Wow, Eric! I am amazed at the amount of fiber you are able to tolerate. I practically obstruct just thinking about it! I used to get painful obstructions from intestinal strictures pre-op. Had hoped to have more latitude with the ileostomy, and i do have a _bit_ more, but not much (6 mo post op). Have had several partial obstructions so far on foods that i thought would be okay. There may be some cumulative effect that i am still figuring out... (Your post on blockages suggests that as well.) Have managed so far to treat them at home, but the most recent almost sent me to the ER. Still coming out of it now, so your post really caught my attention! Best wishes to you.

Thanks for your commend, Liza!

I find that blockages (partial or full) have more to do with HOW I eat, and not necessarily WHAT I eat, but I do find my digestion to be improving more and more and things that use to cause more partial blockages aren't an issue. I do still have to monitor my fluid intake, chew, eat smaller meals (I struggle with this one!), but I'm definitely not worried so much about blockages these days.

But many ostomates might still find that raw foods are tough to pass through without problems, so finding alternatives would be better (cooking veg, peeling fruits/veg, canned beans instead of dry, etc.).

Hi Eric? Thank you so much for all of your info and your website. I've had an iliostomy now for only 8 weeks. I had a question about everyone and all the websites saying not to eat berries. Is it because of the seeds or is it because there is something in the berries themselves that cause problems? I just purchased a vitamix blender that pulverizes all the seeds into almost nothing so it's very smooth. I was just wondering if it would be ok to make a smoothie with berries in it? I know you seem to handle berries. Could you please let me know why berries are such a no no? Thanks so much for your help.
Nat ?

=) Hey Natalie, thanks for your comment!

I don't have a problem with berries, and I enjoy them quite often (from frozen, in smoothies mostly), but I think some people might find the seeds to be an issue. The vitamix is a great investment! We have a blentec and have at LEAST one smoothie a day, but I love making stuff like hummus in it too.

If you're starting out with berries, just have a little and see how it works for you.

Take care!

Eric

HI ERIC;
LET ME GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY FIRST. I WILL BE 74 YEARS OLD THIS COMING NEW YEARS DAY & MY EYES SEE "CAPS" MUCH EASIER THAN "LOWER CASE". I AM NOT YELLING AT ANY BODY BY TYPING IN CAPS.
I HAD MY ILEOSTOMY IN MARCH OF 1983. JUST LIKE YOU I FOUND OUT THAT AS TIME HAS PASSED I CAN EAT THINGS NOW THAT USED TO CAUSE BLOCKAGES. IT IS MORE IMPORTANT AS TO HOW WELL I CHEW MY FOOD THEN WHAT I EAT. SMALL AMOUNTS ARE ALSO BETTER FOR ME. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE HAD 6 BLOCKAGES THAT PUT ME INTO THE HOSPITAL. ALL OF THEM FINALLY DID PASS. I HAVE HAD DOUBLE THAT AMOUNT OF BLOCKAGES THAT I JUST SUFFERED AT HOME WITH UNTIL THEY PASSED.
ABOUT 6 YEARS AGO I SAW DR NEAL BARNARD ON OUR LOCAL PBS TV STATION, SO I BOUGHT HIS BOOK "21 DAY WEIGHT LOSS KICK START". THIS BOOK WAS TO HELP ME WITH MY HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE/ CHOLESTEROL. AS I GOT TO THE BACK OF THE BOOK I FOUND OUT IT WAS A VEGAN DIET AND I HAVE BEEN EATING VEGAN EVER SINCE THEN.
I MAKE SHAKES IN THE MORNING FOR THE WIFE & MYSELF. THEY CONTAIN ALMOND MILK,NUTS,BANANA,STRAWBERRIES, BLUE BERRIES, WHEY & CRUSHED ICE.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK ERIC.

THANKS FOR SHARING, CHUCK!

I'M A FAN OF DR. BARNARD, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE DOING WELL!!

