Food Discussion

Hi,

I typically stay away from corn and any other veggies that would create a lot of gas in my pouch. Also, really spicy food irritates on its “way out”.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I feel better eating many small meals throughout the day. Too much of any food makes me miserable.

:-)

I stay away from common allergens like wheat, dairy, eggs and nightshades for the most part.  In recipes that call for an egg I use flax meal mixed with water and sometimes I add psyllium & water as well.  These provide a binding agent like the egg would.  I consider psyllium powder a food and I have it before a meal to slow down the digestion.  I like to have fermented foods that provide a variety of probiotics like yogurt, kraut, etc.  Probiotics should be varied a lot or there can be overgrowth of one thing or another, from what I understand.  I rarely have carbonated beverages and alcohol makes me feel terrible for days.  I don't eat raw veggies much but do eat lots of cooked veggies.  I don't eat much raw fruit except bananas in the winter.  In the summer I eat more raw fruit even though it's hard to digest, but I can't stay away.  I also have a lot of unsweetened applesauce to get more fruit in my diet.  Sugar intake can often cause discomfort and inflammation if it's more than a very small amount.  Red meat also has an inflammatory response for me.  Too much salt causes my digestion to become sad.  That is my weakness.  I'm a salt hound. 

I avoid foods that have a lot of insoluble fiber - sweet potatoes contributed to a partial obstruction and haven't had one since.  Based on extensive reading of this site I do not eat mushrooms any more.

I always peel fruits and peel and cook vegetables, usually well cut up.  

I eat mostly whole, unprocessed or minimally processed foods.  I limit sugar and white flour.  (Real) maple syrup helps keep my sweet tooth satisfied.  

Occasional wine in limited amounts is all the alcohol I consume.  

Must haves:  kimchi!  I make my own. Excellent probiotic properties. A little bit makes my gut very happy.  Sourdough bread. I bake my own.  I love bread and the ferment breaks down the sugar in wheat flour that is otherwise hard to digest.  Sourdough pizza dough, also.   Rolled or quick cooking oats- the insoluble fiber in oatmeal helps to regulate stool consistency for me. As does freshly popped corn, huskless varieties.  And nut butters of all sorts (unsweetened) seem to slow output.

Corn. I love it.  Early on I made corn butter - labor intensive to blend, sieve and heat to thicken, but got me through the first two years of no fresh corn.  I can have a bit fresh now, but cut it off the cob, splitting the kernels to give me a head start on chewing and digesting. And I am a heavy user of cornmeal in baking.  

AMB, that is wild stuff, just wild!  I say that because it's delicious stuff you are mentioning but bizarre!  Kimchi makes you feel good???!!!  I love it but i never thought it was a food that was gut / jpouch friendly.  Same with corn.... SD bread, for sure should be easy to digest.

I love my draft beer (especially the light / wheat kinds) and I love to use it to wash down a basket of wings.  Hot wings are my favorite although all flavors are good!!!

Tough-leaved salad greens.

Lentils, baked beans, chickpeas and the like.

Soup that is liquidy with bits of vegetable in it.

Beer.

Chilli and garlic in more than background amounts.

I also had a bad experience with a “chocolate fountain”. I didn’t know that you make the chocolate flow by melting it in with large quantities of oil. I had a slight episode of incontinence while sleeping, the first time ever since my surgery recovery period.

I seem to go in stages.   By that I mean that I rarely ever suffer from incontinence while sleeping.  However, the combination of going to bed with a full stomach and when I am extremely sleep-deprived is a recipe for it...

They say stress can make one's condition worse.  The fact that I am presently going through a marital separation AND moving to a different rental house probably doesn't make things better for my health...