What can I eat that will boost my cycling, I'm on a Low Fibre Diet..

tonysj
tonysj Posts: 391
edited September 2019 in Training, fitness and health
Hi All,

I have Crohns diesese and the condition is getting worse so yesterday I had the Old Camera Snake up the jacksie and things don't look very good.
I've been put on steroids to control the inflammation in my intestines and they have put me on a LOW FIBRE DIET ( LFD ).
I used to eat plenty of fruit, oats, seeds and nuts but this LFD is going to be hard work by the looks of it as what I tend to eat is a lot of fibre rich foods.

Is there anyone who can advise me of what they eat LF that helps fuel their cycling?

As an example, on rides I eat Home made flapjack which contains Oats, a variety of seed, dates etc. These are the foods I need to avoid which is going to be a problem.

My pre-ride drink/breakfast is a GCN Banoffee drink made the night before. This contains, Oats and sliced banana mainly with sugar and milk/yogurt. I have to avoid the Oats and banana again.

Any recipes or advice on what I can eat/make pre-ride and eat during a ride.

Thanks.
Tony.
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Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    Rice crackers?

    I know a lady who has cleared Crohn's disease with diet... but I don't think it was a low fibre diet, started liquid, then slowly introduced solids.
    The imperative is to get rid of dairy from your diet.

    The NHS approach to auto immune diseases is quite poor, it's not aimed at curing, but managing. I am surprised you developed Crohn's with a healthy diet, did you take many drugs like antibiotics or NSAIDs in the past?
    left the forum March 2023
  • svetty
    svetty Posts: 1,904
    Rice crackers?

    I know a lady who has cleared Crohn's disease with diet... but I don't think it was a low fibre diet, started liquid, then slowly introduced solids.
    The imperative is to get rid of dairy from your diet.

    The NHS approach to auto immune diseases is quite poor, it's not aimed at curing, but managing. I am surprised you developed Crohn's with a healthy diet, did you take many drugs like antibiotics or NSAIDs in the past?
    This is so far off as to be disturbing. I suggest you leave medicine to Drs.
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    Svetty wrote:
    This is so far off as to be disturbing. I suggest you leave medicine to Drs.

    FYI

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11743245
    left the forum March 2023
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    The NHS approach to auto immune diseases is quite poor, it's not aimed at curing, but managing.

    It's hardly the NHS' fault that there is no known cure for Crohn's - and nor is it an 'auto-immune' disease. Stick to topics about wheelbuilding..
  • svetty
    svetty Posts: 1,904
    Svetty wrote:
    This is so far off as to be disturbing. I suggest you leave medicine to Drs.

    FYI

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11743245

    One 17 yr old paper that suggests that a minority of patients with Crohn's are also more likely to have a degree of lactulose intolerance. IOW not relevant to the majority of Crohns pts and of minor benefit to the minority it does apply to.

    Please stop peddling quack notions to real people with real conditions - they need proper medical help from real Drs.
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    Rice crackers seem to be a popular snack at stage races, where maintaining a healthy gut is essential to vitamins and nutrients absorption and ultimately to perform well.
    During the activity, you can probably allow yourself isotonic sugary drinks in moderation.

    I would avoid recovery protein drinks as the plague, if I were you
    left the forum March 2023
  • TonySJ wrote:
    GCN Banoffee drink

    Ingredients:
    90g quick oats (about a cup)
    A pinch of salt
    Few drops of vanilla essence
    30g muscovado sugar (2 tablespoons)
    1 espresso (about 50ml)
    200ml skimmed milk
    1 medium sized ripe banana (100g when peeled)
    150g natural low-fat greek style yogurt
    10g (1 square) of dark chocolate

    Can see much wrong with this type of 'food'.........

    Can you take a couple of cooked potatoes with you when riding?
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • photonic69
    photonic69 Posts: 2,410
    I'm afraid I too have recently developed IBD-U (Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unclassified). It developed over a year or so and became worse about 7 months ago. I too had a Colonoscopy which detected a very inflamed Colon along its entire length. I'm currently on Salofalk, a 5-ASA treatment and a Low Residue Diet.

    Low residue or low fiber really sucks! Being vegetarian really doesn't help having been used to eating a lot of fresh fruit and veg, wholegrains, nuts, pulses, etc etc for the last 30 years. I'm now on pappy white bread, cornflakes for breakfast, well cooked veg, no pulses, no nuts, no wholemeal bread, no musili, no porridge, NADA... It's rubbish. Feel constantly hungry all the time and have to fill up on plain rich tea biscuits as a snack, nibbled really slowly. On the plus side - Crisps are now considered a 'vegetable' on the list of foods I got from the NHS!!!

    I too cut down on Lactose (lactose free milk/cheese/dairy free marge etc) but that has made little change. The consultant confirmed this for me that is has little effect.