I'm glad about this page as far as the information goes..my problem is being unable to eat much of anything, and it seems whatever I eat causes a blockage, and my tummy bulges out and is so painful but because I'm so hungry I just keep eating so I just keep blocking all the time. I do have an Ileostomy (AUG 2017) and apart from the leaks, and burning around my stoma my problem is food. I love salads, but bread seems to be a no, no, it doesn't like me. I love everything to be plant based, and earthy. I am saddened about not eating a lot of foods, e.g. Nuts, whole seeds, grains etc, though I do eat tinned Beans the Macro type. Maybe I should just live on smoothies. I can't have full plant based smoothies and I'd be living in the toilet all day, so those are not suitable. I love all foods but I refuse to eat mushy vegetables, so gross, I want wholesome healthy foods! What would you suggest I eat. I am weight conscious like most people, and processed foods are not the way to go for me as they are full of fat and sugar, and one just gains too much weight...I guess what I am trying to say is I'm not a Junk food eater...I don't know what to do anymore, I'm lost, and feel so down since the surgery...I've been hospitalised twice now with blockages...

Hi Nancye,

You're still a new ostomate, so don't be disappointed by any restrictions you have right now.

It took me well over a year to be comfortable enough to start eating whole foods, and I was still having blockages and partial blockages along the way.

I would suggest starting with the basics - if that means smoothies, then let that be. Move onto heavily cooked veg, nut butters, blended bean soups and see how that works out for you.

Then move onto raw, but peeled/deseeded fruits and veg in small quantities - always chew as much as possible.

Food diaries can help, but pacing yourself is the most important.

This article will give you more ideas: https://www.veganostomy.ca/ostomy-diet-beyond-recovery/

I have had an ileostomy for a little over 20 years. My eating has been all over the place! I am a chef and it makes it very difficult for me to behave myself. I am considering the benefits of going vegan, but I have some issues. I love veg of all types but whenever I eat them, I have issues with high output and subsequently become dehydrated. The same happens with beans and legumes. I am also gluten intolerant and lactose intolerant. I would appreciate any help from anyone out there and some tips to transition to a healthier diet.

Hey Janet,

First thing that comes to mind would be to keep a food diary and see if any specific veg or even type of bean/legume causes you to have high output.

Keep in mind that increasing the volume of bulky, fiber-rich foods will increase the volume of output you have (this is actually a good, although inconvenient, thing).

For me, I may have that kind of reaction to certain foods, like raw spinach will act as a laxative for me, but cooked spinach is fine; lentils cause loose output while chickpeas thicken things up for me. 

Because you also have a few food intolerances, I would love for you to speak with a registered dietitian to come up with a meal plan that works for you - they'll likely ask about that food diary, so if you do plan on seeing one, try to get a week or two of the diary done :) 

This article may help you: 

https://www.veganostomy.ca/finding-registered-dietitian-ibdostomy-tips/

Feel free to add more details or share your experience after you've experimented for a bit.

I have an Ileostomy since February 6, 2017 and was told not to eat celery by my Stoma Nurse and that it is too stringy. Any suggestions? Same with Pineapple.
Thank you so much and yes, I stream my veggies in the steamer bags for convienience and the more veggies I eat, green beans and an Asian mix but no baby corns, I get more output.
Thank I you.

Hi Susan,

Celery eaten in large chunks can be "risky" because those strings do not break down in the gut. That said, if you cut them and chew well, they become "safer", but you still have to exercise some caution if you intend to eat a lot at one time.

Pineapple, if ripe, shouldn't be too much trouble, but this again relies on how well you chew and how much you intend to eat at once.

Go slow, chew well, and see how things pass through :)

Hi Susan, I eat pineapple every day- I LOVE IT !!!!!!!!!!! I eat the chunks in the can, and waiting for the fresh ones to come out soon. But got to watch the fresh one tho--CHEW!!  just enjoy..  celery? I chop that up well for salads, I even throw in a few nuts in my salads for a different go a round.. Fresh lettuce-etc- farms- the farmers near by--getting excited here in Ct. !! Fruit salads are  nice too !!  Summer is near!!! :-) Cant get enough of them.. 

