Most J-pouchers enjoy an unrestricted diet. I certainly do. That being said, it's reasonable to go easy in the beginning, and pay close enough attention that you can figure out what happened if a food causes you trouble at this stage. You can always try reintroducing it later.

Hello, JB788,

Good for you for getting through both surgeries. I am one year after takedown and doing well, with only a few bouts of pouchitis. I can eat almost all foods, but still have problems with chickpeas, lentils, and beans. They are great for you, but every bean and chickpea has a skin, which is insoluable, while the inside of the bean is soluable and helps to slow down output. The insoluable parts of grains, vegetables, and fruits (the peel) causes irritating frequency for me so I try very small amounts every few weeks and note how it goes. I eat small amounts of quinoa that I cook with turmeric and cumin. Turmeric is a high ranking anti inflammatory ingredient and is easy to add the powder to scrambled eggs, rice, quinoa, sautéed onions, smoothies. I use the turmeric powder (any health food store) or grate the root into foods.

I still can't eat grapefruit because it causes some burning on the way out, but this week I re-tried fresh oranges and, hurray, I had no problems!  So oranges can return to my food list. Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables are still hard for me and sometimes cause frequency, or hard BMs, but for some good reason I can digest steamed broccoli!  I even tried hot sauce last week and was fine; in early days spicy food burned me raw. I never eat nuts or seeds, or raw grains because they are hard to break down and rough -- unless you grind them to a powder? It's different for each of us, but keep trying and re-introducing foods slowly and keep a simple food diary so you know which food is too rough and irritating on your new pouch. Try a new item every few days, not three foods in one meal, then note how it comes out, otherwise you won't know which food is the irritating one. I avoid breaded, deep fried foods because I notice they cause floaty, problematic BMs. Too bad because I love fish and chips. I avoid white bread and bagels because it is a refined carb and causes pouch slow down and bloating. I eat sourdough bread instead for the probiotic source. And I drink Bio K probiotic (50 billion cultures), and include some Greek yoghurt in my smoothies. My only sweet in the day is a teaspoon raw honey in my one morning coffee and one evening tea, otherwise no added sugars. I take vitamin B drops, and vitamin D tablets. No other supplements, I just try to eat whole foods, and organic where I think I should (i.e. milk, soy milk) but not in everything. I grow my own organic herbs and chop fine so I can digest. If you "blenderize" or chop up foods finely, half of the breakdown is already done so your pouch doesn't have to work that hard. Remember if you eat beets, or tomatoes or blueberries, it will colour your BMs so don't be shocked!  Beets can be a way to know how long your transit time is.....

Go easy in the first few months and allow your pouch to grow and mature so it can become used to its new life. Remember it was a small intestine only a few months ago, now it has to be your "colon"!  Go slowly, and I hope you will be able to expand your diet and enjoy all foods.

Thank you, this information has been so helpful!!!  I'm so excited to be able to add all these foods to my diet

JB788, had my takedown last October.  I have no problems with Beans, mushrooms, Corn on the cob, nuts or whatever

I have a raw fruit/veg smoothie in the morning, i pretty much get away with this, in fact i believe this sludge helped my gut heal.   I think i get cramping from the kale though, as we speak im boiling that up to see if it makes a difference tomorrow.

I will say that i used to love a curry, now i struggle with anything more than a mild/medium, but only because of the ferocious butt burn.

I take loperomide ( 1 x twice a day) as i find that helps with the grumbling belly, and think ive noticed that if i eat non soluble fiber i get cramps too.. i guess because loperomide and non soluble fiber do opposite things. 

I think as 95 percent of digestion occurs in the small intestine, the bit we had out used to absorb water.   Theres no real reason to assume you wont be able to eat the same foods you did before, although i do consider myself very lucky after reading some of the other users experiences

Even if i takes some time, i believe most people are able to eat a full and varied diet (even if parts are in moderation).

good luck

I eat most foods although I have learned to compartmentalize what I eat and when. 

I have learned to eat a certain way the nights before I have to work and other ways when I know that I am off...It is just a question of facility...I don't overdo it or take risks when I have to go to work.

I eat a protein (meat, fish, chicken, seafood etc) and a steamed green veggie (artichokes, asparagus, green beans...) with a mild dessert or just tea when I have to go to work the next day...On the days that I don't I eat pasta or a heavier meal. 

I find that my pouch behaves better on a high protein diet with no more than 2 greens per meal. 

