Tips

SCD Life Style & Me…

I was inspired by my audiences to write this blog.  Before I started this blog, I did not know much about Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), which I can understand the reasoning behind this way of eating; because, living with ulcerative colitis, it is recommended that we stick to a low-carbohydrate diet.

I have done some research and I am very skeptical about this diet for me personally and the people who are affected by the foods I have listed to avoid.  While the SDC way of living may help some of us living with ulcerative colitis it may also be the opposite for some of us.  The reason for this from my experience there are some of the food items listed in the diet that if I try them, I will get a flare up.  As I mentioned in previous articles, my way of eating is from trials and errors and is not guided by any scientific or specific diet.  I learned to stay away from the things that makes me sick

I asked my doctor about the SCD lifestyle and he explained to me that not everyone is alike but being guided by the basic food intake helps to develop a healthy way of eating.

When I was told, I had Ulcerative Colitis it took me about three years of introducing foods to my diet to eliminate the foods that do not agree with me.  After living with ulcerative colitis for over nine years now, I am comfortable with the way I eat and I stick to the basic rules because as I said if you are new to this keeping a daily record while you introduce the foods to your system is very important.  It is important to record the foods you eat and the symptoms you experience with it; in that way, you can identify the foods that made your symptoms worse and the ones that made it better.

0rganic-carrots

The Basic Guidelines I Follow is:

  1. Organic foods are recommended.
  2. I read the labels when I go food shopping
  3. I use a lot of ginger root. It is great for your digestive tract
  4. I use a lot of fresh garlic. Also, great for your digestive track and has antibiotic properties.
  5. I cook with fresh herbs mostly
  6. High Protein (fish, turkey, chicken great source of protein)
  7. I broil, bake or grill my meats
  8. I only have egg whites
  9. Feta cheese and goat cheese, I can tolerate
  10. My daily diet includes a lot of steamed vegetables. I am ok with raw vegetables, but I don’t usually do it daily.  For some, raw vegetables are irritants, for those it is best to steam.
  11. I use olive oil, grape seed and soy oil.
  12. I also eat some high fiber foods when I am in remission because I try to avoid constipation during that time. If there is any sign of flare up avoid the high fiber until symptoms are in check. Fiber that I can tolerate are oat bran, brown rice, whole grain pasta, which maybe one or two times a week that I feel the urge to eat.  If you are not sure about any fiber try them one at a time and keep a daily record.
  13. I drink plenty of liquids, water I make note of my ten 8-ounce glasses of water, but I usually drink more by the end of the day. My other liquids include a lot of tea, green tea, flavored tea especially mint and ginger, other liquids I make my own ice tea with green tea and other flavored tea add lemon juice chill and there is no need for sugar, but if you like add honey.
  14. I also have almond, rice and soy milk where there is need for dairy milk

I Avoid:

  1. savory and spicy foods
  2. Preserved meals and semi-finished products
  3. saturated fats, oils and food, some of which are: red meats, bacon, sausages, hot-dogs and all dairy products
  4. Breads, yams, potatoes
  5. Corn, popcorn
  6. Any kind of nuts
  7. Artificial sweeteners
  8. Greasy and fried foods, which can irritate the colon and cause diarrhea and gas
  9. I stay away from any form of dairy liquid, juices, carbonated soft drinks, diet liquids,

I also take my vitamins for extra support to my immune system and digestive system and for preventive reasons.  Vitamins such as:  B complex, B6, B12, D, folic acid, and Biotin, if iron is a friend of yours go ahead and take it, but I try to eat things that are rich in iron because I hate to take the iron supplements.  I will discuss the benefits of vitamins in future articles.

Resources:  http://scdlifestyle.com/about-the-scd-diet/ – America’s #1 Guide to Natural Health – http://www.webmd.com/ -https://www.dreamstime.com/

thank you for reading my blog.

I would love to hear from you.   You may contact me by e-mail:  ulcerativecolitisliving@gmail.com

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

Don’t Be Scared to Eat Out – Let’s Go to Lunch or Dinner!