I don’t have Crohn,s Disease. I was robbed and stabbed in my large bowl. Suffering for years, I finally had a colostomy and scar tissue was taken out. Still nothing the doctors gave me, medication wise wasn’t working. For year I suffered so long because the ER was my bathroom. Pain, and bloated like I was pregnant was my life.
Now I had a colostomy with ileostomy. I am five months post op.
My problem is I have no teeth on the bottom and just some on the top. I want to eat vegetables so badly but can’t chew. All I eat is eggs, bread,cheese, mash potatoes. I am tired of this diet. I can only eat smash foods and it just not the same. I don’t know if you would read this but this is not living. I wasn’t a Vegetarian , but I did all fresh vegetables brfore the surgery. My output is high and loose.
If you have any advice for me I would appreciate it

Hi Debbra, Digestion starts in the mouth with saliva and chewing, you could try adding rice and pasta with a sauce to make it more tasty. Veg like cauliflower would be easy to eat. Dental work is expensive, but have you looked into ways this could be sorted 

Hello Debbra,

Welcome to the forum. I am really sorry to hear of your  difficulties. Its all a real challenge for sure, and not being able to eat on top of all you have been through is really horrible.

Lots of us are careful about what we eat because of the stoma. And you have the added challenge of your teeth. I also like to eat vegetables that are mostly cooked.  I make lots of soup and I also bake a kind of crustless vegetable pie. The good thing about both of these preparations is that the vegies are cut small and cooked and you can get lots of flavor into them.

If you have an immersion blender for the soups, so much the better. That way you can puree all or just part of it right in the cooking pot. It much easier to do that way than using a blender. Try smooth carrot soup or butternut squash etc. Anything can be used...good to add beans etc for protein...and pasta is hopefully easy or you to eat as well.

For the pie thing, I just sauté whatever cut up vegetables I have on had. ( riced cauliflower works great here ... its ground up and looks like rice..frozen or fresh).

Add lots of cooked spinach, onion peppers etc..just cut it up into small bits and cook it. ( use lots of spices here too if you like.). Then cool the mixture a little bit ( so it doesn't cook the egg mixture on contact) .Then and add it to some beaten eggs and whatever cheese you have that needs using ( if you use cheese). Stir it all up ( looks yuckky at this point)...pour into a pie pan or other baking dish, and bake for about 45 minutes at 375 or thereabouts. You can put grated cheese or bread crumbs on top. It looks really good when it comes out of the oven. I think it would be easy for you to eat too. Worth a try perhaps. You could experiment with different vegetables etc.

I am sure you have tried all manner of fruit juices and smoothies .. good to add yogurt to them for protein. 

Can you eat soft french toast ( fried bread)? 

So all this advise is not vegan, but vegetarian at least. The only meat I eat on a regular basis is lox. Its really soft too, low calorie and very high in good fats and protein.

I hope this helps, and like John said too, I hope there is some way to sort out your teeth.

You seems to be coping with a very tough situation. I wish you all the beast.

P.S.  Frozen spinach works great in the 'pie' recipe. Just thaw it ( microwave works well) and squeeze out all the water you can ( a colander is helpful), then mix with the other vegis and eggs and bake.

Posted by: john68

Hi Debbra, Digestion starts in the mouth with saliva and chewing, you could try adding rice and pasta with a sauce to make it more tasty. Veg like cauliflower would be easy to eat. Dental work is expensive, but have you looked into ways this could be sorted 

I second this thought. Being able to chew well is going to be extremely important for digestion and preventing things like blockages. 

Hi Veganostomy,I had my ileostomy 4 months ago (Aug 2018) and I'm ready to return to my Keto-Fasting lifestyle for weight loss.  I'm not a vegan or vegetarian and don't plan on it.  My question is on fasting.  I have been researching effects of fasting with an ostomy and found this study.  In some ways it sounds like intermittent fasting may actually be a good thing. Is fasting part of your vegan lifestyle?-Linda