new year. new diet.... maybe.

I've followed SCD for a little over a year now. It's done so many good things for me, I'll never go back to eating the way I used to. I really have a sweet tooth too, but I keep track of my carbs so I don't overdo it. I can't say I'm a big fan of cooking, but I do like the food, so that helps somewhat. I just kind of force myself to cook, and often make big batches of items to freeze so that I don't have to cook as often.

For probiotics, I just eat the SCD yogurt. I do eat coconut oil. I just eat it off the spoon, because it doesn't taste bad. Make sure you get virgin coconut oil. I also take 3 kinds of fish oil (salmon oil, cod liver oil, and sardine/mackerel/anchovy). A vitamin D supplement is also very good, because most of us are deficient. I started taking Coq10 recently, and feel it has helped my energy a little bit.

I feel so much better then I did a year ago, so it's all been worth it. Just getting my fistulas healed up is motivation for me to keep at it!

Good luck!

I was just diagnosed with CD in November.  Instead of go on drugs right away, I used the disease as a motivation to change my diet first.  I feel fortunate that I didn't give myself any choice, which has given me the determination to stick with it so far.  I always needed, before the diagnosis, my coffee in the morning and oftentimes needed a bite of sweets at night.  I didn't eat a lot of junk, but did like certain starchy foods.  I first started with Jordin Rubin's diet in "Restoring Your Digestive Health."  Now, I am on the SCD.  As to how I'm doing:

I feel pretty good.  My constipation has finally cleared up (I've never had the CD diareaha that most people seem to have).  I don't even think twice about not having a brownie or something like that when I bake them for my family.  The ONLY cheating I did was take a small taste of the cheesecake I made for Christmas (basically, I licked the spoon).  I make a bit pot of chicken soup, and have that constantly in my fridge.  I eat that at least once a day (lots of good veggies and natural anti-inflammatory things in there).  I also eat a lot of yogurt and berries, but I don't eat enough veggies and meat.  I am still in the exploratory phase, where I'm adding new foods and seeing how my stomach handles it.  Too much gas=not good for my system.  I have virtually no pain, minimal gas, and NO diareaha.  I don't know what difference it might make on my insides, but outside it is making me feel great!  Also, my skin is the best it's ever been (family has commented on that :). 

I'm no gourmet chef, but I found the recipes in the SCD diet easier to do than in Rubin's books. 

I have a family member with terrible IBS.  He knows some of his triggers, but still partakes at times.  He hates the way it makes him feel, but he can't seem to not eat them.  He loves the determination I have, and wishes he had it.  But, he's not sick enough of his symptoms to change, yet.

For me?  I only gave myself this one shot.  I figured if I can't fix my diet, I'll always be a slave to the drugs (that's how my brain needed to think of it).  I didn't want that.  I'm only 35, with two kids ages 6 and 7.  I want to be HEALTHY for me, and for them.  When they are grown, then my body can fall apart.  But not right now.  So, I am on the restricted diet, and following it very well, and will reevaluate drug intake in another few months, and see if drugs and my new diet will be my long-term care plan.

Sorry to ramble, but I hope this helps!

Hey Jamci.  Nice to meet you!  I love connecting to people that have similar symptoms as me.  :)

What is Apriso?  I take it to mean it's only helping the pain be not too bad, but otherwise...who knows?

Don't kick yourself about falling off the wagon!  It was the holiday's...move on and do what you know you can do!!!

Later,

I live on a low residue diet all the time and it works well for me. You can google it and get some diet ideas. Its a easy to chew, easy to digest diet. SCD works for some but not all. But either diet works well for Crohns. No matter what diet you choose you should ALWAYS take some type of maintainence meds. Diet and medications should be considered as complimentary of eachother. I once went med free and it ended abruptly with emergency surgery with a complete obstruction. I will never be med free again. I am successfully maintained and in remission with Asacol. Hugs!

Its from mine and a few others experience. I thought I was enjoying remission med free when in fact the disease was still in there doing its damage until I was completely obstructed. I unfortunately did not have any warning signs either. So I am a firm proponent for maintaince meds. I don't want one innnocent person to suffer what I went thru.   Also, 35 years of living with the dd have given me a little insight too:)  JMHO

Hugs
Gail*Nanners*

Actually I haven't taken alot of the meds. I mostly have been successful with the 5ASA's. But I did try 6mp once, but ended up needing surgery anyways, so stopped it. But if it were needed in the future, I would go back on it. So far, so good that Asacol is keeping things in check:)