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Since my month long fling with a vegan, mostly raw, mostly fruit diet, I concluded that there are several practices that I should work into my routine to (hopefully) lower/remove the risk of ulcerative colitis (UC) flare-ups.
These new habits are varied, so to keep things simple, I'm-a list it up!
Some of these I will have mentioned previously, some are already incorporated into my life, some are new, & some are things I've been meaning to do, etc.
The aim is to compile a comprehensive list based on all the things I've learned over the past 8 years from managing UC naturally, no prescription medication!
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1. No animal products to be consumed! - All animal products including meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, etc are bad for the human digestive system, & will only exacerbate UC! Think carefully about this one, because one day it might be too late, & you'll have an artificial poop bag instead of a colon, which must be frequently emptied, manually!
Living vegan is easier than ever, there are endless alternatives to animal products, & your colon will thank you for it!
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2. Try to be calm. - Excessive stress, or negative emotions of any kind are strongly linked with the digestive system, & should be avoided. Slow deep breaths, & thinking positive thoughts can help relieve a situation short term. For long term management of mental well-being it is highly recommended to include at least one relaxation practice daily; yoga, tai chi, meditation, etc are all good options. Also never eat if in a highly emotional/stressed state, your body is already under pressure, the last thing it needs is food to digest, this is a common, & damaging mistake!
If you have painful internalised issues (as many people with UC do) you need to learn to deal with them, & let them go, in this case outside assistance in the form of a counselor, or someone trustworthy to speak to may help.
Always remember that you are in control of yourself, let go of negative thoughts & feelings, & replace them with positive ones instead. Training yourself to be positive takes time & commitment, but it absolutely can be done!
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3. Minimise FAT, SALT, & SUGAR in your diet. - These foods are terrible for human health, they serve no purpose other than to bombard & confuse our taste buds. Cut down bit by bit if need be, but be very strict about quantities, the less the better! The only fat, sugar, & salt we need in our diet can be obtained from fresh, whole foods such as; fruits, avocados, nuts, celery, etc. All other sources including oil, granulated salt, refined sugars, etc should be kept to a minimum, or avoided all together.
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4. Adequate rest & sleep are essential. - Staying awake until 2am is out! Always get at least 8 hours sleep per night, it's beneficial to have a routine, it helps your body remain regular, & function more smoothly. Always rest if you feel tired, be careful not to mistake fatigue with hunger, eating for any reason other than genuine hunger is a bad mistake, & can easily overburden your body. When you sleep/rest your body is able to dedicate energies toward reparative functions (including healing damage to the colon, etc).
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5. Allow time between meals. - Your body works hard to digest most food, leaving adequate time between meals is extremely important; not only to allow food to digest effectively, but also to avoid overburdening the digestive system. Avoid frequent snacking, there's nothing wrong with being hungry! Giving your digestive system a short break is one of the best things you can do for it! Your digestive tract is part of you! Making it run constantly can wear it out, & may lead to dysfunction, resulting in problems such as UC.
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6. Raw meals. - Incorporate some simple raw meals into your diet. Salads, lettuce wraps, dips + crudites, raw pastas, green smoothies, etc, are all amazing sources of nutrients, don't underestimate fresh, raw food! Raw pastas & other interesting meal ideas can be made using a simple tool known as a spiralizer. (I recently bought a GEFU Spiralfix HERE)
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7. Fresh made juices. - Incorporate a fresh, home-made juice, either vegetable, or fruit into your daily routine. Juices are an invaluable source of nutrients in a form that is easily digested & absorbed by the body.
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8. Fruit for breakfast & Mono meals - Raw fruit for breakfast is undoubtedly the very best way to start the day, having a mono breakfast is even better! A mono meal is simply a meal consisting of one ingredient, eg. Bananas for breakfast. When you first wake up your body starts to flush out toxins etc, it is best to support the body in this task by eating a simple, light meal for breakfast. Mono meals provide the optimum situation for digestion & nutrient absorption because it is easiest for our bodies to digest one thing at a time, the less complicated a meal, the less complicated the digestive task, & vice versa.
