Monthly Archives: January 2011

A Diet For Crohn's Disease

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A Diet For Crohn’s Disease

Many Crohn’s sufferers have found relief and a break in symptoms by following a program called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. The diet is based on the theory that there is a distinct link between the mind and the gut, and also that the digestive tract is a central system in the body that affects us in many other areas.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet was started by a woman named Elaine Gottschall, after her daughter became ill with ulcerative colitis as a child. Through lots of study and using the process of elimination, Elaine came up with a system that eliminates processed sugars, starches, and virtually all other complex carbohydrates from the diet.

Thus the Specific Carbohydrate Diet – or SCD, was born.

Over the years Elaine compiled her studies into the effects of these particular types of foods on the human body into a book called Breaking The Vicious Cycle. It describes how those suffering from not only Inflamatory Bowel Diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, but also others battling a number of other ailments including autism and celiac disease, can benefit from following the diet.

Elaine uses the phrase “fanatical adherence” to describe the tenacity with which those using the diet should follow it. It may sound somewhat cultish, but if someone is not 100% on the diet, says Elaine, they are not on the diet at all and are still <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.living-with-crohns-disease.com”>living with crohns disease</a>. The reasons for this are related to the etymology of the body and the way the digestive system handles certain foods in diseased individuals.

Whether it is some break in the evolutionary chain, or a weakness in the immune systems of certain individuals, Elaine believes that some peoples’ bodies are not able to digest complex carbohydrates, which are called disaccharides and polysaccharides.

These products must first be broken down into simple sugars by the body before being absorbed into the intestinal wall. In individuals who do not as easilly digest these materials, they sit in the gut for longer periods of time than are normal, feeding harmful bacteria, which then reproduce in larger quantities than normal.

Harmful bacteria flourishing in the gut then may cause any number of symptoms, ranging from the inflammation associated with Crohn’s disease to the psychological (read: emotional) disconnect present in those with autism.

Due to the diet being a remedy which allows patients to achieve freedom from the symptoms of their diseases, to date there have been no scientific studies conducted to prove that the diet actually works; its popularity is based solely on word of mouth and the overwhelming number of individuals and their families who claim to have gotten relief from its use.

The medical community has largely dismissed the Specific Carbohydrate Diet as an unproven and ineffective solution, equating it to a fad or a flash in the pan, and because the medical system in the United States is fueled by private enterprise which seeks to line its pocket with the proceeds from the sale of medicinal drugs, this trend is likely to continue.

Herbal Teas For Crohns Disease

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Herbal Teas For Crohns Disease

Herbal crohn’s teas can be an effective remedy, and can often be used in conjunction with vitamin supplements and the proper diet to further relieve and prevent gastrointestinal symptoms. Although herbs that are considered beneficial for crohn’s can be taken in forms other than tea (I.E. pills) herbal tea tends to be the best way to treat gastrointestinal issue.

Why? According to some studies, warm liquid is easy for the body to digest, and allows herbs to come in direct contact with the walls of the stomach and intestines. Conversely, herbal crohn’s supplements in pill form can be difficult to digest, and may contain alcohol which often results in most of the herb being absorbed in the mouth.

The following information is focused on the herbal teas that are considered the best for herbal crohn’s treatment.

Peppermint Tea
Peppermint is made up of the essential oil menthol. When ingested, menthol produces powerful antispasmodic effects that directly soothe the muscles in the digestive system, aiding in digestion. Furthermore, peppermint tea has a very calming aroma which can help relax nerves and subdue a nervous stomach. Peppermint tea can also alleviate stomach cramps and cramping of the intestinal muscles.

Peppermint tea helps alleviate the following crohn’s symptoms:
• Bloating
• Gas
• Flatulance
• Abdominal pain
• Irregular bowel movements

It is best to consume peppermint tea after large meals and before bed.

Chamomile Tea
Chamomile has been used for centuries in treating a variety of health ailments including common gastrointestinal issues, and is an ideal herbal crohn’s remedy. Chamomile is a mild sedative and has anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and carminative properties that help aid in digestion and soothes and heals the mucous membrane of the digestive tract.
Chamomile tea alleviates and prevents the following crohn’s symptoms:
• Gas
• Flatulance
• Digestive discomfort
• stress

Chamomile acts as a mild sedative, and is therefore best taken before bed.
Note: Chamomile is part of the daisy family. Therefore, if you are allergic to daisies you should not drink this tea.

