Book Review – The IBD Healing Plan and Recipe Book

Jun15

Here is another book review. This one is about diet and IBD. The full title is The IBD Healing Plan and Recipe Book: Using Whole Foods to Relieve Crohn’s Disease and Colitis. It was written by Christie A Korth, CHC, AADP.

So you are probably wondering just what is the book about and what makes the author a specialist on this. Well, at age 19, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. Like most of us, she went through many different diagnoses and it took 10 years to get the proper one. Again, like many of us, she then ran the gambit of meds to have none of them work. After years of suffering, she started to experiment with her diet and found that it would play a major role with her healing process.

Christie starts the book talking about IBD. From there, she goes into how nutrition helps the body. She talks about different food intolerance’s and how people with IBD may suffer from some of them like lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, etc. By the end of the book she gives recipes that are based on what she talks about and are sensitive to the food allergies.

Overall, I found this book pretty helpful. I got a new insight into diets role with IBD. It took me a little over 20 years to see just how important diet is with IBD. I went years eating whatever I wanted. Now that I am gluten-free I have been enjoying living a symptom free life for about a year now.

Sadly, because life has been so busy lately, I haven’t had time to explore and make some of the recipes she includes with the book. They do look interesting and tasty and one day I will make them. One recipe I want to try is the Apply Rosemary Cornish Game Hen. Another recipe which might go well with the hens is the Yummy Healthy Onion Rings. I miss onion rings (they aren’t gluten-free) and this recipe is gluten-free.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone with IBD, especially if they are having a tough time with symptoms. She gives great insight into the disease and how food plays a part with it.

Get Your Guts in Gear 2013

Jun10

On June 7-9 I attended my first Get Your Guts in Gear ride. For anyone that doesn’t know who they are, Get Your Guts in Gear or GYGIG is a non-profit organization that raises money for IBD through bike rides. This years ride was the 10th anniversary of the New York ride.

When I first heard about the ride I thought this was something that was part of CCFA and I didn’t realize it was a separate organization. I also wasn’t to interested because I haven’t rode a bike in many many years so I knew there was no way I would be able to do a 200 mile ride. Then a friend and co-IBDer told me I can crew. The crew are the people who support the riders in a number of different ways from making sure the road is clear of debris to manning a rest stop to just cheering them on to raise their spirits. This sounded more like my style so after some thinking, I signed up.

As time went on, Marisa, the friend that told me to crew, kept telling me how much fun I would have and how it would change my life. I knew it had changed a lot for her and I didn’t know what it would hold for me. I would soon find out.

When I arrived at the site for the shuttle bus, I was the first one there. Like most things, I was the first one and I was alone. Eventually others would arrive and the first ones to come were friends that I have spoken to online and have followed in blogs, but never met. It was like a book coming to life. People I have only read about I was now meeting.

That first night was a rough one. A tropical storm was drenching us and there was no escaping the rain. One of my jobs was to help load the equipment truck so I was soaked by the end of the night. I would be the last to come back to our bunk. I would see everyone in one area chatting and getting to know one another. I was alone. wet and cold. But I was welcomed with open arms and right away I felt like part of a family.

For many of us, this was our first time with GYGIG and even the first time meeting each other. Yet when we all tried to go to bed and someone’s snoring kept us all awake, we truly were like a family as we all yelled at the snorer (who will remain nameless). What we found from this was within hours, we truly were a family.

The next two days would be rough for me. My job assignment was Camp. This entailed making sure the equipment truck was loaded and unloaded, the campsites were cleaned and nothing got left behind when we left, setting up the camp for everyone’s arrival, making sure snacks and drinks were provided, keeping morale up…ok I am getting tired again just thinking about it all. I have had problems with sleep and I seem to always be tired. My back has been hurting on and off from my degenerative disks. Overall I am a mess but this weekend, all of that went away and it was like I was 18 again. I had so much energy. I think I got it because even though it was hard work, I enjoyed doing it.

The best part of the weekend though were the people who I met. Some I had met before. Others I had spoken to online but met the first time here. Many others I was meeting for the first time ever. Not everyone on this ride had IBD but were somehow connected to it. At night, the group I hung out with would share stories about our lives and IBD. This was the first time I was with a large group of IBDers and they were all being so open with their disease. I loved it.

