Healthy Eating for Crohn's Disease

Though medical treatments for Crohn's Disease are available, many people choose to reduce symptoms (intestinal cramping, frequent diarrhea, abdominal pain and blood in the stool) with dietary changes. Unfortunately, many of the foods most desirable in a healthy diet--whole grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy products and protein--can negatively affect people with Crohn's Disease. If you have Crohn's Disease, designing a healthy diet depends on several factors: knowing how foods affect you, which foods are least aggravating and ways to enhance the benefits of the foods you can eat.

Assessment

• The first step in learning to design a healthy diet is to find out which foods you can or cannot eat. Keep a food journal, writing down each and every thing you eat, noting quantity, time and circumstance. When you experience a flare-up of symptoms, note which foods were eaten beforehand. Start eliminating the suspected problem foods and closely monitor your symptoms. You may find that cutting down on dairy products will lessen symptoms to a large extent, while eating fewer whole grains has no effect.

Diet Design

• Nutritionists advise eating a well-balanced diet made up of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fats and proteins. These essential nutrients help boost your immune system and keep your mind and body alert and active. These same foods can cause some Crohn's patients physical distress, but do not need to be eliminated entirely. Raw fruit, for example, can be troublesome for some people, though stewed fruit may have little or no negative effect. When designing a healthy diet, keep these factors in mind:

  Fiber: Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet. High-fiber foods, however--fruits and vegetables and whole grains--can exacerbate intestinal irritation and discomfort. Note which fiber-filled foods have the least negative impact on your symptoms and maximize the use of these foods. Changing the structure of these foods can also help. Stew, steam, or bake raw fruits and vegetables to minimize potential problems.

  Fats: Fats are also an essential element of a healthy diet. Many people get their daily fats in the form of dairy products, such as ice cream, butter, milk and cheese. For people with Crohn's Disease, this may not be the best strategy, since sensitivity to the sugars in milk products can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea even in people without Crohn's Disease. Reduce or eliminate dairy products altogether, or use an over-the-counter product like Lactaid to help ease symptoms. You can incorporate fats in your diet by eating avocadoes or olive oil.

  Acids and Caffeine: Though citrus fruits are one of the healthiest foods, their acidic nature can aggravate Crohn's symptoms. Coffee, tea and chocolate and other sources of caffeine can also be troubling. Though all these foods, as well as alcohol, have been found to have health benefits, if you have Crohn's Disease, you may want to monitor their use very closely to make sure they do not activate or worsen symptoms.

Supportive Actions

• If you have Crohn's Disease, there are several things you can do to support the positive effects of a healthy diet. Get regular exercise and adequate sleep to enhance your immune system and absorb and process the vitamins and minerals in the foods you are able to eat. Since stress can increase the severity and frequency of flare-ups, add relaxation techniques into your daily routine. Practice yoga and meditation, do deep-breathing exercises and try to eliminate unnecessary stress in your life.