Fennel Tea
Fennel has a calming effect on the stomach and is one of the most effective herbal crohn’s remedies for relieving gas pain and reducing flatulence. Fennel tea aids the digestive tract, and is also recommended for use in conjunction with an herbal laxative to reduce cramps. In addition, fennel is known for its ability to boost the metabolism and works as a detoxifier.

Fennel tea is considered effective for relieving the following crohn’s symptoms:
• gas pain
• flatulence
• bloating
• stomach pain

Fennel tea is best taken after meals or when symptoms are present.

The following are five herbal crohn’s teas that aid in digestion which you can try:

1. Peppermint tea – see above
2. Chamomile tea – see above
3. Fennel tea – see above
4. Ginger tea – Relieves gas, bloating and pain. Ginger is exceptional at relieving nausea and vomiting. It does not have sedative properties, but it can make the body generate more heat and the warm feeling in the stomach may cause discomfort.
5. Lemon balm tea – Relieves pain and discomfort of indigestion, as well as gas and bloating. Lemon balm is also effective in alleviating anxiety, nervousness and mild insomnia. Lemon balm is like mint in the sense that it has a soothing effect on the stomach.

Where can you find herbal teas and which are best? You can find herbal teas in your local grocery store, health food or nutrition stores and online. Although loose leaf tea is best, teabags are fine as long as you can clearly smell the distinct aroma of the herb through the bag.

In addition, make sure herbal teas are caffeine free as caffeine can irritate the gastrointestinal tract and trigger symptoms. You should also ensure that the herb is the only or primary ingredient listed in the tea.

Are There Any Natural Remedies For Crohn's Disease?

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Are There Any Natural Remedies For Crohn’s Disease?

Question:

My ten-year-old son was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease about 18 months ago. He is under the care of an excellent consultant, but his condition worsened recently. He is now back on quite a high dose of steroids and also takes anti-inflammatory tablets twice daily. Is it worth getting other opinions? And are there any natural remedies for Crohn’s?

Answer:

Crohn’s is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body’s immune system had become confused and attacks its own cells. Changes have taken place – perhaps an infection or other condition – whereby the body interprets its tissues, in this case the lining of the gut (small intestine), as a foreign body. So the gut lining loses its ability to take part in the digestive process and to absorb vital nutrients, including proteins, fats, glucose and amino acids. This results in diarrhoea, the main symptom of Crohn’s.

Not only does the diarrhoea cause great nervousness, but sufferers become malnourished, weak and lethargic, and may suffer sleep disturbance. Steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs may help temporarily, but are not a permanent solution, and may themselves cause side effects.

However, I am surprised that a young child should be diagnosed with Crohn’s .This is not at all common and I suggest you seek a second opinion from a health professional specializing in allergies.

My basic treatment for patients with crohn’s is to ‘bung up’ the gut and provide nutrients to strengthen the body. I suggest that your sin stays on the prescribed drugs, but if he follows my regimen below, he should improve and be able to come off them.

Dr Ali’s diet and exercise plan to help treat Crohn’s

* For one month, follow a very easily digested high-protien diet, mashed up like baby food and organic wherever possible.

-          Soft-boiled/poached eggs.

-          Steamed/poached light fish.

-          Minced chicken or other meat.

-          Boiled potatoes with a little salt, black pepper and garlic.

-          Mashed root vegetables (carrots, Swedes, turnips, parsnips, celeriac).

-          Overcooked mushy rice/pasta/sago pudding/boiled barley.

-          Very runny oatmeal porridge.

-          Natural lice yoghurt.

-          Runny honey (eg, Manuka honey from New Zealand ).

-          Shepherd’s pie (not made with gravy powder).

-          Snack on baked apples with a little honey, or liquorice pastilles.

* Drink mint tea or liqoprice root tea and 1.5 litres still pure water daily between meals.

* Avoid food containing fibre, such as fruit and vegetables (other than root vegetables), bran cereals, wheat/yeast-containing products, sugary foods, coffee or alcohol.

* Avoid fizzy water and fizzy drinks; don not drink water until 45 minutes after a meal.

* Try pomegranate skin tea as a constipating agent: boil a 5cm sq piece of skin in pure water and drink with 1 tsp runny honey.

* Take multivitamin/multimineral supplements twice daily, for adults or Vitasorb for children (ten drops twice daily after breakfast and evening meal).

