Ostomy diet basically, white bread and pasta, meats, maybe a little carrot or potatoes.  that said you can't really live on such as basic diet.  If you pouch is healthy you should be able to eat most things in moderation.

When you say makes you sick what do you mean?  Do you physically vomit? Do you go bathroom a lot? Are frequent bathroom visits due to discomfort or volume?  It's the discomfort internal and if so where (at ostomy site or middle pouch) or around your sphincter?  Do you take fibre or other meds like loperomide? How much water do you drink?  Do you eat or drink any acidic foods?  

If all the foods you eat are bothering you then maybe you have pouchitis or cuffitis or maybe you just aren't taking on enough fluids.. seriously fluids makes a massive difference residually for people with incomplete emptying, and especially for people who take fibre.

Usually I will get back pain and my sides starts to hurt then usually vomits. I'm positive I don't drink enough fluids that can be the problem as well .I do not take any fiber meds, far as acidic foods I don't think I do , although I do get pouchitis a lot it seems like I have a that many times 

Hi, Tiara.  I eat a lot of fish and chicken. High protein and soft to digest. I don't eat a lot of red meat (harder to digest). For vegetables I eat zucchini, peeled and steamed in the microwave or roasted in the oven (a toaster oven will work too) with garlic or onion powder, herbs, spices, any thing to add flavour. I like carrots chopped and simmered until soft in any kind of broth, and drink the broth. This makes it easy to digest without problems. Broccoli steamed or simmered soft is good. For breakfast I beat some eggs with sliced chicken, or a bit of ham if you like, and store-bought shredded cheese. Pour into a pan or a waffle maker and cook. Easy 3 ingredient breakfast. And strong coffee!  What foods do you eat?

I talked to a lot of people with pouches about what food is best for them.

It amazed me to discover the diversity of answers, for every food item there would be someone who swears by it and another who can't touch it.

I really wish there would be a consensus about the best diet, but unfortunately each person is a unique environment.  

Winterberry posted:

Hi, Tiara.  I eat a lot of fish and chicken. High protein and soft to digest. I don't eat a lot of red meat (harder to digest). For vegetables I eat zucchini, peeled and steamed in the microwave or roasted in the oven (a toaster oven will work too) with garlic or onion powder, herbs, spices, any thing to add flavour. I like carrots chopped and simmered until soft in any kind of broth, and drink the broth. This makes it easy to digest without problems. Broccoli steamed or simmered soft is good. For breakfast I beat some eggs with sliced chicken, or a bit of ham if you like, and store-bought shredded cheese. Pour into a pan or a waffle maker and cook. Easy 3 ingredient breakfast. And strong coffee!  What foods do you eat?

I haven't been able to find a lot of foods that work for me but for breakfast I usually eat bagels ,apple sauce , maybe a dounut or banana. I'm still really trying to play it safe with foods until I know for sure what works for me

There is no consensus as to what foods work well as far as digestability. It's varied according to the individual. However science and common sense both suggest that diets high in carbs and sugars are bad for a pouch as the bad bacteria in the pouch has a feeding frenzy and this can lead to a SIBO situation. Many of us have had to deal with SIBO and bring it under control by changing our diets. This is especially true if you have inflammation as bacterial overgrowth will cause inflammation to worsen.

Therefore an optimal pouch diet is high in protein and low in carbs (especially processed carbs) and sugars. I believe very strongly that avoidance of carbs and sugars is an important key to long term pouch health. 

Some of us (and I know I am not the only one) have to also be careful to eat diets which promote regularity because fecal stasis above the J Pouch due to a narrowed J Pouch inlet also can lead to SIBO. The J Pouch inlet could be narrowed due to inflammation or scarring from surgery, or both, but regardless the transit of digested food should be promoted. Therefore fiber and vegetables are important to facilitate smooth  transit of the fecal material.

Tiara, could you try to eat puréed vegetable soups?  Make it yourself. It's cheaper and you know what you're getting.  Chop up any vegetables that you like, or used to be able to eat, and put into a big pot with store-bought chicken broth. Get the broth WITH salt. Bring to a boil, then lower and simmer for an hour. Let cool first, then purée in any old blender (you don't need a food processor or anything like that) or use a blender stick. Eat this soup with some whole wheat bread or tortilla, or ww pita. You'll be getting vegetables, fiber, and liquids. For protein, add some cooked chicken that you can buy whole at the supermarket's rotisserie, and it can last you for many meals. Try to cut back on bagel and donut because they are pure carbohydrates and could be adding to your pouch problems. What do you eat for protein? 

