Diet for Ulcerative Colitis:
Diet Plan for Sufferers of Ulcerative Colitis
By Dr. Ben Kim
DrBenKim.comAs a follow up to part one of this series on a natural treatment program for ulcerative colitis, this article provides a specific dietary plan that many people with ulcerative colitis and other types of inflammatory bowel disease can benefit from.
The following dietary plan is appropriate for people with ulcerative colitis who are not in the midst of a flare up:
Breakfast Choices
1. Fruit smoothie made with bananas, blueberries, and enough water to get it going.
2. Bowl of porridge made out of long grain white rice (2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice), a small handful of raisins (cooked for at least 5 minutes), and a sprinkle of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of raw or unpasteurized honey.
3. Green smoothie made with 2-3 peaches, 2 tablespoons of blueberries or blackberries, 2 big handfuls of spinach, and enough water to blend everything together.
Note: if you are taking food powders like a super green food or acerola cherry powder, you can mix them in with any of these smoothies. On days when you don't make a smoothie, you can take these food powders with water.
Lunch Choices
1. Steamed sweet potato, avocado, and one or two soft boiled eggs.
2. Steamed zucchini, avocado, and a potato-based soup. Please see our archive of healthy soup recipes for several potato-based soup ideas.
3. Long grain white rice (1.5 cups of water for 1 cup of rice), steamed cabbage, and hummus.
4. Quinoa (2 cups of water for 1 cup of quinoa), avocado, and steamed butternut or acorn squash.
Dinner Choices - I recommend taking Carlson cod liver oil right before or with dinner.
1. Long grain white rice (1.5 cups of water for 1 cup of rice) with chickpeas and avocado, dressed with extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice, to taste.
2. Avocado-orange salad with raw or steamed wild salmon.
3. Quinoa (2 cups of water for 1 cup of quiona) with mashed garlic sweet potatoes and avocado.
4. Steamed zucchini, steamed carrots, steamed red beets, and sardines.
Note: If you are not taking a green food powder that contains friendly bacteria sometime during the day, I recommend taking another high quality source of friendly bacteria with or right after dinner - Dr. Ohhira's professional grade probiotic is the one that I highly recommend.
If you prefer not to take a probiotic supplement, you can add a traditionally fermented food to your dinner meal, such as kim chi or sauerkraut.
Snacks
1. Any fresh fruit in season.
2. Baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, or chestnuts.
3. Small handful of raw walnuts that have been soaked for at least two hours.
4. Any of the smoothies listed under breakfast choices.
If you are in the midst of a flare up, you can follow the same general guidelines listed above, but you should lean towards eating the food choices that are cooked rather than those that are raw.
Please observe how your body reacts to each of your food choices and make adjustments accordingly.
Be sure to chew all of your foods well and to follow other principles of eating for optimal digestion.
Other Recommendations:
1. Whenever possible, allow your skin to be exposed to sunlight. Just be sure not to get burned.
2. Make it a habit to breathe deeply from your abdomen at least once every five minutes for every hour that you are awake. Doing so will help to keep your parasympathetic nervous system active and your sympathetic nervous system subdued, which is important for promoting a healthy digestive tract.
3. Consider spending at least fifteen minutes each day writing any and all thoughts that come to mind in a private journal. Don't censor yourself, and be sure that no one else can see it. Write down all thoughts that pop up in your head, no matter now ridiculous they seem. This exercise can help increase your awareness of emotional stressors that may not be obvious at first thought.
4. If life circumstances allow, do something that you really enjoy every day. Think of an activity that is fun for you and make time for it.
5. Each day upon awakening and before you go to sleep, spend a few minutes thinking about:
Loved ones who deeply care about your well-being
Family and friends that you deeply care for
Things that you are grateful for
I hope that these guidelines prove to be useful.
In case you missed it, please feel free to review part one of this look at addressing inflammatory bowel disease here:
A Natural Treatment Program For Ulcerative Colitis
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