At the end of the weekend, I snapped a photo. It would be one of my last memories for the weekend. It was a breathtaking view of the mountain and water. It described my weekend perfectly. Wet, some ups, some downs but overall breathtaking. Some of my Camp crew dropped me off to get my bag before I left. I started this journey alone.. I left being part of a family. When I first signed up for GYGIG I only planned on doing it the one time. Now, I can’t see my life without it. It is an experience that I never want to forget and hopefully can relive it every year.

Take Steps 2013

Jun3

Yesterday I participated in the Take Steps for Crohns and Colitis which is run by CCFA. Better yet, I volunteered. Last year I was wiped out from walking so I decided this year I would help out instead. Ok, that took its toll on my body even more. Today my back and neck are achy and my feet are sore. But it was soooo worth it.

One thing I like about the walk is the location. I was helping out at the Liberty State Park walk and the views from there are breathtaking.

After I take this in I head over to my assigned area, the food tent. This year I decided to put my talents to use. I helped get donated food for the walk. I was able to get some coconut water, vitamin water, Smartwater, fruit and chips.

After we got set up, I decided to look around before it got real busy. There were tents for some drug reps (Humira, Remicade), Team Challenge sign ups, the Kids Corner with bouncy house, and the DJ. All was quiet before the storm.

As you can see from the pictures, it looked like a storm was coming but luckily, the rain held off. The wind was pretty powerful though. With the almost 90 degrees and humidity, the wind was refreshing.

At 4:00, the walkers were off for a 2.15 mile walk. When they came back that was when the real fun began. Our tent got mobbed. Aside from what I brought, we also had sandwiches, cookies, granola bars, orange juice and spring water. Pretty much everything went.

One thing I have noticed about these walks, and it disturbs me a little is that everyone chats but no one really talks about the disease …. which is why we are all here. I was talking with one of the volunteers and he asked why I was there. I mentioned I had Crohns. He said his son has Crohns and that was it. No further discussion. It really hit me that although everyone comes out to bring awareness and come together, no one really wants to talk about it still. My only conclusion is because it isn’t just the patient but friends and family there also that they don’t feel like opening up. I can understand that.

This up coming weekend is Get Your Guts in Gear. I know a lot of the volunteers that will be there. I know we will be talking about it a lot more but we will also have fun and talk about other things. 2 weeks and 2 awareness events. It is enough to tire these old bones. After the walk, I feel achy. Hate to see what next week brings. Stay tuned for a recap.

It’s Survey Time

May30

So as some of you know I am a fan of WEGO Health and what they have to offer the medical community. Well, starting today they are holding a survey on the online Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis communities. They have asked me to share the survey to make sure that they get as many patients and caregivers involved as possible. The survey will take about 10 minutes. Please take the time and come here to take it..

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/G8S8FTY.

As a thank you for the survey, WEGO Health will be making a donation to a charity of my choice.

Thank you for helping out.

Recipe for Success – Repost

May28

I was looking over past post’s and I saw this one from August 2012 and thought I had to repost it. I also thought that since I have lost some of my way in life, that rereading this would maybe help me get back on track.

“Two weeks ago at my Weight Watchers meeting we were talking about recipes. We were encouraged to bring in a recipe to swap with everyone. When it was my leaders turn, she gave us a recipe…but not for food. I looked it over and thought, this isn’t just relevent to food…this is good for life. So, I decided to share the wisdom of my leader and give you…The Recipe for Success

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Vision 1 Cup Commitment 1 Cup Discipline 1 Cup Self-Control 1 Cup Sacrifice 1 Cup Conviction 1 Cup Imagination

Directions:

In a large part of your life, add 1 cup of vision. Make up your mind which direction to go and strive for it everyday. Add 1 cup commitment. Commit yourself every day to reaching your goal. Add 1 cup discipline. Discipline yourself to do what you must to keep the committment and hold on to the vision. Add 1 cup of self-control. No matter what temptation comes, remember you have a choice. Add 1 cup of sacrifice. Be willing to give up bad habits for good habits. Add 1 cup conviction.

Have the courage to stand your ground knowing that you are mixing the right ingredients together in your life. Add 1 cup of imagination. Imagine what all this cooking will achieve in the end. Bring all of these things to a boil. Now pour it all into the rest of your life and you have the recipe for success. Keep it always on simmer.

