Prayer Request

I have such mixed emotions associated with something that happened Friday, and I'm having difficulty expressing it...

Let me first give a little background.  I'm pretty convinced that I'm supposed to help people with Crohn's or ulcerative colitis live a healthy life without medication. When I was diagnosed and Dr. Sigmon told me that chances are that I'd have to be on medication the rest of my life, I just somehow knew I'd find an alternative. I was diagnosed with severe advanced Crohn's colitis, and according to Dr. Sigmon, in his over approximate 30 years of being a gastroenterologist, only one person could he recall managed a life without medication, and her condition was not as bad as mine.

I figured if one person could figure a way to get of the meds, then there must be a way for me to do it too.  That became my mission.  I found Dr. David Klein's Self Healing book by searching for ways to cure Crohn's online. Within his book, I connected with my holistic doctor, Dr. Zarin Azar, and sure enough, within a year, I was off meds and have been able to manage Crohn's without meds ever since. 

This blog has been a way for me to remember everything that has occurred with my journey, all of the advice I received from Dr. Azar, and the detail of what I researched. I envisioned that part of my purpose for blogging all of this was to eventually write a book that could help others, as well as have a venue for those suffering from the diseases to get ideas of things they could try to improve their lives during this journey and this seemed like a logical approach.

On another note, I used to frequent a Crohn's and Colitis support FB page, and had used it regularly to give me the will power to continue on the holistic route. Often when I was feeling tempted to eat something I knew was bad for me, I'd visit this site and read about all of the people suffering with these diseases, that eat the standard American diet, and that was all I needed to give me the will power to stick with my healing diet, and my holistic path.

One time when I visited the site, https://www.facebook.com/ItTakesGuts, Aaron, the founder of the site, had a post indicating that they were looking for another administrator. I don't recall exactly how he said it, but he was looking for someone with a lot of education on the different treatments available. Well, that wasn't me. But because of this desire and belief that I am supposed to help others live a healthy life in spite of Crohn's or ulcerative colitis, I messaged him and basically asked if they were ever looking for an administrator that managed the disease holistically, I'd be interested


He had a few questions and we went back and forth a little, and the next thing you know, he asked me to join as the holistic admin. I've been doing this now for about a month.  Being an admin on this site was really my first attempt at helping others.
I visited my parents in Michigan last week. I left on Wednesday afternoon and took my motorcycle up to the Port Huron area for the extended weekend. I arrived on the 4th and returned on the 6th. So as you can see, I wasn't there very long at all.
Rich had one of his sons with him. The other wasn't in the best of health and didn't make it. Ironically, he was scheduled for a colonoscopy the following Monday and they suspected that he might have Crohn's. I was involved with a conversation with Jan, when this was discussed between my mother and Rich. My mother responded to Rich, "Tammy has Crohn's." and quickly the conversation changed to discussing what life is like if his son, Josh, at only 11 years old, was diagnosed with the disease.

I have known in my heart that the knowledge and experience I have with Crohn's must be used to help others, and based upon my past history with authoring a couple of books, I assumed this is the way I'm supposed to do it, but based upon what happened in the past couple of weeks, evidently there's also another way.

What was pretty cool, is that my mother reconnected with a family, the Hughes, that used to live a couple doors down from us when we lived in Warren. We lived there when I was 4 years old, through the age of 10 I believe. What I am certain of is that we moved away when I was 10. There were three children in this family. 

Well, timing would have it that Rich, one of the kids, was visiting his mother, Jan, for the holiday as well. I'm pretty certain that my mother just recently reconnected with Jan, and had yet to see any of the kids. But things worked out that we could stop by and visit with them Friday night, the 5th. We stopped by and it was very cool to see them, and also kind of amazing how they were still so familiar. 

As we were talking, I heard my mother say to Rich, "Tammy has Crohn's." So of course I entered their conversation and learned that his son, Josh, was having some medical issues and he was getting a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy the following week. This lead to a discussion about how it is to live with Crohn's.

Unfortunately, I received a message from Rich on this past Friday, and Josh was diagnosed with a severe advanced case of Crohn's, earlier that day. His Crohn's has affected his entire digestive system from his esophagus through this colon.

I don't know about any of you, but I consider this a request to me and Rich by God. Think about it? I reconnect with Rich after 39 years of no contact. My mother connects with his mother just recently, and Rich happens to be visiting Michigan when I'm visiting, and somehow we're able to see each other with such little time up there? I've been wanting to help others, and now I'm going to be given the chance. 

I must admit that I'm a little scared. I know I have been saying that I want to help people, but somehow I thought it would be indirectly by being the admin on the support site, and by writing a book. It didn't even cross my mind that the future of a young boy of a childhood friend may depend upon my support. I believe God hand selected me, which scares the bejesus out of me because I don't want to let Him down. Also, I never considered myself as someone God would call directly upon.

I can't imagine that we would be lead to each other after almost 40 years if Josh wasn't meant to have his condition improved due to my involvement. I ask you all for your prayers for this little boy and his family! Give his parents and brother the faith and commitment it is going to take in order for them to help him in this journey, and give Josh the wisdom needed to make good decisions for his long term health and happiness. And finally, give me the wisdom to advise the family in a manner that helps them the most.

Managing Fatigue

Fatigue! It's common with Crohn's and colitis sufferers, especially when they have a flare up since a significant amount of nerve energy is directed to healing, and often even when we're in remission we get fatigued for many reasons. Ultimately, anyone fighting illness or chronic diseases is more apt to fatigue and tiredness that a healthy person.  

