Sup, folks? (SEE Probio/fish oil reccomendations, if nothing else) I was diagn in 04 the day I was told I need surgery--the week before I experienced slight persistent ache in lower right qdrnt and slept for nearly a day straight. I had a resection and appendectomy at the ileum. For little over a year, I did what I was told (pentasa, imuran) then began cutting out sugars (NO corn syrup) and tapering the prescripts (over a couple months). The drugs seemed to run me down with no noticable effects on my Crohn's. Mind you, I never had persistent diarhea or pain.
Books, which I don't recommend blindly believing, sparked my endeavors: Jordan Rubin's digestion book(forget name) and Maker's Diet (don't buy ALL this guy's supplements, very expensive) were good, Fallon's Nourishing Traditions, Sugars that Heal, and the Selective Carb Diet Viscious Cycle book helped.
I experimented with tons of probios and fish oils and I use these as my foundation along with raw/fermented/sprouted foods (Ezekial bread with nutbutter/butter/cinnamon/garlic powder daily)--like the paleo diet. No added sugars (other than org. sugar cane juice/turbinado occasionally and I use stevia extract or honey for smoothies regularly), nearly no white refined flour/bread, and no preservative laden foods. I don't drink milk. I rarely eat red meat. I don't willingly eat pork--sometimes eating out I make exceptions for pizza. Chicken mostly. Sardines/salmon often (crown prince). Organic/no rbgh kefir is fine. Occasionally I eat cheeses when out with no prob. At home, I only use raw/unpasteurized organic cheeses if any.
Eat real whole food people, next to nothing boxed. Preservative free, 100% juices are key: carrot(daily), veggie/tomato(daily), most fruits fine (maybe not grape or citrus fruits within hours of eating--personally). Just don't overdo fruits because fructose is sugar and that, imho, feeds bad bacteria. Real food: fresh best, frozen fine, canned (BPA free good) ok. Eat good fats: avocado (even in smoothies), ev coconut oil (straight from spoon or for cooking), ev olive oil (spooned or lower temp cooking), fish oil (at least 3-4 grams a day or around 2500-3000mg of actual Omega 3s a day), whole nutbutters, organic butter. Make hummus, dip veges/grains. Hardboiled eggs are a staple at least two a day in addition to scrambled eggs often. Nutbutter sandwiches on Ezekial are also a daily meal. Learn to grow/use herbs folks. I can handle salads usually, so I make simple dressings (oil, garlic, oregano, ground mustard). I went a couple years grinding and drinking coffee, now I'm limited to yerba mate. Don't combo fruits with starches/refined grain.
I drink around 100oz of reverse osmosis water a day, at least. I work doing mild lifting/walking in a rather stressless/payless mailroom job which gives me at least an hour of brisk/moderate exercise daily.
I MUST EMPHASIZE Mix up the Probios: Jarrow EPS [once daily w/out food (BEST BANG FOR BUCK, in large box at iherb)], Jarrow IBS (once daily w/food), and Jarrow Saccharomyces Boulardii plus MOS (once a week, without food--the potent good sugar causes harder stools, so I might find a standalone Saccharo to take more often). I find 90% of store bought probios do nothing and kefir/yogurt doesn't compare to good probios--I only occasionally eat kefir these days.
Best Fish Oil: ENTERIC-COATED fish oil with highest Omega 3 content like Source Naturals Ultra Potency Fish Oil which has 850mg Omega 3 per pill, I take 4 a day. Whatever brand, get at least 2500-3500mg of actual Omega 3s not just 2500mg of "fish oil". More EPA than DHA.
Other than that, I would explore greens juices(if blending your own, strain out vege fibers but leave fruit fibers), a scoop or two of whey a day(water, whey, banana, cinnamon, chia, stevia: voila) antioxidants (broccoli extract, grapeseed extract etc.), vitamins (multi, 5000 D, Ks, B complex--B12 in sublingual methyl form), minerals (magnesium malate, calcium), cleansing fibers (psyllium, acacia root, bentonite clay--these sparingly), organic whole leaf aloe juice or its good sugar extracts, l-glutamine (build up to 9 grams daily--so im told), occasionally I take herbs from reputable suppliers (ginger, curcumin, boswellia, cats claw, devils claw-this one for joint pain, supposedly), and a quality mushroom complex for seasonal transitions and general immune balance.
