WHAT TO STAY AWAY FROM

If you have colitis or crohns disease, you know all about trial and error with food.  However, there are certain foods that are known to cause stomach problems.  These are not definitive for everyone but it is a good list to start from if you are new to colitis or crohns.

Nuts, just about all of them except for peanuts are hard to digest.  Peanuts, for some, are also hard to digest.  In particular Almonds, Pistachios, and cashews, I KNOW - all the ones that taste the best, RIGHT.

Red meat, steak and other red meats are hard to digest.  It takes all the stomach has to get through the proteins , and the connective tissue in the meat, this is why it is so important to chew the meat very good before swallowing it.  I'm not saying stop eating meat by no means.  I am an avid hunter I would not give up meat or ask anyone to, for anything.  

Dairy, lactose intolerant or not, dairy is hard on your stomach.  We are not made to digest the proteins or the fats in bovine milk. We are able but were not made for it.  Hard or dry cheese is not as hard on your digestive system as moist cheeses like cottage cheese or ricotta.

Capsaicin is the active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact. This is in salsa, hot sauce, and other spicy foods and is hard on your stomach.

Wheat, Rye, Barley, and sometimes oats - are hard on the digestive system due to the proteins called gluten found in them.  Even if you do not have celiac disease, gluten is hard on the digestive system.