So, what can we do to fight fatigue? Fatigue is often related to a lack of nerve energy, or lack of certain nutrients. 

Nerve energy is essential to our health and absolutely needed to fight illness, disease, and fatigue. With Crohn's and colitis, if you have a flare up, much or most of your nerve energy goes toward managing your symptoms, and sleep is the best cure for a lack of nerve energy. Sleep is the most effective way to replenish your nerve energy.

Stress management is crucial to nerve energy as well. If you're stressed, your solar plexus, which radiates nerve energy throughout your body, contracts, and you simply have less nerve energy. 

Also, because certain nutrients can be a factor associated with fatigue, a diet rich in vegetables is helpful. Vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables, have the majority of the nutrients that when lacking, contribute to fatigue: iron, magnesium, B12, folic acid (B-9), and potassium.

Iron is a mineral needed for hemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that carry oxygen. When iron levels are low, red blood cells can't carry enough oxygen to the body's tissues, causing fatigue. So if you're iron deficient, a whole food supplement, or green leafy vegetables will help. I'm a big fan of juicing, so whenever I have any issues with my gut, juicing is better because the leafy veggies are a little tough on the GI tract, and the nutrients of juice is absorbed very quickly while giving the GI tract a rest.

Vitamins B12 and B-9 (folic acid) are needed for the production of red blood cells. B12 helps the body use iron and is also required for proper digestion, the absorption of food, the synthesis of protein and the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. 

Also, B-12 is produced in the GI tract, and it is difficult to get enough B-12 from Crohn's and colitis sufferers because B-12 is typically in protein foods that are the longest to digest and are acid forming, which isn't good for our GI tract and often triggers a flare up. I eat only plant based whole foods, but they don't contain vitamin B-12, So I self administer vitamin B shots. 

If you add supplements to your diet, shots are the best to administer if possible because they're more immediate and bypass the GI tract. If you take oral supplements, try to get the type that dissolves in your mouth or drops if you have Crohns in the upper GI tract. I don't like taking pills of any sort, even supplements, as I believe they aren't the most gentle on your upper digestive system. If you have UC or Crohn's only in the colon or rectum, a whole food supplement is fine to take, however.

B9 is needed for the body to produce red blood cells. Because it's easily destroyed during cooking, it is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies. Eating raw vegetables, beans and nuts usually is sufficient for B-9.

Magnesium is needed for the production of ATP, Adenosine triphosphate, a coenzyme used as an energy carrier in our bodies' cells. It is the main energy producing molecule in the body. So, when magnesium is lacking our cells are less able to produce energy and this leads to fatigue and tiredness. Magnesium is easily obtained through fruits, vegetables and fish.

Finally, potassium is a mineral that is needed for organs to properly function. Low potassium is associated with cancer, digestive disorders, and chronic fatigue syndrome among others. Again potassium is found in fruits, vegetables and fish. 

Green leafy vegetables contain all of these nutrients other than B-12. No other food that I know of contain as many of the essential nutrients to fight fatigue as they do. But during a flare up, they are not gentle enough on the GI tract to eat, so consider adding a green juice to your daily routine. I drink about 16 oz a day of green juice that includes all of the required nutrients above, except B-12. It is my diet source for fighting anemia, fatigue and keeping my nerve energy strong. 

Food Sequencing

I was juicing the other day, and the different items I juiced, stayed in layers in the container. It visually reminded me of how our stomach is supposed to look if we eat properly. 

Consider that different foods require different time frames to exit the stomach and enter the small intestine. 

Generally fruits takes 15-30 minutes to exit the stomach and meat takes about 3-4 hours.

if when you eat, you mix all of your food together, any quick digesting foods must wait until the slowest digesting foods leave the stomach before they too can leave.

Depending upon what you eat, this process can take up to 6 or 8 hours. And while waiting, the faster digested foods like fruits, vegetables and some of the starches undergo some decomposition and fermentation. This produces gas, acid and even alcohol along with indigestion.

My photo represents food sequencing, or layering. I know it's not as tasty to eat all of your fruit first, then your vegetables, then your meat. But if you do so, the food will layer in your stomach, similar to my photo, and exit your stomach on time. This keeps food from fermenting or putrifying in your stomach which can cause many issues.

Generally, eat the food with the most water content first, and food with the least, last. Simple food sequencing may resolve your acid reflux or heart burn, among other discomforts in your GI tract. This is particularly helpful for those with Crohn's or colitis.

The Test Results are in!

Good news... bad news... but mostly good news!

I've known that I have some inflammation due to some symptoms I've had with my bowel movements. So for the past ten days, I've been juicing, and have been anxious to get the test results so that I can assess what to do next.

I went in for tests on Thursday. Specifically, I wanted to know my sedimentation rate and hemoglobin. For some people a c-reactive protein test is an indicator of inflammation. However, for me, the sedimentation rate is more accurate from past tests. 

How the sedimentation (sed) rate works is when blood is placed in a tube, red blood cells settle to the bottom. Inflammation can cause the cells to stick together. Because clumps of cells are heavier than individual cells, they settle to the bottom more quickly. The more red cells that fall to the bottom of the test tube in one hour, the higher the sed rate. A sed rate of 0-20 is normal for a woman.

During flare-ups I've had sed rates of 85 upwards to over 100.  Once in the past I had a sed rate of 65 and was able to manage to get it back to normal without medication, but with some drastic dietary and other actions. 

Hemoglobin is the oxygen carrying protein inside red blood cells. Since oxygen is essential to healing, not having enough hemoglobin makes healing difficult. So a high sed rate and low hemoglobin makes healing very difficult indeed. Hemoblobin for a woman my age should be around 12 to 14 gm/dL. 

