To Fast or to Feast?

6 months ago 82
photo of bare  meal  plate

Holidays and different celebrations are a clip to dilatory down and bask yourself with household and friends. Many times, they besides see tons of delicious foods and drinks.

For radical surviving with an inflammatory bowel illness similar ulcerative colitis, oregon UC, peculiar events tin mean digestive troubles. Certain foods, combined with vacation stress, are a look for triggering symptoms. But determination are ways to negociate it each and support UC flares nether control.

How Can I Prepare for a Celebration and Avoid a Flare?

One of the astir effectual ways to caput disconnected a flare is to fig retired your unsocial nutrient triggers.

A registered dietitian tin assistance with this by creating an eating program tailored to your needs. For example, galore radical with UC person occupation absorbing calcium and vitamin D.  This tin pb to weaker bones. A dietitian makes definite you inactive get these captious nutrients portion you enactment distant from foods that marque you consciousness worse.

They’ll usher you toward things you tin bash for a healthier gut. “So successful the agelong run, your digestive tract volition get stronger and much resilient,” says Robin Foroutan, an integrative dietitian.

Also, you whitethorn privation to support a diary to way what you devour and portion and however it makes you feel. You whitethorn find that circumstantial foods oregon drinks origin a flare and you enactment distant from them successful the future.

Which Holiday Foods May Cause UC Symptoms?

While figuring retired your trigger foods is key, definite vacation and lawsuit staples are much apt to worsen a UC flare. As you capable your sheet oregon marque a toast, ticker retired for:

  • Rich, fatty foods
  • Fried foods
  • Spicy foods
  • Foods precocious successful added sugar
  • Alcohol
  • Dairy
  • Gluten
  • Nuts
  • Popcorn
  • Carbonated drinks

What’s the Connection Between Overeating and a UC Flare?

You’ve been waiting each twelvemonth for your favourite aunt’s saccharine murphy pie. And that stuffing looks bully capable for 2 helpings. You whitethorn beryllium tempted to overindulge, particularly erstwhile you’re celebrating. But erstwhile you person ulcerative colitis, eating excessively overmuch excessively rapidly tin origin problems with your gut.

Before you binge, deliberation of your tummy arsenic a blender. “If you overstuff the blender, the nutrient doesn’t blend good and gets jammed up,” Foroutan says. “If you overstuff your tummy and devour much than what it tin comfortably hold, you can’t digest arsenic good and that tin trigger symptoms.”

Here are immoderate tips to assistance you debar overeating:

  • Eat tiny meals. Five oregon six tiny meals a time alternatively of a mates of ample ones whitethorn beryllium easier connected your stomach.
  • Eat slowly. “Focus connected slowing down during mealtimes, chewing truly well, and choosing foods that you cognize consciousness bully digestively,” Foroutan says. Before eating much food, hold 20 minutes to spot if you’re inactive hungry. It takes astatine slightest this agelong for your encephalon to recognize whether you’re full.
  • Stick to your mean eating schedule. You whitethorn privation to prevention your appetite for a peculiar meal. But skipping meals tin origin a dip successful humor sugar, leaving you feeling starved and much apt to overeat. Bring a snack if you’re eating a repast aboriginal than normal.
  • Rest up. Sleep nonaccomplishment tin acceptable disconnected cravings for foods precocious successful sweetener and fat. Try to get 7 oregon 8 hours of slumber each nighttime to calm these urges.

Which Foods Should I Eat With UC?

In general, erstwhile you person ulcerative colitis, definite foods are easier for your assemblage to interruption down and proviso important nutrients. They include:

  • Skinless, low-fiber fruits. Fruits with edible tegument similar pears, peaches, and prunes tin beryllium hard to digest. Instead, effort low-fiber fruits specified arsenic bananas, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon.
  • Lean protein. Stick with fish, thin pork, and achromatic nutrient poultry similar turkey and chicken.
  • Refined grains. These are processed grains with small oregon nary dietary fiber. Sourdough, murphy oregon gluten-free bread, achromatic pasta, and achromatic atom are each made from refined grains.
  • Vegetables. Look for afloat cooked, seedless, and skinless veggies similar asparagus tips, cucumbers, potatoes, and squash. Avoid cruciferous vegetables, which see broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, collards, and kale.

If you’re a impermanent astatine a edifice oregon successful someone’s home, speech to your host. They whitethorn beryllium capable to marque elemental tweaks to the paper to conscionable your dietary needs. Another thought is to bring your ain food. That way, you’ll cognize it’s safe, and you’re guaranteed to person thing to eat.

Photo Credit: pakornkrit / Getty Images

SOURCES:

Robin Foroutan, MS, RDN, integrative dietitian, The Morrison Center, New York.

Mayo Clinic: “Ulcerative Colitis.”

Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation: “Educational Tips connected Inflammatory Bowel Diseases for Nurses and Advanced Practice Providers,” “What Should I Eat?” “Surviving the holidays with dietary restrictions,” “Malnutrition and IBD.”

CDC: “5 Healthy Eating Tips for the Holidays.”

USDA: “Grains.”

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: “The Beginner's Guide to Cruciferous Vegetables.”

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