    As for riding I fill up on cornflakes and a couple of pieces of white bread toast with seedless jams. Cafe stop halfway and have a bland cake such as Victoria sponge or danish pastries of whatever has the least fiber and no nuts. Also drink sugar solution in one bidon and water in the other. That and Jelly Babies and glucose tablets give me enough to get a 60-80 ride in with lots of climbing. Always neck a couple of immodium in the morning of a ride 'just in case'

    IBD is sh!t. Quite literally!


    Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly.

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    PhotoNic69 wrote:

    I too cut down on Lactose (lactose free milk/cheese/dairy free marge etc) but that has made little change. The consultant confirmed this for me that is has little effect.

    Have you tried alternatives, as in not derived from milk, as opposed to lactose free? Although if you can't eat nuts, pulses and oats, then you are left with no real options
    left the forum March 2023
  • svetty
    svetty Posts: 1,904
    PhotoNic69 wrote:

    IBD is sh!t, blood and mucus. Quite literally!
    FIFY ;)
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • photonic69
    photonic69 Posts: 2,410
    PhotoNic69 wrote:

    I too cut down on Lactose (lactose free milk/cheese/dairy free marge etc) but that has made little change. The consultant confirmed this for me that is has little effect.

    Have you tried alternatives, as in not derived from milk, as opposed to lactose free? Although if you can't eat nuts, pulses and oats, then you are left with no real options

    Yup, the wife and kids take soya milk but it doesn't agree with me and is worse than lactose free milk. I might try Oat milk - it's not the oats/nuts/pulses that are the problem i.e. any chemical they contain rather the fact they are not very digestible and irritate the gut further


    Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly.

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    PhotoNic69 wrote:

    Yup, the wife and kids take soya milk but it doesn't agree with me and is worse than lactose free milk. I might try Oat milk - it's not the oats/nuts/pulses that are the problem i.e. any chemical they contain rather the fact they are not very digestible and irritate the gut further

    Oatly is nice, in a cup of tea you hardly notice it's not dairy... I've even made ice cream with it :D
    left the forum March 2023
  • chris_bass
    chris_bass Posts: 4,913
    I was having digestive issues (i'll spare you the details!) and switched to a low FODMAP diet - it is to do with where the food is digested - low fodmap is higher in the intestine and so cause fewer issues (i think! i'm no dietitian!). This has really helped me, not entirely but i'm a lot better than i was.

    However, i was also listening to something about the placebo effect and the cases where it "works" the best are among IBS treatments where the placebo works in about 42% of the trials. So it may well be all in my mind! But it works so i don't care why it does!
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • svetty
    svetty Posts: 1,904
    There is a world of difference between IBS and IBD........
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • chris_bass
    chris_bass Posts: 4,913
    Svetty wrote:
    There is a world of difference between IBS and IBD........

    I wasn't suggesting they were the same
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • tonysj
    tonysj Posts: 391
    Thanks for all the replies guys.
    What really P*isses me off is that about 1 year ago I decided to up my Healthy intake of Fibre, as recommended , so Ive got used to eating Nice healthy nutritional food and now I just feel very low about it all.
    I reduced my red meat ate more fruit and veg loads of seeds, nuts and wholewheat foods rather than the whites only to be kicked in the teeth after the colonoscopy result/probe.
    Ive always managed my Crohns without any Meds in the past, as I'm allegic to most of the Immuno-suppressant stuff.
    Breakfast used to be - 2 wheat biscuits, Mixed berries, red and black currants, raspberries, black berries and strawberries with milled seeds and nuts on top with semi skimmed milk. Out of that lot there's only Strawberries and milk I can have on this F***king LFD....
    I went for a ride today of 38 miles and can still put a good effort in but I just cant see that lasting much longer..
    Regards.
    T.
  • tonysj
    tonysj Posts: 391
    Chris Bass wrote:
    I was having digestive issues (i'll spare you the details!) and switched to a low FODMAP diet - it is to do with where the food is digested - low fodmap is higher in the intestine and so cause fewer issues (i think! i'm no dietitian!). This has really helped me, not entirely but i'm a lot better than i was.

    However, i was also listening to something about the placebo effect and the cases where it "works" the best are among IBS treatments where the placebo works in about 42% of the trials. So it may well be all in my mind! But it works so i don't care why it does!
    CB thanks for posting but I've had a look at the FODMAP list of foods and there's a lot of foods on the "Good" list that I've been told to avoid so I will have to find some foods that are ok for my cycling days.
    I had a gel on a ride as I've got lots but never take them preferring real food, but it gave me horrendous heartburn almost instantly.
    White pasta seems the obvious evening before a ride meal and I may have to substitute my HM flapjack and go over to HM rice bars/cakes so If anyone has a decent recipe could they post it up please.
    Regards.
    T
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    There's certainly some autoimmune phenomena where IBD is concerned. CD and UC do come about slightly differently though.

    OP, some good tips so far on here - rice cakes and jam sandwiches being two! PowerBar do a _during_ bar that is chewy and a bit more artificial than the other bars. I've used them before and found them effective in terms of performance and in terms of not loading my gut with fibre.

