Search Users
02
February
2011
Advice to those Newly Diagnosed with Crohn's Disease...
Have you been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease?
To all of those who have asked me what they should do after first being diagnosed:
I remember as if it were yesterday. I was told I had "Crohn's Disease." After the crying stopped, I remember thinking "What the hell is crohn's disease!?" I never really got the answer (at least all at once....I find new things out every day). I just got a long speech about how I needed to take prednisone, eat refined carbs, simple foods, and absolutely NO vegetables. I then thought to myself "Great...now I'm going to be fat, moody, and in pain." I was told there is no cause and no cure. Every health care professional I saw made it very clear that nutrition does NOT play any type of role in Crohn's Disease in regards to a cause or cure. It didn't take much common sense to know that they are sadly mistaken.
First of all, EVERYTHING is dependent upon the intestines. Every organ, blood vessel, and muscle. Your intestine supplies your body with nutrients. If your mainstay is food that contains non-organic, high-fructose corn syrup, msg, hydrogenated oil, or fast food, how could you NOT think that these toxins don't play a role? What goes through your intestines?....FOOD. And what makes most people flare-up?...FOOD. So how can food NOT play any type of role?
Secondly, your intestines is like an eco-system. It contains good bacteria, bad bacteria, yeast, parasites (in 90% of Americans), and many other micro-oganisms. When you eat mostly the foods above, you get an over growth of ALL the bad types of micro-organisms, bacteria, parasites, and yeast. If the good guys (good bacteria) are not in your gut, there is nothing to break down all the toxins you eat and nothing to keep your eco-system in balance. What you eat, will determine your inner eco-system. In other words, you truely ARE what you EAT.
My Advice:
I guess the most important advice I could give you is to be your own advocate and take control of your health. Create a team that consists of people you trust that you can go to for advice.
Realize your doctor is just one person on your team. Most doctors will not be open to holistic medicine and don't realize the role of nutrition in Crohn's Disease. Don't let it get you down. You will face this wherever you go. Always respect your doctor's advice and ask LOTS of questions. They will tell you that medicine is the only way to CONTROL the SYMPTOMS..and this is what they are trained in so just understand that it is out of their comfort zone to support anything else. A good doctor WILL stand by your decisions and will support you; although you may have to make compromises and those compromises will depend on what you think YOUR best course of treatment is.
Example: My doctor recommended prednisone when I was in the hospital. I declined because I had heard horror stories and wanted to do my own research. So...we tried Pentasa, both knowing it probably wouldn't work. When I went back in he was still pushing prednisone. I decided to do Entocort w/ Pentasa. He told me surgery would have to be done or I'd need to get on remicade (although he admitted he is not a big fan of the drug). I told him to give me another month...what have I got to lose right? I said I'd rather have intestinal pain than the other side effects from the drugs. During that time....I went to a macrobiotic institute for 10 days, got on macrobiotics, and started taking mega doses of certain holistic remedies.
I went back in the beginning of February and he was completely impressed. HE suggested we give it until April. Although my pain is NOT completely gone, it is very much improved. I am able to wean off the meds and get back on when I feel myself starting to flare and I am that in-tune with my body, that I know when it's coming on.
So why am I not cured? Because the cause of Crohn's is different for EVERY person. I have aluminum poisoning, candida, and a spleen that functions at 30%. The spleen plays a MAJOR role in the immune system. So until that's addressed and the toxins are cleared out, my Crohn's will not perminantely go away. For someone else it may be parasites (in most cases) or a bacteria.
#1 thing that helps me are probiotics and even my doctor says that studies have been done showing they do work. FLORA bacteria works best. You can get it at a health food store. I'll post a blog on specific probiotics later w/ all the statistics so you can decide which one's best for you.
#2 Macrobiotics - It's a diet that has cured people from Crohn's to cancer. It allows me to wean of my Meds and I don't flare up when I'm on this diet.
#3 I take supplements to support my body because there is obviously a problem with the immune system, intestines, and probably some other organ.
#4 I eat LOTS AND LOTS of vegetables. I only eat organic as I am trying to avoid getting any more toxins in my body. I do NOT eat pork...at all (even though it use to be my favorite meat.) It is to dense and is extremely hard for me to digest. The DNA in pork is also very similar to human DNA which confuses the body causing all sorts of symptoms. When I do eat meat, which is rarily, it's grass fed GROUND beef (i.e. meat balls, hamburger, meat loaf), fish, or small amounts of organic chicken.