So I was hopeful to have a sed rate under 65 and normal hemoglobin. I really would like a sed rate of 0, but I knew that I had some level of enervation or inflammation due to my symptoms, and a sed rate under 65 would be good considering.

Well... I got the results late Friday.

Hemoglobin: normal at 12.4
Sediment Rate: 40.

I'm actually thrilled with these results. What this means to me is that I can simply stay on my "healing diet", get enough vitamin D by getting in the sun about 15 minutes every couple of days, and make sure that my nerve energy is ample for healing. I do this by getting ample rest, meditation and managing stress. By doing these things, I will likely resolve the mild inflammation without any drastic action or medication within a couple weeks:) Yay! 

Therefore, that's what I'll do until I have a full week of no symptoms. Then I can loosen my diet to what I refer to as my "post-healing diet". I've posted some details before about my healing diet, so I thought I'd post information about my post-healing diet, which is the diet I will transition to and should stay on to keep in remission without medication.

I posted four requirements of a healthy diet for Crohn's and colitis on my last blog. I've added a couple other important requirement here. I've learned that if I stick to these six rules, I don't get inflammation. When I deviate, I get symptoms that indicate my colon has been irritated or inflamed and that's what will lead to a flare up.

1. Avoid foods that introduce harmful or toxic substances into the digestive system. 
2. Eat and drink only easy to digest and assimilate things.
3. Only eat foods that can be eaten in its natural state.
4. Intake only those foods and drinks that contribute a broad range of nutrients.
5. Eat predominantly alkaline-forming foods. 
6. Avoid any food that is spicy hot.

1. Avoid Toxic Substances:  Foods that introduce harmful or toxic substances include the following, plus much more. Read the ingredients of everything you buy that is a packaged food and if it doesn't sound like a word that describes food, it is often toxic to some extent :

• preservatives
• artificial sweeteners or coloring
• refined sugar or flour
• msg
• genetically modified organisms
• fried oil (BHA/BHT)
• caffeine
• trans fat
• pesticides
• Olestra (fat substitute)
• brominated vegetable oil or anything with bromate

Ultimately whole organic foods avoid any of these toxins so you can be certain you're good to go if you stick to plant based whole foods.

2. Foods Easy to Digest and Assimilate:  The easiest food on the digestive system is juice, because it is already digested and therefore is ready for immediate absorption and assimilation. Cold press juice is the best because it keeps most of the nutrients and food enzymes in tact. 

Fruit is the next easiest. It is considered partially digested in its raw ripe form, with exceptions. The skin of an apple for example, is difficult to digest, but the apple meat itself is in a state comparable to a partially digested vegetable. Melons are the easiest to digest. Speed of digestion, doesn't necessarily mean ease of digestion. For example, whole milk exits the abdomen in about two hours, which is the same as most seeds. However, due to casein and lactose in milk, most people cannot digest dairy products as easily as seeds. 

3.  Raw Food:  If you consider this 3rd criteria of eating foods that can be eaten in their natural form, this eliminates many foods.  Although a healthy person will synthesize hundreds of enzymes required for digestion and assimilation, the body is dependent upon the enzymes within the food for the most perfect digestion. Therefore, it is essential that our food have their enzymes intact and that occurs if it is eaten raw.

Cooking destroys not only the enzymes, but destroys almost all known food factors and makes a food’s nutrients mostly unusable.  Depending upon the extent in which the food has been cooked, it reduced to inorganic minerals, caramelized sugars and starches, coagulated proteins, poisonous fats, and it weakens the vitamins and other values. It not only loses most if not all of its nutritional value but what remains can become toxic debris in the body according to Dr. T. C. Fry, and believed by Dr. David Klein and Dr. Herbert M. Shelton to name a couple.

Most nutritionalists confirm that cooking changes the organic nature of the food and changes its nutritional content and our ability to assimilate the nutrients for the worse. There certainly is controversy to what extent cooking destroys nutritional value, but every source I could find with any credentialed nutritional expertise confirms that cooking kills the foods enzymes which the body relies upon to assist in digestion and reduces the nutritional value to some extent.

Therefore, since Crohn's and colitis creates digestion and absorption problems, it simply makes sense that those with the disease need the food enzymes and full nutrients of food, and hence, raw food is a recommended food state. This is one of the core beliefs of my holistic gastroenterologist, and has become one of my core beliefs based upon my personal experience as well.

4. Nutritional Food:  A very important factor about nutrition is that we must eat and drink in a manner that allows what we eat and drink to be digested and assimilated properly. Meaning, if we eat food that gives us all the nutrients we need, but we eat them in such a way that their value cannot be realized, then this is not healthy. Some foods require acid digestive enzymes and others alkaline, and some neutral. If we eat foods that require acid enzymes with food that requires alkaline enzymes, then the two enzymes cancel each other out and the digestive enzymes are significantly less effective.

Therefore, eating "mono" meals, or combining foods properly allows us to digest and assimilate food properly.

5.  Alkaline Forming Foods:  The human body must maintain its fluids at a slightly alkaline pH in order to survive. Neutral pH is 7.0; acid pH is below 7.0; alkaline pH is above 7.0. The bloodstream pH must be maintained within a pH range of 7.35 to 7.45; blood pH outside that range results in death.