I do a lot of yogurt and bananas or cheese chunks with cherry tomatoes for lunches. Breakfast is just liquids (water, juice and coffee) no matter what day of the week.  

I eat soft fruits like mangos, papaya, pears, berries etc as snacks or desserts...Fruits like pineapple are chew-and-spit fruits...no choice. 

I have carb days when I am home where I eat a lot of toasted whole grain breads with butter or cheese but generally, I don't do sandwiches...They don't particularly like me. (its reciprocal!).

Ice cream is one of my desserts of choice as well as chocolate...

I can go out to dinner, to friends' places or anywhere and find something to eat...I am not difficult but I do pick and choose what I put into my body.

Sharon

Every food causes me such painful butt burn.I am only three months post take down though, so hopefully it won't be like this forever. I also can't as much as I used to due to my gastroparesis. 

Everyone's different when it comes to food but you really have to trial and error for a few years to figure it out. I have realised that over time the foods i can eat have changed.

For the first 10 years i ate whatever i wanted the problem was after a while it started causing ulceration and bleeding. I then eliminated all sugar including fruit and a lot of preservatives and my pouch healed amazingly. I then lived on slow cooked chicken and rice with steamed veggies for ten years until i developed arthritis. I have now eliminated all starches (including my fav. rice) as they contribute to SIBO and I'm on a modified paleo diet. Foods that i mainly eat include;

Eggs, Fish, Chicken

Avocado, cucumber, steamed - carrot, capsicum, broccoli

Organic Hulled Tahini 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (only raw), Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (cooked)

Celtic Sea Salt

Alkaline Water

Thank you everyone this does help.  I've always had a very healthy diet, but am kind of afraid to try things since mybtakedown.  Do the same rules apply as to when I had an ileostomy?   Does anyone eat apples with the skin or do you peel the skin?  What about baked potatoes, can I eat the skin now?  Are raw veggies okay or should I cook them?  I just know when I had my ileostimy, raw veggies would always cause a leak from my appliance, other then that never had any probs.  I have found that since my takedown milk products give me trouble, which I am so upset about. 

Hello, JB788.

If you want to try apples with the skin on, or any other fruit with skin, try small amounts, maybe half or quarter of an apple to see what happens. I would try one fruit or vegetable every few day so that you'll know which item it was that agree or disagree with your pouch. I never eat fruit skins, and I always peel the skin of vegetables. I am okay with steamed broccoli. Just remember all skins are insoluable: they do not break down and come out basically whole, and that could irritate or burn.

I have found that dairy is more of a problem for me too. (I'm 4 months post-op) I don't mind too much but I love cheese! I can eat butter and cheese sometimes, and I am hoping it will get better.  For me, when I got to six weeks post-op vegetables and fruits got much better. I found that apples hurt my stomach but most other fruits work! 

Veggies that work really well for me are cucumbers, green beans, zucchini, and peas. 

I avoid gluten, because I was eating a paleo diet before my surgery to try to help my UC. I would like to eat gluten sometimes just for the convenience of social situations, but I haven't been able to add it back in yet. 

It does get better, I think you have a lot of things to hope and look forward to! I even ate some salad the other day and although it didn't digest great, it was okay! 

Thanks Avery099, 

Thank was so helpful!   I'm only 2 weeks post op and looking forward to expanding my diet.  I did try a piece of a peeled peeled apple and it seemed to be ok.  Can we still get a blockage with the j pouch likecwe could with the ileostomy?  I never had one, thankfully, but always tried to be careful of the warning foods?  

Over the past 12 years my ability to tolerate foods goes back and forth.  Some days I can tolerate eating a salad, other days I can't.  I never eat hard veggies and fruits raw, but can eat thinly sliced cucumbers without the peel.  Even a slightly green banana will give me problems. The softer the consistency, the better I am.   I tend to get blockages if I eat anything too hard....or difficult to digest.  popcorn and nuts are evil for me, but I can tolerate sesame seeds on breads.  Beans and mushrooms have also been tough to negotiate.  I became lactose intolerant after surgery, but find if I take lactaid before eating cheese or yogurts I am okay.  I have switched to Almond milk, as dairy milk and ice cream is another no no for me.  Everyone is so different when it comes to food tolerances.  The good news is that the "butt burn" seems to calm down after awhile.  I only get that now if I eat spicy food or egg yolks!  

Good luck on your journey!

