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Posted 1/10/2009 9:31 PM (GMT -5)
Hi everyone.  I am so thankful I found this site.  I am newly diagnosed (a week on Monday).  I am feeling so lost at this point since my appt with the GI is not for another week.  The pain that sent me to the DR that startedall the testing is subsiding.  I am still suffering from diarrhea which is slightly bloody.  Family dr has me on a prednisone pack to get me over to the GI. 

I am finally able to eat again but am wondering what in the world should I eat.  Should I just eat nutrious food as I can since I lost 18 pounds during this last episode?  Is there anything I should avoid.  I have completly given up pop since the caffiene and carbonation really seem to bother me.  Problem is I am SICK of water.  I do love iced tea and bought some that is decaf.  My question is about artificial sweetners.  I can not stand full sugar.  Does the artifical sweetners seem to have a negative effect on UC? 

How in the world do you even begin to understand where to begin with all of this?  Seems like everything I am reading is that I should avoid just about everything that I normally eat. 

I love eggs?  What about the pro's and con's of eggs?  The protein seems to keep me going.  I also eat banana's and peeled apples and applesauce (no sugar added kind). 

I just don't know what to eat and how to manage it with a husband and daughter.  How do I cook for them and me? 

Other than the prednisone pack I have not been started on any medication until I can get further testing (colonoscopy) from a GI.  Any advice for a newbie that won't have any answers until at least the 21st?

Thanks

Posted 1/10/2009 9:54 PM (GMT -5)
If you can tolerate artificial sugers (I can't) that's one thing, but sugars in general are not great for those with digestive issues because the bad bacteria in our colons thrive on that stuff.
Posted 1/10/2009 9:55 PM (GMT -5)

artificial sweetners screw me up more than plain old sugar. They screwed up my stomach before I was even diagnosed with UC. I think it is individual for everyone but definitely use it with caution. Eggs, bananas, and applesauce don't seem to cause me any issues right now.

Posted 1/10/2009 10:30 PM (GMT -5)
Eggs do not cause me any issues. I do drink mostly water and don't mind it. I rarely drink sodas but have had none since being diagnosed or when this last flare came about. I either have a half and half tea (half sweet/half unsweet) or water. I did drink a good amount of Gatorade when this flare first started to try and keep myself hydrated but I was so sick then, I am not sure if that worsened it or what because it seemed everything was making me sick.

I had Cracker Barrell the other day and ate eggs, grits, bacon, hashbrowns and biscuits/gravy for dinner. The next morning I felt great so none of those seemed to bother me. Grilled chicken, tuna and turkey have all been ok for me as well.

Hope this helps. Like you will read a millions times, this condition is very individualistic so what works for some might not work for others. :)
Posted 1/10/2009 10:41 PM (GMT -5)
Artificial sweetners are the biggest NO for me...more than anything that I know of thus far.   Any kind will make me sick the next couple days guaranteed.  I've noticed many others with UC stay away from them as well.  I stick with normal sugar as it doesn't seem to bother me.

As far as anything else goes, the best thing to do is start a journal right away.  I did the same thing when I was first diagnosed.  Write down everything you eat/drink (i did this for months, so plan on it taking a bit of time).  It will be worth it, as you will be able to narrow down what you can/can't eat.  When you have a bad day (one that is worse than your current 'normal'), go back a day or two and start highlighting things that could be the culprit.  As you do this for a couple months or so, you'll get to know what you can handle. 

Basically eat what you can handle.  I also drank Ensure Plus for a while which helped me put on alot of weight quickly.  Eggs were fine for me, I actually ate them frequently after getting out of the hospital...along with baked potatoes (w/o skins), skinless chicken, ate alot of rice krispies with rice milk (since cow's milk might bother you...actually tasted good together), I'll send more ideas later if I can think of some.  Hope some of this helps.

Posted 1/10/2009 10:43 PM (GMT -5)
I drink mainly water or decaff iced tea. Decaff coffee on weekends, and heineken beer. I am tryin to live gluten free, and following the spinach/sunflower diet posted on here. These things are seeming to work for me..... but you may be different. I have no problems with lean red meat, while some on here do. I can also eat raw veggies, but not salad ( lettuce seems to be a trigger ).
My advice since you are newly diagnosed.... keep to soft foods, oatmeal, brown rice. If ya want read meat, go with LEAN burger. already ground. Or chicken, or fish. Watch dairy or wheat products. Those affect me and some others on here... but you might be alright.
also My advice... read the spinach/sunflower seed diet. I admit I am biased to this one cause it seems to work for ME. but do your research, keep your own records.
Posted 1/10/2009 10:44 PM (GMT -5)
Stay away from sugar, pop high carbs artificial anything is my advice. Your body does not need man-made processed junk.
Posted 1/10/2009 10:52 PM (GMT -5)
I second what crazytrain says, researchers also say that caffeine, animal fats, fast-foods/processed foods/beverages can exacerbate IBD symptoms...as far as what healthy food choices you have, it's all trial and error, only you will know what does or doesn't agree with you and it can be completely different from other IBDers.

