Soothe Your IBD Symptoms with These Dietary Measures

Gut health is crucial to lead a healthy and happy life. Your health and quality of life suffer when your gut health deteriorates. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a health condition that impacts your gut health and overall well-being adversely. It results due to the chronic inflammation of the digestive system. Do not get confused with two terminologies IBD and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are two prominent types of IBD that affect several people globally. Persistent diarrhoea, fatigue, abdominal pain, weight loss and rectal bleeding are some common inflammatory bowel disease symptoms. Today, over 10 million individuals throughout the world live with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. To raise awareness about this health condition globally, World IBD Day is observed on 19^th May every year. It aims to unite people around the world to fight against inflammatory bowel diseases. Likewise, this year, World IBD Day will be celebrated throughout the world on the 19^th of May 2023. The theme of this global health event will be “IBD has no age” for spreading awareness about how IBD affects elderly individuals. Although IBD has no cure, adopting some healthy dietary practices can help manage the condition and improve your relief. So, let’s learn more about IBD and inflammatory bowel disease diets.

2 Prominent Types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease:

There are two types of inflammatory bowel diseases as below.

• Crohn’s Disease: It is a chronic inflammatory disease that involves any portion of your digestive tract. Its cause is yet not known. The inflammation may span fully through the intestinal wall causing IBD symptoms such as diarrhoea, fistulas, malabsorption, and strictures.
• Ulcerative Colitis: This inflammatory condition affects the large intestine or colon. The inflammation does not extend the entire intestinal wall; so, it does not cause a fistula. Ulcerative colitis may lead to bloody diarrhoea.

Dietary Strategies for Soothing Symptoms of IBD:

Although diet cannot cure IBD, it can alleviate the symptoms and manage the condition naturally. Different dietary approaches need to be followed during the flares and remission phases. You need to receive adequate nutrition during the flares and an IBD treatment diet should be developed accordingly. Here are some effective dietary measures to follow during flares.

A. Dietary Measures to Follow During Crohn’s Disease Flare:

• To ease diarrhoea and abdominal pain, choose to eat a low-residue diet. It helps put a few demands on your digestive tract and helps it soothe.
• If you are suffering from strictures, be sure to avoid eating nuts, beans, seeds, and kernels.
• During flares, you should avoid consuming foods that would increase your stool output. So, avoid eating prunes, caffeinated beverages, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Prefer to eat cold foods that reduce intestinal inflammation and reduce diarrhoea.
• If you happen to pass foul-smelling, oily stools, you may be suffering from fat malabsorption. To address fat malabsorption, you need to adopt a low-fat diet. Have a word with your nutritionist and doctor to have foods that heal colon inflammation in your IBD treatment diet.
• Eat small meals often. Smaller meals consumed frequently are better tolerated and can maximize nutritional consumption.
• If you are experiencing a reduction in appetite and are unable to tolerate solid foods well, you may need to take nutritional supplements. Have a word with certified nutritionists to receive the necessary nutrient supplements in the right quantities.
• If you are suffering from lactose intolerance, it is wise to adopt a lactose-free diet. People with lactose intolerance can suffer from bloating, gas, cramping, and diarrhoea in about 30 to 90 minutes after the intake of milk, ice cream, or a large quantity of dairy products. Consulting certified dieticians can help you receive a lactose-free diet.

Dietary Measures to Follow During Ulcerative Colitis Flare:

• Reduce the intake of concentrated sweets in your inflammatory bowel disease diet. It aids in reducing the chances of watery stools by minimizing the quantity of water getting pulled into your intestine. So, reduce the amount of juices, soda, and candies in your diet.
• Avoid or minimize the intake of alcohol. Also, avoid consuming other beverages and foods that cause intestinal inflammation.
• Go for a low-residue diet. It helps you obtain relief from diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
• Refrain from eating foods that can increase your stool output. So, refrain from consuming prunes, fresh fruits, vegetables, and caffeinated beverages.
• Include more omega-3 fatty acids in your IBD treatment diet. These healthy fats provide you with anti-inflammatory effects. So, enrich your diet with fatty fish, such as sardines, salmon, tuna, and herring.
• When experiencing ulcerative colitis flare, you can find smaller meals more tolerable than heavy meals. So, you may eat smaller meals more often. It helps you receive adequate nutrition daily.
• Have nutritional supplements if your appetite is poor and you cannot tolerate solid foods. Consult certified nutritionists for receiving the right nutritional supplements in the right quantities

Diet Progression Practices to Adopt After Flares of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis:

• Be sure you have adequate water intake. Ensure that your water intake is eight to ten glasses every day.
• During flares, you go for a low-residue diet. Continue it for some time after the flare and slowly add back various healthy foods.
• Initially, have healthy fluids that your intestine can tolerate, and, later, proceed to add soft solids.
• Every few days, add one or two healthy food items. Avoid eating foods that cause intestinal inflammation and trigger IBD symptoms.
• Include fibre food sources as tolerated in your diet. Tender-cooked vegetables, cooked cereals, cooked fruits, and starches such as whole wheat noodles are some well-tolerated fibre food sources.
• Between two flares, have a vast variety of foods as tolerated. These include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, non-fat or low-fat dairy, and lean protein.
• Continue mineral and vitamin supplements as per your doctor’s and nutritionist’s recommendation.
• Increase your consumption of proteins and calories after a flare. During the flare, you may have experienced poor intake of food due to diarrhoea, abdominal acne, and reduced appetite. So, post-flare, you may eat more proteins and calories.

Some of the First Foods to Eat Post-Flare are:

• Diluted juices
• Oatmeal
• Mashed potatoes
• Bread
• Cooked eggs
• Plain chicken
• Applesauce
• Canned fruit

5 Healthy Lifestyle Habits to Adopt:

IBD patients should develop healthy lifestyle practices. These include:

• Quit smoking if you happen to smoke
• Minimize stress by practising relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises such as pranayama.
• Eat a well-balanced nutritious diet by consulting dieticians if you find it difficult to eat well due to IBD symptoms.
• Do moderate exercise for a minimum of 150 minutes weekly. You may go for a brisk walk for half an hour five days a week. You may also introduce other moderate exercises in your routine as your condition allows.
• Stay hydrated by drinking ample water daily.

Now that you know what diet can help you manage IBD during and after flares, make sure that you follow it. The guidance of certified nutritionists and dieticians, such as health experts at Health Total, can help you receive a customised inflammatory bowel disease diet. Our IBD diet not only helps soothe your IBD symptoms but also meets your nutritional requirements, boosts your immunity, and prevents or lowers potential health risks. So, think no further, reach out to us at Health Total and improve your gut health with our personalized IBD treatment diet.
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