I'm new to choosing foods for this I start my day peanut butter toast then for lunch I have shredded wheat cereal then for dinner I eat mashed potatoes and peas I really am afraid to eat much more then this a day because I'm afraid of how many BMs I'll have a day

Hello, Michaelc78.

Toast with peanut butter for breakfast is good. Do you find that agrees with your pouch?  The shredded wheat cereal at lunch might be too much for you if your pouch is very new. The shredded wheat is making you go to the bathroom a lot because of the fiber. Try to avoid fiber for now. Packaged cereals are loaded with starch and sugars (check the label) and can cause frequency so you have to avoid them for now. Not forever, just in the beginning. Your dinner of mashed potatoes sounds fine. Add some protein with your potatoes, such as chicken or fish. The peas, even though they are soft and you think it's okay, are very hard on your pouch because each tiny pea has a skin. It is the skin of peas, beans, and vegetables that is insoluable (insoluable items do not break down in your system and come out whole) and these skins irritate your pouch and can cause frequent BMs, especially at this early stage. When you eat vegetables or fruit, peel the skin off and cook the flesh until really soft. Eat a very small amount to test and see how your pouch reacts. If it makes you run for the bathroom, don't eat it. Try again in a few months.

Choose foods that are soft and high in protein. Your body needs protein for strength and, very important, protein helps heal the tissues that were injured during surgery. Don't be afraid to eat. Your body needs nourishment. Try a small piece of baked or roast chicken, scrambled eggs (avoid bacon for now because it is hard), fresh fish cooked in the microwave five minutes at a time until done, is good because fish is soft and high in protein. Drizzle some olive oil, salt for flavour. Eat plain and clean. Avoid anything breaded or deep fried for now. Breaded and deep fried can irritate your pouch and cause gas and loose stools. If your stools are loose and watery, you will have leaks. Aim for stools that are the consistency of cooked thick oatmeal. They are easier to hold on to and avoid leaks. Try to thicken your stools by eating a bit of pasta with baked chicken for lunch or dinner. Try a tiny bit of very well cooked mashed carrots. Avoid eating late at night because that will activate your pouch in the middle of the night. If you leak during sleep, it is because your muscles are relaxed and you will leak. It has happened to most pouchers. It's normal, so don't feel bad about that. Sleep on top of towels, or buy a couple of mattress liners for babies' beds -- they are usually leak proof and washable, and smaller sized to sleep on.

Stay hydrated, have lots of clear soups or creamed soups, but avoid pea soup, cream of mushrooms (mushrooms do not break down) bean soup or anything with skins for now.  Vegetables such as zucchini might be okay if you peel the skin first, then steam the zucchini in the microwave. Same with tomatoes: don't eat the skin. If you want to try a bit of cauliflower or broccoli, cook them until very, very soft, then mash them.

Everyone experiences really tough times in the beginning, but it will get better, slowly. Don't be stressed (your guts do not like stress), try not to worry. If you have to go often, just remember that is your new pouch trying really hard to learn what to do. Help it along by choosing to eat high protein, soft, easy foods, avoid fiber foods. Avoid carbonated or soft drinks for for now, too much sugar in them. Sugar can be the cause of pouchitis. Go for short walks every day to build back your abdominal muscles and regain strength. Remember to use a barrier cream after each BM to protect your skin from breaking down. Keep a food diary to note good foods and bad foods. A lot of people think they made a mistake with a j pouch because it's so tough at first, but remember it will give you your life back, in time, because ulcerative colitis, FAP, or colon cancer is not negotiable. You will get better day by day.

so it's almost lunch time I was thinking of having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is that I deal or should I try something more thanks winterburry I'm algeric to fish so I guess for dinner I'll have just a peice of baked chicken with some mashed potatoes

Imodium has also helped, A LOT!!!  

Michaelc78,

If you like cheese, maybe try cheese and ham sandwiches for lunch to make a change from peanut butter. Try to get real cheese, not the processed kind that is bright orange wrapped in individual plastic wrap! Real cheese will have protein and calcium for you. Or egg salad sandwiches for protein. Chicken salad sandwiches. Maybe see if you can tolerate tomatoes with your sandwiches? If you like sweet potatoes, poke lots of holes all over one and microwave 8 or 10 minutes until soft. Delicious. Lots of potassium and vitamins in sweet potatoes. You could add herbs to your baked chicken, just to keep it interesting and tasty. You will be fine! 

thanks winterberry I'll try that and see if things change