Ulcerative colitis is a common inflammatory bowel disease that results in chronic inflammation and ulcers along your digestive tract. It can affect all areas of your digestive tract, but most affects the colon and rectum. Some of the symptoms of ulcerative colitis include diarrhea, abdominal cramping, pain, rectal bleeding, weight loss, fatigue, fever, and a need to use the bathroom suddenly.
These symptoms can be difficult to manage and greatly affect your life. If you are looking for ways to help treat and reduce the symptoms of ulcerative colitis, here are some simple lifestyle tips to help you manage your disease:
1. Keep a food journal
One of the most effective ways to help you manage the symptoms of your disease is to keep a food journal. If you are able to keep a food journal, you can help determine which foods may make your symptoms worse. In your food journal you should record the food you ate, the time you ate it and any symptoms that you may have during the day. The longer you keep a journal, the better off you will be at finding patterns between the foods you eat and the symptoms you have.
2. Avoid triggers
Another great way to help manage and reduce symptoms of this disease is to avoid triggers. For example, certain foods (berries or fruits with seeds and rich or fatty foods) may trigger a reaction. While most people tend to have mild to moderate symptoms of this disease, it can act up harshly and suddenly. Avoiding triggers that make this disease act up can make it more manageable.
3. Limit fiber
Limiting the amount of fiber that you eat helps reduce the amount of residue that enters your intestines. If you are able to lower your fiber consumption to less than fifteen grams per day you may notice a huge difference in your symptoms. Keep a journal of how much fiber you eat and determine if you notice a difference.
4. Exercise regularly
While exercising may not have a huge impact on your symptoms, it can significantly help to improve your mood. Living with ulcerative colitis can be a difficult thing to manage, but exercising can help boost your mood and make you feel better about your current situation.
5. Reduce stress
Stress is not the cause of the inflammatory bowel disease and cannot cause the disease, however, it can cause some of the symptoms. Stress can act as a trigger that results in flare-up symptoms of this disease. It can make the symptoms worse, so it is important for people to reduce the amount of stress that they have in their lives.
6. Eat small meals
Eating small meals allows those living with ulcerative colitis to avoid filling the digestive system too much or too quickly. If you are able to eat smaller meals and eat them more slowly, it will be putting less food into your digestive system. This reduces how hard your body has to work and can help reduce the symptoms of the disease. You can still eat the same amount as you would in a day, but try to break it up into smaller meals throughout the course of a day. Rather than eating three large meals, try to eat five small meals throughout the day and determine if it has any impact on your symptoms.
