What should you avoid eating with IBD?
If you had a choice of any superpower in the world what would you pick? The ability to fly? Superhuman strength? Or maybe that ability to eat whatever you want whenever you want without any negative consequence? I’m not going to lie flying would be pretty cool, but after I eat something that I really shouldn’t be eating, I’d definitely would consider unlimited eating with feeling bad.
The question of what you should avoid eating comes up a lot with people newly diagnosed with an IBD such as Crohn’s disease. Even people without a diagnosis who suffer from bad bowel symptoms might ask the above question.
You may need to avoid certain types of food to help manage your symptoms.
The specific types of food that should be avoided can vary from person to person, as each individual can experience different symptoms (if at all) depending on what they eat.
That being said, there are some general rules that can help if you experience symptoms. Try to avoid high-fat, high-fiber, and high-spice foods, as these can be difficult to digest and may irritate the digestive tract. Foods that may be particularly problematic for some people include:
Fried foods: High in fat and may be hard to digest.
Processed meats: Foods like bacon, sausage, and deli meat, are high in fat and additives, which can be hard on your stomach.
Raw vegetables: Especially those that are tough or fibrous in texture.
High-fiber foods: Beans, nuts, and seeds might worsen your symptoms.
Carbonated drinks: Can cause bloating.
It’s important to pay attention to how your body reacts to different types of food. Making an effort to understand how these types of food effect your body will certainly help you decide whether you should eat that food in the first place.