natural healing

Mangia Paleo-Hope Warrior

Posted on by flareuphope

On Wednesdays we meet warriors. This idea of sparking a little more hope in the world isn’t just something I can always find from within myself. I’ve found that the spark grows more when there are others out there you can draw inspiration from, relate to, who provide a sense of humor, a little support and a whole lot of light when you’re reaching for the stars in the darkness.
Laura and I were diagnosed with ulcerative colitis close to the same time, and her Instagram (@mangiapaleo – follow her!) account displaying how she was using food as medicine to fight her disease into remission was so reassuring to me. Plus she displays the best sense of humor and doesn’t hide about the difficulties and frustrations the disease can cause. When we could laugh about poop together, even through cell phone screens and laptops hundreds of miles apart, I knew I had found an IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) family member. I wouldn’t have gotten through my hospital stay with a good attitude and faced recovery without having her cheers and healing vibes.
So meet Laura, a true IBD Warrior. She has some great recipes and info about ulcerative colitis on her blog as well!

@mangiapaleo

What’s the number one thing you’ve learned about yourself since your diagnosis?

I’ve learned that I am more resilient than I would have ever known. It also surprised me that I took a negative diagnosis and turned it into something that, hopefully, instills inspiration and strength in others.

I think you definitely do that with all of your efforts. When were you diagnosed?
March 2013

What are your current medications/what lifestyle changes have you made to treat your IBD?
Immediately after my diagnosis I began the paleo diet lifestyle. My diet excludes grain, gluten, dairy, legumes, sugar and anything processed. I am currently taking a maintenance drug but do not believe it contributes positively to my health-or at all. *shrug* My diagnosis was just last spring, so I’m still experimenting with what I can and can’t eat or do with my ulcerative colitis.

How do you keep your mental health intact while dealing with the symptoms/changes from the disease?

A huge part of why I stay strong is my accountability from my blog. I feel a sense of purpose when I post new recipes or health information. Upon being diagnosed I also believe I was given an obligation to raise awareness and help others in their journey. Being an advocate for IBD is a reminder that I am in control of my disease and that my diagnosis brought me to a healthier way of living.

What do you struggle with the most? What are you doing to overcome it?

My independence is something I really value, but I can get lonely occassionally. My friends and famiy have been an amazing support, but sometimes you just want someone to surprise-pack a healthy lunch for your or ask how your day was and give you a hug when you come home.
Having IBD is one of those diseases where it is easy to seclude yourself and believe that no one understands what you are going through. But I have overcome that by speaking out about it.
Since I have been very open, honest and candid about my disease I have met some amazing people through my journey. You’d be surprised how many people/acquaintances in your life have Crohn’s an colitis!

Any advice for the newly diagnosed?

I have 3 pieces of advice:
Even though you may not feel like it, you are in control. You own your body.
Do your research on health and nutrition.
Talk about it. Raise awareness and help the average person better understand our illness. It’s a great way to build a network of support, too.

Rules to live by?
Always bite your tongue when you hear someone without IBD tell you they have a stomach ache. Oh, and eat clean and get plenty of sleep!

Quote you turn to when you need to be uplifted:
“Every day may not be goo, but there is something good in every day.”

Love it! Musice/Song: “Three Little Birds”- Bob Marley
I also have a short Spotify playlist called “IBD Flare.”

Go to snack when flaring: Bone broth and roasted carrots with turmeric and ginger.

Activity that lifts your spirits: Cooking, CrossFit, and doing anything outside in beautiful weather.

Your philosophy/mantra that you’d like others to know about you:
I always keep my sense of humor.

Hope in Diets

Posted on by flareuphope

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Aside from going on the spiritual diet of “May Cause Miracles,” I took it one step further and I started the SCD diet yesterday. Or at least I thought I did. 

I bought the book “Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.” (www.scdrecipe.com). Thinking I would give it a shot. So far, the steroid enemas are making little progress toward any remission status (and the side effects have been less than wonderful), so I figured looking at my diet (again) wouldn’t hurt. I’ve been gluten free since I was diagnosed and first went into remission by doing so. But once I stopped taking the canasa I immediately flared up again. That was in September and the bleeding hasn’t stopped since. I did an elimination diet and removed soy from my list of “legal” foods. Still no remission. Some days are better than others, but the urgency is still there and I still get nervous about accidents, and the good old friend blood shows up to say hello multiple times a day. 

Anyway, I figured trying something else wouldn’t hurt. So I bought this cookbook at a used book sale and began reading. Essentially, my understanding of the SCD diet was like the title said “grain-free, lactose free, sugar free solution.” Sugar wasn’t something I paid close attention to, and rice and corn were something that I still allowed on my previous diet.  I decided maybe eliminating those would help. So, I copied the list of legal and illegal foods in the cookbook and went to town meal planning. And I’ve stuck with those meals so far. 

However, it has come to my attention that I’m doing it wrong. After a little further research at breakingtheviciouscycle.info and scdlifestyle.com and thegapsdiet.com, I learned that I should have done an introduction phase with bone broth and such first. I also found out that aloe vera gel was illegal, and that really seems to help soothe my inflamed tum. Ugh. I was frustrated.

I took a minute, closed my computer, and changed my steroid induced attitude. I decided not to be so hard on myself.  I might not be doing exactly what the books say, but I’m making changes and trying. And if this doesn’t cure the flareup I’ll revisit and go to square one. If I get worse, I’ll go to eating just bone broth for 5 days if I have to. But I’m hoping to get better. Hoping that it helps stop the bleeding, and I get to feel satisfied and happy at the same time. Somehow, I’m going to beat this.  I might not be doing it by the books, but I’m doing it this way for myself. Every one of us is unique, every one of us has their own needs and lifestyles, and everyone of us is important enough to feel good every day of their life. You decide what works best for you, I decide what works for me, and we all end up healthy and happy. This is me believing in miracles, maybe we can work it into a Disney song someday. 

So, here’s the gist of what I’m doing. It’s a combo of Paleo, SCD, GAPS and what I know works for my body. 

What I’m having:

Fresh chicken, turkey, beef, fish, lamb, shellfish. 

Fresh spinach, onions, tomatoes and multiple other vegetables cooked really well or blended. 

Fresh and frozen fruits (without added sugars)

Natural cheeses (Cheddar, Colby, Havarti, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, Swiss) and Farmers Cheese if I can ever find it. 

Cooking oils

Nut flours, almonds, cashews, haelnuts, pecans and nut butters with no additives

Honey

Spices, 

Fruit Juices with no added sugars. 

 

What I’m not having:

Processed meats, potatoes, yams, canned fruit, grain of any kind including corn rice and soy, milk, mozzarella and ricotta, ice cream, chocolate (sigh), coffee and beans. Pretty much any form of processed anything. Trying to keep it as whole and fresh as possible. 

This morning I had a delicious green smoothie and my stomach didn’t bloat up like a 4 month along preggo. I ate leftover chicken with cheddar cheese and spinach (cooked really well). I drank a kombucha for afternoon snack and had mixed fruit of pineapple, strawberries and melon before that. This evening I ate boiled chicken with Greek spices and a cucumber and onion salad. It was delicious. I’m just about to settle in for some warm almond milk and banana sauteed with honey. This “dessert” might just satisfy my sweet tooth for the next few weeks. 

How long will I continue this? Hoping til at least my birthday. Or when symptoms go away. Whatever comes first. My birthday is May 19th. Also happens to be World IBD day. Ironic? Perhaps. Reason to celebrate extra hard? Absolutely. 

What dietary restrictions are you following? What have you had success/failure with?