Hey steve77,

Well you are right on track about how everyone is different with diet and such. For me I stay away from dairy. Even a little amount can throw me off track and I am sicker than a dog! I also try to stay away from gluten. I'm not really sure how bad gluten is for me but for now everything is going well and i'm not ready to give that up.

I also try to stay away from raw veggies and things that are high in sugar. If I have things that are high in sugar it will just make me overly tired and it will also keep me on the toilet all day!

For drinks I normally have water. But I also have lactose-free milk for when I want cereal or just a glass of milk haha. I also will make sugar-free juice and I do buy powerade since that is low in sugar. I hope that everthing goes well for you :) Best of luck!

I think diet has a lot to do with how I feel. If I eat something that has a lot of seeds or fat, I am running to the bathroom. I will avoid those things in the future cause keeping UC under control is a great thing. Good luck.

Hi there,
Like you Steve77 I am on Remicade which does help a lot.
I have also found diet to be important. I stay diary and wheat/gluten free for the most part and that seems to help; am also back to a probiotic once daily. I did try the specific carbohydrate diet on 2 different occasions but just couldn't handle it; lost too much weight, became quite weak and just emotionally upset about the whole diet so that added stress which is a real no-no for me.
I also do try to stay away from alcohol; one glass of wine or a gin martini on occasion.

Like you said what one can tolerate another may not. I too try to stay away from dairy all together. I find that it gives me terrible gas and it's also not good for inflammation from what I have read. I also stay away from breads due to the yeast and bacteria overgrowth issues. If I do I try to eat flat bread sparingly. When I am flaring my dietician says low fiber diet is best so fully cooked vegetables and fruits with no skin, high protein to heal the intestines, no fried foods, no read meat, lots of water and welch's grape juice (no added sugars), probiotics (VSL#3), fish oil, multivitamin and Calcium+D... oh and I try to do low sugar(including pasta, rice, breads, potatoes) using honey, Truvia, etc. and low to no caffeine but these are my weaknesses!

Good luck!

So many of the suggestions that you guys are giving is exactly like that the Cleanse is. I have been on it for a while and have 9 days to go. I have felt my best. To add to the list

No processed, canned foods. Stick with real stuff that the "cave man" would eat. Green Tea is also a good drink, but no coffee or sodas. Just makes everything worse.
Good luck

I just eat a well balanced diet, try not to over do it on the sugar. Food doesn't make much of a differenence for me with my UC. I've been in remission far more than I've not been in remissions since I've been diagnosed

And I also drink. If I'm feeling well.

I just behave like it's business is usual. When I'm flaring, there are some things that bother me, like coffee, alcohol, etc. That's when I limit myself.

Thanks all very sensible advice. Just for the record when it comes to VSL3 I know not everyone thinks it's worth the hefty price but I have to say. I am a believer.

Special diets of avoiding foods can help. In my eyes what I have seen a lot depends on the person. I avoid spicey food, I am also gluten free and that has helped with my UC. Some people can eat fresh fruits and veggies, and others cant', I would suggest taking some foods out and seeing if it helps and keep a food diary of what works for you and go from there!

Hi Steve,

Out of curiosity, how much VSL-3 are you currently taking? And do you vary the amount at all depending on whether you are having symptom flare up?

It's so different for everyone.. When my doctor says diet isnt a factor, I laugh! THey don't have UC and I know, when I eat something bad- I FEEL BAD. Diet is obviously a factor..
I've been in remission for 3 months now, feel GREAT !! I became Vegetarian about 6 months ago, cut out alcohol almost 100%, no fried foods and just moderate sweets... This seems to be working for me, so I plan on sticking to it..

I take two pouches of VSL 3 per day everyday, I have been doing that since going into remission in Feb. When I am flaring I take more but in reality I don't believe VSL3 can bring on remission more likely I think it helps maintain it.

I highly recommend the diet in the book "Reaching for Answers to Crohns Disease" by Martha Kalichman and also the Specific Carb Diet, although it is much more restrictive.