how can I tell what is bad for me

[Khoshnam]

I've been having a panic attack basically regarding what I can eat or not, how can I tell if a food is bad for? is it going to the bathroom right after eating it, is it getting random pains 5mintues after eating? how can I really tell if a food is bad for me, what are the signs.

[Moomin2019]

There is no straight forward answer when it comes to IBD, what is good for one person could be the total opposite for the next, and there is no general consensus,

here is some information from Crohns and Colitis UK charity

crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/inf...

It might be worth keeping a food diary, or making a note of what doesn't go down well and discussing these in any reviews you have. I managed to get a referral for Coeliac testing and samples taken during an endoscopy, and also a referral to an NHS Dietician to do the FODMAP diet, which is an elimination diet, where you cut out a number of food groups, and systematically and carefully reintroduce them so you can try to find out if any of them are triggers for you. There are lots of facebook groups and apps like the Monash app for this program. It can be dangerous to exclude food groups without doing research, as excluding dairy for example can trigger lactose intolerance if you then try to reintroduce it at a later date.

You will find there are lots of food bloggers and wellness practitioners out there that will claim that their diets and lifestyles can 'cure' autoimmune diseases, but if you read between the lines, they are usually trying to sell a book, suppliments, subscriptions, or get you to click on their links, which generally boils down to £££.

[Khoshnam in reply to Moomin2019]

I also have another question, say for example milk is bad for me, if I have too much milk does it make my IBD worse in the long term? or do I only have the consequence for that day and it doesnt effect me in the long term. Hopefully this makes sense

[Moomin2019 in reply to Khoshnam]

I don't think anyone would know the answer to that for one item for a short time frame, that is why perhaps asking a dietician about doing some sort of exclusion diet under supervision may give you more definitive answers as hour by hour day by day and such small or large amounts no one can judge. I know when I had to be tested for coeliac I had to be eating two portions of bread for 6 weeks for example. Best to ask a medical dietitian , and in the mean time keep a food diary, and see if you notice any trends. Again whether something is 'bad' for your IBD that is incredibly subjective and again, with that food diary, correlate it with symptoms to identify trends and patterns.

[edwangy]

I think one of the problems is knowing is how long the food takes to ' get down there',. Is it the food you ate the day before or the day before that. If you have a slow transit it's difficult to know what food is causing the upset.

[casares8 in reply to edwangy]

Yes that is definitely a big problem. If it was just what you ate that morning for instance it would be easy, but it could be one or two days before