Dieting with Digestive Problems

As a person who suffers from ulcerative colitis, I know firsthand about the difficulties of finding a healthy diet that enables me to lose weight. It has taken a considerable amount of time and trials to figure out what works for me. Most of the things I have learned have been through online support groups for people with digestive disorders. In these support groups, I have met people with irritable bowel syndrome, irritable bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and many other conditions. While all of these suggestions may not work for everyone, they can be used a starting point for figuring out what works for you.

Food Groups

Protein, dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains and fats are all of the food groups needed to lose weight. The key to dieting when you have a digestive disorder is to find healthy foods you can eat from each food group that don't cause a flare-up.

Proteins don't usually cause me to flare up. I have a little trouble digesting pork and sometimes fish makes me nauseous. I have noticed that white meat chicken and lean ground beef are really easy for me to digest. These two foods also have numerous possibilities on how to prepare them so I don't usually get bored.

In my case, whole milk causes flare-ups, but I can safely drink skim milk or eat plain low fat yogurt. Most flavored yogurt will cause me to have a mild flare-up. I have noticed that yogurt with live cultures actually helps my digestive system.

Fruits and vegetables don't present much of a problem for me as long as I avoid citrus, bananas, and fibrous vegetables. Apples, grapes and strawberries are some of my favorite fruits. Fruits, however, may have a laxative effect. To combat this, I eat only a half serving of fruit at a time and I avoid fruit juices, for the most part. I eat some broccoli, squash, carrots and potatoes. In my case, I cook all vegetables before I eat them because this softens them some and makes them easier to digest.

Whole grain breads and tortillas are my grains of choice. Because cereals sometimes have nuts and dried fruits in them, I generally avoid cereals. I can't eat oatmeal because it usually causes a flare up, but I can eat grits.

Most days, I cook with olive oil to get my fat servings. Sometimes I will use salad dressing as a dressing for a baked potato or I will add mayo to a sandwich.

Conclusion

In order to determine what healthy foods work for you, keep a food journal so you can note what food you ate in case you have a flare-up. When you do this, introduce only one new food into your diet every two days so you know what foods will cause a flare-up.