Changed Diet - 6 week mark (Crohn's and RA)

[Hobbits]

About 6 weeks ago, I drastically changed my diet, in an effort to try to limit my Crohn's symptoms. My diet is very limited, basically I eat meat (chicken and fish) some fruits and some vegetables. I buy organic when I can, and eat non GMO foods/gluten free. At first I felt way worse, my already chronic fatigue got way worse....I stuck with it and now my body has become accustomed to to clean eating, and craves fresh fruits and vegetables and protein. I actually am now very turned off by processed foods full of chemicals I cant even pronounce.

My painful gas issue has virtually disappeared, I cant even say how much this alone is worth the effort! My sensitive stomach, which was extremely noisy, gurgley and groaning and very embarrassing, especially at work has become quiet, again this alone is worth the effort! I still have pain, sometimes when I have a BM, I have a stricture that can not be ignored. Sometimes my BM hurts so much I almost pass out many times and vomit, as the pain it very acute; when a stool try's to squeeze past the stricture, but certainly foods easy to digest help ease this, most days. Its not perfect, but I have found a place I can accept for now.

I'm waiting for MRI in November to determine either surgery to remove stricture or go on Remicade as a maintenance drug. I'm already on Enbrel for RA, and apparently Remicade can treat both Crohn's and RA....However I have great anxiety about going off Enbrel, it took over two years to find a drug that helped my RA, and I'm terrified of Remicade not working for my RA. I have NO desire to get back on the biologic merry-go-round of drugs, truly anxiety provoking. I work full time, I need my benefits to pay for my very expensive drugs. I'm scared of messing with what is working great for my RA, without Enbrel I would be totally disabled, and have to crawl on my hands and knees to get upstairs...yes, its that bad. I cant afford to loose my job. So what ever I am told in November by my Gastroenterologist, I will weigh it and decide for myself, once I know what my options are. I really do not want to go on Remicade, and be taken of my Enbrel, but I also need my Crohn's maintained...

Last week I reintroduced one grain, gluten free oatmeal and eggs.

I made a 'flour-less sugar free/glutin free Banana Bread' I ate a piece very cautiously, as I always had an issue with glutin, and from my readings, many GF labelled foods are not truely GF (glutin Free) Oatmeal will be the only grain in my diet, I found I can bake with it! (instead of flour)

Here is the recipe, if anyone wants to try it, its heavier than your usual banana bread made with wheat flour, but this snack is delicious, easy on digestion and only 5 ingredients.

HEALTHY 5 INGREIENT FLOURLESS SUGAR FREE/GF BANANA BREAD

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

INGREDIENTS:

-3 Medium ripe bananas

-2 cups GF rolled oats ( I used Bob's Red Mill)

-2 large eggs

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

-Preheat oven to 350F

-Lightly grease 9x5 loaf pan or ( I used 8.50x8.50 glass pan for 9 brownie sized bites)

(use organic coconut oil to grease pan)

-Put the dry oatmeal in a blender, and blend until it turns to flour (approx 2 mins.)

-add the baking soda, coconut, mashed bananas and eggs, blend until smooth

-pour evenly into pan

-you can garnish top of batter with very thin sliced bananas (I didnt do this step)

-bake 20-25 mins (I have gas oven and 20 mins was perfect)

-let cool and enjoy

This is an amazingly sweet treat and satisfies for those who cant eat gluten or soy...or hardly anything...

If you like things super sweet, you can add 5-6 dates to the blender mixture

Happy Snacking

[Angep]

Hi Hobbits, so good to see your doing so much better and il definitely try your recipe it looks lovely. I usually make a gluten free carrot cake but I don't do it too often as I can't stop eating it!!! I've got a terrible sweet tooth on an evening for some strange reason!! I feel going gluten free has really helped me and I've even had gluten free curry😮I was so desperate for one so I thought il having one and see what happens!!! First thing was a taste explosion in my mouth😂So long since I'd had one and I was fine. I bought a gluten free sauce and it was lovely. We get so frightened of food sometimes because of this illness!! I'm actually putting weight on since starting the Humira and no longer resemble skeletor!!! Hope things keep improving for you, you've done so well sticking to your eating plan 😁👏

[Hobbits in reply to Angep]

Hi Angep! Glad to hear you enjoyed your GF curry-that made me smile when you said 'taste explosion' funny how these little things (like being able to have a treat or much craved food) means so much.

Things have come a long way, since the initial lack of support from family about my changed diet. I think I'm tolerated now and I'm not getting the negativity I originally received. I think they understand now that I'm not planning to force them to eat what I eat. Also, I didn't choose this disease or want to change my diet, but I needed to in order to have some quality of life. It is a huge challenge to go out to eat though. I haven't found a restaurant yet that I don't have to ask for a heavily modified order. Even with asking for modifications I don't think they are followed. On the two occasions I went out to restaurant, I had very bad flare...one while I was actually still eating and the other about an hour later. I nearly didn't make it to the washroom! I suspect it's something they use to cook meat....possibly butter or spice. I have no control over what restaurants put in/on things, even when you ask them not to, so it's like playing Russian roulette. Needless to say I don't eat out much.

I'm so glad I stuck with this, and thank you for your support, you were a bright light of encouragement!

I'm sticking to the foods I have for now. Just having introduced back oatmeal and eggs, I'm gonna give it a month and see if any issues come back.