I was having awful butt burn. I started over with a very bland diet and cut out any seasonings and pepper. I had no idea it would make such a difference, but wish I had tried this sooner. Eating at restaurants is difficult and really prefer to eat at home! What a difference in quality of life this made though!

Hi  Kim I'm new to the group, I have a jpouch and I have the butt burn and I had  my take down Feb 11th, I was wondering have your butt burn stop,  and will it ever stop? Thank you for your input. 

Spicy, red sauces have always upset me..... my safe meal for over 10 years has typically been eggs, potatoes...I can do bacon/sausage as well....and toast....I eat breakfast every meal at times when I'm struggling 

Cokey Scott posted:

Hi  Kim I'm new to the group, I have a jpouch and I have the butt burn and I had  my take down Feb 11th, I was wondering have your butt burn stop,  and will it ever stop? Thank you for your input. 

Hi Cokey Scott,

I found that Metamucil really helped me with butt burn. In fact, without Metamucil, my j-pouch would have been unbearable.

Try taking a heaped teaspoon of fine Metamucil right before eating (i.e. just before you take the first bite). Mix it with just enough water so you can swallow it, and chug it down quickly before it turns to jelly (you want it to do that in your stomach, not in the cup). It cushions the BM so it is less watery and acidic, and the "bits" that also irritate are suspended in a gel.

Of course, try a small amount first, carefully, to make sure you can tolerate it, and work up to a heaped teaspoon if all seems well. And, if you get distracted and it jellifies in the cup, throw it out and start again. You can't swallow it once it starts to react with the water, and it becomes a choking hazard. Oh, and don't attempt to mix it with sparkling mineral water when you are in a restaurant and the waitress keeps forgetting the plain water you asked for ... that leads to an embarrassing mess :-)

I found that only finely ground psyllium husks work. The coarser one in Metamucil or other brands did not help. (I believe that Metamucil is the only brand that comes in a finely ground version.)

Also, just wanted to add that my j-pouch improved steadily in the first year, and I have read quite a few other people here say the same.

Cheers,

Sarah

Good evening, 😊☺😊 I'm soooo happy to hear from you ,I'm in tears I've been battling this thing, I have to figure out what to eat and when, thank you so much for this suggestion. I will definitely try it in the a.m. I'm hoping and praying that all goes well for me. Tks again Sarah, I will be in touch. I do have two more questions if you are available. 

Hi Sarah I just want to Say thank you for the meta mucil suggestion it really worked. I was able to eat and enjoy my work day, I'm forever grateful for you sharing this product. I'm ready to live my life like it's Golden".  I do have another question thought, do you eat whatever you want with this product, like spaghetti ,or pineapple and do you take the meta mucil ever day? T.I.A 

Hi, Cokey. I’ve used Metamucil just about every day since my surgery 18 years ago. Not everyone finds it helpful, but I sure do. I take it before breakfast and dinner, using a full dose according to the package directions. You can safely experiment with whether less (or more) is better for you. I eat an unrestricted diet, but everyone is different. Try to pay attention to foods that don’t work well for you. Some of them may be fine later, when your body has settled down a bit, and some of them be okay in moderate amounts. Good luck!

Good a.m. Scott ,first and for most I want to say thank you so much for your advice, and the Metamucil is definitely working! I'm forever grateful for the advice. Wow 18 years for you that's amazing I'm Happy to hear that for you and that there is no restricted diet!. So my question is should I wait to eat certain things beings   I'm only 3 months out. I really like seafood not so much spicy but  the season is great! ,and do you eat any spicy foods, and do you still have your gall bladder.  have a super soul Sunday.  #Icangetbacktolifewithactivities. Thank you soooooo much!

I eat plenty of spicy foods. As long as you pay attention to your body you can try any food you like.

Hi Scott, I hope you enjoyed your day, I surely did being able to eat a balance diet of food today thanks to you guys. Okay , thank you for that I'm excited ! Continue to be bless .