Diet Doesn't Matter?

[crohnsinct]

HA!

While I do agree that diet doesn't cause Crohns and diet won't cure it...and I even agree diet will help make a patient feel better during a flare etc. I am of the opinion diet most certainly does matter! Even if you do not have a chronic health condition your diet matters.

Now to share our good news. O has been in clear remission for a year and a half now. I am a nutrition nut and we have bounced around from clean eating to vegan to vegetarian to most recently a piss poor processed food garbage diet. She remained in remission.

O had her infusion on 2/19 and weighed 96 pounds. Last Monday our family got back on our clean eating plan but more with the anti inflammation diet in mind. Friday, she swam at her championships and crushed her times and I mean crushed. No one walks into championships at the end of the season and drops the kind of time she dropped. She and now her coach is attributing the drops to her diet.

Yesterday, we had her check up with the GI and she gained 4 pounds since her infusion 2 1/2 weeks ago. How could that be? The kid is eating mostly fruits and vegetables with a sprinkle of whole grains. Oh yeah and a good size of seeds (hemp, chia, flax) and some nuts. Most of these foods very low calorie and very filling so it seems to me she isn't really eating a lot.

Her, my husband and I only have one explanation...the diet...we are figuring while the drugs got the bad inflammation under control perhaps there was some lingering low level inflammation like that of the typical American. Cleaning things up with an emphasis on anti inflammatory foods kicked that last bit to the curb and BAM she is absorbing her nutrients and gaining like crazy.

Either that or when she is at school she is shaking down the kids who brought oreos.

 

[Patricia56]

Oreos, definately Oreos. Or possibly Gummy Worms.:grr1d::grr1d::grr1d:

Seriously, congratulations to her and hope things continue to improve.

:rosette1::rosette1::rosette1::congratualtions: :congratualtions: :congratualtions:

 

[Gmama]

Wow that's great! Weight gain is great! Swimming times are great, especially at the end of the season! I bet the competition was REALLY shocked!
Was wondering what you are actually eating? Are you doing GF? Or something else? Sorry for the questions, but love the details if you don't mind sharing.

 

[Axelfl3333]

Personally I think a good varied diet for everyone is a good idea in fact ,no brainer springs to mind!for us crohnies though there's no doubt caution is required with diet,learn and avoid your trigger food,don,t know if a homeopathic sort of naturist diet helps but if you think it does ,go for it.

 

[crohnsinct]

We aren't doing anything crazy...just good old fashioned no processed food, 100% clean eating with a HUGE emphasis on plant based foods. We are eating about 13 servings of fruits and veggies a day, lots of seeds and nuts, no or extremely little dairy (just the occasional sprinkle of cheese used as a condiment), whole grains but not more than 2-3 servings a day, only high quality grass fed beef, pastured chicken, eggs etc. Oh yeah and the best part for mommy is that wine is included...a glass daily!

All this said, as was mentioned above, we did this for the entire family, not just our crohnie. We have other health issues in our family and as it turns out inflammation is the culprit of numerous diseases and issues. Further with all the crap I am pumping into my daughter's body I really feel strongly that I have to support her overall health the best way possible.

O has never been sensitive to any foods and has never had a problem with seeds and nuts. You have to know your crohnie and what they can or can't tolerate. But even if some things are a no/no you can certainly still eat many other things on "the plan".

You don't have to follow any one plan to eat clean but I don't want to do all the research and plan the menus etc. so I happen to be following Dr. Larson and his wife Ivy's plan. She has MS and they use this diet for her MS. Anti Inflammation diet. The have a book out with an 8 week transition over to totally clean.

Reality check: a lot of work getting used to it...washing, chopping, cooking blech! It is week two and I am hoping I get more used to it as time goes on.

I will keep you posted on results. So far hubby has lost weight and his blood sugar has decreased and you already know O"s results.

 

[MamaHenn]

This really is quite comforting to read. We are just beginning this Crohn's "Journey" with our 10 year old son and are currently in the process of finding another GI doctor. One of the huge things that struck me about the current dr. is her dismissiveness about diet and how he needn't change anything. It just hasn't sat well with me. Personally we'd like to avoid the "big guns" as long as we can and it really is comforting to read stories like this. Hubby has also just been told he has high triglycerides so we're planning on following along with our son when we get on the right dietary path. I'm hoping we too notice the good changes. Thank you for sharing.