[Angep in reply to Hobbits]

Gosh you seem to have lots of sensitivities which makes it such a mine field!! I know what your saying about eating out!! I find that often the staff don't fully understand gluten free!! So it's so important for us to know what we're doing!! Even though I get given a gluten free menu which usually has about 3 choices😮😂 but still I'm greatful for that anyway, I went for hunters chicken with Piri Piri sauce and the waitress asked if I wanted BBQ sauce!!! Which I do love but it's not gluten free if I hadn't have known I would have said yes. I'm so pleased your getting a bit more support now😁My other half often says go on just have a bit of that!! I say Nooooo!!! I heard him telling someone the other day how I'd come on leaps and bounds since following this particular way of eating 😁So he does take it seriously deep down. I'm really crossing everything for you that your changes lead to a better quality of life for you and you you can gain and maintain remission. Keep doing what your doing because it's obviously helping enormously 😁How's the fatigue?

[Hobbits in reply to Angep]

Fatigue is still a factor I wish would just go away. I have an odd day improvement, but for the most part it's still a huge issue. The improvement I have experienced is all worth it though, I'm virtually gas free and my digestive system has quieted. These things are huge I'm just being more comfortable Day to Day. I'm hoping come November when my Gasto decides what to do with me, I can get chronic fatigue relief from what ever treatment she puts me on. Right now I have no treatment at all for Crohns, my Entocort has been stopped due to blood pressure elevation and some vision issues.

Sounds like you got a smart partner! Having support of those around you really helps one cope. My hubby I have to remember can't read my mind, I find when I really explain things in detail it helps him absorb things, I know my disease affects him too, and he's probably worried not knowing what's gonna happen to me long term. Waiting patiently for Nov MRI and hopefully a treatment plan will quickly follow.

Haha when you mentioned you made glutin free carrot cake before, it gave me an idea to try to make some in a few weeks, I will use same base ingredients as the banana bread, minus the bananas!

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕

[Angep in reply to Hobbits]

I know it's difficult for those closest to us and they worry so I try to be positive because not only does it make me feel better but them too😁 Before I had Crohn's and went gluten free I would never have eaten carrot cake you know!!! I couldn't think of anything worse and just the smell of cinamon Made me feel yuk!!! I'd rather have eaten. My shoe!! 😂 After eating such bland food when I was really poorly we went into a cafe and that was one of the limited choices on offer so I thought why not!!! That again was another taste explosion!!! So I made my own minus most of the sugar and I use dark. Brown sugar as it tastes much nices. I also make water kefir and sauerkraut to repopulate my gut with good bacteria it's so much cheaper than having to buy probiotics when you can make your own for next to nothing😁

[Hobbits in reply to Angep]

What exactly is kefer? I saw kefir drinks at Costco when zi was looking for some juice.

I do understand it's fermented? Is it a vegetable?

[Angep in reply to Hobbits]

Keifer is a fermented drink full of probiotics which is essential for our gut microbiome. Taking antibiotics and having stomach problems, leaky gut etc upsets the balance of this. It's a very big subject indeed. People buy probiotics which is often recommended for people with IBD but I e learnt to make it myself. It's so easy and cheap.you can have milk or water . I've tried the milk and I do try avoid most dairy so I didn't like it much and i prefer the water kefir.You can buy the grains for under £5 off Amazon. Look on you tube and there's lots of demonstrations how to make it. You start off drinking a small amount to get used to it. I've had no probs whatsoeverdrinking it. The sauerkraut is fermented too, I make it with red cabbage and beetroot. Recipe is the book. By Dr Michael Mosley (the clever guts diet) his book is about re booting your gut biome. If you fancy trying it look on you tube like I said and look for formented food.

[Hobbits in reply to Angep]

Thanks I will look it up on YouTube

I took Aligne Probiotics for a few years reccomended by my Gastroentrologist,She specifiedthat particular brand name. I have had C Difficile 2x most likely from chronic antibioticuse, one year alone I was on 11 different antibiotics.

I'm currentlyon a two month long course of antibiotics for Perioral Dermatitis, it's almost completely gone but my Dermatologist told me to make sure I finish them. If the Dermatitis comes back before I am done the two months, then it will be extended month to month until it goes away. Right now because I'm on antibiotics, I have no chance of C diff, but as soon as I'm done the meds, I will be at great risk with all my good bacteria gone too. No use taking any type of probioticnow, as the antibiotics will just kill them, but the minute I'm done the course of meds, I absolutely need to repopulate with good bacteria.

My sister brought me to this health food store and I met a Functional Doctor, unfortunately Crohns or RA is not his speciality, but it was that visit that started me on my journey. We got a sample of this special drink made with a scobi.

The probiotics Aligne my Gastro recommended are very pricey, I get that you get what you pay for but it's kinda crazy. Making your own stuff sounds better. ☺️

[Angep in reply to Hobbits]

To be honest I'd rather make my own because what you buy over the counter dosnt necessarily contain the probiotics you need!!! It's my understanding that the keifer contain so many there's a good chance what you need is in there. If it was me I'd take probiotics with antibiotics because if hope some of them would survive. I've. One to realise. Doctors don't know everything'. For example they believe diet dosnt affect IBD!!! I'm sure you know that if you ask people with it they would beg to differ about that. We must keep looking for ways to help ourselves. I feel in charge of my illnesses to a certain extent now because I know I'm doing all I can to help me😁 C diff 😫Terrible!!! I've looked after people with that andvits dreadful.I'm sorry your dealing with that too!!! Your doing so well with your diet I know it's hard!!! I'm all for functional doctors and such like. I think they often work well along side our own health care professionals.i saw a lady who helped me enormously and she was a big part of my self help journey😁 Along with meditation🙏🏻Quite magical is that.