Crohn’s Disease: What You Should Eat
Living with Crohn's disease is difficult, and managing your diet can be even more difficult. Managing a proper diet is vital to manage your Chron's symptoms and prevent any other complications from arising.
A Crohn’s-friendly diet is not a cure for Chron's disease; it is only meant to help manage your symptoms. Moreover, it helps to limit the regularity and severity of flare-ups, making patients feel better in the long-run. Crohn’s disease causes major havoc to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Patients should not only change what they consume, but they should also change the manner in which they eat.
If you are suffering from Crohn’s disease, it is highly advisable that you control the quantity of food you eat. This is essential when it comes to dealing with the problems that come with this ailment. For instance, you should consider eating several smaller meals a day, instead of consuming a few large meals a day. This works to reduce the amount of stress put on your digestive tract, which will reduce the severity of your symptoms.
In addition, remember to increase your daily consumption of minerals and vitamins. Lack of these nutrients results in a number of health problems. Constipation and diarrhea, some of the major symptoms of Crohn’s disease, prevent the body from maintaining a good nutritional balance, which is required for proper functioning of the body.
As a Crohn’s disease patient, don’t just focus on eating right, keep in mind that your body needs to stay properly hydrated. Hydrating is essential for managing Crohn’s disease, as well as detoxification, a process that helps the body to maintain proper health. The best way to keep your body hydrated is by drinking plenty of water. Try to drink at least eight glasses of water per day, or drink natural fruit juices.
What should eat for Crohn's Disease?
The diet for people with Crohn’s disease should consist of a healthy balance of:
- Fats
- Proteins
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Carbohydrates
The diet should also include fiber. A high-fiber diet is vastly important for patients with Chron's since fiber improves the ability of the body to effectively control bowel movements.
The best source of protein required in a Crohn’s diet is fish. Other than proteins, oily fish also supply the body with omega-3 oils, which are essential for the body. Nonetheless, if you don’t like eating fish, but still want your body to gain Omega-3 oils, feel free to take supplements.
As previously mentioned, there are several foods that help to combat Chron's symptoms. However, it is also important to know the foods that negatively affect a patient with Chron's disease. Individual's who are diagnosed with Crohn’s should avoid consuming foods with:
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Corn products
- Brassica vegetables
- Saturated fats
Different patients react differently to Crohn’s disease. To accurately track reactions to any foods, a Crohn’s disease patient should try to keep a food diary. This enables them to know what foods are beneficial to their bodies, and what foods are not.
A modified Crohn’s disease diet is hugely beneficial for people with Crohn’s disease. However, as hard it might be, individuals with Chron's disease should follow a Chron's diet fully, if they want to alleviate any pain and discomfort that they may be experiencing. However, it is perfectly normal for one to be confused about what to eat when symptoms begin to surface.
For many people with Crohn's, managing a proper diet and making smart nutritional choices allows them to live life with limited flare-ups. If you are having difficulty choosing an appropriate diet plan, consult with a doctor or nutritionist.