Metabolic waste acids are produced in every cell.  Acidifying factors include acid-forming foods; exercise; and stress, mental and emotional. This requires a sufficient reserve of alkaline minerals in the body for their neutralization. Which is why eating predominantly alkaline forming foods is essential to our health. Under perfect conditions, acid wastes are minimal and easily neutralized and transported to the organs of elimination. However, a chronic acidic condition constantly stresses the body, resulting in physical and mental issues including big problems for Crohn's and colitis sufferers.

Excess alkaline minerals are now problem, however, as our kidneys are adept at eliminating them.

After foods are eaten they are oxidized in the body, resulting in the formation of a residue. If in this residue the minerals are sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, the food are alkaline forming. If the residue includes sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and un-combusted organic acid radicals, they are designated as acid forming  foods. You can see based upon the content of the residue that alkaline forming foods are better for us. Don't confuse the alkaline or acid residue with alkaline or acid enzymes. Enzymes are part of the digestive process and food residue is a result of digestion. That residue remaining in our digestive tract effects the PH balance and a chronic acid PH is problematic for most people and certainly for those of us with Crohn's or colitis.

6. Avoid Spicy Food:  If it is spicy hot to the mouth it will irritate your digestive system. You might like the taste of spicy foods, but your gut does not. Avoid them.

I admit that I don't stick to these six rules 100% of the time. But I do intend to following these requirements most of the time. And the times that I don't, need to be spaced a part so that I don't stress my colon for an extended period of time. These requirements are not only good for the colon, but for the stomach, small intestine and entire digestive tract.

I realize this is a lot of information so future blogs will break down the six requirements for remaining in remission in more detail. Stay tuned...

Going in For Some Tests

I've not been very good sticking to my diet lately, and have some symptoms that lead me to believe that if I don't take control of things quickly, it could end in a flare up.

Beginning with a motorcycle trip to Orlando for the  Memorial Day weekend, I've not gotten the proper rest, and definitely have varied from my diet that has kept me in remission. I've eaten too much Mexican, and spicy foods are aggravants. Additionally, I've had alcohol too frequently. I've not given my system time to correct itself between each situation in which I've enervated my colon.

It's not surprising that I am having some symptoms that concern me as it relates to my bowel movements: color, smell, mucous, frequency, etc. The good news is that I don't have any other symptoms, so I'm hoping I've caught this early enough. Symptoms of this sort are usually a precursor to a flare up for me. So I've gone to "my healing diet" over the past week. Basically, this means I've been eating only raw fruits and vegetables that are alkaline forming and easy and quick to digest. 

I've only been eating partially digested foods, that are easy and quick to digest. As it relates to fruits, most are naturally partially digested other than things like the skin of an apple. So I'll peel the apple or juice the apple so the peel doesn't aggravate my GI tract.In regards to vegetables, they are either very lightly steamed, or juiced. 

Raw food is the richest in nutrients and enzymes. The enzymes within the food help digest the food. Food that is cooked over 108 degrees, lose their enzymes and much of their nutrients. So raw, easy to digest, fruits and vegetables, are the most gentle on the GI tract because the enzymes within the fruits and vegetables facilitate most of their own digestion. The nutrients are assimilated quickly and the waste, which is little, passes easily and quickly as well. This gives your GI tract a break.

This diet over the past week hasn't made as much improvement that I had hoped for. Things haven't gotten worse, but they haven't returned to normal. I've only seen mild improvement in my bowel movements.

So I've scheduled an appointment with my GI Doc on Thursday morning so we can take some tests to help identify how radical I need to react. I've not had to see my medical doc for over a year. 

I'm certain that the tests on Thursday will show I have inflammation. The question is to what extent. I have learned that if my sediment rate is 65 or lower, I can manage things by simply sticking to the healing diet for a while, as long as I'm not too anemic.

I've also learned that if it is 85 or higher, that I must take radical action which may or may not work. And it may result in me temporarily taking medication. 

What I have learned from Dr. Azar, my holistic GI, and Dr. Klein, a nutritionalist specializing in C&C, is that I can help speed the healing of both if I give the colon a rest. Meaning, I'm to keep the environment in my digestive system in the best possible state for healing: 

1. Avoid foods that introduce harmful or toxic substances into the digestive system. 
2. Eat and drink only east to digest and assimilate things.
3. Only eat foods that can be eaten in its natural state.
4. Intake only those foods and drinks that contribute a broad range of nutrients.

The reasons behind these four criterion, I'll review on my next post.

Once healed, then the trick is to keep it from getting inflamed again, and that's when I transition to a "post healing diet" that is not near as restrictive as the "healing diet."

When I first began to manage things this way, I was on Mesalamine and Budesonide. I got in remission on the meds, while on the healing diet. Then I weaned myself off the meds by reducing the quantities weekly over a couple months. Only after having no symptoms for 90 days, did I slowly begin to introduce other foods and transition to a post healing diet. 

Any ways.... This is what I do whenever I feel symptoms of inflammation. Once I get the test results I'll post an update, but until then, I've gone to a juice diet only to hopefully expedite healing the inflammation. 

This is basically what I'm doing.

Apple and carrot juice twice daily (cilantro too)
A green vegetable juice twice daily 
Watermelon juice twice daily

Apple and carrots have pectin in it and pectin protects and cleanses the colon. I drink 8-16 oz first thing in the morning and again in around dinner time.

The Green vegetable juice is to make sure I keep my iron levels up: Bok choy, cilantro, basil, cucumber, zucchini, red bell pepper, celery, and carrots with a little bit of Himalayan salt. Kale, collard greens and spinach, I avoid at this time because they contain oxalic acid which will irritate the GI tract. I drink 16 mid morning and again in the evening.

Watermelon juice is extremely alkaline forming, and helps neutralize the acidic environment. I drink this throughout the day.

