Hi Mimi,

I was given a long list of things to avoid when I left the hospital. Nuts and seeds were on the list. I have carefully been trying to reincorporate some of those things. I haven’t eaten chia seeds, but I have had poppyseed salad dressing and haven’t noticed any problem with the poppyseeds. I do see them come through my bag, so the chia might be the same way. 

This is a great topic. Thanks for bringing it up. It would be helpful to know what foods people have learned to definitely stay away from and which are okay in moderation. For example, pineapple for me is one that my body just won’t break down, so if I eat any, I limit how much, eat very small pieces and chew the heck out of it. But it still comes through my stoma in a bit of a lump. I avoid oranges but most other fruits seem to be okay as long as they are peeled (apples, pears, peaches, etc)

Does anyone else have advice on what foods they have trouble with?

I'm not a fan of seeds that are too small to chew, so about the only small seeds I tend to eat are hemp seeds. 

That said, I don't see anything wrong with eating chia seeds, especially if they are blended or added to a recipe as they won't really get "stuck" like larger seeds might - unless, of course, you're eating it by the bowl full! LOL

Posted by: @squeakyandliza

I avoid oranges

Liza, one trick with oranges (and other citrus) is to segment it so that only the "flesh" is left. This still may not be easy to digest for some, but it's FAR easier than eating oranges with the segment walls still on. 

This is pretty much how I do it:

Thank you @squeakyandliza & @veganostomy

Thanks for the tip about Poppyseeds - I realize I haven't had those yet, and I do love a Poppyseed Salad dressing.

Personally, following the advice on this site about chewing well, whatever, and eating good food, I have been fine with everything. I think I am a little nervous about Chia for two reasons, one as Eric says, the seeds are too small to chew; and the other is they form that gelatinous mass - and I think, hmmm, what if they gather together while going through the small intestine? They are such a good food, and I enjoyed them . . . I'll see if anyone else is eating them, and then I might give them a go.

I do skin tomatoes, apples & pears before eating them. Peaches haven't been in season yet since I had my stoma, but I'll bear in mind that I need to slip the skin off them too.

I haven't eaten oranges yet - and I know they need to be segmented and prepped, and given how many other wonderful fruits there are, this seems too much of a faff at the moment. However, when we start to get really delicious Navel oranges on the shelves in winter, I may change my mind - something to do on those long, dark, winter nights.

I'm interested to know how people get on with different foods too.

@veganostomy

Thanks Eric!  I have always eaten grapefruit without the segment-dividing membrane. I never thought of preparing an orange the same way. I really like the little clementines, but it seems like a lot of work for such a small piece of fruit. It might be worth it occasionally. But the effort in peeling a fresh locally grown peach is worth it any day of the week!!

I'm afraid there were few foods I was willing to give up after my ostomy! My biggest fear was loosing the ability to eat popcorn and a big salad full of a variety of vegetables,  nuts, seeds & some fruits.  I was told to avoid. Oranges &  Pears...my fav.   I live in the Okanagan so Fruit Country including Grapes.

So...after a year, I  slowly introduced everything back into my diet & soon discovered my next best friend were my teeth! Everything in moderation and make like a train...chew, chew chew!!!   As far as Popcorn goes...I eat some almost every night as I have done my whole life. I pop my own in a heavy pot on the stove top and I find the oil I pop the kernels seems to make the husks crispy enough that they just crumble in my fingers so I find them safe enough to eat. I chose a lettuce that breaks down easier then the ones I  like most. It's a bit of a trade off. Lol!  I chose the round head of lettuce and slice raw veggies in to thinner slices or grate them & add the seeds I enjoy too. But again, chew longer then you may think you have too  to really break foods down. If I eat a handful of nuts I chew them down to powder and my only other advice is to drink plenty of fluids and "with" your meals too. 

A local coffee shop has a dessert custard with quinoa mixed in it - just delicious, but the quinoa didn’t dissolve. I had it only once because it made me a little nervous when I saw my output with those hard little quinoa bits. I was afraid of something slicing into my stoma. Can that happen? 

My wife puts a lot of the seeds and nuts in a grinder and makes sprinkles and energy balls out of them. They taste fantastic are full of nutrients and she finds them very versatile in cooking and baking, however I might say she's very versatile in the kitchen and the garden where all the best nutrients grow!

@chrisandbagpus

We're an energy ball household too. Dates & Walnuts & Pumpkin Seeds & Sunflower Seeds all blended with a pinch of salt . . . mmm

Posted by: @llholiday

but the quinoa didn’t dissolve. I had it only once because it made me a little nervous when I saw my output with those hard little quinoa bits. I was afraid of something slicing into my stoma. Can that happen? 

I don't think there's any risk of quinoa hurting your stoma like that, but undercooked quinoa in large amounts can be problematic.