Crohn’s Disease

Case Study:
● Patient Details
Tyra is a 25-year-old female. She is 5’6ft and weighs 120 lbs. She is mildly
lactose intolerant and is addicted to caffeine. She was diagnosed with Crohn’s
disease her senior year of high school. Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory
disease that affects the intestines.

Patient Name: Tyra

- Female
- Age 25
- Height- 5’6
- Weight- 120 lbs
- Patient is mildly lactose intolerant
- Patient is addicted to caffeine
- Patient is diagnosed with Crohn's Disease
➢ Crohn’s disease most often affects people ages 15 to 30, but it can also occur in
children or older adults

● Medical History & Nutrition Plan Recommendations

Tyra was first diagnosed with Crohn's disease at the age of 17. Crohn’s Disease
is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the digestive tract. It
can sometimes lead to life-threatening complications. Tyra went to the doctor
complaining about abdominal pain, fatigue, and constant diarrhea. Tyra also mentioned
that she saw blood in her stool. She also expressed her concern about the amount of
weight she had lost in a short amount of time. She mentioned that she was having
bowel movements up to four or more times a day. After taking blood tests, Tyra was
officially diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.
Tyra was recommended that she should go on the Mediterranean Diet and
consume protein-containing foods, such as fish and eggs. Tyra is also lactose
intolerant, therefore, she should avoid consuming too many dairy products since certain
ones can trigger a flare. She is also recommended to avoid processed and high-fat
foods, such as hot dogs and bologna, so that they don’t make the symptoms of her
disease worse.

● Dietary Concerns
 It is best for Tyra to do the Mediterranean diet because it helps reduce the
intestinal inflammation caused by Crohn’s disease. If Tyra doesn’t eat a healthy diet that
is best suited for her, she could risk her disease getting worse. It is important for her to
remember that if the disease is not contained and managed properly, it could lead to
life-threatening issues. Therefore, it is important to make sure she puts her health first
before eating her unhealthy cravings. Being on the mediterranean diet helps reduce
fatigue as well as improves her nutritional status.
A struggle Tyra might have would be avoiding caffeine. Tyra is going to have to
overcome her addiction to caffeine since it can cause a flare up of her disease. She will
have to avoid all drinks that have any type of carbonated drinks. Tyra is going to have to
build a strong mentality to get through her withdrawal.

● The DO’s and DON’Ts

Tyra should eat vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, lean meats, fish, beans,
eggs, and herbs.
Tyra shouldn’t eat foods such as red meats, sugar-sweetened beverages,
hot dogs, sausages, bologna, and any other processed foods. Tyra should also
avoid drinking alcohol.

● What Happens if Tyra Fails to Stick to her Diet Plan?

If Tyra fails to stick to her diet, she increases the risk of her disease
getting increasingly severe. If Tyra doesn’t properly stick to her diet to manage
her disease, she could end up being a victim of toxic megacolon. Toxic
megacolon occurs when inflammation causes the colon to expand so much that it
cannot contract. This will eventually lead to the colon bursting, which causes
harmful bacteria and toxins to leak into the bloodstream. Toxic Megacolon is a
rare, but life threatening symptom of Crohn’s disease. This is why it is important
for Tyra to make sure her health is one of her top priorities while living with this
disease.

● What Happens if Tyra Sticks to her Diet Plan? Is There a

Cure? Will She be Able to Maintain her Gains? Will it Help to
Improve her Quality of Life?
If Tyra sticks to her diet plan, she will be relieved of some of her
symptoms. It will also help lower the risk of her symptoms getting worse. There is
no cure for Crohn’s disease. It can only be managed by a healthy diet and anti-
inflammatory medications. Tyra will be able to maintain the disease and slow it
down with this diet. However, she may experience some weight gain. The weight
gain can be controlled if she is continuously physically active. Overall, being on
 the mediterranean diet will improve her quality of life by making her symptoms
less painful or even eliminating them (as long as she’s on the diet).

● Recommended Calorie Intake and Nutritional Needs

Tyra will need to eat about 1,680 calories a day. However, if she is going
through a flare, she should eat a little bit more to combat too much weight loss.
The nutritional needs for Tyra is that she needs to consume nutrient-rich foods,
such as fruits and vegetables. She must consume adequate calories, proteins, vitamins,
and healthy fats. Tyra should also make sure she is eating at least 23 grams of fiber a
day. This will reduce her risk of a flare by as much as 40%. She should also eat nuts
and seeds.

● Recommended Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals that Tyra should be taking are: Vitamin B12, Folic
Acid, Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Iron, Potassium,
Magnesium, and Zinc. With Crohn’s disease, Tyra is more likely to have lower
levels of the vitamins and minerals that were listed.

● Educating Tyra About her Nutritional Therapy Plan

I would first let her know what diet she is recommended to be on. Then, I
would show her a visual of what her food plate should contain and the amounts
of meat, vegetables, etc. should be on it. I will then create a paper listing all of
the foods she should eat and the foods she should avoid. I will make sure to list
the amount of calories she should eat on both flare and non-flare days. I will note
which vitamins and minerals she should be taking as well. I will print out a sheet
that has all of this information so that she can look back at it when she needs it.
Finally, I will sit her down and explain to her why her nutritional plan is needed
and what it will do to help manage her disease. I will also let her know the
consequences she might face if she doesn’t follow this diet as well as be
physically active.

● What Medications Could Tyra be Taking?

Medications that Tyra could take include: Anti-inflammatory, steroids,
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, immunosuppressive drug, vitamins, and
antibiotics.

● 7-Day Nutrition Plan

 Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snack
Sunday Toasted Turkey Creamy Banana bread
Bread with sandwich chicken and oats
almond butter with carrots rice
spread and and
scrambled hummus
eggs

Monday Oatmeal with Baked Chunky Fruit cups

a side of chicken chicken
cooked fingers noodle soup
squash

Tuesday Eggs and Turkey Whole Chia pudding

Salmon, and zucchini roasted
Avocado boats chicken

Wednesday Fruit bowl Tuna melt Whole Tuna fish and

with nut butter sandwich roasted crackers
(fruits must be mackerel
skinless and
seeds
removed)

Thursday Blueberry PB&J Baked Nut butter

baked oats sandwich Salmon with a with bananas
side of sweet
potatoes

Friday Oat and chia Blueberry Seared ahi Cucumbers

porridge sweet tuna
potato bowl

Saturday Baked Loaded Lobster salad Corn tortilla

banana bagel chips
porridge sandwich