Diet And Nutrition
I’m surprised with how little the medical world seems to think diet affects bowel disorders like Crohn’s disease. Quite frankly, it’s mind-boggling that doctors don’t see diet as one of the major factors that affects people who have this condition. It’s a digestive disease, for crying out loud!
I wholeheartedly endorse and practice the Specific Carbohydrate Diet as outlined in the book Breaking The Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall. The diet is extremely strict, and eliminates tons of foods from your diet in order to clear up symptoms.
The simple fact about the SCD is that it works, but it is very rigorous and difficult to stick to without a lifestyle change. You have to be willing and committed, and in fact it wasn’t until I had spiraled down into the worst condition I’d ever been in that I decided to try it.
If you want to try the SCD, more power to you - I highly recommend it. But if you believe that diet does have more to do with how a Crohn’s patient feels than many doctors would like to admit, then just try this: don’t eat as much bread. Read the ingredient labels of foods you eat. If anything lists Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, or Sugar, don’t eat or drink it.
You’re likely to find that there are tons of things you never would’ve guessed have corn syrup and other processed sugars in them. These ingredients aren’t good for anybody, and they’re especially bad for Crohn’s patients who might have difficulty digesting these foods.
Whether you want to try this or not, it’s very important for a Crohn’s patient to get a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. For some additional information, check out the links below.