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9. Reduce the amount of grain & grain products - Everybody loves grains, whether it's rice, pasta, bread, etc, we're all addicted to it, however, grains are much more difficult to digest than fruits & vegetables, & they should be eaten sparingly. Try to have at least one grain-free day per week.
Due to the increased difficulty in digestion, it is best to allow a longer period of time after eating a meal with grains, to allow your body to cope, & digest properly.
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10. Reduce/remove processed foods. - This is another thing we have become addicted to, anything in a packet that's quick, easy, & satisfying. There are many reasons to avoid processed foods, however, if you are going to have them from time to time, I cannot stress enough; always always always! read the ingredients list! If there are weird ingredients that you cannot identify, then ditch it, & choose a healthier option! In fact, reading labels is a great habit to get into, & an essential skill if you want to avoid nasties, & improve your health, but remember; fresh is always best!
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11. Drink filtered water, between meals. - It's a good idea to invest in a good quality, natural water filter to remove impurities from your drinking/cooking water. There are plenty of options available, & it's a great comfort to know that your not ingesting trace amounts of god-knows-what from old, dirty water pipes. We recently invested in a ceramic water filter, & it's fantastic.
It can be beneficial to avoid drinking when eating, your tummy enzymes need to work, & water can dilute them, making them less effective, potentially causing problems further down the digestive tract. Sipping a small amount of water is usually ok, especially when eating dry foods, such as dried fruit.
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12. Practice food combing. - Food combing is very simple! Eat foods which digest effectively together for optimum, clean digestion. Simply put, foods digest at different rates, in different enzymes, if you eat a combination of foods that require completely different situations for digestion, digestion will be impaired, or completely compromised, resulting in poorly digested, partially rotted food entering the intestines, which is a major cause of gastrointestinal distress, including UC. I have made some simple food combing charts which you can find HERE, for more info check out >>> colitis-crohns.com.
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13. Eat an alkaline diet! - Most food, when metabolised by the body, are either acid, or alkaline forming. The human body is naturally alkaline, & it is healthiest when this state is supported by eating alkaline-forming foods.
Alkaline-forming foods include; All vegetables, except asparagus, which is mildly acid-forming. All fruits, except certain nuts, blueberries, & olives. Some alkaline-forming nuts are almonds, chestnuts, & coconuts. All sprouts are alkaline-forming. Most seeds, especially sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, & pumpkin seeds (pepitas). Certain legumes including, soy beans, lima beans, peas, & snap beans are alkaline-forming.
Overall, at least 80% of the human diet should be alkaline-forming, this means that approximately 17 of the average 21 meals consumed weekly should be 100% alkaline-forming.
Acid-forming foods include; all animal products, except blood, bone, & butter. All grains, except millet are acid-forming, especially rye & wheat. Most legumes, especially lentils, peanuts, & most beans. About half of all nuts are acid-forming.
This is a big one, but simple charts can be found online to help guide you, however be sure they come from a reputable source!
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14. Chew thoroughly, never rush. - It's advice we've all heard, but it is extremely important for good digestion, always chew all food thoroughly. This not only helps to release nutrients from food more effectively, but also makes digestion easier for your stomach, & intestines, very important if you suffer from a condition like UC. Never rush when you eat, likewise, never eat if you are experiencing heightened emotions or stress, your body already has enough to cope with in these situations, adding an extra load (ie. digestion) is no good! Always be calm when eating, & take your time. I now make a habbit of putting my utensils down between mouthfuls to concentrate on chewing properly, & to avoid eating too quickly, & it has made a huge difference for me!
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15. Less is more! - This is true for most things in life, & especially true for food. Most of us eat far too much, far too frequently, putting our digestive tracts under constant stress. The solution is quite simple here, pay extra attention to your eating habits! Cut down your portion sizes a little, only eat when hungry, & avoid binge eating.
