food HELP!!!!

I completely cured my crohn's with diet alone and without the use of any drugs. All I did was change my diet to the diet in the  book "Breaking the Vicious Cycle".  

In 9/07 I had surgery for two rectal fistuals in which ctons where installed. Six months prior to having the surgery for my fistuals, I was experiencing explosive watery D 4-7 times a day, and when it wasn't D, my bowel movements consisted of 70% white mucus and also blood. I also had bloating and pain.  During the surgery, the doc did a colonoscopy and took a biopsy which came back positive for crohns.

After the surgery, the GI wanted me to go on drugs like pentasa and 6mp to try to put the crohns into remission. I did not want to be a slave to drugs for the rest of my life, so after doing a lot of research,  I came across the book "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.  This diet was developed by this doctor for her daughter. The daughter was cured of her crohns.

I started this diet 11/1/2007 and I followed it to the absolute letter without any exceptions. And you know what? Within three weeks after starting this strict diet, all my D was completely gone and my bowel movements were back to normal. I still had some white mucus in the BMs but no more blood or D. Also I all my pain and bloating had vanished also.  NOTHING. I felt great for the first time in 6 months 

 By the middle of Jan 2008, all the mucus had completely vanished and my BMs were completely 100% normal like they use to be before I developed this crohns.  All my crohns symptoms were completely gone exccept for one, my fistulas.  

Guess what? They were healing too!  Prior to this diet, the fistuals would drain pus and blood and would be painful, but since being on the diet, the pus has stoped and the skin has started to heal up around the ctons.  Matter of fact, three weeks ago, the surgeon took out of the ctons and that fistula has healed completely on it's own and has closed. Yesterday I was at the surgeons office and he was amazed at how I was healing and he wants to take the last remaining cton out because that fistula is also healing on it's own. I owe this all to the diet alone.

This diet is not for everyone becuase you need a lot of dedication and motivation to stick to it. You have to follow it to the absolute letter or IT WILL NOT WORK. If you cheat and pick and choose what you want to eat, it will not work and your are just wasting your time.

This diet is a major life style change to the way Americans are use to eating.  With this diet, there is no more milk, no more food or drinks with sugar, no more potatoes or rice, no more bread of any kind, no more fast foods like McDonalds or pizza. You have to eliminate all processed foods and starches from your diet. All you are basically allowed to eat are l fruits and vegatables, all natural meats (no processed meats like bologna, et), fish, eggs, home made yogurt, etc.  Here is a list of legal and not legal foods

http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/legal/legal_illegal_a-c.htm

I strongly suggest you get the book and read it.  If your daughter is in the early stages of crohns like I was, it could work for her as it worked for me and save her from a life of suffering as it saved me.

rivky323 said...
Thank you again for your help. My daughter is 15 and is trying to be good and brave with learning how to deal with her illness. We always welcome any help, ideas or suggestions that anyone might have.
I have another question: While my daughter is on all these meds. shouldn't she be clear of pain/flairs? Would certain food that are not so good for her not trigger pain if she's all these ani-inflammatory drugs and still on anti-biotics?

Sadly, it depends. When I am on Humira (and previously Remicade), I am symptom free. Only towards the end of my 2 weeks period before my next injection, or when very stressed out, do I have any symptoms seep back in.

I am able to eat just about anything - BUT - I did figure out the hard way that I must have a lot of scar tissue in one area so some foods, in excess, just aren't going to easily pass through. When on a diet kick a couple of months ago, I ate too many fresh veggies and fruits in one day. Had an acute blockage and ended up on Vicodin the whole next day until it passed through.

So, that is why I can do just about anything in small quantities while on the meds.

It seems that for me, I'm either really good or really bad. If the meds are working, you'd never know I have a chronic disease. If they aren't working, I'm not eating anything solid at all.

It seems that others rarely get "as good" as I feel when my meds work and constantly struggle with their disease despite medication.

I hope that once her colon calms down, and the meds start to work, that your daughter will find herself symptom free while on them.

I just wanted to add a comment about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.  I notice that several people say "Oh, I could never eat the foods on that diet."  Things like raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, etc.  But one thing I would point out is that in the early stages of SCD, we don't eat any of those more "advanced" foods.  We start with broth, soft pureed vegetables, eggs, tender leans meats and fish, and homemade yogurt, etc.  Once the intestines heal many people are gradually able to introduce more fruits and vegetables, and the almond flour baked goods.  But some people still find there are many of those things that they personally can't handle.  They can still follow the SCD, it is very modify-able.  I have had times when my diet has been very limited due to a stricture, but I could still follow the SCD.

Even if people have no interest in following the SCD, I would still recommend trying the homemade yogurt.  I am convinced that the probiotics (good bacteria) in the yogurt could help many people with Crohn's.

good luck

Amber

I know it's different for everyone, but I'll tell you what works for me.  When I was first diagnosed, I cut out all caffiene, spicy foods, and really fibrous foods, because I noticed they were causing problems.  It's just in the last 6 months that I have really started paying attention to the foods I am eating and the reactions I get from them.  I started a food journal to help.  Foods that I avoid now - dairy (except for yogurt, some cheeses, and butter - I can have goat's milk though), beans, broccolli, cauliflower, bell peppers, onions, gluten, caffiene, sugar, popcorn, anything that has a lot of preservatives in it (like salad bars and Subway), fried foods, alcohol.  I recently found out I am also soy intolerant, so that cuts out most processed foods.

By the time I realized all of the foods that were effecting me, someone mentioned the Maker's Diet to me.  After reading the book, I realized that it sort of coincides with what I am already eating, so I am now trying that.  If you do a search on this board you will see what it is all about, but basically now I only eat organic meats, fruits, and veggies.  The only drinks I have are raw milk, water and tea.  We are actually looking into getting a reverse osmosis filtration system for our tap water.  I only eat spelt or sprouted bread. It's a very difficult lifestyle change, but I feel great.