 

[crohnsinct]

The particular was of eating we are following happens to have excellent results lowering triglycerides. There are quite a few people in my group of friends locally who have had this result specifically.

One word of caution. If your son is currently experiencing inflammation, I would wait to introduce raw veggies, seeds, nuts etc as they could get blocked due to the inflammation. My daughter was put on a low residue diet for about 4 weeks at dx and we slowly transitioned back to our high fiber and healthy eating.

Our doc is very supportive of everything we try and also encouraging. I hope you find a GI that you can feel super comfortable with and supported by.


Good luck!

 

[Tesscorm]

Just found this and thought it would be appropriate here...

 

[greypup]

OMG! That picture is so it!

When med school begins to integrate nutrition into curriculum, then we can hope that physicians will begin to think differently and have new discussions with us. I find the less I say in the doctor's office about food, the better. They usually look at me like I have three heads.

ARGH!

P.S. Crohnsinct, way to go! I'm so happy for your family that you're all receiving the benefits of clean eating. There is so much truth to the anti-inflammatory lifestyle. It's not even a diet, it's a way of living.

 

[Farmwife]

We love the clean eating diet.
I still try do it for my hubby and I but my kids are so limited in the diet
that they get whatever the can take right now.
I can't wait for spring and all the local vegies and fruits that will be available.

This year we want to try new produce maybe..........kiwi, sweet potatoes or even kale.

CIC I'm so happy for all of you.

HUGS

 

[Tesscorm]

I have two aunts who live in a small farming community in northern Portugal. They are in their 80s and on their own (widowed and no children) and they are the essence of great health. Their diet, by default, has ALWAYS been clean and they have lived a physical, outdoor life. They also raise a small number of chickens and rabbits and, when I asked if they buy any chicken meat (I was only curious if they raised enough to sustain their diets), they looked at me like I had three heads :lol: and said 'Oh my! We would never buy meat at the store - who knows where it comes from!' :lol: They buy their other meats from other locals who raise cows, pigs, etc. and their cheeses from other locals who make the cheese! They still cook in a woodburning stove and use only a two-burner stove top - yet, the food that came from that kitchen was incredible! Homemade wine, of course, with dinner and then, to top off dinner, they'd finish with homemade (very strong) liquers made from cherries, etc. - hubby said he couldn't even keep up with them - they said it 'strengthened the blood'! :lol: During my last visit, they'd both be up at the crack of dawn every day to work their lands and were quite able to do so! :thumright:

We've also been gradually changing our diets at home - not easy with our rushed lifestyles and the conveniences (prepared, fast foods) we've grown up with constantly being thrown at us but we're moving in the right direction, albeit slowly.

 

[crohnsinct]

HA! Dr. Weil says, "we have a disease management system not a healthcare system.:yfrown:

There is a documentary out I want to see, "Escape Fire" http://escapefiremovie.com/

Tesscorm: I so hear you on the convenience factor. Until we switched over 100% I never realized how many things I bought for convenience. Fruit is the ultimate fast food..we always have apples, oranges and bananas available to be grabbed on the go...and I have found Larabars...they have maybe 3 ingredients and every one of them I can find in my fridge. They are our stash for unexpected hunger.

 

[greypup]

Sign me up to change the healthcare movement ! Awesome trailer !

It reminds me of the Race To Nowhere http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uem73imvn9Y

Our middle and high school has embraced this wonderfully.

 

[crohnsinct]

OH! I LOVED Race To Nowhere! Our town has also embraced it.

 

[Mehita]

Sorry it's so big, but... EXACTLY!

 

[greypup]

Let's rent billboards near all of our physician's offices ;-) !!!

 

[Gmama]

Thanks for the thread CIC!
I'm with Farmwife, I do pretty good (although I do love me some chips & dip!)
But LJ is just tough. He is basically low res diet. But hates milk shakes & smoothies. Oddly will choke down an ensure plus. Wish I could hit on something better for him.
We don't do fast food normally, which i think helps but I think his diet could really improve his overall health. It really shot it to hell when the doc told LJ it makes no difference what he eats, just as long as he is eating something. Yeah, thanks:ybatty:

 

[crohnsinct]

 

[greypup]

I watched half of the Escape Fire documentary last night. It's SO good. Hoping to finish it tonight and find out what it is we can do to help affect change in the system...

 

[greypup]

Finished Escape Fire. It was excellent! Thanks for the link.

 

[QueenGothel]

great news just dropping in!