How to manage colitis with your diet

Modification of the diet is a mainstay of colitis treatment. Because people vary greatly in their response to foods, each person must develop an eating plan based on personal experience. Here are some tips on managing colitis with your diet.

• Fundamental to the diet plan is a food diary that lets the patient connect symptoms to specific foods.
• Consult a qualified dietitian to ensure good nutrition.
• Vitamin and mineral supplements are often needed to compensate for a restricted diet and possible absorption problems.

Avoid foods high in insoluble fibre.

• Foods that irritate the bowel often include those high in insoluble fibre, which is found in bran, whole grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruits and the skins of potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Less irritating are pectin and other types of soluble fibre, which can be obtained from oats, poached peeled fruits and cooked leafy green vegetables.

Keep fats and oils to a minimum.

• Fatty foods are hard to digest, so keep fats and oils to a minimum and avoid fried and sautéed foods, as well as such obviously fatty items as bacon, potato chips and most cheeses.

Avoid caffeine.

• Depending on how your intestines react, you may want to avoid caffeinated drinks, decaffeinated coffee and colas, alcohol, spicy foods and seasonings (such as horseradish and mustard), and beans, cabbage and other vegetables that may produce gas.

Stay clear of dairy products. ­

• Many people with ulcerative colitis have an intolerance to dairy products during symptom flare-ups; some, however, can use lactose-free products.

Load up on protein and other nutrients.

• The diet should provide enough calories, protein and other nutrients to make up for the limitations.
• Eggs, fish, poultry and lean meat supply high-grade protein.
• Red meat, especially liver, is an important source of iron for people who are constantly losing blood from the bowel.
• Eat as much as you want of puréed, canned or soft-cooked vegetables and fruits that are strained to remove seeds and skins.

Noteworthy: People taking 5-ASA and sulfasalazine should be sure to consume folate-rich foods, such as liver and leafy greens.

• During a severe flare-up, a very-low-residue bland diet (a diet low in fibre designed to avoid producing stool) might include clear broth, weak tea, toasted white bread, soft-cooked eggs, gelatins and cooked cream of wheat.
• As healing progresses, soft-cooked fish, poultry and lean meats can be added, along with baked or boiled skinless potatoes and, eventually, cooked fruits and steamed vegetables. I
• n severe cases, liquid diets given orally, intravenously or by a nasogastric tube may be necessary to prevent malnutrition. Liquid supplement drinks provide protein, vitamins and minerals — helpful nutrition during a flare-up.