:)
Posted 1/12/2009 2:33 AM (GMT -5)
I also get sick of drinking water all day. I drink Tension Tamer tea from Celestial Seasonings. It contains many anti-inflammatory ingredients; so it is actually better than water. It also contains B6 and B12, has a naturally sweet flavor, and is caffeine free. I don't think it's good to overdue anything; so I drink no more than two cups (made from one tea bag) a day.

I'm fructose intolerent--most likely due to all the high-fructose corn syrup beverages I was drinking. My liver can't handle most sugars well anymore. Artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol, mannitol, isomalt... are far worse than cane sugar. I also have trouble with honey, maple syrup, fruit syrups, and of course high-fructose corn syrup.

The best way to know what you can and can not eat is to start keeping a food diary and experiment. Some of the things to watch out for are:

Wheat
Gluten
Fructose
Lactose
Yeast
Posted 1/12/2009 6:06 AM (GMT -5)
For 3 years, I was terrified to try the artificial sweeteners, because of what I read on here. Instead, I would avoid sodas etc, or break my own rules every now and then and have a delicious Coke (my favorite thing on the planet). The sugar would almost ALWAYS give me increased symptoms.

Then one day, I said screw it and tried a diet coke. It tasted like crap, but the artificial sugars didn't bother me in the slightest. Life is better now- I at least have options if I want a fizzy drink.

Remember, diabetics can get UC too, and they have to swear by artificial sweeteners.

The disease is incredibly individual... try everything yourself, be prepared (but not anticipating) consequences... and you'll learn your boundaries. There are very few hard and fast rules for UC diet.
Posted 1/12/2009 11:55 AM (GMT -5)
If you read and follow all of the suggestions of what not to eat, you will surely starve to death. Among the list you will find is meat, high-fiber foods, dairy, wheat and other gluten-containing grains, sugar, fats, spicey foods, anything fried, anything with man-made or manipulated ingredients and on and on.

It just shows that different foods bother different people. The only way to be sure is to keep a food diary for a few months, then look back and see what clearly bothers you every time you eat it. Food doesn't cause UC or flares; nor can it clear flares or cure UC.
Posted 1/12/2009 2:35 PM (GMT -5)

Risan1808 said...
Hi everyone.  I am so thankful I found this site.  I am newly diagnosed (a week on Monday).  I am feeling so lost at this point since my appt with the GI is not for another week.  The pain that sent me to the DR that startedall the testing is subsiding.  I am still suffering from diarrhea which is slightly bloody.  Family dr has me on a prednisone pack to get me over to the GI. 

I am finally able to eat again but am wondering what in the world should I eat.  Should I just eat nutrious food as I can since I lost 18 pounds during this last episode?  Is there anything I should avoid.  I have completly given up pop since the caffiene and carbonation really seem to bother me.  Problem is I am SICK of water.  I do love iced tea and bought some that is decaf.  My question is about artificial sweetners.  I can not stand full sugar.  Does the artifical sweetners seem to have a negative effect on UC? 

How in the world do you even begin to understand where to begin with all of this?  Seems like everything I am reading is that I should avoid just about everything that I normally eat. 

I love eggs?  What about the pro's and con's of eggs?  The protein seems to keep me going.  I also eat banana's and peeled apples and applesauce (no sugar added kind). 

I just don't know what to eat and how to manage it with a husband and daughter.  How do I cook for them and me? 

Other than the prednisone pack I have not been started on any medication until I can get further testing (colonoscopy) from a GI.  Any advice for a newbie that won't have any answers until at least the 21st?

Thanks

You might try water with lemon or lime or mixed half and half with natural fruit juices. Caffeine free teas are fine. Carbonated drinks are often a problem because of the sugar and increased gas. Your best sweetener choice is natural stevia, although oddly enough it seems now that the old saccharin we were taught to avoid is actually a much safer artifial sweetener than aspartame which is in most diet drinks. Do a search on "dangers of aspartame" and you'll see it causes all kinds of problems. Sugar alcohols (xylitol, etc.) often give even non-IBDers gut problems and should be avoided.

There's nothing wrong with eggs so long as you have no allergies to them. They are a good source of protein. My cholesterol actually got much better when I started eating eggs as part of a low carb diet. Well ripened bananas and applesauce are excellent choices for easy digestion, too. Baked apples would be easier to digest than raw.

I generally cook my own food and add other side dish choices for my husband or let him do his own cooking.

Where do you begin? In the first couple of years since my diagnosis, I read everything I could get my hands on - books and Web sites - for IBD. I experimented and kept a food journal while my doctors tried different medications. It's a process and it's going to take time, but eventually you'll learn what works for you.

Posted 1/12/2009 5:06 PM (GMT -5)
While I don't think food "caused" my UC symptoms, I can definitely say that eliminating certain foods for a time by following an anti-fungal diet helped me get my life back. As you all have said, everyone is different. The best thing to do is keep a food journal. You can't go wrong choosing whole, natural foods over processed, artificial ones. Again, you need to experiment to see which are "safe" for you, especially when you are flaring. I find I can safely eat most foods now that once would have sent me over the edge when I was sick.

I see Stevia will be introduced in some soft drinks soon. I look forward to trying that.
Posted 1/12/2009 9:51 PM (GMT -5)
Fake sugars equal instant bathroom for me...BUT everyone reacts differently. I can't touch any leafy greens either, but, again that's me.... Good luck
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