Intestinal Inflammation: Are Vegetables off Limits?

Digestive inflammation is growing.  It is labeled as IBS, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, and non-specific intestinal inflammation.  All of these conditions and the road to these conditions - make it hard to eat.  Especially hard to eat the foods that are healers like vegetables.

You're stuck in a cycle of pain and toleration of foods that don’t address the underlying inflammation and immune conditions.

How do you eat vegetables with IBD?

1. Eat nothing raw.  Raw foods are much harder for the intestines.  Cooking helps break down the fiber in vegetables, rendering them gently on the digestive tract. For clients with intestinal distress - it is better to overcook than undercook.  Your vegetables being soft makes it easier to digest.
2. Eliminate the cruciferous family of vegetables.  When you are in a good place, reintroduce them one at a time while keeping careful records - more on that later.  The cruciferous family includes: kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, turnips.
3. Pureed soups should be your go to vegetable source.  Jolie specializes in pureed soups because it is such an excellent way to increase nourishment.  Pureeing breaks down plant fiber and opens the plant cells - your body then can absorb the nutrients without having to break down fiber.  Think of pureed soups as a green juice on steroids: more nourishment, more complex nourishment, and equally easy to access, plus they are warm. 😄
4. Keep a meticulous food journal.  The difference between feeling good and a flare is not only what you eat, but also how much and how frequently.  So you may be able to have a ½ cup of peeled, seeded cucumbers, yeti ⅔ cup can cause a flare.  These details are important when crafting a healthful way of eating that maximizes nutrition.
5. Remove skins and seeds.  The skin and seeds of vegetables are particularly high in fiber.  Removing them may allow you to eat something that would otherwise be irritating.  

Love,
Jolie
xo