Diet and Illness
I get a lot of questions about my diet. I answer them this way: I eat anything I want right now. I follow a diet more to fit my low blood sugar than anything with Crohn’s. The diet I stay with for my low blood sugar includes a lot of veggies, mostly raw. I like Greek salads and any salad really. Most of the time I follow that up with a protein like fish, chicken or turkey. I eat many small meals through the day to keep my sugar balanced and stay away from sugar because it causes peaks and valleys in my blood sugar.
It was not always this way. When I first got sick with my Crohn’s I had no diet. It was not a healthy way to be and if anything, my main diet staple was beer. I have come a long way from those days. And my illness was a cruel teacher in the beginning as I found out what set me off and then had to find things to eat that did not bother me. It became a test of time, which things could stay in my diet.
I will never tell you what to eat. Each body is different, each person is different. But what I will share with you is when you are sick your body is craving nutrients. Here are some of the things I did to get the nutrition I needed:
I have taken vitamins my whole life since about age six. I know that there are doctors out there who don’t believe in vitamins but they still don’t have a cure for Crohn’s. Because I grew up with vitamins, it was not a big deal for me. When I got sick, and more when I got healthy, I started reading up on vitamins and how they help give you the nutrition you need. Like anything, if you want to use vitamins, don’t take my word for it. Read a book and find out how to take them for your body. Look for the side effects, find out the RDA and what the RDA is based on. Ask yourself, is this who you are?
I also used a lot of body building shakes. For me it was an easy way to get small meals that did not make me feel sick. Some are made with milk and since I was lactose intolerant I used the lactose free milk.
When I was trying to gain weight I would eat 3 banana and peanut butter sandwiches a day in addition to my regular three square meals. I quit drinking alcohol.
Now remember, I am not a doctor. I am sharing with you what I did as a Crohn’s patient with my diet. Crohn’s blocks nutrients from getting into your body and you have to find a way around the Crohn’s to get your body strong. Getting the nutrients you need and building the strength in your body feeds your brain and makes it easier to change your thoughts and heal your mind, your body and your life.
I Healed my Crohn's Colitis 