Hydrating with Crohn's or UC

I've always been someone who relied heavily on liquids. Since losing my colon 16 years ago, so much has changed with my diet and way of eating. While some things have remained the same for a while with my routine, my body never fails to throw me curve balls. I am still constantly learning and trying to understand exactly how my body works.

Drinking always felt better than eating

Not eating during the day meant that I really needed to drink, for energy and to satisfy my cravings. For a very long time, I felt scared to eat because of my ulcerative colitis.

Drinking allowed me to feel like I was nourishing my body without paying enormous consequences. I was also able to be involved in more social gatherings if I declined to eat during them. That way, the focus would be on being present instead of living in the bathroom or being saddled with anxieties of how something I consumed might affect me.

How much water I drink on an average day

It has only been recently that I realized just how much I drink! Seriously. I have a 28oz water bottle and go through approximately five a day. I fill it with all different things. Lately, I've been on a Crystal Light kick.

Aside from diet caffeine-free Pepsi, I tried to avoid diet beverages for many years. However, when my brother, who spends his life in the health and fitness world, told me that he started drinking Crystal Light, I changed my mentality. After discussing the research on aspartame, and hearing him be so confident that a person would need to consume an inordinate amount for it to be negative, it was all I needed to start drinking it all day long.

I feel much better when I am hydrated

Regardless of feelings about diet beverages or mentality about eating/drinking, I realize there is a huge difference in the way I feel when I am guzzling down some form of liquid all day long. It really is super important, especially with the intense heat, that you manage your liquid intake.

Those of us who suffer from Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis are at even more of a risk for dehydration. Especially those who are missing intestines or parts of intestines.

I know there have been other articles on this site about hydration and how important it is for us IBD sufferers, but I wanted to add my two cents in as well. I know eating and drinking can be difficult for a lot of you reading this. I get it. However, whatever you can do to keep yourself hydrated will go a long way.

Some tips for drinking enough water:

1. Find a caffeine-free beverage that you actually enjoy and stock up!
2. Fill large water bottles up the night before and stick them in the fridge. Make it a goal to drink all of them the following day.
3. Don’t worry so much about drinking something that might not be traditional. Your body is unique to you and no one has a clue what kind of challenges you may be dealing with. If sugary juice is your drink of choice, then so be it. Whatever makes you feel as good as possible is what you should focus on.

Have any other tips for staying hydrated? Have you found it to be a challenge? Do you notice a difference in how you feel when you drink a lot during the day?