5 MYTHS AND TRUTHS ON NUTRITION FOR OSTOMATES

OR PEOPLE WITH AN IBD

Nutrition is a popular topic right now.

I can easily understand why people care about nutrition, because it's something I've been passionate about for over 20 years. I made my career choice and I worked hard to earn my Bachelor's degree in Nutrition. This is the only way to become a nutrition specialist in Quebec. A huge part of my job consists of talking with people to see what information their retained after reading or talking about nutrition, and help them nuance said information so they have a good basis.

On this blog, I'll share the general notions I have to popularise when I talk about IBDs or ostomy. Obviously the information won't be custom-made for you, but I hope I'll be able to clear up some misconceptions you may have read or heard.

There's a lot of misinformation about nutrition, so we've got a lot of work to do!

For starters I'll give you a sample of what I'll talk about in my next articles!

Myth or reality?

1. There isn't a specific diet for people suffering from an IBD, or for ostomates.

TRUE. Diets usually are adapted depending on someone's level of tolerance. So diets for people suffering from an IBD need to meet their nutrient needs and satisfy their need of eating.

2. People with an IBD can't eat fibers.

FALSE. You need to watch out for bertain types of fibers during the acute phases of your disease. However, depending on your level of tolerance, you can start eating them again.

3. Ostomates have a lot of dietary restrictions.

FALSE. Unless stated otherwise, ostomates don't have to systemamtically remove certain foods from their diet after the post-operative period (roughly six weeks after your surgery). Obviously, people with dietary restrictions due to other health problems, such as diabetes or celiac disease, must still respect them.

4. Certain types of food cause more odors and gas.

This is TRUE for everyone, and not just ostomates! Certain foods facilitates the formation of gas, but this doesn't mean it will happen to YOU. Instead of not eating these foods at all, see how well you tolerate them first.

5. Certain foods affect stool consistency and colour.

TRUE. Again, this is true for everyone and not just ostomates.

Would you like to know more?

Continue to follow me and don't hesitate to write me comments and suggestions!

Nadine Bonneville
R.D. nutritionist, M.Sc, B.A (Psy)