Diet and Nutrition
Eating right is difficult as a teen -- double that for being a teen with IBD. At times, you may have to avoid certain foods that make your IBD worse. These may even be your favorite foods, like pizza or french fries. Eating in the school cafeteria may not always be the best choice, and you may have to consider bringing a brown bag lunch with you to school. It may not be what your friends or what the coolest kids are doing, but it may be the best choice for your health. It's important to get your IBD under control so that you feel better and can enjoy your favorite sports and activities -- with or without the pizza.
- Friends and Eating Out
- How To Keep a Food Diary
- Is there a special diet for IBD?
- Recipes for Crohn's Disease
- Recipes for Ulcerative Colitis
- Clear Liquid, Full Liquid, and Restricted Fiber Diet
- Lunchbox Recipes
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure can come in many different forms, and you may not even realize what it is when it happens. Pressure from friends to smoke, drink, or do other things that will make your IBD worse is likely to happen. We all know by now that smoking is not good for your general health, and it can actually make the symptoms of Crohn's disease worse. Drinking alcohol may or may not worsen IBD or interact with IBD medications, and underage drinking is linked to serious problems such as drinking and driving or alcohol poisoning.
Smoking cigarettes has a serious effect on Crohn's disease, and can cause a flare-up. It can also complicate IBD by causing other health problems.
Friends and Dating
When you're sick with something like IBD, people are likely to notice. Friends and boyfriends/girlfriends are probably going to have questions about your health. Some of their questions may be because they're worried about you, and other questions may seem really stupid or hurtful to you. The best thing you can do at this time is to educate these people about your IBD. When you tell them about what's bothering you, they can be more understanding and can even help you.
Dating can be a little trickier, and when -- or if -- you decide to tell your crush about your IBD is an individual choice. The important thing to remember is that anyone who is disrespectful or rude to you because of your IBD is not someone who is worth spending time with.