Eat prebiotic foods like steamed broccoli and cooked plantains. After all, probios might only work by stimulating your own production of good bacteria; so feed em prebios. Avoid GMOs fight for labeling--GMO corn contains BT bacteria which displaces gut bacteria and GMO soy has been found to kill good bacteria--among other things...justlabelitDOTorg I would also avoid any and all injections--Crohn's is certainly resultant of SOMETHING messing with the immune system. What makes Doctors think Crohnnies have an immune system that can mount a proper response to such intentional autoimmune modulations?
Consider LDN ( http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=31142 ). Keep an eye peeled for CBD products coming to America like Sativex sans the THC. I know what your thinking, but CBD doesn't get people high when isolated, and it's not concentrated in dominant "commercial" strains--so don't bs yourself. JUST RESEARCH CBD and Crohn's--I don't condone THC as a Crohn's therapy or recreation. Or, on the deeper end, some have tried pig whip worms or helminths.
Enteral Nutrition along with an elemental diet seems to put most people into remission after a few weeks( http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=33080 )
And perhaps the most disgusting but possibly effective--fecal transplants ( http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?p=415720#post415720 )
On that note, I had a colonoscopy recently which revealed a handful of colitis like patches but no stricturing. I might pay for a wireless endoscopy this week ($2500before insurance, yikes). And I've been perscribed LDN, but have yet to try it. I feel LDN may help with overall energy and possibly joint pain. After over 5 yrs without "treatment", I experienced a severe arthritic like pain in the sacroilleac/sacral ALA area which lasted 5 days and needed hydro a month ago. Before this, I had taken Extra Strength Tylenol for a couple arthritic episodes in the past (same joint). But that's it, in the last 5 years. Now, that's not to say I wouldn't get an excruciating cramping sensation (subsided by a watery BM) if I went on bad dietary spells (a few times out of nowhere), but that would happen once every three months or so. I believe my symptoms got worse because I drank a bit too much this summer (4-8 bottled pale ales a weekend) and the fall season seems to bring a "flare" of sorts usually (emotional, arthiritic, or digestive).
My heart and prayers go out to those with more systemic Crohn's symptoms. You are not a number (or a percentage for that matter). You are a human being worthy and capable of defying the deified dinosaurs in lab coats. I better quit now.
Peace
(P.S.: I'll be updating below with further posts/insights periodically READ THE LINKS)
Books, which I don't recommend blindly believing, sparked my endeavors: Jordan Rubin's digestion book(forget name) and Maker's Diet (don't buy ALL this guy's supplements, very expensive) were good, Fallon's Nourishing Traditions, Sugars that Heal, and the Selective Carb Diet Viscious Cycle book helped.
I experimented with tons of probios and fish oils and I use these as my foundation along with raw/fermented/sprouted foods (Ezekial bread with nutbutter/butter/cinnamon/garlic powder daily)--like the paleo diet. No added sugars (other than org. sugar cane juice/turbinado occasionally and I use stevia extract or honey for smoothies regularly), nearly no white refined flour/bread, and no preservative laden foods. I don't drink milk. I rarely eat red meat. I don't willingly eat pork--sometimes eating out I make exceptions for pizza. Chicken mostly. Sardines/salmon often (crown prince). Organic/no rbgh kefir is fine. Occasionally I eat cheeses when out with no prob. At home, I only use raw/unpasteurized organic cheeses if any.
Eat real whole food people, next to nothing boxed. Preservative free, 100% juices are key: carrot(daily), veggie/tomato(daily), most fruits fine (maybe not grape or citrus fruits within hours of eating--personally). Just don't overdo fruits because fructose is sugar and that, imho, feeds bad bacteria. Real food: fresh best, frozen fine, canned (BPA free good) ok. Eat good fats: avocado (even in smoothies), ev coconut oil (straight from spoon or for cooking), ev olive oil (spooned or lower temp cooking), fish oil (at least 3-4 grams a day or around 2500-3000mg of actual Omega 3s a day), whole nutbutters, organic butter. Make hummus, dip veges/grains. Hardboiled eggs are a staple at least two a day in addition to scrambled eggs often. Nutbutter sandwiches on Ezekial are also a daily meal. Learn to grow/use herbs folks. I can handle salads usually, so I make simple dressings (oil, garlic, oregano, ground mustard). I went a couple years grinding and drinking coffee, now I'm limited to yerba mate. Don't combo fruits with starches/refined grain.
