Tip No. 1: How People with Crohn's and Colitis Can Get More Vitamins and Minerals

How can people with Crohn's disease and colitis get more vitamins and minerals from food?

I imagine that during an inflammatory flare-up, or when every bite of raw vegetables causes diarrhea, you feel condemned to avoid fresh fruit and vegetables.
They really are the best source of the vitamins and minerals so essential to our bodies.

It is true that cooked fruit and vegetables contain fewer water-soluble vitamins than fresh ones.

But is a large vegetable salad the only way to meet our body's needs? Let us think outside the box…

The main problem with fresh fruit and vegetables is their dietary fiber.

But their juice has no fiber! So…

The solution is simple: freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juice.

Do not worry, I am not dragging you into some unusual vegan diet.
I am merely suggesting that you retrieve the juicer you once bought or received as a gift from storage.
If your family does not give juicers as gifts, no problem: you can buy one at any appliance store,
and there are simple, inexpensive models.

What process is recommended?

1. Start with one fresh vegetable, such as zucchini or carrot.
2. You can add one fruit you are sure does not cause diarrhea, such as an apple or pear.
3. Wash thoroughly and cut lengthwise to fit the juicer's opening.
4. On the first day, juice the vegetable and/or fruit you feel fairly confident about.
5. Strain the resulting juice, about half a glass, through a sieve.
6. Drink slowly, mixing it with saliva.
7. Learn from your gut's response: monitor bowel symptoms for the next 24 hours. If everything remains as usual, even if your current "usual" includes diarrhea, you can continue. If symptoms worsen, with more pain, gas, or diarrhea, take a "step back."
8. If everything went well, you can continue and add another vegetable or fruit. Repeat the same process.
9. The goal is juice from 4-5 vegetables and 1 fruit. For example, juice from zucchini, carrot, celery, spinach, chard, or parsley, mixed with juice from an apple, pear, or peach.
10. Later, if everything continues to go well, the juicer's coarser filtering may be enough.

If the entire process is going well and you are already enjoying the juice and its wealth of vitamins and minerals, adding 1/2-1 teaspoon of plain tahini or almond butter is recommended to improve absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

When to stop

If the juice causes diarrhea, pain, or bloating, stop and return to the previous stage. During a flare-up, or if you have an intestinal stricture, consult your care team before adding juices, vegetables, or fruit to your diet.

This is general news information and is not a substitute for personal advice from a doctor or dietitian.