Managing Your Diet & Lifestyle
As someone living with Crohn’s disease, you know that what you eat and how you move are important. So, we’re providing additional diet and lifestyle tips, guidance, and resources that can continue to help when it comes to managing your symptoms.
Managing and avoiding your triggers
Understanding your triggers is key when it comes to avoiding them. For instance, some of the more common triggers could be things like diet, alcohol use, smoking, and stress. If you’re able to identify what can trigger flares, you can better manage them—this is where we can help. Let’s dive into tips on managing your triggers.
Diet
What’s on your plate? It’s important to take note of the foods you are eating and how they make you feel. Here’s some guidance on what to look out for and what you can do when it comes to your diet and managing your flares.
Food facts: Quick diet tips for managing your symptoms
Your flares and what you eat can go hand-in-hand. So, to help set you on a good path forward when it comes to managing your symptoms, here are a few fast facts.
- Some foods or drinks can irritate the digestive tract, so it’s important to learn which foods are irritants and alter your diet as needed. For instance, a lot of people living with Crohn’s disease find that eating high-fiber fruits, high-fat foods, vegetables with tough skin, certain grains, seeds, or nuts can make symptoms worse
- Soluble fibers found in oatmeal, legumes, fruits and veggies, and certain other foods can help with digestion and reduce diarrhea
- Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, nuts, some green veggies, and certain other foods can also help. Ask your doctor which good fatty foods are better for you
- Highly processed and high-fat meats can be hard to digest during a flare
- Supplements and vitamins like turmeric (for inflammation) and vitamin D may be recommended for you as part of a specific dietary plan
Food labels: Guidance on what to look for to make the best food choices
Food labels have a lot of important information that can help when it comes to making good diet choices. You just have to know what to look for—here are some tips that can help:
- Check the serving size—if you plan to eat more or less than the serving size, you’ll need to adjust the food label information accordingly by multiplying or dividing based on the amount you will eat
- Check the total amount of calories—make sure the number of calories, based on the serving size you will eat, fits into your daily nutrition plan
- Review the macronutrients—take a look at the macronutrients (number of carbs, fiber, proteins, fats) to make sure you’re getting enough and not too much
- Review the micronutrients—check the number of essential micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to be sure you aren’t getting too much or too little
- Use the Percent Daily Value as a guide—quickly identify foods and beverages that have high or low amounts of specific nutrients to make sure you’re meeting your nutritional needs. For example, macronutrient percentages are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. The percentages on a label can help you identify if you are choosing foods high or low in a particular nutrient, like this:
- 5% Daily Value or less is low
- 20% Daily Value or more is high
- Look at the amount of fats—there are different types of fats, and some are better than others. Talk to your doctor about which fats are right for you
- Look at the amount of fiber—foods that are rich in fibers like soluble fibers are good for gut and heart health. Talk to your doctor about the types and amount of fiber that are right for you
Nutrition tips: Breakdown of finding the right balance for your diet
The food and beverages we consume are broken down into 2 categories, macronutrients and micronutrients. We need larger amounts of daily macronutrients for things like energy, muscle building, and healthy cells. Smaller amounts of daily micronutrients are used for things like processing energy, growing, and overall health. Let’s break down what these nutrients look like and why they are important:
Macronutrients (larger amounts)
- Carbohydrates
Carbs are the body’s primary sources of energy and fuel. - Fiber
Fiber is a carb that can be soluble (can dissolve in water) or insoluble.- Soluble fiber: good for gut health and can slow down movement through the bowel (can help with symptoms like diarrhea)
- Insoluble fiber: can be found in fruit and veggie skins and moves food more quickly through the bowel
- Proteins
Proteins help the body make muscles, bones, cells, enzymes, and hormones. - Fats
Fats are a more concentrated fuel source for the body.
Micronutrients (smaller amounts)
Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that the body gets from the food and beverages we consume. Vitamins help with growth and development, while minerals help keep things like our bones and brain working correctly. To get enough of the nutrients needed, make sure you include a variety of foods in your diet.
