Foods for Ulcerative Colitis

If you’ve ever googled “foods for ulcerative colitis” you’ve probably come up with lists of things you should take out of your diet. Not here. I’m actually going to talk about foods to eat if you’ve got Ulcerative colitis.

 

 

What frustrates me the most as an Ulcerative colitis patient myself turned IBD dietitian is the fact that every blog on this topic is a list of “good” and “bad” foods that all seem to contradict one another.

 

 

As a dietitian I know first hand that multiple things can be true with IBD – and as a patient I also know how hard it is when you are in a flare and just want answers and relief.

 

 

Here’s the thing, nutrition is more than just a list of foods you “should” and “shouldn’t” have.

 

 

Nutrition is a powerful tool we can use to help also reduce symptoms, to help medications work better, reduce risk of flare, and also help with inducing remission! If you’d like a list of all the ways nutrition does matter with IBD – complete with citations to back it all up – head to our resources page and download our freebie titled “Resources to share with your healthcare team“.

 

 

We also have lots of great e-books on our resources page you can check out as well. As always, if you need help that’s more 1:1 – check out our program options.

 

 

What to Eat if You’ve Got Ulcerative Colitis

 

 

While there isn’t a single approach that works for each scenario with UC, we do know a lot about what’s important in terms of what to eat with UC and how to use nutrition strategically to reduce symptoms.

 

 

I can’t write a long enough blog on all the many ways to reduce symptoms – plus there are so many symptoms to discuss! Our Flare e-book is a great place to start if you’d like to dig deeper on that topic.

 

 

In terms of what we know about what to eat with Ulcerative colitis (and IBD in general) – here’s what’s most important – including more plants & omega-3’s. We have decades of research to back this up.

 

 

Did you know those that don’t restrict are 40% less likely to flare with IBD? If that concerns you, know that almost everyone we work with that has IBD start off coming to us with many restrictions, foods that feel off limits, and legitamate fears and malnourishment that accompanies all of it.

 

 

When you’ve got IBD – your relationship with food can be complicated. And up to half of people may experience strictures which can complicate things. But diversity in the diet is key to helping reduce symptoms and inflammation – and there are always work arounds for achieving this (even with strictures).

 

 

Foods for Ulcerative Colitis

 

 

Just a quick reminder for you – you don’t have to choose between medications and using nutrition to treat your ulcerative colitis. In fact, they are very complimentary and both important.

 

 

There are so many great foods to list here, it’s hard to narrow it all down! Keep in mind, if a food isn’t on this list, that doesn’t mean it’s harmful or not beneficial.

 

 

 

 

The resistant starch, berries, leafy greens, herbs and microgreens are a great place to start if you are looking for ways to support your UC with nutrition.

 

 

Keep in mind, recommendations may vary depending on your specific case and what your symptoms.

 

 

Worried about triggering symptoms?

 

 

If any of these foods feel out of reach for you – keep in mind that sometimes you may need to try a food in a different context. Blending, sauteeing and cooking all change the partical size of the food which can improve tolerance in IBD.

 

 

If you are struggling with finding foods to eat that feel safe or are down to just a few foods that you can tolerate – it may require working with someone to get resolution on this.

 

 

Also, remember if you don’t tolerate something right now, it doesn’t mean it will always be that way! Go low and slow when introducing new foods and if you need help- get it.

 

 

Final Thoughts

 

 

The internet is full of what not to eat – but remember knowing what to include more of is just as important! If not, more important because food can be another tool in our tool kit we can use to reduce risk of flare ups, reduce symptoms and more.

 

 

If you feel like you need some support on expanding your diet and reducing symptoms – we have three new options to work with us now! Check them out here or give us a call and get our assesment on which one is the best fit for you.