This juice diet I use is specifically when I'm trying to avoid a flare up. It seems to give me what I need to control my inflammation, supply a reasonable amount of nutrients, and allows me to have enough energy to go through a typical work day.

I know this is a marathon post, and I hope I haven't bored you all.... I hope this information.

I'll be back in touch after my test results.

It Takes Guts!

I've "liked" a FaceBook page about IBD since about a week after my diagnosis, back in 2011. I was amazed at how many people truly suffer with Crohn's or colitis (C&C) and I consider myself blessed to have found a holistic way to manage my disease. The symptoms and medication that most people with C&C have to deal with the majority of their life is sad, and due to the lack of good available information on how to manage these diseases without mediation, many don't even know where to start.

I have come to the conclusion, however, that many people with C&C don't want to have to change their lifestyle to manage their disease. Many are wanting some medical cure to take care of everything. It's much easier to take medication than to change your lifestyle for some. So even if a holistic approach exists, many will chose not to take it. But for those that wish to take a holistic approach, there simply aren't many sources available to educate yourself on the topic

These days, when I visit this FB Page, I tend to do so to give me the motivation to continue on my current path. When I am tempted to go back to my old way of eating and drinking, I visit this FB Page and read of the issues that others have, so that I can see the repercussions of reverting back to my old ways.

Recently, when visiting the page, one of the Admins posted a request for an additional Admin. They were looking for someone who had a  lot of experience with different medications so that they could help field questions from their members in that regard.  Clearly that would not be me, since I've only had one medicine regimen out of the many available to C&C sufferers.
Regardless of my completely different approach, I inquired if they would be interested in having an admin that is managing their disease holistically. After a couple of emails back and forth inquiring about my knowledge with one of the current admins, Aaron, they agreed to add me as the "holistic" admin for their page.

I'm a little excited about the possibility of helping others who want to attack their C&C naturally. Wish me luck. It really would be awesome to be able to assist others who have a desire to manage their disease naturally.

Feel free to visit the page and like it if you have one of the diseases or have a loved one suffering: Guts

A Couple Recipes and A Decision

Here's a couple new juice recipes:

Love this recipe. I never realized vegetable juice could taste sooooo good :)

One of my last posts had a kale, zucchini, cucumber, carrot, tomatoes, celery, basil, etc. recipe. It took vegetable juice to a hole new level for me. Now I have another one I absolutely love. During my Crohn's healing, neither of these recipes would be good. The kale recipe wouldn't work because oxalic acid in kale is an aggravant and garlic is an inflammatory, not to mention the acid in tomatoes.

This next recipe also wouldn't work because of tomatoes being too acidic and the garlic being an inflammatory. However, now that my Crohn's ulcers are healed, I have been handling these ingredients very well.

This next recipe is a result of me experimenting with some different things. I hope you like it:

• 2 Large very ripe tomatos
• 2 Large zucchini
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 sprig of fresh basil
• a dash of cayenne pepper to taste
• a dash of Himalayan sale to taste
• 2 dashes of ground cumin to taste

This drink could definitely be used in place of Bloody Mary mix, but without the Vodka, it is very tasty:) Cayenne is known to break up toxins in the body. I haven't researched the rest of the health benefits, but know that it is really tasty. Regardless, any juice that is not high in fructose, is great to have any time during the day!

The second recipe I've discovered is very refreshing and is mild in flavor. I really enjoy it. One day I'll research the ingredients of these recipes to determine what they are good for. Meaning... I know the kale recipe is good for anemia, and the apple/carrot recipe is good for Crohn's and colitis. I know that some of the other recipes could potentially be miracle recipes for other illnesses...

• 2 Large tomatoes
• An apple
• 1 Large cucumber
• 1 Clove of garlic
• Fresh cilantro to taste

I like adding a little sparkling water to this drink. It is a great drink to have out over ice while hanging out at the pool believe it or not. I hope you enjoy it.

Regarding my decision, I'm going to get an update on my blood work to ensure that the way I'm feeling results in clinical results. Meaning... I'm going to get some blood work completed so that I can ensure that I am clinically healed. I intend to start working on a book regarding healing Crohn's and Colitis, but I want to ensure that I'm actually healed.

Therefore, I'm going to move forward with all the tests, other than a colonoscopy, to ensure I'm actually healed. I have some mixed emotions. I have probably refrained from scheduling these tests because I've been afraid of the results. But I have not been on medication and I've been symptom free for eleven months. I must be healed, and it is probable the results will support that conclusion.

Thanks for being with me through all of this...

Juicer Recommendation

I've had at least three people ask me for a Juicer recommendation, so I decided to write a little about why I think the Hurom juicer is and awesome choice. Now, there is one that is better, if you'd like to spend about $2,500 (Norwalk) versus the approximate $350 of the Hurom. 

There are basically three types of juicers: centrifugal, press, and manual. 

Centrifugal juicers are commonly available in retail outlets and are the cheapest to purchase. These extract juice by pulverizing fruit and vegetables against a round cutting blade that spins very quickly against a metal strainer. The centrifugal force generated by this cutting apparatus separates the juice from the pulp, which drains away separately from the fibrous remnants.

They're noisy, produce less juice and don't work very well with greens. But most of all, because of the heat from the speed in which it operates, and the amount of air mixed with the juice during the process, the juice oxidizes very fast, and a significant amount of the enzymes and nutrients are destroyed. Food enzymes mixed with our digestive enzymes aid in digestion. 

