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What are some home remedies for Colitis? Today I have 21 to share.

What is Colitis?

Colitis, specifically ulcerative colitis, is an inflammatory condition classified as such:

a chronic (ongoing) disease of the colon, or large intestine. The disease is marked by inflammation and ulceration of the colon mucosa, or innermost lining. Tiny open sores, or ulcers, form on the surface of the lining, where they bleed and produce pus and mucus.

According to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America,

Colitis is marked by an abnormal response by the body’s immune system. The immune system is composed of various cells and proteins. Normally, these protect the body from infection. In people with IBD, however, the immune system reacts inappropriately. Mistaking food, bacteria, and other materials in the intestine for foreign or invading substances, it launches an attack. In the process, the body sends white blood cells into the lining of the intestines, where they produce chronic inflammation. These cells then generate harmful products that ultimately lead to ulcerations and bowel injury. When this happens, the patient experiences the symptoms of IBD.

UC symptoms can include: abdominal pain, blood in stool (bloody diarrhea), change in bowels, constipation, fever, weight loss, fatigue and more.

Colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease which is classified as many different things, and depending on what classification you fall under, your symptoms of ulcerative colitis likely vary.

This is the reason why people think when I say I have colitis it’s the typical colitis….it’s typically not what they think. I have proctitis, but there is also: proctosigmoiditis, left-sided colitis, pancolitis and fulminant colitis.

What ulcerative colitis is not is irritable bowel syndrome (though many people with ulcerative colitis symptoms also present with IBS symptoms).

It’s very important to understand the differences between IBS vs IBD.

IBD Patients Flares

It seems like so long ago since I had a Colitis flare up, but even still, I remember crystal clear what they were like and what I did while going through them. 

I wrote about it via Food & 3 Things to do During a Colitis Flare Up. I have also written Learn to Cook: Top 10 Tips for Cooking with Colitis.

Both posts provide some helpful information, but I have learned so much about gut healing during my journey, and while I still agree (mostly) with my thoughts before on “what to do during a Colitis flare up,” I also believe that I would be doing you no favors if I didn’t tell you what I believe is likely even more important than my former suggestions.

In case you don’t want to go back and read the former posts, I will add pieces of them to this one for your convenience.

[Millions of women sit in pain, in silence, day-in, day-out. I know because I used to be one prior to my “Gutsy Girl” days. This is my contribution to all of you out there, and if you know women in your lives who are struggling, click HERE to share this on Facebook, with the hopes that they might see it!}

Home Remedies for Colitis (21 Things to Do During a Colitis Flare Up)

Click HERE to save these home remedies for colitis + 21 things to do during a Colitis flare up for later.

14 Food Related Things To Do During a Colitis Flare Up

Click HERE to save these 14 home remedies for colitis – food related – for later.

While mainstream medical likes to pretend that a healthy diet doesn’t matter for the treatment of UC, I beg you to consider otherwise.

At the very least, think about this: how could dietary changes not make a difference when UC is a chronic condition which lies within the digestive tract? Telling people that food doesn’t matter for the gastrointestinal tract is like telling us oil doesn’t matter for your car.

So I’m starting with 14 food-related things to try during a Colitis flare up.

Bone Broth

Drink bone broth, and drink a lot of it. 

Side note: If making broth is never going to be in your future, but you are looking to still reap the benefits, choose THIS packaged bone broth. (Alternatively, drink vegetable broth, although I do not personally think it provides nearly the same benefits.)

There is an old South American Proverb which states,

Good broth will resurrect the dead.

And here are the bone broth health benefits as they relate directly to your GI tract and inflammatory response:

• Rich in gelatin. And I believe in gelatin for gut healing. 
• Immune system boost. Because bone broth is packed with proteins (glycine and proline) that are well-known for nourishing the lining of your gut, it is thought to help give your immune system a boost.
• Nutrient dense. Bone broths contain minerals in forms that your body can easily absorb: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and others.
• Helps Leaky Gut Syndrome. You can read all about it in 31 Specific Things to Heal a Leaky Gut.
• Improve joints. Bone broth is a natural source of collagen, which is great for the joints and alleviating joint pain.

Water

Drink water, and drink a lot of it. (Don’t like it? Me, neither. Try this instead.)

Water is so often overlooked. It’s not just good for gut health, but overall health and we need it every single day.

Especially while in a Colitis flare, it’s a good idea to drink more water.

No seeds

While I believe in seeds and nuts for overall health, I also think that seeds while flaring won’t do you any favors.

This includes seeds from vegetables and also things like psyllium seeds. And when I was flaring, I simply just cut them altogether.

No nuts

Similar to seeds, I also cut all nuts during any flare state.

Skins

Reduce or eliminate amount of skins you consume (via fruit, vegetables, etc.).

The goal of getting through a flare is to consume specific foods that are easy to digest. Seeds, nuts, skin, and fibers are not easy to digest.

Fiber caution

Watch the fiber consumption. Read: Is Fiber Helping or Hurting Me?

​Now, I’m ALL about fiber for optimal gut microbiome health, so cutting fiber is NOT a long-term treatment by any means.

And during periods of remission I believe you must figure out a way to get more fiber, whatever and however that might look for you personally.

But for today, go easy with fiber.

Fake

Eat nothing that contains artificial flavorings, chemicals, etc.

While in a flare, your goal is to eat foods with anti-inflammatory properties.

Dr. Josh Axe reports,

One animal model also found that regular consumption of sucralose, also known as Splenda, could cause liver inflammation in mice.

If you do any sort of research on the harmful effects of fake foods, you will easily see just how much of a health problem they truly are.

Reduce or eliminate sugar

Did you know that sugar is the most potent drug? Or that the sugar addiction is real?