As I read this in the meeting, I was no longer thinking about food. I know she gave this to us to help us stay on course and keep up with our weight loss. But I saw a bigger picture. Living with a chronic illness will do that to you. I didn’t just see food…I saw a recipe to beat an illness. I saw a recipe for me to get through life.

I know at times life with Crohn’s or Colitis can be hard. Sometimes we want to just throw in the towel and say I quit. But that is when we need this recipe. Sometimes, we need to alter a recipe and add a little more spice to it. There are days we might need 2 cups of self-control. Maybe we need a gallon of vision because all we see is our blanket covering our eyes. Whatever the day…keep this recipe close at hand. Make it your first meal. Make it your last. Make a big batch of it on the weekend for the whole week. Whatever you do…make sure to make it at least once a week.”

World IBD Day 2013

May18

HAPPY WORLD IBD DAY!!!!!!

The time has come once again for us to celebrate our disease and spread awareness. This year I was inspired by CCFA’s poor attempt at marketing IBD. As you know from previous posts that I was not for their Escape The Stall campaign. I felt their campaign didn’t show just what our disease is or can do.

So, to keep this brief, I made my own video to show just what this disease is to us. I hope you enjoy it.

IBD and Relationships (Repost)

May15

In the spirit of World IBD Month and my busy schedule, I have been reposting my old posts. Today, I will be reposting my post about relationships. Keep in mind that I am a guy so this is from a man’s view. I know women have their own thoughts which may vary.

I have seen a lot of questions and discussions about this topic. Crohn’s Disease is such a private and sometimes gross disease. Many people ask “When in a relationship should I tell my partner that I have Crohn’s?” On top of this, I hear “How do I tell my partner I don’t feel sexy/want to have sex?” For women, in my opinion, this is easier to deal with than men.

First let’s tackle the first question. A lot of people feel ashamed about having IBD. Whether it is Colitis or Crohn’s, a lot of people don’t want to talk about it for feel that people will look at them differently. When it comes to dating, this is a real big issue. I know women don’t want a guy to know because they don’t want to disgust them or turn them off. When you first start dating, for a woman, they want to feel and look sexy. But what about a guy’s view? What does it say to a women when a guy has to go to the bathroom 5 times during a date. The first thought might be, “He’s doing drugs”. Another thought is, “Maybe he doesn’t like me and is calling another woman”. Truth is guys have the same thoughts and feelings as women. We want to look good also. We want to feel strong in a woman’s presence. Most guys want to be able to take control and treat a woman right. We can’t do that if we are in pain or running to the bathroom. We can’t do it if we are constantly feeling sick.

So I say, as far as telling that new person, tell them right away. It is a lot to deal with, but a lot of times IBD will run our love life so let them get used to it. I wouldn’t tell them when I first meet the person, but talk to them on the first date. Let them know that if you have to run to the bathroom..it isn’t their fault. Let the other person know you want to be there to talk to them but you have to leave for a brief moment. If you’re a guy and your want to look strong, then telling the truth is being strong. Opening up to a woman is being strong. Honesty is the best policy. It will help strengthen the relationship.

Now, if the other person gets scared at this and runs..well then it really wasn’t meant to be. You should know if the other person can handle your disease right away. Now I don’t think you have to tell your whole life story with the disease on the first date. Just let your partner know what they can expect. You can go into details another time.

Now, later on in the relationship (or marriage) IBD and sex will come up. There will be times you won’t want to have sex because of the symptoms. Again…be open and honest. If you’re having sex, then you should be in a place in the relationship where your partner knows your disease and can understand it a little. Let your partner know it isn’t their fault that you don’t want to have sex. For a guy this is rough since we are made to look like sex addicts…like we want sex 24/7/365. Truth is, there are plenty of times we don’t want to have sex. There are times our arse hurts and is sore. We might be sick to our stomach. We might have joint pains. None of this is going to make us want sex. And these symptoms can last for days and weeks. That is why I say be open and honest with your partner. If you aren’t having sex for weeks, and you don’t talk about, your partner may wonder what is wrong. They may feel like you aren’t attracted to them anymore or worse…is having an affair. Let your know partner know it isn’t them.

So, overall..be open and honest. Don’t be ashamed of your disease. You are going to have it the rest of your life. Let your partner into your life and let them know that they are in the relationship with both you and your disease. I have found that overall, if the person can’t handle it…they aren’t worth being with anyways.

A Guy With Crohn's

Just a guy living life with Crohn's Disease