Cold press juicers are superior because they operate by masticating or a chewing method. Instead of the rough extraction of centrifugal juicers, mastication or cold-press juicers compress fruit and vegetables to squeeze out their juice. The slower and more thorough extraction rates produce a high-quality juice, and more of it.

They are quieter, work well with greens, and produce less foam. But most of all the lower heat produces less oxidation and therefore they keep the nutrients and enzymes i tact. Ultimately, they simply produce more quality juice, and therefore will remain in better condition for longer. 

Manual juicers, like cold press juicers, provide a slow and gentle extraction that preserves the nutritional integrity of juices. However, they're slow, require some physical exertion, and often limited to certain types of fruit and vegetables. 

My Hurom I use daily and is likely the best cold press juicer on the market under $500. I haven't tried them all of course, but I couldn't be happier. Whatever you do, if you are going to take juicing seriously, get a cold press or manual juicer, not a centrifugal juicer. You'll simply get a lot of calories without many benefits.

Now, there is some pulp that you'll get with the Hurom, so if you're wanting immediate absorption of the nutrients, you may want to strain the fiber. When you drink juice without fiber, the nutrients go directly into your blood stream feeding your body cells within ten to fifteen minutes. And all this with no effort on the part of your body for digestion and assimilation. Therefore when I'm going a cleanse, I strain the fiber out of the juice. It is great for your digestive tract to be able to take a break.

So.... that's my take on juicers:)

I also wanted to leave you with a wonderful recipe:

Blend 2 bananas
Juice from 1 mango
Blend them both with some cilantro

This is probably my favorite juice. I hope you like it! 

Cleanse Day 10

Today is the 10th day of my cleanse. Although I missed having a couple cocktails with my fellow Winterplace ski and snowboard instructors yesterday evening, this cleanse has been pretty easy. I've had no significant withdrawals, and the "coating" in my mouth that occurs when I'm not "clean" has dissipated. I'm debating on whether or not to continue the cleanse through Thursday. We will see...

I have a couple more juice recipes I'll post either in the next couple of days, but today I'm spending my last day at Winterplace. It is expected to be in the 60s. There's still a lot of snow on the ground, and I'm already missing the thought of not being up here regularly. 

Have an awesome Sunday! God bless.

Some Juice Recipes

It is very clear that juicing with organic fruits and vegetibles is expensive.

Luna's has seven 16 oz juices for $62 per day. I decided I'd buy everything to juice myself. I spent about $65 and ran out after two days with only eleven juices over two days. So Luna's was about $9 per juice, versus about $6 per juice. There really wasn't that much savings based upon the quantity in each juice, but more importantly, the time saving.

In any regard, it's not as if you save money on your died when you're on a organic juice cleanse.

I'm now almost complete with day 5. The past two days I made my own juice. The following are two of my favorite recipes over the last two days:

My Daily Salad

This is a recipe from Luna's. Although it tasted slightly different it was still delicious. This makes about 16 ounces and is about 170 calories, and is a good source of iron.

• 4 Medium Carrots

• 1 Zucchini

• 1 Cucumber

• 1 Large Tomato

• 3 Celery Stalks

• 4 Large Leaves of Kale

• 1/3 Clove of Garlic

• 1/8 Lemon

• 4-6 Leaves of fresh Basil to taste

• Dash of Cayenne

• Dash of Himalayan Salt

My Miracle Juice
As you know if you've been reading my blog, carrot and apple juice was a major factor in my Crohn's healing due to the pectin in both that is digested in the colon and acts as a cleanser and protectant. Well,  a small change to the ingredients zests up the taste for post healing. This also makes about 16 ounces and is about 210 calories.

• 2 Carrots

• 6 Medium Carriots

• 1/4 Medium Orange

• 1/8 Lemon

• Cilantro to taste

Purple Pleasure
This is amazingly delicious. It's about 300 calories. 

• Small Head of Red Cabbage

• 1 Large Bosc Pear

• 2 Stalks of Mint

I'll give a few more recipes before this cleanse is over. 

My Juice Cleanse

Friday I began a juice cleanse. A juice cleanse requires that you abstain from eating solid foods and you consume only purified water and juice from fresh fruits and vegetables. Many people who cleanse do so because they want to begin a healthier long term lifestyle and diet. Or they may just want to lose weight, or interrupt their present poor eating habits. Cleanses are often used to break addictions or for spiritual reasons as well.  

Juicing is a way to give the body a chance to cleanse and heal. The body not only heals itself, but improves itself at an astounding rate when it is given all of the nutrients it needs without the setbacks of everyday toxins. 

After eliminating waste and toxins in your body, some of the benefits include an improved immune system, higher energy levels, clearer skin, increased metabolism and improved organ functioning and digestive health. Keep in mind that I'm not a physician, and you should always consult a healthcare professional before participating in any cleanse, or any diet suggestions mentioned earlier in this blog.

There's a few reasons why I decided to do it now. First of all, I've been very bad keeping to my diet, and have cheated on eating some cheese now and then, processed foods, and having a few cocktails. Other than the cheese, I've stayed true to plant based foods, but I'm had many rich processed foods which are waisted calories and tough on the digestive tract. None of this unhealthy behavior has given me any Crohn's symptoms. However, I know that if I kept it up long term, it would result in the Crohn's returning.

So I realized it was time to get back to eating more healthy so I can stay healthy.

Additionally, because I'm healed, this type of eating and drinking is not good for your weight management, and specifically over the holidays, I've gained too much weight. If you recall, however, I really needed to gain weight, so some of this was wanted, but the weight gain went too far. And I really much prefer being a size 4 to a size 8, and it has become growingly obvious that I'd prefer to eat plant based whole food and be a size 4 than eat unhealthy, risk the return of Crohn's and be a size 8-10.

