Treating Crohn’s Disease
With A Special Diet
By Sharon Dobson
Dietary recommendations must be individualized in order to suit
the various dietary needs of individual patients. The diet
recommendation you get will depend on which part of the
intestine affected. Aside from that, this disease is not static
— changing over time. Your eating patterns need to reflect those
changes. The vital objective in creating your own special diet
is to try and achieve a well balanced diet that is healthy and
nutritious.
The only way you’ll know if your diet is working is to test it
rigorously. If you cut down on hard to digest carbohydrates you
should see a lessening of your gas, bloating, cramping and
diarrhea. But be aware that the diet will only treat your
symptoms; it will not cure your Crohn’s.
Foods to be avoided
There are no rules or recommendations on the food that should
be avoided. Nevertheless, it is important to distinguish
between an allergy to a certain type of food as opposed to an
intolerance for that type of food. Most people usually have
food intolerances that they may think of as an allergy. An
elimination test is the idea way to select the food that must
be avoided or at least reduced.
There are many books available that will tell you how to
conduct an elimination diet. You should also keep a food and
symptom diary on your own. This will help you identify which
foods cause your symptoms to get worse, and which foods you can
still enjoy.
It’s also important to remember that it’s not only the amount
of food that a patient takes in, but rather eating more of the
right foods to promote good health. The ideal daily intake
should be a combination of a variety of foods from all food
groups. If you can tolerate them, it’s good to add meat, fish,
poultry and dairy products for protein. Bread, cereal,
starches, fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of
carbohydrates.
Likewise, margarine and oils are sources of fat.
Fluid intake
A big part of Crohn’s disease is diarrhea, and with it the
danger of dehydration. Dehydration happens when fluid intake
fails to keep up with diarrhea, and can also effect kidney
functions.
Crohn’s patients often have a high incidence of kidney stones
that make the Crohn’s even worse. Severe dehydration as well as
salt loss creates a feeling of weakness. This is why it is so
critical for Crohn’s patients to take in ample amounts of
fluids especially during warm weather when the skin tends to
lose a large amount of moisture and salt.
The way to prevent dehydration is to drink at least 70 ounces
of liquid a day. It is also better to sip rather than gulp the
liquid, since gulping tends to introduce air in the digestive
system that can cause additional discomfort.
The importance of nutrition to Crohn’s patients
Crohn’s disease can leave some patients with problems in their
small intestines, and can result in malnutrition. Not only the
loss of appetite, but this chronic condition tends to aggravate
the calorie needs of the body, especially during flare-ups.
Beyond this, Crohn’s can also lead to the poor digestion and
malabsorption of dietary protein, fat, carbohydrates, water and
other vitamins and minerals.
Correct and proper nutrition is one way of restoring your
health. That is why it is so important to work hard to keep
yourself from becoming malnourished.
If you suspect you have Crohn’s disease, you should first
consult your primary care physician before taking other steps.
Careful diagnosis and monitoring is the key to living
comfortably with Crohn’s.
About The Author: By Sharon Dobson. You can sign up for a Free
Crohn’s Disease Newsletter at
http://www.natural-crohns-disease-relief.com or for Crohn’s
Disease articles click here
http://www.natural-crohns-disease-relief.com/diet.html
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