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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 10/9/2007 9:15 PM (GMT 0)
I am currently doing the Maker's Diet and believe I am experiencing the toxic die-off as a result. I'm wondering if you had it, how long did it last, and is there anything that will make it any easier? I'm just into phase 2. I know he said he felt worse for the first 30 days. I guess I'm just hoping it won't take me that long because my cd was in remission when I started this. Are we supposed to continue eating everything on the diet during the symptoms of die-off? I guess I'm a little worried about the fiber making things worse.

Thanks for your help!
Posted 10/9/2007 10:08 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know anything about it but why mess with something that ain't broke :) If your in remission Id stay the course. If you start having problems again then I would look for alternative solutions.
Posted 10/9/2007 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
If it's diarrhea you're worried about, it is probably related only to the detox, not the crohns (since your were already in remission).
Posted 10/10/2007 2:28 AM (GMT 0)
dude, super bummer. i hate hearing bad news.

i initially started on phase 3 cos i was too chicken to do it right (phases 1 and 2 are super intimidating!). i didnt really experience a major detox then. i think i cos i cheated and started on phase 3. but i was feeling so bad that i dont think i was able to get much worse. when i did it properly, i had already begun to feel better since i had been on phase 3 for 5 months. when i did phase 1, i did it for 3 months and limited my carb intake to 80 grams per day. that is pretty hard core and i dont recommend it (jordan had me specifically do this cos of my condition at the time). i didnt experience a die off per say. i did get noticeably better though. my biggest complaint was always being hungry. my problem was my body adjusting to not eating sugar or grains and eating more fruits and vegetables, which i did for 4 months (3 months on phase 1, 1 month on phase 2). i had a headache and some body aches and low energy levels. this lasted for about 2 months. it takes time for the body to adjust cos you are now feeding it differently. for me it was worth it to go through that fire.

based solely on my experience and what it has done for me, i'd say tough it out if you can and see what happens. sometimes you have to get worse before you get better. if things get super bad, tweak the diet or stop it. see your doc too. no reason to keep feeling bad when you were feeling so well before. if you do stop it, perhaps try it again when you get better? or maybe try the specific carbohydrate diet. from my cursory examination of it, it has some similarities to the maker's diet. i need to look into the scd in more detail when i have time (hopefully soon). i do think there is something to diet and nutrition that can help us with CD, regardless if you follow a specific diet plan or not like the makers or scd.

again, i am saddened by your news. sorry i dont have much in way of advice. so much of this disease is individualistic which it makes very difficult to treat.
Posted 10/10/2007 5:09 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies. I think this is what you describe about the body adjusting to no sugar, no grain, and more fruits and vegis. I think the body aches are what's bothering me the most because the intestinal symptoms have not been as bad as a flare up. I definitely need to improve my diet. I am realizing now that every time I've tried and thought my cd was flaring up from the fiber, maybe it was just my body adjusting to the healthy food and getting rid of the crud. So I am going to really try to hang in there and see how I feel after the 40 days he recommends. But I'm not tough enough to suck it up when I really feel bad or if I really start being concerned that I'm making matters worse. I will modify it if it seems best.

I guess the reason I'm doing this even though my cd is in remission is partly because the arthritis that comes with it is a daily issue for me, and as I mentioned, knowing that I eat so poorly and wondering where I will be 10 years from now if I don't do something. I am staying on my meds, but I also have problems with gerd and high blood pressure and would love to get off those prescriptions. Plus I take darvocet 24/7 just to function because of the arthritis. And, I feel like I have more willpower to try this when I'm not dealing with a flareup.

The funny thing is that I started the primal defense weeks before the actual diet and really did notice improvement. This is such a big change for me I think my poor body is in shock without all the sugar!

Also, my hubby is doing the diet but he is not doing any of the supplements and he is not feeling bad. He doesn't have cd but has major digestive issues of his own. Makes me think the probiotics must be really killing off things in me.

Well, thanks again! I was excited to see there was some others who have tried it.

Post Edited (heatmiser) : 10/9/2007 11:15:21 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/10/2007 9:06 PM (GMT 0)
about your arthritis...my grandad always swore that when he went off sugar and wheat, his arthritis vanished. 

At age 50, his arthritis was so bad that his docs said he would be crippled within six months...but it was cured by diet.

Posted 10/11/2007 12:56 AM (GMT 0)
seriously, there is a good chance that your arthritis, gerd, and high blood pressure will improve if not go away. i've none people who have "cured" themselves of high blood pressure and high cholesterol from eating a more vegetarian diet and less processed foods and sugars. it makes sense to me.

i also had to adjust to eating more fruits and vegetables, which was scary for me cos for like a decade or more those were danger foods for me. i seriously went over 10 years without eating a salad cos i could only handle small amounts of lettuce, like on a sandwich or taco. now i eat salads almost every day - sometimes twice a day, and with no problems. it is great. hopefully you'll soon reach the level of health i am at and then join me in reaching the level that jordan rubin guy is at.

best of luck!
Posted 10/11/2007 5:48 PM (GMT 0)
I'm really debating going into phase 3 a little early to see if that will help. I have another week to go in phase 2. But I'm having trouble eating, nothing tastes very good and I'm a little nauseous. I am having diarrhea which isn't normal for me, but it's not excessive at this point. The weight loss will be a very good thing out of all of this even though that wasn't my goal in doing this. I just don't want to give up too soon. But I do work part-time and have worried that I'll need to call in sick if this gets any worse. I think I may try juicing some vegis and fruit today to at least get some nutrients. Did he have you eating raw vegis at first or did you cook them to make them more tolerable? Hey, do we ever get white potatoes? I don't see them ever added back in and like to put them in stew.

That is a great encouragement about the arthritis, njmom! That has been my biggest complaint since my cd doesn't flare up too often. This diet doesn't allow sugar or wheat from what I've seen.

Thanks again!
Posted 10/12/2007 1:50 AM (GMT 0)
those are legit concerns. your call. i am sure you've done your body good by doing phase 1 and most of phase 2. phase 3 opens you up to a lot more foods which is nice. but as a word of caution here to you, still be wary of your grain intake. i found that by limiting my grains and sugar and processed food intake during those 4 months i got a lot better and i believe it was key to my healing.

as for raw or cooked veggies, it was a personal choice. yes, when you cook things heat breaks down some of the enzymes and such, but then some vegetables are actually better for you cooked in that it releases some of its good stuff. i have heard for tomatoes and spinach and kale. need to check it out more though. cooking your veggies helps break down the fiber matrix making them easier for us crohnnies to digest. so there are pluses and minuses. i do both, letting my mood dictate how i prepare them. i was never a big fan of potatoes unless they were chips or fries and now that those are basically forbidden i dont eat them. but oh well. i dont really miss them, especially now knowing just how terrible they are for you nutritionally (but memory says they tasted oh so good). but i am sure the occasional potato is fine. up to you and how your system tolerates things.

phase 3 does allow wheat, albeit sprouted. sugar is its natural form - honey, real maple syrup, agave nectar, etc. none of the processed/refined stuff.

hang in there!
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