I also cook my vegetables before I eat them. The only vegetable I eat raw is daikon radish.
#5 I limit dairy and CHOOSE not to eat gluten. I eat spelt bread and make cresants, brownies, and every other bread product from spelt.
#6 Digestive Enzymes - They help break down food so your body can absorb nutrients.
#7 Aloe Vera Juice- Soothes and tones the intestiens whether you have constipation or diarrhea. I've known people who have cured themselves just by drinking aloe vera.
#8 I reduced STRESS as it DOES play a role.
#9 GET A ROUTINE!!! Go to bed around the same time and get up around the same time. You have to train your body so it knows each day when it's time to go to the bathroom. For example, I get up at 9:00, eat breakfast, and drink my kukicha. After that, I get the urge to go. THEN, I go run my errands. If I run my errands without taking time to do my morning routine.... I regret it when I'm searching for a restroom or cutting things short to run back home.
#10 I am a HUGE advocate for fasting and colonics but only when it is done the RIGHT way. If I feel a flare coming on. I fast on certain juices, even if it's just a day.
#11 SLIPPERY ELM is the Crohn's herb of choice. Everyone I know takes it. It's soothing and coats the intestines so food passing through doesn't hurt as much.
#12 CHEW CHEW CHEW!!!! I wouldn't be able to eat vegetables if I didn't chew. Chewing is EXTREMELY important for people with Crohn's because the intestines have trouble assimilating nutrients. It is NOT your intestines job to break down your food...that's your mouth's job. Future post to come.
***REMEMBER: It took years for your body to get to this point, so realize that it will take some time to get your body back on track. Many people go for the "quick fix" drugs; however, they only MASK the symptoms and hide the problem. Eventually these people get cancer, liver disease, osteoporosis, or kidney problems (among many others) because they chose to ignore the real problem and now they suffer effects from the side-effects. No one ever said curing yourself or living with this disease would be easy.
I remember as if it were yesterday. I was told I had "Crohn's Disease." After the crying stopped, I remember thinking "What the hell is crohn's disease!?" I never really got the answer (at least all at once....I find new things out every day). I just got a long speech about how I needed to take prednisone, eat refined carbs, simple foods, and absolutely NO vegetables. I then thought to myself "Great...now I'm going to be fat, moody, and in pain." I was told there is no cause and no cure. Every health care professional I saw made it very clear that nutrition does NOT play any type of role in Crohn's Disease in regards to a cause or cure. It didn't take much common sense to know that they are sadly mistaken.
First of all, EVERYTHING is dependent upon the intestines. Every organ, blood vessel, and muscle. Your intestine supplies your body with nutrients. If your mainstay is food that contains non-organic, high-fructose corn syrup, msg, hydrogenated oil, or fast food, how could you NOT think that these toxins don't play a role? What goes through your intestines?....FOOD. And what makes most people flare-up?...FOOD. So how can food NOT play any type of role?
Secondly, your intestines is like an eco-system. It contains good bacteria, bad bacteria, yeast, parasites (in 90% of Americans), and many other micro-oganisms. When you eat mostly the foods above, you get an over growth of ALL the bad types of micro-organisms, bacteria, parasites, and yeast. If the good guys (good bacteria) are not in your gut, there is nothing to break down all the toxins you eat and nothing to keep your eco-system in balance. What you eat, will determine your inner eco-system. In other words, you truely ARE what you EAT.
My Advice:
I guess the most important advice I could give you is to be your own advocate and take control of your health. Create a team that consists of people you trust that you can go to for advice.
Realize your doctor is just one person on your team. Most doctors will not be open to holistic medicine and don't realize the role of nutrition in Crohn's Disease. Don't let it get you down. You will face this wherever you go. Always respect your doctor's advice and ask LOTS of questions. They will tell you that medicine is the only way to CONTROL the SYMPTOMS..and this is what they are trained in so just understand that it is out of their comfort zone to support anything else. A good doctor WILL stand by your decisions and will support you; although you may have to make compromises and those compromises will depend on what you think YOUR best course of treatment is.
