Being an Ostomate & having a bowel disease is not easy, we live with this everyday and sometimes those days are a real battle. As I have got older I have started to really take notice of how my body reacts to foods. I have come to the conclusion that believing you have a bowel disease that was magically cured after surgery is not the case. I always believed that after my surgeries I was cured but little did I know that I was lying to myself.

However that’s not to say that I haven’t lived my life to the full I have accepted my body and the limitations that being an ostomate and IBD sufferer has affected me personally. It has never stopped me doing all the things that I have wanted to do. I have eaten what I wanted drank what I wanted and not cared about how my body has reacted to certain foods.

I guess now as I am in my late 40’s and approaching my 50’s it’s about time that I listened to what my body has been telling me regarding my diet. I never took any notice of the foods that I have allergies too I ignored the flares just putting it down to a bug. I have now had IBD for nearly half my life and a stoma for 30 years (yeah I know I can’t believe it either)

I read recently that when you reach your 40’s your IBD can change, flare ups can become frequent. I’m not sure if that’s particularly accurate but for me I guess it is, what did I do to change that? I hear you ask. If you have read my Lisa Diet page you will know that I became a pescatarian about 4 years ago after 2 years I decided to go dairy free as well, my poor tum was not accepting dairy at all. I know that as ostomates and people with bowel disease eating a carnivore diet is recommended, so you get all the essential vitamins and minerals, B12 is a factor especially if you have an ileostomy. B12 isn’t produced naturally but once eaten it is readily stored in the ileum which leads to the large intestine. I always take B12 and extra vitamins & minerals just to be on the safe side.

I always wanted to stop eating meat but was always put off by the fact that it could affect my stoma. Our diets are so important not just for us but for everyone, diet and exercise is the key to health. Think of your body as a car if you put rubbish fuel in it or the wrong fuel in it your car won’t run efficiently or indeed run at all.

My stomach has been quite bad lately the flares have been frequent so many foods were upsetting me. I kept a diary I listed all foods I had eaten, all reactions I had, how my mood was, how I felt and my stoma output. I needed to get on top of my diet problems I have always had a bit of a reaction to fish but again I chose to ignore that. After a process of elimination and having so many reactions to foods I was able to determine that I indeed have a bit of an allergy to fish. I am now taking an Omega 3 supplement so I don’t get low and cause other problems.

After establishing what was affecting me I have started to feel better I do have reactions to certain foods eating out can be an issue but as they are only mild reactions. Ulcers, stomach upsets that sort of thing I have decided to take the hit. I had to introduce dairy into my diet but I will only have cheese and butter I still won’t drink milk preferring soya or going without. I will have a little cream however too much makes me feel sick, I had a Cornish cream tea recently. I did suffer but god it was worth it. I even have cake, again taking the hit but I’m realising that I can’t be a nun about every food or I will turn into a runner bean.

These are the main things that I have found that really affect me & generally make me feel sick and I will try to avoid them.

• Fish
• Processed foods
• Certain Oils (Sunflower oil being the worst)
• Chillies & anything spicy
• Foods that are to salty

If I do suffer reactions I detox for a week when I say detox that just means fruit & vegetables no alcohol and no caffeine or sweet treats. This clears my flare ups and allergies. The best diet for me is a complete vegetarian diet with extra supplements, I weigh myself regularly I exercise regularly. I am very conscious of my diet my health and my weight and not getting too slim.

If you are suffering with diet problems always seek advice from a medical professional or dietician.

So in conclusion always listen to your body.

Lisa Xx