Living with Crohn's Disease - A Resource Guide
Navigating a new diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease can be a challenging and confusing time. To add to the confusion, searching for guidance online can lead to stumbling upon all sorts of conflicting information. In this blog post, you will find reputable resources that can help inform decisions around nutrition and other aspects of managing Crohn’s Disease, and more generally, IBD.
Crohn’s Disease is a chronic condition that causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. It can affect any part of the digestive tract (from gum to bum); however, it most commonly affects the last part of the small intestine (ileum) and colon [1]. It is one type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), with the other common type being Ulcerative Colitis.
As a Registered Dietitian living with Crohn’s Disease who values evidence-based health information, I found the resources below useful as an initial stepping stone to understand my unique nutritional needs, and certain dietary habits or patterns that can be beneficial for managing this chronic condition. In addition to nutrition guidance, the resources below offer information on a variety of other topics, including medications, helpful apps, ostomies, access to support groups, and more.
Since Crohn’s Disease can affect any part of the digestive tract, the experience and symptoms can vary quite a lot from person to person. A piece of advice that may be helpful for one person may not be for another. For additional support in identifying your unique nutritional needs, it may be helpful to seek guidance from a Registered Dietitian.
Falling down an internet rabbit hole and having to sort through heaps of information and misinformation is all too common. The resources below will help you get on the right track when it comes to accessing quality information on living with Crohn’s Disease, and more broadly, IBD. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list - other great resources exist, for example some hospital websites. The resource list below will hopefully get you started with practical nutrition advice and recipes, answer questions you may have, and also get you thinking about questions to ask your healthcare team.
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is a great place to start! The Diet and Nutrition page contains information on nutrients to consider, types of diets for IBD, diet after IBD surgery, microbiome and IBD, among many other topics. The Additional Resources page offers informative videos on the topic of diet and IBD. My Gut is a free app that helps you track digestive symptoms, diet, sleep, and more. Tracking symptoms and lifestyle habits can help with identifying trends/patterns and isolating various triggers. The IBD Kitchen page offers a downloadable IBD friendly recipe book, while the Gutsy Support page contains information on online peer support and virtual peer support events.
Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation
The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation offers an extensive recipe list on their Gut Friendly Recipes page. With over 500 healthy recipes to choose from, you are bound to find some favourites. Some recipes also include suggestions for ingredient swaps if managing specific situations such as flares or strictures. This website also offers some information on Special IBD Diets, as well as Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation. The Diet, Culture, and Your Body page covers risks of restrictive diets, restrictive eating and IBD, and cultural considerations around diet and IBD.
Canadian Society of Intestinal Research
The Canadian Society of Intestinal Research is another resource for recipe ideas. The IBD Kitchen page has a downloadable IBD comfort foods recipe booklet. The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Nutrition Tips page offers great tips for eating in a flare versus in remission, nutrients to consider, supplementation, and unique considerations for Crohn’s Disease. The Ostomies page offers an extensive ostomy topic list with links to lots of helpful information.
Nutritional Therapy for IBD
Nutritional Therapy for IBD is a non-profit organization with a specific focus of providing education and resources on evidence-based nutrition for the management of IBD. The Therapeutic Diets page offers in-depth information on special diets for IBD, and there are links to available research. The Nutritional Symposia and Webinars page offers in-depth video lectures on topics related to nutrition and IBD. The Patient Pathway page offers information for IBD patients on nutritional therapy, and recipes that can be filtered in various ways, including by specific nutritional therapy. Given many special diets are restrictive either in the short or long-term, it is recommended to seek guidance from a healthcare professional such as a Registered Dietitian before transitioning to a special diet to ensure your nutritional needs will be met.
IBD Clinical and Research Centre University of Manitoba
The IBD Clinical and Research Centre offers information on Nutrition and IBD. The Past Research & Publications page contains summaries and findings of research on a variety of IBD-related topics, including microbiome, nutrition, causes and risks, mental health, and more.
Written by: Pauline Bakowski, MHSc, RD
Reviewed by: Cheryl Ching, MSc, RD & Kristie Pun, MHSc, RD
Publication Date: June 14, 2023
Disclaimer: Our blog content is for general education purposes and may not be suitable for individual health conditions. Please see your health professional or book an appointment with one of our dietitians for personalized health recommendations.
References:
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada (2023, June 11) . What are Crohn’s and Colitis? https://crohnsandcolitis.ca/About-Crohn-s-Colitis/What-are-Crohns-and-Colitis