I drink around 100oz of reverse osmosis water a day, at least. I work doing mild lifting/walking in a rather stressless/payless mailroom job which gives me at least an hour of brisk/moderate exercise daily.
I MUST EMPHASIZE Mix up the Probios: Jarrow EPS [once daily w/out food (BEST BANG FOR BUCK, in large box at iherb)], Jarrow IBS (once daily w/food), and Jarrow Saccharomyces Boulardii plus MOS (once a week, without food--the potent good sugar causes harder stools, so I might find a standalone Saccharo to take more often). I find 90% of store bought probios do nothing and kefir/yogurt doesn't compare to good probios--I only occasionally eat kefir these days.
Best Fish Oil: ENTERIC-COATED fish oil with highest Omega 3 content like Source Naturals Ultra Potency Fish Oil which has 850mg Omega 3 per pill, I take 4 a day. Whatever brand, get at least 2500-3500mg of actual Omega 3s not just 2500mg of "fish oil". More EPA than DHA.
Other than that, I would explore greens juices(if blending your own, strain out vege fibers but leave fruit fibers), a scoop or two of whey a day(water, whey, banana, cinnamon, chia, stevia: voila) antioxidants (broccoli extract, grapeseed extract etc.), vitamins (multi, 5000 D, Ks, B complex--B12 in sublingual methyl form), minerals (magnesium malate, calcium), cleansing fibers (psyllium, acacia root, bentonite clay--these sparingly), organic whole leaf aloe juice or its good sugar extracts, l-glutamine (build up to 9 grams daily--so im told), occasionally I take herbs from reputable suppliers (ginger, curcumin, boswellia, cats claw, devils claw-this one for joint pain, supposedly), and a quality mushroom complex for seasonal transitions and general immune balance.
Eat prebiotic foods like steamed broccoli and cooked plantains. After all, probios might only work by stimulating your own production of good bacteria; so feed em prebios. Avoid GMOs fight for labeling--GMO corn contains BT bacteria which displaces gut bacteria and GMO soy has been found to kill good bacteria--among other things...justlabelitDOTorg I would also avoid any and all injections--Crohn's is certainly resultant of SOMETHING messing with the immune system. What makes Doctors think Crohnnies have an immune system that can mount a proper response to such intentional autoimmune modulations?
Consider LDN ( http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=31142 ). Keep an eye peeled for CBD products coming to America like Sativex sans the THC. I know what your thinking, but CBD doesn't get people high when isolated, and it's not concentrated in dominant "commercial" strains--so don't bs yourself. JUST RESEARCH CBD and Crohn's--I don't condone THC as a Crohn's therapy or recreation. Or, on the deeper end, some have tried pig whip worms or helminths.
Enteral Nutrition along with an elemental diet seems to put most people into remission after a few weeks( http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=33080 )
And perhaps the most disgusting but possibly effective--fecal transplants ( http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?p=415720#post415720 )
On that note, I had a colonoscopy recently which revealed a handful of colitis like patches but no stricturing. I might pay for a wireless endoscopy this week ($2500before insurance, yikes). And I've been perscribed LDN, but have yet to try it. I feel LDN may help with overall energy and possibly joint pain. After over 5 yrs without "treatment", I experienced a severe arthritic like pain in the sacroilleac/sacral ALA area which lasted 5 days and needed hydro a month ago. Before this, I had taken Extra Strength Tylenol for a couple arthritic episodes in the past (same joint). But that's it, in the last 5 years. Now, that's not to say I wouldn't get an excruciating cramping sensation (subsided by a watery BM) if I went on bad dietary spells (a few times out of nowhere), but that would happen once every three months or so. I believe my symptoms got worse because I drank a bit too much this summer (4-8 bottled pale ales a weekend) and the fall season seems to bring a "flare" of sorts usually (emotional, arthiritic, or digestive).
My heart and prayers go out to those with more systemic Crohn's symptoms. You are not a number (or a percentage for that matter). You are a human being worthy and capable of defying the deified dinosaurs in lab coats. I better quit now.
Peace
(P.S.: I'll be updating below with further posts/insights periodically READ THE LINKS)
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