Example: My doctor recommended prednisone when I was in the hospital. I declined because I had heard horror stories and wanted to do my own research. So...we tried Pentasa, both knowing it probably wouldn't work. When I went back in he was still pushing prednisone. I decided to do Entocort w/ Pentasa. He told me surgery would have to be done or I'd need to get on remicade (although he admitted he is not a big fan of the drug). I told him to give me another month...what have I got to lose right? I said I'd rather have intestinal pain than the other side effects from the drugs. During that time....I went to a macrobiotic institute for 10 days, got on macrobiotics, and started taking mega doses of certain holistic remedies.
I went back in the beginning of February and he was completely impressed. HE suggested we give it until April. Although my pain is NOT completely gone, it is very much improved. I am able to wean off the meds and get back on when I feel myself starting to flare and I am that in-tune with my body, that I know when it's coming on.
So why am I not cured? Because the cause of Crohn's is different for EVERY person. I have aluminum poisoning, candida, and a spleen that functions at 30%. The spleen plays a MAJOR role in the immune system. So until that's addressed and the toxins are cleared out, my Crohn's will not perminantely go away. For someone else it may be parasites (in most cases) or a bacteria.
#1 thing that helps me are probiotics and even my doctor says that studies have been done showing they do work. FLORA bacteria works best. You can get it at a health food store. I'll post a blog on specific probiotics later w/ all the statistics so you can decide which one's best for you.
#2 Macrobiotics - It's a diet that has cured people from Crohn's to cancer. It allows me to wean of my Meds and I don't flare up when I'm on this diet.
#3 I take supplements to support my body because there is obviously a problem with the immune system, intestines, and probably some other organ.
#4 I eat LOTS AND LOTS of vegetables. I only eat organic as I am trying to avoid getting any more toxins in my body. I do NOT eat pork...at all (even though it use to be my favorite meat.) It is to dense and is extremely hard for me to digest. The DNA in pork is also very similar to human DNA which confuses the body causing all sorts of symptoms. When I do eat meat, which is rarily, it's grass fed GROUND beef (i.e. meat balls, hamburger, meat loaf), fish, or small amounts of organic chicken.
I also cook my vegetables before I eat them. The only vegetable I eat raw is daikon radish.
#5 I limit dairy and CHOOSE not to eat gluten. I eat spelt bread and make cresants, brownies, and every other bread product from spelt.
#6 Digestive Enzymes - They help break down food so your body can absorb nutrients.
#7 Aloe Vera Juice- Soothes and tones the intestiens whether you have constipation or diarrhea. I've known people who have cured themselves just by drinking aloe vera.
#8 I reduced STRESS as it DOES play a role.
#9 GET A ROUTINE!!! Go to bed around the same time and get up around the same time. You have to train your body so it knows each day when it's time to go to the bathroom. For example, I get up at 9:00, eat breakfast, and drink my kukicha. After that, I get the urge to go. THEN, I go run my errands. If I run my errands without taking time to do my morning routine.... I regret it when I'm searching for a restroom or cutting things short to run back home.
#10 I am a HUGE advocate for fasting and colonics but only when it is done the RIGHT way. If I feel a flare coming on. I fast on certain juices, even if it's just a day.
#11 SLIPPERY ELM is the Crohn's herb of choice. Everyone I know takes it. It's soothing and coats the intestines so food passing through doesn't hurt as much.
#12 CHEW CHEW CHEW!!!! I wouldn't be able to eat vegetables if I didn't chew. Chewing is EXTREMELY important for people with Crohn's because the intestines have trouble assimilating nutrients. It is NOT your intestines job to break down your food...that's your mouth's job. Future post to come.
***REMEMBER: It took years for your body to get to this point, so realize that it will take some time to get your body back on track. Many people go for the "quick fix" drugs; however, they only MASK the symptoms and hide the problem. Eventually these people get cancer, liver disease, osteoporosis, or kidney problems (among many others) because they chose to ignore the real problem and now they suffer effects from the side-effects. No one ever said curing yourself or living with this disease would be easy.
About the Author
Megan Heimer, NHT, JD
Megan is a lawyer, natural health therapist, registered yoga teacher, has a Bachelors degree in political science, and will soon complete her naturopathic doctorate. She has extensive knowledge in holistic nutrition, natural health, and alternative medicine. Megan is currently conducting research on various natural health topics, writing a book, and counsels clients all over the world. Her personal experience with many of today’s health issues allows her to relate easily to her clients and provide the healing protocol that best fits their needs.
Comments (0)