* Take 1 tsp psyllium husks (Isabgol if possible;) in 4-5 tbsp natural live yogurt daily.

* Adults should take I Diarex tablet daily after breakfast, and children 1 tsp kaolin and morphine, then massage the stomach with a little sesame oil in a clockwise movement. Also massage the neck and spine to help the blood flow to the brain.

* For bouts of diarrhoea, lie down with a towel rung out in cold water on the abdomen for ten minutes, three times daily.

* Ginger juice is a natural anti-inflammatory: juice a large piece of peeled fresh ginger and keeping small bottle in the fridge (it lasts for a week); take 1 tsp of the juice with 1 tsp runny honey daily after breakfast.

* After one month, slowly introduce more foods.

-          Cooked heads of cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus (no stems).

-          Ripe bananas.

-          1tbsp sweet tangerine juice mixed into natural yoghurt.

* Vigorous exercise is also important to persuade the body to absorb nutrients and solidify waste – athletes are usually constipated! Exercise produces natural steroids, so your son should walk, swim and play football as much as he can.

Day 12- Irritable Bowel Symptoms & Treatment Colitis Crohns Diet Disease

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Day 12- Irritable Bowel Symptoms & Treatment Colitis Crohns Diet Disease

Juice Fasting to Combat Crohn’s Disease

Most conventional doctors who treat Crohn’s Disease use harsh medications with dangerous side effects while advising their patients to stay away from certain foods. This type of treatment and advice allows the patient to exist alongside the illness, but not allow them to live the best possible life. Conventional medicine says there is no cure for Crohn’s Disease. However some researchers and scientists disagree. These mavericks believe that lifestyle and diet changes can cure all chronic illnesses. Juicing fresh fruits and vegetables is just one of the newer approaches being taken to fight this debilitating illness.

Experts estimate that as many as 50 million Americans suffer from some type of irritable bowl syndrome including colitis and Crohn’s Disease. Most of the irritation is caused by simple food intolerance according to these same experts. This thinking is backed up by evidence that symptoms generally disappear once the trigger foods are taken out of the patient’s diet. The problem remains because even so called healthy foods like sweet potato or broccoli or blue berries can be trigger foods for some people. Processed foods are proven bad for you in excess. For people suffering from Crohn’s they present major problems such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and stomach pain.

Early on, in order to get some relief, it is smart to identify the trigger foods that cause the inflammation. Foods like whole wheat bread, milk, dairy products, eggs, peanuts or even apples and corn can trigger an attack. The point is to specifically target the one food causing the problem. Most doctors test for allergies before diagnosing Crohn’s.

Juicing has become very popular when managing Crohn’s Disease. It is very simple to do. Fresh fruits and sometimes vegetables are reduced down to juice, the pulp is separated out and the juice consumed. This eases digestion and promotes healing along the gastrointestinal tract. Some mix the pulp back into the juice after extraction, however this is not necessarily a good idea since the pulp is fiber which can irritate a damaged lining. Juicing enables the body to use its own system for healing and repairing itself. The detoxification, however, may cause headaches, weakening and dizziness for a few days or until the body readjusts itself. The patient may also suffer some joint pain as the body corrects. These minor problems will fade away in a short time.

Another symptom that your body is throwing off toxins is fatigue. So relaxing and resting is good while juicing for health and healing. This tiredness may last as long as two weeks depending on the amount of toxicity in the body. So put aside all extra activity and exercise until you get through this initial phase of detoxification.

Begin by juicing fresh fruits like apples, oranges or watermelon. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, toss in some of your favorite vegetables. Start by adding a carrot or two or even a celery stalk to a juice made of apples and oranges. Adjust your tastes to fit what you prefer and you’re on your way to better health.

Is Homeopathy Crohns Treatment For You?

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Is Homeopathy Crohns Treatment For You?

In a quest to feel better and to regain some semblance of a normal life, some Crohn’s patients look to alternative medicine to help them cope. This approach works great for some, but others don’t notice much of a difference. If you are struggling with immense amounts of pain, and you think that there has to be a better way, you can try homeopathy Crohns treatments to see if they will work for you.

There are medications and diet alterations that a Crohn’s patient can try, but sometimes this is just not enough. If you have questions, you can talk to your doctor about trying an alternative method for relief, such as homeopathy crohns treatments.