The reason why I decided to do it now, is for years I give up something bad for me, or commit to something good for me during Lent. Additionally, because I had some car problems that I needed to get corrected and I really needed to work on gathering everything for my accountant so I can file my income taxes on time. Because of these two things, I decided to stay in town this weekend and not go snowboarding. Since I was in town and was going to be stuck to my den gathering tax information, it was a better day to feel fatigued. 

The first couple days of a cleanse, you typically have some side effects occur as the body detoxifies rapidly, such as hunger, headaches, tired, anxious, and you might even feel sick at times.  The greater the side effects, the more toxic your body and the greater you needed to cleanse.

Therefore, I wanted to start on a weekend. My past experience is that day 2 and 3 are the most fatigued days of a cleanse. So starting on Friday made perfect sense.

Many of you that know me know that my favorite restaurant in town is Luna's Living Kitchen. This juice cleanse I decided that I would start with their three day cleanse. The juice consumed during the Luna’s Juice Cleanse is not the pasteurized type bought in grocery stores that is often from concentrate and packed with preservatives, but rather the raw, organic, cold-pressed juice from fresh fruits and vegetables.

The difference is important. Juices made with a cold press juicer are juiced slowly through pressure instead of being chopped and heated as they are with a typical at-home centrifugal juicer or in a factory for store bought juice. The chopping and heating process burns off nutrients and denatures enzymes, which are the molecules responsible for all of the chemical reactions in our bodies.

Cold pressed juice retains the vitamins, nutrients and enzymes natural in whole fruits and vegetables and extracts the juice. The result is all of the living potential of a plant minus the fiber. The gastrointestinal system doesn’t have to work to break down fiber and instead the nutrients are absorbed within minutes into the body as energy and nourishment. 

I have a Hurom Juicer. It also works with the pressing process, however, it retains quite a bit of pulp because after pressing the juice from the fruit or vegetable it also then masticates the remains for pulp. So the first three days I'm using Luna's cold press juices, and then the next five days I'll juice my own. However, after I juice the fruits and vegetables, I will strain the pulp out of the juice, so that I in essence get the same effect as a cold press juicer.

I must say, that I love most of Luna's juices. Below is what they provide:

Odd Days

8:00 a.m.   - Tree of Life: Kale, spinach, parsley, cucumber, celery, lemon and ginger
10:00 a.m. - Pure Vida: Carrot, apple, orange, and lemon
12:00 p.m.   - Gateway to Green: Kale, apple, orange, lemon, and ginger
2:30 p.m.   - Volcano: Orange, lemon, grapefruit, maple syrup, and cayenne
5:00 p.m.   - Power Cleanser: Carrot, cucumber, beet and celery
7:00 p.m.   - My Daily Salad: Carrot, zucchini, tomato, cucumber, kale, celery, garlic, cayenne, basil, lemon and sea salt
9:00 p.m.   - Almond Milk: Almonds, dates, filtered water, vanilla and sea salt

Even Days
8:00 a.m.   - Gateway to Green: Kale, apple, orange, lemon, and ginger

10:00 a.m. - Purple Rain: Cabbage, bosc pear and mint

12:00 p.m.   - Tree of Life: Kale, spinach, parsley, cucumber, celery, lemon and ginger
2:30 p.m.   - Coconut-Chai: Coconut water with a splash of their homemade chai tea
5:00 p.m.   - Zinger: Beet, apple, orange and lemon
7:00 p.m.   - My Daily Salad: Carrot, zucchini, tomato, cucumber, kale, celery, garlic, cayenne, basil, lemon and sea salt
9:00 p.m.   - Almond Milk: Almonds, dates, filtered water, vanilla and sea salt

A cleanse can be as short as three days and as long as a few weeks, depending upon how toxic your body is. I usually cleanse for no less than five days and no longer than 14 days. I haven't yet decided how long this cleanse will be because I don't really know how toxic I am yet. 

Every two to three hours that you're awake, you should have 8 to 16 oz of juice. Additionally, you should consume about half your body weight in pounds as ounces of water. For example, if you weight 140 pounds, then drink 70 ounces of water. So for me I make sure I drink as least 12 ounces of water between each juice.

One thing that occurs during my cleanse is that I get a coating in my mouth. It feels like excess plaque everywhere in my mouth. I have to brush my teeth several times a day during a cleanse. When this nasty coating doesn't occur any longer, then I feel pretty safe that I've cleansed most of the toxins from my body. So when that occurs is when I'll complete my cleanse.

When I had active Crohn's, I couldn't eat garlic or cayenne. Garlic is an inflammatory to the colon, and cayenne was an aggravant. Oranges and lemons were too acidic as well. Even though they are alkaline forming, their natural acidic nature was problematic for Crohn's. Now that I technically no longer have Crohn's, adding citrus fruit is not a problem, but garlic and cayenne scare me a little.


Therefore, the Volcano juice above is one that I didn't like and did not drink. As soon as I tasted the quantity of cayenne  it concerned me as to how it might effect my colon. 

Oxalic acid is in spinach and kale, and in the past oxalic acid was a problem for the digestive track. It created inflammation. For those of you who haven't read or remember that Crohn's is an autoimmune disease that cannot control inflammation. Therefore, when the digestive tract gets inflamed, it attacks itself and makes it more inflamed and that's how the ulcers occur and get worse, because the immune system when trying to cure the inflammation, actually makes it worse.

