Monitoring your diet with IBD is a full-time job. It doesn’t care about the season. But summer? Summer makes it harder.
There are more parties. More travel. More potlucks where no one tells you what’s in the potato salad. Adiana Castro, RDN at Compass Nutrition in NYC, puts it bluntly. Summer menus rely on grease, heavy cream, and raw veggies. All of which are terrible for digestion when you have Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis.
Raw vegetables sit like stones in a sensitive stomach. Fatty grilled meats add insult to injury.
“There tends to be a lot of grilled food… raw vegetable platters can be problematic… All of these foods can be irrigants.”
Then comes the social pressure. “Just live a little,” they say. Have a slice of cake. Ignore the bloating.
Don’t do it. Instead, keep a few safe, travel-friendly treats in your pocket. Or bag. Or cooler. Stress less. Eat more comfortably.
Dairy-Free Chilled Options
Ice cream is the enemy for most. Research shows up to 70% of IBD patients struggle with lactose intolerance. That’s three out of every four people.
But it’s not just the dairy. Watch out for sugar alcohols like xylitol or sorbitol. They hide in “healthy” frozen treats and cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
Castro suggests sticking to lower-fat, lactose-free items. They are gentler on the system. Heat and dehydration already lower your tolerance window during summer months.
Try these instead:
– Frozen banana puree. Slice it. Blend it. It mimics soft serve.
– Ice cream made from oat, soy, cashew, coconut, or lactose-free milk.
– Sorbet or popsicles. Fruit base. Nothing else.
Fancy Drinks Without The Alcohol
Craft beer calls to you. Wine smells good. Cocktails look festive.
Dr. Rudolph Bedford, a gastroenterologist in Santa Monica, warns against the indulgence. Alcohol irritates the intestinal lining. It triggers flares. It messes with medications.
“This really is an area where you can need to be vigilant, because this can raise the risk of a flare.”
You don’t have to quit forever. Just be smart. Pay attention to limits.
Make a mocktail that looks like a cocktail. It keeps the social vibe alive without the chemical assault. Plus, you stay hydrated. Hydration is essential in July and August.
Use ingredients you know your gut can handle:
– Herbal teas chilled down.
– Coconut water.
– Non-dairy milk.
– Tonic water.
– Fresh basil or mint.
– A shot of chilled espresso for energy without the ethanol.
The Two-Bite Rule
So you’re out of your zone. Restaurant dining. Travel chaos. You didn’t pack your snacks.
You see dessert. It looks amazing. You want it.
Take a sample.
Bedford calls this strategic testing. Not every trigger hits every person the same way. One IBD patient gets pain from sugar; another doesn’t.
Unless you have a true allergy, one bite might be fine.
Sugar in large amounts causes inflammation. One bite? Maybe nothing. Maybe a little warning sign. But usually, it lets you participate without ruining your weekend.
“Taking just a sample can help you find our if there is an issue.”
Is it worth the risk?
Sometimes. If the alternative is watching everyone else eat cake while you drink sparkling water. Take two bites. Sip a mocktail. Keep it light.
What if it hurts later?
Then you learn. And next time, you pack your own dessert.