Malnutrition: Helpful tips on avoiding malnourishment
People with Crohn’s disease are at a high risk for malnutrition. This is due to the frequency of symptoms like diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and bowel movements, which can cause the body to lose essential nutrients and vitamins. The other common symptoms like abdominal pain and nausea can lead to people eating less than they should and therefore not getting the proper daily nutrients they need.
Signs of malnourishment
It’s so important for you to make sure you’re getting the proper daily intake of macro- and micronutrients to avoid becoming malnourished. Here are some signs of malnourishment to look out for:
- Undereating/severely restricting the variety and types of food you eat
- Weight loss
- Fatigue or low energy
- Weakness
- Loss of muscle mass
- Vitamin and mineral deficiency
Smoking & alcohol
Smoking can have greater effects on people with Crohn’s disease. While the exact effects on the condition are not clear, scientists believe smoking can change immunity and the amount of mucus in your body as well as affecting blood flow.
Alcohol can make a flare worse for people with Crohn’s disease—it’s best to avoid excessive drinking.
Stress
Stress can increase flare-ups of symptoms, such as abdominal pain or diarrhea. You can help manage your stress levels by regularly exercising and using relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and yoga.
Diet & lifestyle support
Food and exercise tracking
MyJournal Food Tracker Download to log your food on a day-by-day and weekly basis 
USDA’s FoodData Central Database Get a breakdown of the nutritional facts and information on any food item with a simple search 
Health AppUse an app like MyFitnessPal to track food, exercise, and hydration in one place
Step TrackerUse a step tracking app like Sweatcoin to get rewarded for your movementThe CIMplicity®* Program
Nurse Navigators†Feel less alone on your journey with guidance from a trained Nurse Navigator. They can walk you through the treatment process, answer questions, and help you deal with any ups and downs along the way
Savings Program‡Sign up for the CIMplicity $0 copay to help reduce the stress of paying for CIMZIA. If eligible, you may pay $0 for your treatmentSupport groups
The Crohn’s & Colitis FoundationGet information, find answers to common questions, hear familiar stories, and join community forums
Power of TwoFor one-on-one support, join the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s Power of Two program through their Peer Strong app and be paired with a trained peer supporter*The CIMplicity program is provided as a service of UCB and is intended to support the appropriate use of CIMZIA. The CIMplicity program may be amended or canceled at any time without notice. Some program and eligibility restrictions may apply.
†Nurse Navigators do not provide medical advice and will refer you to your healthcare professional for any treatment-related questions.
‡CIMplicity Savings Program Eligibility: Available to individuals with commercial prescription insurance coverage for CIMZIA. Not valid for prescriptions that are reimbursed, in whole or in part, under Medicare (including Medicare Part D), Medicaid, similar federal- or state-funded programs (including any state prescription drug assistance programs and the Government Health Insurance Plan available in Puerto Rico), or where otherwise prohibited by law. Product dispensed pursuant to program rules and federal and state laws. Claims should not be submitted to any public payer (i.e., Medicare, Medicaid, Medigap, TRICARE, VA, and DoD) for reimbursement. The parties reserve the right to amend or end this program at any time without notice. View complete eligibility requirements and terms at cimzia.com/cimplicity-program.
CIMplicity® Covered™ Eligibility: Eligible patients with a valid prescription for CIMZIA can receive treatment with the CIMZIA Prefilled Syringe at no cost for up to two years or until the patient’s coverage is approved, whichever comes first. Program is not available to patients whose medications are reimbursed in whole or in part by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, or any other federal or state program or where otherwise prohibited by law. Patients may be asked to reverify insurance coverage status during the course of the program. No purchase necessary. Program is not health insurance, nor is participation a guarantee of insurance coverage. Limitations may apply. For initial enrollment into the program, the patient must be experiencing a delay in, or have been denied, coverage for CIMZIA by their commercial insurance plan. To maintain eligibility in the program, the following are required: (1) a prior authorization request has been submitted and/or coverage remains unavailable for the patient; and (2) if the prior authorization is denied by the payer, the prescriber must submit an appeal within the first sixty (60) days of the prior authorization denial and a prior authorization must be submitted every six (6) months thereafter or documentation as may otherwise be required by the payer. UCB reserves the right to rescind, revoke, or amend this Program without notice.