Foods to Help Keep Ulcerative Colitis Flareups at Bay
Living with ulcerative colitis doesn’t have to be a challenge. All you need to do is make small changes to your diet and lifestyle. It is important to know what to eat when ulcerative colitis flares up so that you can adopt a healthy diet to avoid experiencing any amount of discomfort. Whatever may be the cause of your flare-ups, these food items can give you an instant feeling of relief.
Hydration is key
If you have not already started increasing your daily water intake, you should as soon as ulcerative colitis starts flaring up. If sipping on plain water is difficult, you can also include healthy fruit juices in your diet. Some sports drinks and fruit juices can provide quick relief to the irritation that occurs due to ulcerative colitis. With sports drinks, your body also gets the essential carbohydrates immediately, and this can even have long-term benefits.
Smaller portions for better digestion
Besides, you understand what to eat when ulcerative colitis flares up, you should also work on your portions. The three heavy meals that people normally eat might not always be the best for your body. People with ulcerative colitis might benefit from switching to smaller, more frequent meals. This would help to keep a balance in the levels of the digestive juices in your stomach.
Fruits
There are some fruits that are best for when your symptoms flare-up. Apples are especially mild. It can be go-to comfort food for people of all age groups. As it is easily digestible, your gastrointestinal system would thank you for consuming applesauce. The other important item to consider during such times would be mashed ripe bananas. These are again soft and gentle on the stomach. The other option, when you cannot find anything else, would be canned fruits.
Yogurt
For the people who can tolerate dairy products, yogurt can be a great option. This is ideal when other food items seem to irritate your gastrointestinal system. The probiotics in yogurt are good for digestion and can enhance the health of the good bacteria in your stomach.
White rice
White rice is bland and loaded with carbohydrates. Therefore, white rice with a pinch of turmeric for taste can be just what your body needs after the irritation increases. The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric would be an added advantage in this case. Well-cooked rice is soft and can be digested quickly. You can also combine it with cooked vegetables if you need an instant energy-boosting diet.
After knowing what to eat when ulcerative colitis flares up, you can easily alleviate the discomfort that these episodes cause.