased a while ago. Before that, I tried various diets, and they would irritate me or it was just too much effort. I'll try to find the guide and post it up. (It's so easy, I memorize the whole diet )

xoxava said:

i was going to try to see a nutrionist when i first found out i had crohns, but my insurance didnt cover it and it was very expensive!

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I called my insurance a month ago to ask if they covered either a nutritionist or a dietition. Neither!! Only if you're diabetic is it covered. Such crap. :ymad:

Jessica said:

I called my insurance a month ago to ask if they covered either a nutritionist or a dietition. Neither!! Only if you're diabetic is it covered. Such crap. :ymad:

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Why not just do a bit of research? Over the past 6months or so i've learned so much about nutrition. Not just about food in general, but things most dieticians don't even think about such as how grains can damage the gut, how fat isn't unhealthy and how important protein is in maintaining a healthy body.

A good place to start is at robb wolfs blog, but at the same time impliment what you must to make sure you don't flare

Thanks, ben. I do a lot of research on my own, but I only have so much time. I have a full time job which requires extra hours, and I'm looking for my first house. My best research is done when I'm trying to cook something from scratch. Since that only happens about once a week, my during the week foods get picked based soley on a nutritional label.

I don't want to continuously go to one, but the help every now and again would be nice. Just kinda figured it was a bit of common sense to at least have one or two visits a year covered by my insurance due to a digestive disease. I mean, I can only imagine everyone else it screws over.

Jessica said:

Thanks, ben. I do a lot of research on my own, but I only have so much time. I have a full time job which requires extra hours, and I'm looking for my first house. My best research is done when I'm trying to cook something from scratch. Since that only happens about once a week, my during the week foods get picked based soley on a nutritional label.

I don't want to continuously go to one, but the help every now and again would be nice. Just kinda figured it was a bit of common sense to at least have one or two visits a year covered by my insurance due to a digestive disease. I mean, I can only imagine everyone else it screws over.

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Ah yes, sorry, I didn't really think about the time element. I guess I have just lost faith in all medical 'professionals' over the years due to personal experiences.

Yea. I'm one of the lucky ones to be able to still work as my employer still works with me. *sarcasm* And I'm beginning to lose more and more faith in the medical profession... not just the individuals.

My GP is wonderful though. Anything I need, he'll write up. So, if my GI misses a test that I want to check, I just have to ask and he'll fax me the write up. Ah, and the glorious friends I have, one RN and one genetic counselor. Between the two of them, they give me "Jessica terms" of what the reports really say, versus what the doctor isn't.
<3

It just seems that taking endless tests and drugs is a dead-end. I'm really not being negative and is suggesting that you might also want to look at something alternative.
believe it or not–there are people being cured of this everyday. I talk to four or five people a day who used to have Crohn's etc. forget management of the symptoms–forget hoped-for remission. These people have 10–12 years under their belt with no symptoms/malfunction–meds dietary lifestyle restrictions. They just chose to look outside the box and said what the heck. You might want to check it out–I mean six–seven–eight drugs?–No end in sight? you deserve better than that. Once you understand the real cause is easy to see// understand believe the real killer cure.

As some have said it is so hard to find a fiet that works for you becasue everyone is so different. I dont stick to a specific diet but rather stay away from things that make me sick. Ceaser salad, skins, seeds, greasy anything, anything deep fried, and simple sugars (chocolate bars, candy...unless its right after a larger healthy meal). High fiber hasnt really bothered me, my dad has diabetes and had high cholesterol so while we alwere getting that down all we ate was high fiber foods. Now we have backed off a bit so not as much but still doesnt bother me any.