I had managed to miss this....get better Paul.....you only need to do the clear liquid thing when you have a flare up....otherwise you can eat what you like with the exception of small seeds or chunky nut stuff as Kendall said...no seeds, nuts or sweet corn. And, the good news is that a Flare Up usually only lasts about 3 days.....anybody can live on coffee, beer, jelly and chicken broth for 3 days. Wine is also a clear liquid....LOL!