Gutsy By Nature
Bone broth. I recently realized that it is no longer accurate to say that bone broth is “having a moment.” Of course, that has always been true! The idea of making a long-simmered broth or stock from bones and other scraps and then using it as both a culinary ingredient and health-promoting tool as been […]
If you have pets or take care of livestock, you know that animals thrive when they eat on a regular schedule. My labrador retriever Lily gets breakfast every morning at precisely 6AM and dinner at 6PM (and not a minute later… you’d think she could tell time!). This keeps her fit and full of life […]
A “low residue” diet is often advised for individuals who are preparing for a colonoscopy or other medical test, who are preparing for or recovering from surgery on the small or large intestine, who are recovering from a bowel obstruction, or who are experiencing severe inflammation from active Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. It is […]
Carrageenan, maltodextrin, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, carboxymethylcellulose… These common food additives are “generally recognized as safe,” but is that true for people with Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases? Evidence is mounting that they may not be and in this post I discuss each one and why foods with these on the ingredient list […]
First I blamed it on the shoes. Just a sprain? Or something more? I bought totally cute but ridiculously impractical, high heeled, red patent leather shoes to celebrate my 40th birthday in July, 2015 and insisted on wearing them for three straight days, even though they made my feet and ankles hurt like hell. I thought the […]
Disturbed sleep and active Crohn’s disease go hand-in-hand, which is probably not a surprise to anyone who has experienced the pain, diarrhea, cramping, night sweats, general malaise, and other agony of a flare. Added to that, the steroids that are often prescribed to calm a flare down have the often unwelcome side effect of causing […]
What is the best diet for people with Crohn’s disease? That is a trick question, because there is no one answer. The best diet is the one that works for that person, at least until science catches up and figures out exactly what causes inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) to manifest in genetically susceptible people and […]
Should you drink coffee if you have Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or another inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? I confess, I am a coffee lover who has never been able to give up the habit completely – despite having made big announcements to the contrary! I have successfully taken relatively long breaks from it and I […]
Last night I was honored to be part of a panel discussion on the topic of balancing conventional medical treatment of autoimmune disease with a paleo-based approach to diet. There are some great diet reviews at ehiprimarycare.com, you can find one that is right for you. Regular readers of this blog already know that I spent […]
Regular readers of this blog and followers on social media know that I was diagnosed with an intestinal infection due to clostridium difficile (commonly known as “c. diff“) about four months ago. In my last post, I shared the treatment up to that point and that the next step would be to undergo a fecal microbiotia transplant […]