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Crohn's Disease My Thoughts Personal Science

My latest health challenge: Clostridium difficile infection

This is not a fun post to write. I have mentioned that I’m being treated for a recurrent clostridium difficile on social media a couple times, but mostly I’ve kept this latest health challenge to myself. If you know anything about the symptoms of a c diff infection, then you probably understand why it isn’t […]

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Book Reviews My Thoughts Personal

Book Review: Kombucha Revolution

“Kombucha. It’s been called the ‘elixer of life,’ a cure-all that detoxifies the body, aids digestion, reenergizes the mind, and even helps reverse the symptoms of cancer. Drink several glasses of this fermented tea a day and, according to some, its healing properties will lower cholesterol, help with weight loss, reduce hot flashes, and create […]

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Fermented Recipes

Adventures in Fermentation: Coconut Milk Yogurt

Homemade coconut milk yogurt is a finicky beast. It doesn’t thicken like dairy yogurts, the texture can be less than appealing, and it often lacks the distinctive yogurt tang. Store bought options are more pleasant and consistent, but even the “good” organic brands like this one are still full of added sugars and gums that I […]

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Crohn's Disease My Thoughts Science

Fermented Foods for Natural Gut Health

It must be the German ancestry me in, but I adore a good sauerkraut. The fact that it is a fermented food and good for my gut health and managing Crohn’s disease is just a wonderful excuse for me to eat it regularly rather than just as a condiment for the occasional bratwurst at a […]

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Crohn's Disease My Thoughts Science

Crohn’s Disease and Probiotics: Beneficial or Just a Waste of Money?

Last week a startling headline appeared in my Google news alert: “Probiotics Have No Impact on Crohn’s Disease Remission.” The study, published this month in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, was a 52-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted at 32 centers and looked at whether or not a specific yeast probiotic, saccharomyces boulardii, prevented relapse of […]