Sharon,

i noticed you still make attempts to maintain fruit in your diet even though it may cause issues. I've kind of given up on fruits and veggies, but do you or anyone else know how to get those important nutrients without significantly increasing frequency or anal/stomach pain? 

Yes, J Moons, 

Most of the time, I am smart (I did not say intelligent!)...and use my hand held blender. I cut up my fruit into chunks and blend them in a pitcher so that I can drink them as smoothies...I can add ice to make a shake ...I can add bananas thickness, fake sugar for sweetness...whatever I am in the mood for.

I love blueberries (they color your output so beware of purple) so I eat them one at a time and chew well or throw them in with bananas and blend.

I have about 20 favorite recipes but mostly it is whatever is in season, ripe, fresh and easy to eat.

Veggies are different. I bought a pressure cooker (God's gift to busy cooks). The modern ones are not as scary as the old fashion ones and easy to use. 

I steam most of my green veggies. (leeks, asparagus, artichokes...), or make a quick sauce with a lot of turmeric (very anti-inflammatory) and tons of fresh herbs like cilantro and chive (very high in mineral content). A couple tblsps of oil, garlic or onion, turmeric and herbs plus spices. I add boiling water, throw in my veggies (green beans, flat beans...) and close the pressure cooker for 10-15mins. 

If you drink the water in the pressure cooker after cooking it is full of vitamins. I use the same water to steam different veggies, one after the other, and then drink it...it makes a great, flavourful bullion...

I overcook my veggies by a couple of minutes so that the fibers are softer (you can also string your string beans so that there is less fiber) and easier to digest...when I have leftovers I blend them into a purée with the hand blender and throw in some grated cheese or butter or cream or throw them in a pot with tons of water and make a soup.

My diet is made up of about 50% fruits and veggies.  The rest is whole grain breads (I can't eat white breads or pastas because the flour turns into wallpaper paste in my pouch) but whole grains do just fine (not the case at the beginning of my pouch's life...whole grains were the enemy then), easily digestible proteins like chicken & fish and some red meat and tons of French cheese (mostly unpasteurized which gives me all of the natural probiotics that I need) & yoghurts.

I eat way too much sugar but try to substitute sorbets for ice cream, chewy candies for chocolate, hard candies for chewy stuff...I do not eat cake or cookies most of the time (although I have been known to scrape off the frosting and eat just that).

It is a balancing act...too much fat and my pouch goes funky, too many carbs and my output is too thick. 

My best meals are proteins and veggies with fruits or fruit juice for breakfast along with coffee and water. 

Soups are for bad days or when I don't know what to eat and my comfort food is toasted dark bread with stinky cheese or fresh butter. Tea is my savior. I drink tons. Herb or black or anything I can grab. 

Peanut butter is my go-to protein when nothing else will do (almond butter is better for you but I can't find it here).

Build your own diet slowly...trial and error...things change, foods mix differently with different foods or beverages...grape or prune juice make your output thinner...so I don't mix it with salads (I eat tons of salads in the summer but chew a lot and avoid the dark leafy kind that doesn't digest in my pouch)...

Keep a journal of what works for you and what doesn't (pineapple, watermelon, leak greens, mushrooms...the list goes on).

And never give up on a food or food group just try an tablespoonful whenever you get the craving.

Sharon

sharon--great description of veggie prep.   thanks!  i  microwave them and then sauté with sesame seeds and oil--usually burning the veggies, which adds a distinct flavor not unlike a forest fire.  like it that way.  and of course soups are the best.  i do find that i like thick soups and that clogs up the catheter. 

when you say blockage do you mean your intestine was blocked or the pouch got a blockage?  sure hope it wasn't yoga or pilates.  best, janet

Sharon, if you visit Canada again, you will find excellent creamy almond butter at Costco! It is their house brand, Kirkland. It contains only roasted almonds. I eat this on sourdough bread and it's delicious. 

Thanks Janet,

I tend to like my bread burnt, not my veggies...also love my meat burnt to a crisp...so I respect your right to burn your veggies! 

It was my dreaded 'blockage site' that felt like it twisted a bit and all of the mango fibers just caused a traffic jam just up-ahead of it and nothing was moving....for about 10 hrs...sort of scared me because the last place that you want to be on New Year's eve is ER with all of the idiot drunk drivers & the idiots who blew their fingers off with fireworks...

I went onto grape juice and hot green tea and a heating pad mode and rode it out.

I will have to get the spot checked out again because it seems to be acting up more often lately (I had it fixed 3yrs ago but obviously the problem is back)...just not ready to deal with yet another surgery....too much on my plate for the moment.

For now, my fiber content is way down...less mango and more chewing...but still doing my pilates and yoga!

Have a happy 2017

Sharon