ASK THE EXPERTS
NUTRITION EXPERT
Sarah Flower is a nutritionist who campaigns for a lower-carb, sugar-free way of eating (sarahflower.co.uk).
QI have been diagnosed with colitis. Which foods should I eat or avoid to ease the condition?
A Colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease causing inflammation and ulceration of the colon. It can cause a range of symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea (often bloody) and weight loss. First and foremost, you need to address overall gut health. I would recommend taking a quality probiotic capsule daily, as well as eating more probiotic foods such as kefir, and natural yogurt as well as prebiotics – which feed the probiotics. These include leeks, onions, garlic, artichokes and aloe vera. Only eat them if you can tolerate the fibre content – they set off gut issues for some people. If they make you bloated and uncomfortable, you may benefit from a low-FODMAP diet. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polypols – these are sugars and sugar alcohols in carbohydrates.
There is often a connection between poor gut health and wheat and dairy,
