“Damned M&Ms” brings up two common topics with Crohn’s Disease – self care and what should I eat during a flare. Let’s dig in:
Self Care:
With the pain, stress, and frustration of Crohn’s, self care becomes critical. When I have a flare, I try to eat right. However, I’m human. During a flare, I can’t exercise, drink, or enjoy most of my other outlets for stress, so I need to treat myself every once in a while. I need comforts to remind myself of why I’m going through all of this. Should I have eaten those M&Ms? No. Did I regret it? No. Did my fiancé understand? Absolutely not. During a flare, it can be difficult to balance of taking care of yourself and enjoying your life. It gets taxing.
What should I eat during a flare?
Experience is the best teacher here. Doctors will tell you to avoid nuts, seeds, and popcorn since they can get caught and cause complications. Spicy foods can cause irritation and pain. Raw fruits and vegetables can be difficult to digest. I also personally have the most trouble with oily and greasy foods. In terms of what works, my go to’s are peanut butter and chicken. Seriously. Creamy peanut butter and grilled chicken. I’ve heard that peanut oil is good for digestion. I’m not sure if that’s true, but I do know that peanut butter always processes smoothly and is a decent source of protein. Chicken is a non-stringy protein that is also easy to digest. And no, I have not been paid by either the peanut butter or chicken industries for my endorsement.