Harvard Health states,

Consuming too much added sugar can raise blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation, both of which are pathological pathways to heart disease.

Sugar is everywhere and in everything, so if you want my list of 192 sugar sources and alternate names you’ll find it HERE.

Be careful with carbs

But also know that you do not need to completely get rid of them. 

You just need to understand which ones work for your body, and which ones do not.

Skip the coffee

I know, I know….this one is HARD.

Again, the goal is to get out of the Colitis flare as soon as possible so you can enjoy that cup of Joe again.

For now, simply try tea.

I like these three for digestion.

Don’t be afraid of fat

In fact, if you have IBD-C (constipation), up the fat intake (unless you do not have your gallbladder, then that’s a whole other issue).

No alcohol

​I did my first ever Sober October in 2023. And the results were astounding.

The NIH states that,

Chronic alcohol intake leads to intestinal inflammation, including altering intestinal microbiota composition and function, increasing the permeability of the intestinal lining, and affecting the intestinal immune homeostasis. 

If you want to lessen your IBD symptoms you MUST cut the alcohol. Period. End of story.

Keep your food bland

This might also mean the need for temporarily dropping spicy food as well.

No dairy

Dairy products are difficult for almost every single Gutsy girl, much less those of you who have IBD AND are in a flare state. 

The physiology breaks down as such:

Lactose intolerance is a primary lactase deficiency. Lactase is the enzyme that breaks down lactose, a disaccharide, into monosaccharides glucose and galactose in the brush border of enterocytes. Lactase deficiency is the most common enzyme deficiency in the world. (source)

I have a list of 100 dairy sources and alternate names HERE.

The above are 14 key things, many more specifics relating to them can be found in my book, A Gutsy Girl’s Bible: a 21-day approach to healing the gut. 

But bottom line: watch out for all the inflammatory and/or mucous-forming foods.

By the way, remember again that these “restrictions” are temporary (I mean, does your flare up last longer than 7-10 days?)! Do not make these habit. 

Gut healing is not a diet, but also it might be for a short while. (+ see below my note on the gut-healing fast track.)

Food Diary

One of the BEST ways home remedies for colitis is simply to identify the foods that are causing more harm than good during any Colitis flare up is by keeping a food and lifestyle journal.

By understanding what you’re doing and eating and the outcome that’s occurring, you will be able to drastically improve your quality of life.

Get your journaling system HERE.

7 Not-Food-Related Things I Do During a Colitis Flare Up

Click HERE to save these 7 non-food-related home remedies for colitis for later.

Within these 21 things to do during a colitis flare up, I have included non-food related things because lifestyle changes are so, so important.

In fact, they might even be more important than the food list.

Sleep

And sleep. Then sleep some more. Now is not the time to do 2,417 things in a day. Your body needs rest, and it needs to find its deepest form of zero stress while simultaneously repairing. Whatever you have to do, make sleep happen.

Read more: Sleep and Gut Healing.

Find your zen

For me, this means silence. I find space to breathe, turn off everything and just sit. You must find your calm place while flaring. 

Pray

I make no justifications that praying and my faith are and have been a huge part of my healing journey.

Jesus Christ is my true healer, but no matter what you believe, I believe you must dig deep to connect with your spiritual side during this time. Spirituality is a primary food.

Find answers, not drugs

I take LDN, confidently. I also see a holistic MD who didn’t just give me a drug, but instead provided the medical tests to find out what was actually wrong with me. 

As part of your healing process, medications and antibiotics can have their place. They have been critical during my own journey. 

All I’m saying is, don’t just take the drugs without understanding exactly why you’re taking it and what is truly wrong.

Supplements

I always made sure mine were on point, especially since they can be hard to remember/do on a consistent basis.

There is a laundry list of supplements that I have taken at any given moment.

I don’t know what supplements are right for you (you can find out which supplements might be best for YOU HERE), but work with your doctor and/or other medical provider to find it/them.

Know that the minimalist approach to supplements will be best in the long run. 

If you are looking to save money on various foods, services, and supplements, be sure to get a copy of A Gutsy Girl’s Master Spreadsheet HERE.

Skip the workout

In the early days of healing, it didn’t matter if I was flaring and had an 8-mile run on my workout calendar. I ran anyways. Horrible, terrible, no good, very bad idea.

If I were to go back in time, I would simply do simple movements like short walks, yoga, and plain stretching. 

I promise you that high intensity workouts will only have you downward spiraling more.

Breathe and “be” in the moment

We learned a few deep breathing exercises while at Nutrition School, but try breathing in for a few counts, hold for a few and then release for a few. Repeat several times. 

Allow yourself to just “be” in the moment vs. thinking backward or forward. 

This applies to meal times, in particular. Sit, be and eat your food in the moment, slowly. Want more on breathing? Check out: Breathe Deep.

I LIVE for helping the Gutsy community; those of you with IBS and/or IBD.

If you want my full blueprint and system for finding relief and finally getting results with a step-by-step process, consider: GUT HEALING: ELEVATED.

p.s. Once your flare ends, get yourself on the gut-healing fast track.

Our bodies are not just made up of food.

We are whole human beings, and our circumstances at any given moment might have more to do with our current well-being state when the food arrives in us vs. the actual food itself.

I have gotten a lot of help, and I have worked really hard on healing.

When it comes to food, I am reaping the benefits (i.e. eating almost everything, except gluten and dairy), feeling incredible and remaining flare-free.

My wish is for you to find the same, and in the meantime, my wish is that these tips will help you get over your next flare quickly.

If you liked this post on home remedies for colitis, you might also enjoy:

1. SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth)
2. Colon Cancer
3. Your Digestive System

Xox,
SKH