Many people with the condition experience nausea, vomiting, and an urgent need to run to the bathroom when they first wake up, says Ashwin Ananthakrishnan, MBBS, MPH, a gastroenterologist with the Massachusetts General Hospital Digestive Healthcare Center’s Crohn’s and Colitis Center in Boston. It can take some people two to three hours to finish their morning bathroom routine — and that’s before eating breakfast, which can trigger yet another trip to the toilet, he says. Even so, Dr. Ananthakrishnan says nausea or vomiting shouldn’t prevent someone with UC from eating breakfast, which can result in key vitamin and mineral deficiencies. For example, vitamin D deficiency plays an important role in gut immunity and is common among people with UC, according to a study published in February 2019 in the Indian Journal of Gastroenterology. The goal of treatment is to limit symptoms altogether, he explains. Read on to learn which breakfasts are easy on the stomach. If you feel nauseated in the mornings, you may be able to tolerate a protein shake and cooked, pureed, or canned fruit. Soft, fleshy fruits, such as watermelon and applesauce, are other good options. A few stomach-friendly breakfast ideas:
1 English muffin with peanut butter and banana slices2 scrambled eggs with ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce1 cup of oatmeal with a peeled peachSmoothie made with 1 cup of low-fat Greek yogurt, 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1 cup of frozen peaches, and half of a banana2 hard-boiled eggs with 1 cup of cooked grains
Foods to Avoid
The foods that trigger your symptoms may be different from the foods that trigger someone else’s. Still, some common offenders are:
NutsSeedsBeansGreen, leafy vegetablesWheat bran
Avoid lactose if you notice that it aggravates your gastrointestinal symptoms, says Ananthakrishnan. You may also want to avoid the drive-thru: High-fat, greasy foods like bacon or fried potatoes may aggravate your stomach. The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation recommends keeping a food journal to document which foods you cannot tolerate during a flare-up.
When to Reconsider Your Ulcerative Colitis Treatment
If you’re experiencing frequent morning flare-ups, there’s a good chance your disease isn’t under control, says Ananthakrishnan. Talk to your doctor about whether you should try other treatments, he advises.
