Three days have now passed since I ate that corn and let me tell you it was the last kernel that will pass my lips. I've been eating white and light since then (yogurt, rice, baked chicken and fish, bananas, and toast) and I'm grateful that my gut is calming. I was truly concerned that I'd thrown my body into a full fledged flare simply to indulge my taste buds. It was a lesson well learned and one that I'll not need to repeat - NO MORE CORN is now emblazoned in my brain.
My research with the elimination diet taught me better but then again I'm only human. I know I'll never be "like I was," but just feeling those corn kernels burst against my teeth the other night took me back to when I was 9 years-old and barely knew what colitis was (my dad has it but for reasons I'll never understand he can digest corn like nothing I've ever seen before or since). I felt normal for that moment in time, not wondering and worrying about my IBD, just living and eating, eating and enjoying.
All that said, even though living within my diet limitations can sometimes make me feel a little deprived, I appreciate knowing what I can eat to nourish my body and still keep my gut happy. I embrace my knowledge and give myself some slack when I make the choice to indulge even at the risk of making my gut unhappy. I move forward with my food choices, my eyes wide open and I know when I'm taking a risk - like this past Friday night. But, it's my risk to take because only I'll have to endure the consequences.
It was a wonderful farewell to the ear of corn for me, and I'm thankful that I was able to know its sweetness.
But my advice to you, dear reader and fellow IBDer, is to resist the corn!
You can read more about how I conducted my Elimination Diet in my book: Living with IBD & IBS: A Personal Journey of Success - www.ibdandibs.com
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