Guides
Plain answers for people tracking IBD.
Written for patients, checked against what gastroenterologists actually ask for. Free printable logs too. Educational, not medical advice.
8 min read · Oct 4, 2026
Alcohol and IBD: what to expect and how to test your own tolerance
Why alcohol often shows up in Crohn's and colitis food logs, what a standard drink is, and how to test your own tolerance without blaming the whole night.
Read7 min read · Oct 4, 2026
Bristol stool types 1 to 7: what each one means and when to worry
A type-by-type guide to the Bristol stool scale: what types 1 to 7 look like, what often shifts them, what to log alongside, and when a change needs care.
Read7 min read · Oct 4, 2026
Eating out with IBD without the dread
Practical ways to eat out with Crohn's, colitis or IBS: planning ahead, what to order, scripts for asking about food, and logging the meal anyway.
Read7 min read · Oct 4, 2026
Fiber and Crohn's: soluble vs insoluble, and the stricture caveat
Soluble vs insoluble fiber in Crohn's, why blanket fiber avoidance is being rethought, the stricture caveat, and how to test fiber safely with a log.
Read8 min read · Oct 4, 2026
How to keep a food and symptom journal your GI will actually use
What a gastroenterologist, IBD nurse or dietitian can actually use from a food and symptom journal: fixed scales, counts, dates and a one-page summary.
Read7 min read · Oct 4, 2026
IBS food diary: how to find your trigger foods
A step-by-step IBS food and symptom diary method: common reported triggers, the low-FODMAP approach, soluble fiber, and how to read patterns honestly.
Read7 min read · Oct 4, 2026
Ulcerative colitis food diary: what to eat with UC and how to find your triggers
What guidance suggests about eating with ulcerative colitis, the foods people with UC most often report trouble with, and how to keep a useful food diary.
Read6 min read · Oct 4, 2026
What to eat during a Crohn's flare: foods people often tolerate, and why
Soft, simple foods many people with Crohn's find easier during a flare, how to keep up fluids and protein, and why flare eating is meant to be temporary.
Read6 min read · Oct 2, 2026
Coffee and Crohn's: what the log usually shows
Why coffee shows up as a trigger in so many IBD food logs, how to separate caffeine from milk from timing, and how to test it without giving it up for good.
Read7 min read · Sep 29, 2026
Dairy, lactose and Crohn's: intolerance or inflammation?
Why lactose intolerance is more common in small-bowel Crohn's, how to test dairy in your own food log, lactose-free vs dairy-free, and calcium considerations.
Read6 min read · Sep 25, 2026
Low-FODMAP and IBD: when it helps and when it doesn't
What FODMAPs are, why a low-FODMAP diet can ease IBS-like symptoms in quiet Crohn's or colitis, why it does not treat inflammation, and why it is time-limited.
Read6 min read · Sep 22, 2026
The low-residue diet for Crohn's, explained
What residue means, when clinicians suggest a low-residue or low-fibre diet for Crohn's, what a day of eating looks like, and why it is meant to be temporary.
Read7 min read · Sep 18, 2026
Crohn's vs ulcerative colitis: the practical differences for tracking
Where Crohn's and ulcerative colitis affect the gut, how their symptoms differ, why one food and symptom log works for both, and what each specialist asks.
Read6 min read · Sep 18, 2026
How to explain Crohn's to people who don't have it
Short, reusable scripts for explaining Crohn's or colitis to friends, dates and colleagues: what to share, what to keep, and how to handle diet advice.
Read6 min read · Sep 18, 2026
Foods that commonly worsen a Crohn's flare, and why
Fibre, fat, lactose, caffeine, alcohol and sugar alcohols often aggravate symptoms during active Crohn's inflammation. Here is the mechanism behind each one.
Read6 min read · Sep 18, 2026
The flare kit: what to keep ready before you need it
A practical flare kit checklist for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis: rehydration, safe foods, medicines, letters and bathroom supplies.
Read7 min read · Sep 18, 2026
Just diagnosed with Crohn's or colitis: the first 30 days
What the first month after a new Crohn's or colitis diagnosis usually involves: questions for your specialist, starting a log, and avoiding diet extremes.
Read7 min read · Sep 18, 2026
Building a safe-foods list in remission
How to turn tolerated meals into a working safe-foods list, reintroduce foods one at a time in remission, and record a good day properly.
Read6 min read · Sep 18, 2026
How to track a Crohn's flare so your next appointment is useful
What to log during a Crohn's or colitis flare — frequency, blood, night waking, temperature, weight, meds, fluids — plus red flags and what to bring to your GI.
Read7 min read · Sep 13, 2026
How to keep a Crohn's food diary that actually finds your triggers
What to log, how often, and how to read the results. A practical guide to food and symptom diaries for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Read6 min read · Sep 13, 2026
Tracking ulcerative colitis symptoms: what to log and why
The symptoms that matter most in ulcerative colitis, how to rate them, and how tracking them changes what happens at your next GI appointment.
Read5 min read · Sep 13, 2026
The Bristol Stool Chart, explained for people with IBD
What each of the seven Bristol stool types means, why gastroenterologists use it, and how to track it if you have Crohn's or colitis.
Read6 min read · Sep 13, 2026
How to prepare for a gastroenterologist appointment when you have IBD
A checklist for getting the most out of a short GI appointment: what to bring, what to track beforehand, and the one-page summary that changes the conversation.
Read