If you decide to go ahead and make an appointment with a homeopathic practitioner, one of the first things you will have to do when you seek homeopathy treatments is give a detailed account of your life.

This might sound daunting, but it is very necessary. You will need to be prepared to go into detail about your emotional and mental state, and also your diet habits and lifestyle choices. These details might seem a little intrusive and unrelated to your crohn’s disease, but it is all information that is needed to plan your treatment. The idea behind homeopathic treatments is to look at the body and mind as a whole and treat ailments in that way, rather than focusing on just one or two elements. You will also have to give a detailed account of your disease, and talk about your symptoms in a very personal way.

You cannot go into homeopathy Crohns treatments thinking you are going to find a cure. There is no known cure for this condition, and if someone offers you that, you might want to find someone else. You can, however, expect to get some relief from some of your more troubling symptoms.

This type of treatment focuses on your overall health as opposed to just targeting your symptoms. It attempts to boost your own natural healing abilities. It also focuses on balancing your emotions and your mental outlook on the theory that this can help improve your situation. There will be things done to relieve your symptoms, but you should know it is a more involved therapy.

In most cases, homeopathy Crohns treatments are going to involve you taking natural plants to help with the symptoms that bother you the most. When you are considering these treatments, don’t be afraid to say that you don’t know what they are, and to ask for more information. Everything should be spelled out for you, and if someone is not good at answering your questions, you might want to see someone else.

When it comes to what you are putting into your body, it is essential that you be at ease with what is going on, and what you are ingesting. You may also want to do some additional research online.

No matter what remedies you try, you should always keep the lines of communication open with your medical doctor. They need to know what is going on, and should be aware of what you are taking. There are some plants involved with homeopathy Crohns treatment that might cause problems with your prescriptions, if you are taking any, and you want to make sure that does not happen.

You should never ditch your doctor to try something new. You should be able to talk to your physician about anything you want to try. If you find your doctor is not open to accepting your choice of following homeopathy crohns treatments, you do have the option to find a doctor that is more accepting, but you should never be without someone to watch over your medical situation.

What You Should Know About Crohns Herbal Treatments

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What You Should Know About Crohns Herbal Treatments

Many Crohn’s disease sufferers know that there are many treatments they can try to get rid of some of their pain, but most aren’t sure about trying something that might be considered to be an alternative treatment, such as crohns herbal treatments.

There are many different remedies you can try if you are interested in going down the Crohns herbal treatment path, but you do have to be careful. Just because a treatment is considered to be natural does not mean it is safe for you to take. There are complications of which you may not have considered, and even if your doctor does not like the idea of what you are doing, you can’t just ditch them.

There are many doctors who will not want you to take herbs to help with your Crohn’s symptoms. There are many reasons for this. Some simply believe that herbs do not work and that you are wasting your time and money. If your doctor has this attitude and you wish to explore natural options change doctor’s, as it’s important to have your doctor on your side, as there are real concerns about herbal remedies that you should take seriously.

Some herbs can react with prescription medication with very nasty side effects, and some of them might be dangerous to you. Even though they are natural, that does not mean they can’t hurt you if they mix with other things.

You should do a lot of research on herbs before you try them, and remember to run your ideas of what to take past a qualified professional. Some of the most common herbs used to help with Crohn’s symptoms are harmless, but they can have unwanted results when they aren’t taken correctly. These are some common herbs that you might already use. Peppermint helps calm the stomach and the rest of the digestive system, teas like green tea and chamomile also help relieve symptoms.

You can also try remedies such as aloe vera juice for some relief. This product can come in many forms, and you have to make sure you are getting a quality version. Slippery elm bark is another common crohn’s reliever.

There are many herbal mixes you can buy, and you’ll find many of them online. These tend to come in the correct quantities so you don’t have to worry about getting the dosages right, but you do have to know every single item that is included in any remedy before you take them. Most products give the advice that they should be used in conjunction with whatever your doctor recommends, and they should not be used in place of medical treatment. It’s also important to note any warnings of interaction with prescribed medications and to follow the instructions on the packaging carefully.

When you want to try a Crohns herbal treatment, there is one very important thing that you have to remember. You should never take anything without talking to your doctor, as it could be dangerous for you to avoid your doctor and take anything you think might help. Though your doctor might not be thrilled with the idea of you taking crohns herbal treatments to help with your condition, they would rather help you work though it than have you self medicate, which could have serious consequences.