Why We Have Our Own Method

Feel free to look through all of the diets & our comprehensive assessment of each. Through interacting and working with thousands of IBD patients, we have come up with our own method that condenses the most evidence backed and most effective strategies to help those with IBD-

1) Reduce their risk of flare ups and inflammation

2) Reduce symptoms

3) Improve their quality of life

As always, there is nothing that can replace the value of working with someone and getting direct, customized guidance. A IBD focused dietitian can help you with the “how” of implementing these strategies too. However, we hope this is a good starting point! If you need further support, consider working with us in our CCRB care package program or individually.

 

Crohn’s & Colitis Dietitians Method

• The Crohn’s and Colitis Dietitian Method blends several evidenced-based strategies together to provide a nutritionally balanced diet to
  • reduce overall inflammation
  • support antioxidant levels to help with repair 
  • nourish and repair the gut microbiome long term
  • decrease diet-related stress and anxiety
  • reduce chances of future flares in IBD
• Principals:
  • Support Flexibility in the Diet by Acknowledging the difference between a “Inflammatory Diet Pattern” vs. labeling food as Inflammatory
    • We prefer using the term “inflammatory diet pattern” over singling out inflammatory foods because the overall pattern of eating is what will lead to long-term changes.
    • Ex. Coconut oil is identified as a food we want to minimize in the diet (according to IOIBD Guidelines & other microbiome studies), however we acknowledge that this is dose dependent. Once in a while consumption as an ingredient in something is much different than using it as a main cooking oil.
    • If you feel you may have food sensitivity: Always consult with your doctor first or allergist to make sure it is not an IgE- mediated response to a food protein.
  • Combining the research as a whole
    • As you will find in other sections of the library, there are several studies that look at dietary patterns and disease activity in hopes to recommend a superior choice. We have, and continue to, review the literature to understand best practices in diet therapy for IBD. So far, we have concluded that there are specific dietary strategies that can be incorporated into daily routines to help reduce inflammation, support medications, nourish and heal the gut microbiome, and increase quality of life in those with IBD. 

The Crohn’s and Colitis Dietitian Method Includes: 

• • Incorporate an Abundance of Antioxidants
    • Antioxidants help act as our bodies “clean up crew”- they help with repair throughout the body. An antioxidant rich, plant-based eating pattern that is abundant in plants like leafy greens, starchy vegetables like beans and peas, whole grains, berries, citrus, soy foods, nuts, and seeds.
    • Encourage a variety of 30 or more plants weekly- including grains, leafy greens, legumes, nuts, etc. The largest microbiome study ever conducted found variety to be an important component in microbiome health.
    • Effect of F/V consumption on inflammatory markers
  • Incorporate Nourishing Fats
    • Incorporation of wild caught fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna as well as other sources of Omega 3’s like walnuts and chia seeds.
    • Focus on unsaturated fats- things like avocado, olives, olive oil, nuts and seeds.  
  • Encourage Microbiome Friendly Foods
    • Microbiome friendly foods like prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics & postbiotics help to encourage inflammation reduction and to re-establish a healthier microbiome.
    • Incorporating a regulatory prebiotic or prebiotic foods can help to regulate bowel movements, decrease gas and bloating, as well as feed the “good gut bugs” and keep them around. In doing so, we can re-establish a more friendly microbiome and significantly reduce the chances of a future flare! Strategic probiotic supplementation and incorporation through food is another way we support the microbiome. 
  • Limit animal saturated fats and tropical oils rich in myristic acid, as in coconut and palm oils
    • These have been well documented in research to be things we want to keep in minimal amounts.   
  • Limit food additives and emulsifiers linked to IBD flare ups
    • Ex. maltodextrins, artificial sweeteners, carrageenan, titanium dioxide, carboxymethylcellulose, and polysorbate-80. 
  • Limit dairy
    • particularly dairy fats and processed dairy rich in additives and emulsifiers. 
  • Gluten- Test appropriately
    • Test for celiac- rates of celiac are higher with IBD, also if you were tested for celiac but were not consuming gluten at the time of testing (daily for 6 weeks) you may get a false negative result.
    • The research on gluten & gluten sensitivity is HERE
  • Utilizing effective supplementation
    • We have meticulously scoured the research on alternative therapies for IBD and have found that with targeted doses of specific supplements, we can in fact positively impact several areas of concern in the disease process. The Crohn’s and Colitis Dietitian Method includes: 
      • A regulatory prebiotic to normalize bowel function & nourish your gut microbiome, we like GutLove Back to Balance
      • Strain specific probiotics- avoid blindly taking any strain, use only probiotics with listed strains & specific to your goals/diagnosis. Read more HERE.
      • Curcumin and/or Boswellia to address inflammation (dose & type as well as checking for interactions needs to be done with your dietitian and GI)
      • High Quality, Well absorbed forms of nutrients and/or Multivitamin to address nutrient deficiencies
      • Food based approaches- this should be done with an IBD focused dietitian, a food based approach is where might use a particular food in a specific way/dose to treat what’s going on. An example is using wheatgrass to help with reducing disease activity/bleeding in certain types of IBD.

Need a Video Breakdown?

We got you covered. Our youtube on What to Eat with IBD (w/o triggering symptoms) is a great place to start! It is available to the general public.

Also, as a library member we plan to share some trainings & videos exclusive to you soon. Each month, we will be adding updates, new content, recipes & videos.

Send us an email at su*****@cr************************.com if you have anything you’d like for us to cover in more depth!

⭐Notes- Meets or exceeds criteria for: 

• Incorporates appropriate microbiome strategies
• Incorporates appropriate gut healing strategies
• Inflammation reduction is a priority
• Long-term symptom reduction
• Easily implemented
• Reduces disordered eating patterns