    I can't find a link, but that look like yellow Wham bars!

    Those and Clif Shot Bloks.

    Best of luck - let us know how you get on!
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_h_ppcc/
    Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/143173475@N05/
  • twotoebenny
    twotoebenny Posts: 1,422
    I also suffer with CD. Can I ask why they have you on low fibre diet? I've never been on a specific diet although I also have coeliac disease so no gluten. I've heard that there are people who have controlled IBD via diet but everyone is different.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    I've heard that there are people who have controlled IBD via diet but everyone is different.

    True, but the common denominator is that they are inflammatory processes. Dairy is known to promote inflammation (nothing clears acne as going dairy free), so best avoided in all cases... not that we ever evolved to eat other animals' milk, so it seems pretty pointless to consume it anyway
    left the forum March 2023
  • svetty
    svetty Posts: 1,904
    I've heard that there are people who have controlled IBD via diet but everyone is different.

    True, but the common denominator is that they are inflammatory processes. Dairy is known to promote inflammation (nothing clears acne as going dairy free), so best avoided in all cases... not that we ever evolved to eat other animals' milk, so it seems pretty pointless to consume it anyway
    Give it a rest FFS! You are just plain wrong and peddling mumbo-jumbo - although quite why you feel the need to do so is perhaps another question.
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    Svetty wrote:
    although quite why you feel the need to do so is perhaps another question.

    ... because I want to replace every bottle of milk in the land with a pair of handbuilt wheels, clearly... just in the same way as I want to replace every closed road sportive with an Audax run by octogenarians in sandals, every Pinarello with a Dolan... this is my ambition, my legacy...

    If you want to patrol the forum for unwarranted opinions and put a lid to anything that is not the official version of the story of which you are the custodian, I suggest you contact Josh and get added to the list of moderators, there is always a need for volunteers.
    Alternatively, you can report any such comment...

    Otherwise, just let people speak, the OP sounds perfectly capable of making up his own mind, without your intervention
    left the forum March 2023
  • Svetty wrote:
    although quite why you feel the need to do so is perhaps another question.

    ... because I want to replace every bottle of milk in the land with a pair of handbuilt wheels, clearly... just in the same way as I want to replace every closed road sportive with an Audax run by octogenarians in sandals, every Pinarello with a Dolan... this is my ambition, my legacy...

    If you want to patrol the forum for unwarranted opinions and put a lid to anything that is not the official version of the story of which you are the custodian, I suggest you contact Josh and get added to the list of moderators, there is always a need for volunteers.
    Alternatively, you can report any such comment...

    Otherwise, just let people speak, the OP sounds perfectly capable of making up his own mind, without your intervention

    :lol::lol::lol:
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    That is a smackdown and 1/2.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    That is a smackdown and 1/2.

    Wrong, no animosity on my part, but there are rules on this forum and most of us do our best to adhere. There is no rule that prevents an individual to express an opinion, no matter how outrageous that might sound, as long as it doesn't offend other users. I could say that the Earth is flat and I would not be breaking any rule.
    There is however a rule that prevents users to harass other users, and the latter is often overlooked, as the perception of harassment is different among different users.
    left the forum March 2023
  • shazzz
    shazzz Posts: 1,077
    I had to eat low fibre during flare ups of ulcerative colitis. Home made rice cakes for long rides - the Team Sky bacon and egg recipe was good. Bananas were also OK for me, and white bread sandwiches.
    Unfortunately trial and error is the best way to work out what is best for you - it seems to be a very individual thing.
  • svetty
    svetty Posts: 1,904
    That is a smackdown and 1/2.

    Wrong, no animosity on my part, but there are rules on this forum and most of us do our best to adhere. There is no rule that prevents an individual to express an opinion, no matter how outrageous that might sound, as long as it doesn't offend other users. I could say that the Earth is flat and I would not be breaking any rule.
    There is however a rule that prevents users to harass other users, and the latter is often overlooked, as the perception of harassment is different among different users.
    Expressing opinion is one thing. Disseminating wrong and potentially harmful medical advice is quite another.
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    Svetty wrote:
    Expressing opinion is one thing. Disseminating wrong and potentially harmful medical advice is quite another.

    No medical advice given, only dietary advice. Plenty of dietary advice on the WWW, some good, some bad, some you just can't say until you try for yourself.
    Medical advice would be saying: ditch the steroids and try glucosamine instead... I didn't do that, I would never do that.

    Many find moving away from dairy beneficial to reduce inflammation and in my opinion it is worth trying, regardless of the official guidelines on nutrition. There is no harm in doing so for a period of time, if it doesn't work, then it doesn't work, if it works then alternative sources of protein and calcium are available.
    left the forum March 2023
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Telling someone to go dairy free, with justifiable rationale (health and environmental), or trying nut milk doesn't seem too bad to me?
  • TonySJ wrote:
    I went for a ride today of 38 miles and can still put a good effort in but I just cant see that lasting much longer..
    Regards.
    T.

    Whut
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles