Crohns Disease and Diet

by Sharon Dobson

If you have been reading up on modern health research you would have found plenty of information as to the influence of diet on a host of medical concerns. This is especially true when dealing with Crohn’s Disease. In fact, the importance of a regulated diet can be the difference between managing Crohn’s Disease and keeping it in check or falling victim to its more serious consequences.

Remember, changing your diet to a Crohn’s friendly one will not cure you of the disease. It will, however, limit the flare-ups – in both regularity and severity – and help you feel better. In terms of diet, Crohn’s Disease is very fickle. Since the disease plays havoc on the digestive tract, it is important that not only do you change what you eat, but also how you eat it. The higher quantity of food you ingest the more chance you have of difficulties with the disease. It is recommended that instead of eating a few large meals per day, you should have several smaller meals. Try not to give your digestive tract so much to do at once. This will help ease the effects of Crohn’s Disease.

Furthermore, you

must make sure to consume the proper amount of vitamins and minerals on a daily basis. Failure to do so can result in other problems. This is important because diarrhea and constipation are symptoms of Crohn’s and can prevent your body from maintaining the proper nutritional fortification to ensure healthy functioning.

In addition to eating right, it is important that you keep your body fully hydrated. Not only is consuming fluids important to manage your Crohn’s, fluids can also help you detoxify which can lead to improved health. Drinking water is perhaps the best step in keeping yourself hydrated – aim for 8 glasses a day.

The diet for those with Crohn’s should include a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, and just tiny amounts of fats. Keeping your diet high in fiber is probably the best bet because it influences your body’s ability to maintain regular bowel movements. The best source for Crohn’s fighting protein is apparently fish. Oily fish also has the added benefit of supplying Omega-3 oils. If you are not a fan of fish you can get Omega-3 oils

through various supplements.

There are also many foods that sufferers of Crohns’s Disease should avoid like the plague. People diagnosed with Crohn’s should stay away from dairy products as much as possible. In addition, avoiding foots with saturated fats, Brassica vegetables, corn or gluten products, and alcohol and caffeine can help reduce the severity and regularity of Crohn’s Disease.

Those with Crohn’s often react differently to the disease. It is a good idea to keep a food diary so you can track your reactions to various foods. This is a great way to find out which foods work for you and those that cause complications.

Sharon Dobson has an interest in Crohn's Disease. For further information on Crohn's Disease please visit http://www.natural-crohns-disease-relief.com/crohnsdisease.html or http://natural-crohns-disease-relief.com/blog/2006/08/19/crohns-disease-and-diet/.

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