For a Crohn's patient with active symptoms, it can be difficult to get the nutrition we need. When it hurts just to eat anything, eating becomes something we don't even want to think about. Listed are a few ways I have used to get as much nutrition as possible.
Green Food Formula - This is a powder of Phytonutrient Dense Superfoods and sprouted grains. It mixes with water and you drink a couple glasses a day. The particular formula I use also has homeostatic soil organisms which help replace the living organisms our gut needs but lacks due to the constant shedding of the intestinal lining with Crohn's disease.
Protein Smoothies - Twice a day or as a meal replacement if eating is particularly painful. I make mine following a baseline recipe from "The Maker's Diet." It uses 2 raw eggs (organic, cage free have the most nutrition), about a Tbsp of coconut oil, about a Tbsp of flax oil, a couple Tbsp of raw unheated honey ( I buy from a farmer down the road), and about 8 ounces of plain goats milk yogurt. To this I add whatever flavors I feel like-a handful of berries (frozen or fresh), maybe ground coffee and almonds, maybe chocolate, the options are endless, but choose anti-inflammatory ingredients.
Cod Liver Oil - One Tbsp in the morning and one at night helps control inflammation in the small intestine.
Multi-Vitamins - They are NOT all created equal. You really do get what you pay for here. Chemically isolated and synthetic vitamins are largely unusable in your Crohn's ravaged body. There are multi-vitamins that are derived directly from the plants and foods which contain the nutrients naturally and give them to your body in their naturally occuring state. I have found several sources and while they are not cheap, they provide nutrients that would otherwise be wasted in our intestines.
Wild Fish - I find that fish is easier to digest than most other meats when Crohn's disease symptoms are active. Wild-caught, cold ocean water fish, such as salmon, tuna, cod, halibut are all good choices. They are not only protein dense, but they provide extra omega-3 fatty acids which fight inflammation. I keep tuna "lunch kits" around for handy snacking.
Goat's Milk Yogurt - Goat's milk is molecularly closer to mother's breast milk than cow's milk. Many Crohn's sufferers are also lactose intolerant and goats milk is the perfect answer. The yogurt from goat's milk (found at health food stores and whole food stores) can be flavored to your liking by adding a small handful of fresh fruits or berries such as apple or blueberries, both of which are anti-inflammatory.
Unpasteurized Goat's Milk - If you can get it (it isn't legal in most states to sell unpasteurized milk) has the added benefit of providing lots of healthy bacteria to your gut. Likely, you've been taking alot of medication including antibiotics which will have removed the good bacteria from your system as well as the bad bacteria. Pasteurization kills all the bacteria in milk, good and bad, which is why I opt for unpasteurized milk. In my area, we can buy "shares" of a goat, just like "shares" of a company. So I can get unpasteurized milk from the goat whose share I have bought, and the farmer isn't exactly selling unpasteurized milk.
These are just a few of the ways to get nutrition when your body isn't cooperating. And when you are feeling better, more anti-inflammatory solids can be added to your diet.
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