RA & Crohn's (cross posted)

[Hobbits]

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

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