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11 replies

Diet

F FrustratedButFightingMember
Hi All.. Please bear with me, as I am fairly new to all of this still. I am a 26 year old female, who just had her first j-pouch surgery on June 28th, 2012, and I am still trying to adjust. I had a general concern, that I thought somebody on this board may be able to help with.

What the heck do you all eat in terms of a diet!?! Prior to my surgery- I are very healthy, whole wheat breads, fresh fruits and veggies, fish, chicken, etc. I realize that I cannot throw myself completely back into that as I am without a colon now, but something has got to give. There has to be some kind of middle ground somewhere along the lines here, right? I am so sick of stuffing myself full of white bread, white pastas, hamburger, and just junk. Surely this can't be good for anyone's insides or their health. I have tried consulting other websites and literature, but it all seems to say "proceed with your discretion". I thought I may have more luck picking the brains of fellow ostomates to see what foods/recipes/resources work best for you.

In addition to my surgery, I also have been recently diagnosed with colorectal cancer and I am undergoing chemotherapy for 6 months. Once again, I cannot see how all these refined carbs and sugars can be helping my body or my cause to fight off any additional cancer agents, so I would welcome ANY suggestions at all as to how to incorporate more healthy foods, safely, into an ileostomy diet.

Thank you all SO much for your support!
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V vstRNMember
Hi there, I also struggled a lot with my diet between surgeries. I pretty much stick to a vegan diet so this was a big challenge for me as normally I would eat a ton of veggies/beans/whole grains/etc. My best advice would be to invest in a good blender and make a lot of pureed vegetable soups. I also found smoothies to be a staple and always would add kale/greens to get in more veggies. I also did well with nut butters.

But after the first several weeks I actually did very well with the ileostomy and pretty much ate whatever I wanted (while avoiding the obvious ones like mushrooms, corn, etc.). I even ate a lot of salads!

I'm 3 weeks post take-down now and already doing very well with food. Haven't ventured onto to raw vegetables or beans yet but I'm thinking that it won't be too long from now if that gives you some hope.

Good luck to you! Sounds like you are going through a lot right now...
K ke353Member
I pretty much eat whatever I want. Whole grains are not a problem and veggies that I thought would be aren't either! I do peel the skins off my apples, pears, and peaches though and take it easy with salads if I'm eating out. My surgeon said a lot of blockages happen when eating a lot of veggies and not drinking enough water after.

Just take it slow and test things out. The further you get away from surgery, the easier it should be.
L liz11Member
I have an ileostomey (actually my fourth one) and have generally been able to eat anything I want. The only foods I have completely excluded are mushrooms and corn, and I don't eat peels on fruit.
Since you are new out of surgery, I would start adding things slowly. So make some fresh fruit smoothies. Try some brown rice whole grain pasta. If you are eating hamburger you can of course immediately be eating fish or chicken. Start adding veggies by overcooking them. Then slowly progress to raw veggies and salads. Just start adding things in slowly. There is no reason you cannot eat healthy with an ileostomy. And like you said.. your body definitely needs all the nutrients it can get from eating healthy.
good luck.
Nice NurseNice NurseMember
If I've learned anything it's that everyone is different and nothing works all the time.

That being said...whole grains are not all that healthy. (Read Wheat Belly) Also many j-pouchers are also celiacs unbeknownst to them and have a hard time processing grains anyway.

I have found that juicing is a good way to get vitamins since raw foods are not good for the pouch. Whenever I eat a salad I suffer mightily Frowner I also have a lot of adhesions so my intestine has very tight areas where small seeds and skins get stuck.

In general you can eat a healthy diet. All meats, rice, potatoes, root vegetables, well cooked veggies like grean or yellow beans and carrots, all are good. Sweet potatoes in particular are nutritional powerhouses AND thicken stool. Soups, cereals, most dairy are also ok. Cooked fruits or fruit with no skin is also good. Add new things one at a time so you know which one caused a problem. Many people find acidity to be a problem and legumes can cause gas.

It's a way of life, that you can no longer eat whatever and whenever you want. Do I ever do that? Sure and I pay. You can slow things down with immodium or lomotil, but they can also cause blockages when used too much so be careful. Best
Karen
C CeeeeCeeeeMember
Guess I was lucky. After severely limiting my diet while in the throes of UC, I was able to eat/drink everything during the year I had my ileostomy.....everything! Now, 10 years post takedown, the same goes with my J-pouch. Try a food you want to eat and if it works for you....continue. If it doesn't, hold off for awhile and try it again later. Best wishes!
F FrustratedButFightingMember
Okay since you all were so helpful with my last post- I have yet another question. I have seen on several sites that with an ileostomy you can have cereal as long as it is refined cereal. What the heck cereals classify as "refined"?! I know with all the attention being on whole grains that's all I see on the cereal boxes. Any advice or do any of you know of any refined cereals or other cereals that have been "safe" for any of you to eat without issue? Thanks again in advance!

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