Meals need not be complicated either, in fact minimising the number of different ingredients in any one meal makes digestion a simpler, less taxing task. Remember that mono meals (a meal of 1 food, eg. bananas) are the most easily digested.
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16. Give your insides a break. - This is easily achieved by dedicating 2-5 days (in a row) every month or two to do a simple juice cleanse (or, clean out). Juices are packed with nutrients that are easy for you body to absorb, they also have little or no fiber, giving your digestive tract a much deserved rest. A juice cleanse can give you a boost in nutrients, help clean out your body, & rest your digestive organs. It goes without saying that you will need a good juicer, & some basic juice recipes, seek out someone with experience, there is plenty of information available, start small, & do some research before attempting a juice cleanse. I will absolutely be doing this, so expect a related post sometime in future.
Another major benefit after completely a juice cleanse is a renewed appreciation of food, if you complete a 5 day cleanse you may find that your sense of taste is enhanced, allowing you to better appreciate the natural flavors of food, which automatically results in your body wanting less processed foods including oil, sugar, & salt :D
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17. Eat gluten-free. - Whether you suffer from gluten intolerance, or celiac disease is not important, what is important is that gluten is extremely harsh on the human digestive system, many, if not most people do not cope with gluten well, but remain unaware. We become accustomed to functioning below our best, & carry on with life regardless. Removing gluten from your diet can have many benefits, including; reduced bloating, increased energy, smoother digestion, etc. Gluten is not necessary in our diet, & only hinders our health, supermarkets now offer a wide range of gluten-free alternatives (beware, some are quite unhealthy), & most gluten-free foods are clearly labeled. Even without these options it is easy to eat gluten free using fresh, whole foods.
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18. Fruit! - Fruits are perfect for humans! Ripe fruit requires very little digestion because the nutrients are readily available in a usable form, for example, instead of protein, which ordinarily needs to be broken down into amino acids by the body, fruit provides amino acids directly! This is also true for carbohydrates; in ripe fruit they are already broken down into the simple (healthy) sugars our bodies need to function, & so on. Juicy fruits provide the best pure, clean water that is essential for our bodies, & of course all fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, & antioxidants. Forget all the complicated (often expensive) junk you can buy, & turn to fruit instead! It is perfect, & it is a super food, & the banana is king!
It's interesting to note that people on a high fruit diet may require as much as 60% less water, not only because most fruits have a high water content, but also because fruit is so healthy that it contains nothing that the body needs to 'flush', resulting in a reduced need for drinking.
For fruit combining info, check out these simple food combining charts :)
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19. Buy/grow organic. - The term 'organic' seems to have acquired a bit of negative stigma, but there's nothing negative about it! An organic product is simply something which is produced without the use of synthetic, toxic chemicals, that's it! Beware of products throwing this term around, & plastering it all over their labels, read the ingredients, & to be extra sure try to buy 'certified organic', this meas that the producer is checked & regulated.
Sometimes organic products are more expensive, however many times I have found the price to be the same. Good food leads to good health, it's worth the investment!
If you grow food at home, kudos! Remember to always look to nature for inspiration/advice, & avoid using synthetic, toxic products! In a healthy, balanced system, there should be absolutely no need for them anyway, they are a dangerous short cut.
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I am only an average person sharing my own personal experience.
Listed above are the most effective drug free means I have found to help deal with my Ulcerative colitis, & improve my overall health. It's a working progress, but after 8 years living with this condition, I can confidently say that things are improving! I have not used medication in many years, & I refuse to do so, it is counter productive, & more harmful than helpful.
I was at my worst (half dead to be honest) eating a standard western diet & using professionally prescribed medications. Now, after years of research, coupled with lots of trial & error, I feel that I am slowly regaining the health of my digestive system : )
I'm convinced that I can reach a level of great health, & avoid flare-ups all together by supporting my body via diet & lifestyle, it may mean some challenging adjustments, but it is absolutely worth it!
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I wish happiness & good health to everyone, there's nothing better : )
Have a rainbow!
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