Going out to eat can be such a pain, not only for me, but for everyone involved.  I am so happy and fortunate to be surrounded by people who love and support me with my illness, so they don’t think of it as a burden but a challenge and who doesn’t like a good challenge. I find that Diners usually have something that I can eat so going to a diner is usually a comfortable feeling.  Not to forget that when you get to the Diner you have to talk to the person who has the authority to make sure your meal will be prepared as you requested.

You can name all the things that makes you ill when you eat it, such as, dairy, butter, sauce with butter, hot pepper sauces, black pepper, fried or breaded foods, red meats etc..

Now that’s out of the way – Let’s eat…My grand-daughters always enjoy going to the diner with me and the rest of family…

Look at the menu and select your meal and request that it is prepared without any of the ingredients that will affect you.  I find that the chefs are always happy to help.

There is always fish, turkey, chicken, steamed vegetables so go ahead and eat, but stay away from any processed meats even if it is turkey.

Broiled flounder prepared with garlic, onion, salt, lemon juice, herbs if you like – that is all you need, the fish has its’ own flavor and will be tasty.  Add steamed vegetables or brown rice, or sweet potato, a salad.  You can also have baked or broiled chicken, baked or broiled turkey prepared with salt, onion, garlic, herbs.

Thousand Island, balsamic vinaigrette or raspberry are salad dressings that does not affect me in a bad way.

Fresh fruits or fruits in its’ own juices can serve as desserts.  You can have beverages without caffeine, no carbonated beverages, or diet beverages.

This does not mean that we cannot eat anywhere else, as we will discuss later.

I can be reached:  Angella – ulcerativecolitisliving@gmail.com

Ulcerative Colitis – What Can You Eat?

Ulcerative colitis can be extremely painful and even temporarily disabling. Knowledge of proper dietary guidelines for people with ulcerative colitis is a significant factor in achieving and maintaining remission.

20160428_142342-1 At first when I learned that I was going to spend the rest of my life with Ulcerative Colitis I did not realize the impact food would have on my daily life. Although food is not the cause of ulcerative colitis some foods will make the symptoms of ulcerative colitis worse. When I watch what I eat and eliminate certain foods I find that my body feels so much better. I try to stay away from processed foods and to eat foods that are easy to digest.

Although we follow up with our doctors and our doctor’s advice and take our medication, we are still responsible for ourselves, making small changes step by step in our daily lives will bring big results.

THE FOLLOWING FOODS CAN IRRITATE THE SYMPTOMS OF ULCERATIVE COLITIS:

  • Processed foods, bouillon cubes, instant soup bases
  • Products containing yeast
  • Flours, baking powder, corn-starch, arrowroot and other starches
  • Artificial sweeteners, all products made with refined sugars, syrups,
  • Processed meats, red meats
  • Any form of dairy including, cheese, butter, milk, dried milk, chocolate, yogurts, sour cream, ice cream, cream cheese
  • Avoid sautéed, fried or breaded foods
  • Nuts, mung beans, fava beans, chickpeas, parsnips, corn
  • Potatoes, yams
  • Instant coffee and tea, caffeine, carbonated soft drinks and any drink with sweeteners, and acidic juices

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF FOODS THAT ARE SAFE:

  • Fresh and frozen vegetable, legumes
  • Fresh or frozen white meat (poultry, pork,)
  • Fresh or frozen Seafood (Stay away from raw sea food)
  • Non-dairy cheese – feta cheese made from goat or lamb
  • Eggs (in some cases the yoke can be intolerable)
  • Brown rice, whole grain products,
  • Fruits in their own juices, organic juices, herbal teas, green tea, soya milk, almond milk, rice milk, diluted fruit juices and drink at least eight glasses of water per day.

When it comes to our diet it can be a trial and error situation and that is why keeping a daily record of what we eat is important. During a flare up I try to avoid too much fiber even though it is recommended and raw vegetables and fruits. If you have any questions or comments, I can be reached at the following e-mail addresses:

Angella Gaskin: ulcerativecolitisliving@gmail.com