Lean Meat & Eggs
Lean Meat
Protein can be especially important for fighting inflammation caused by ulcerative colitis. However, choosing meats with a high fat content can be rough on your digestive tract. When fat isn’t being absorbed properly, as with ulcerative colitis, it tends to lead to unusual and potentially dangerous bowel movements.
Instead, choose lean meats, like turkey, chicken, and even high-quality, low-fat cuts of beef. These options can provide you with the protein your body, and your bowels, need, without the unnecessary, fatty side effects.
Eggs
Eggs are another protein option that often looks promising in ulcerative colitis diet studies. What’s more, not only are eggs a great source of protein, they’re also a good choice for B vitamins, selenium, and folic acid. When you’re struggling to keep a balanced diet, choosing fortified eggs can provide a healthy option for omega-3 fatty acids.
Did you know...
- Do you know what the strongest muscle in your body is? No, it’s not your biceps or your thighs. It’s actually in your head. The masseter is a muscle in the jaw that is used when chewing. When all of the muscles of the jaw work together, they can exert a force as strong as 200 pounds on the molars. That’s some serious pressure.
- There are many factors that contribute to your body odor, but one of the strongest links is our diet. This may be some bad news for meat-lovers because many studies have shown that those who refrained from or ate less red meat were judged as being more pleasant smelling. The meat sweats are real, and they don’t smell great!
- Does your job make you stressed? We all know that stress is psychologically bad for you, but it also has an effect on…your allergies? A Harvard Medical School study has shown that stress causes your allergies to become worse because your body's defense response loses efficacy when repeatedly triggered by stress. Then, when you really need to physically fight something off, you're less able to!
- Just saying the words "thank you" can measurably improve your mood. Researchers can actually measure happiness and changes in brain structure when people practiced regular "grateful thinking." This included things like writing thank you notes, writing gratitude journal entries, mindfully counting their blessings, and thanking friends. It may be helpful in overcoming depression!
- Starting to feel claustrophobic? The smells of apples may help keep your claustrophobic feelings at bay according to a 1995 study by Dr. Alan Hirsch. Green apples, specifically, helped people change their perception of their space. Maybe they thought of expansive apple orchards? Cucumbers and barbecue made the feelings worse.