Therefore, the trick to staying healthy and not having Crohn's return is to keep the digestive tract from being inflamed. So, eating garlic, cayenne, or things with oxalic acid could risk inflammation to the digestive tract which could cause a Crohn's flare up. 

One thing I remember hearing from Dr. Azar, is if something is tangy to the mouth, it will be an inflammatory to your digestive tract. And the Volcano juice tasted too tangy. The other juices did not, so I am drinking the balance of the Luna's juices and don't feel as if I've had any issues whatsoever with my GI tract.

Days four through whatever, I will juice on my own. I am planning on making all the juices of Luna's on my own, except I won't use the Volcano juice, and instead I'll substitute watermelon and lemon juice. Watermelon is extremely alkaline forming with helps put your digestive tract in a PH neutral state with is extremely healthy.

I also won't use the Almond juice recipe from Lunas. It has a lot of fat in it, and since part of my motivation for doing the cleanse now is to shed a couple of pounds, I'm going to replace this high fat, high calorie drink with coconut water. Coconut water is composed of unique chemicals such as sugars, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, enzymes, amino acids, cytokine, and phyto-hormones. It beautifully hydrates the body, almost like Gatorade, while giving it the potassium it needs like bananas.

Also, coconut water is comprised of many naturally occurring bioactive enzymes such as acid phosphatase, catalase, dehydrogenase, diastase, peroxidase, RNA-polymerases etc. In effect, these enzymes help in the digestion and metabolism. Clearly, for someone with digestion issues, coconut water is one of those miracle drinks.

An interesting recipe above is Pure Vida. For those of you following my blog throughout the tough times, I called my carrot and apple juice my miracle juice. Both contain pectin which is only digested in the colon and pectin when digested acts as a protectant and cleanser of the colon. And Luna's has almost the same recipe.

My favorite tasting juice of those listed is My Daily Salad believe it or not. I'm excited to try to duplicate the flavors in this juice. I can see it becoming my breakfast juice in the future versus the vegetable juice I have currently, which includes romaine, red pepper, cucumber and carrots with a little ginger. I prefer to have my green juice in the morning and my fruit juice in the afternoon. The sugars from the fruit give an extra boost of energy later in the day when it's needed. 

I'm on day three of the cleanse, and really, other than the nasty coating in my mouth, haven't felt bad at all. I'm a little more tired than normal, so it is a good thing I didn't go snowboarding this weekend. But by next weekend, my body will be used to things and if I continue the cleanse into next weekend, I'll still plan on snow boarding, because it will be my last weekend at Winterplace this winter. 

If you decide to try a juice cleanse, please let me know. I suggest you journal what you experience during that time. This not only is a good experience for the health of your body, but it is also a good experience for your spiritural and mental state. You will be amazed at the clarity of thought that occurs when your body doesn't have to focus upon digesting food and disposing of food waste. 

Eight Months Later

It's now been eight months without symptoms or medication. I have expanded my healing diet even more. I still am afraid of eating meat of any sort, including fish, so I don't. The length of time it can remain in your digestive track, fermenting, just cannot be a good think.

Every now and then I'll have a little cheese. Very little. And I'll have beer or alcohol, but no wine due to the acidity. When I have some cheese, I make sure it's with alkaline forming foods. Beer or alcohol, I only have after I've eaten. Never on an empty stomach because I'm fearful of the alcohol making it to my intestines before being absorbed into the blood stream. So have the food absorb it and keep it in the stomach longer helps ensure that large amounts don't make it to my colon.

I still am about 60-70% raw foods and vegetables, but will eat cooked vegetables and grains now. I avoid highly processed or fried foods. Vegetable stir fry over brown rice or quinoa is a common meal, however, I make the vegetables the larger part of my meal.. Nuts and seeds are fine now too. In the past, I might have a pasta dish with a side of vegetables, now I have vegetables with a side of pasta.

I regularly continue to juice in order to ensure I get maximum absorption of vitamins and minerals. Green juice is a regular part of my week now, and love watermelon and honeydew juice too. I no longer eat cereal, but instead have fruit for breakfast. I think I'll blog my typical  diet in an up coming week so you can see how the diet no longer is as boring as it used to be.

I meet people often that have Crohn's and hear of the number of flare ups they have while on medication and realize how blessed I am, and I feel normal again! I met a young woman at Winterplace recently who also instructs there. She was diagnosed with Crohn's about a year ago. She's happy because she hasn't had a flare up in two months. She takes 14 pills a day to keep from flaring up. I have to continue to remember that the minor restrictions of my diet by far is less convenient than 14 pills a day to limit flare ups to once every couple months.

When I was first diagnosed, I would have never imagined that it would take less than a year to cure the ulcers and live a normal life again. How blessed am I...

Here's a Taboo Topic

So.... as you may recall, I started getting symptoms that lead to my Crohn's diagnosis back in May of last year. July 5 of last year was my last menstrual cycle until recently...

I know. This is not quite a topic you expect from me much less one that belongs on a Crohn's blog, but this is so amazing I must tell the story.

I went from having normal cycles every 29 days to none. No hot flashes, or any other symptom of menopause  Ultimately August of last year was when I believed I went through menopause.

However, I discussed this with my holistic doctor, and she suspected that when I was healthy again, I'd return to a normal menstrual cycle, but she suggested that if I really wanted to know for sure if it was due to my illness, or if it was menopause, to have my hormones checked the next time I'm in for my annual exam.

So in August of this year, more than a year after having my last menstrual cycle, I was due for an annual check up and I asked my family doctor if she could also check my hormone levels to see if I'm menopausal. She took two tests: the leutinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. Luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulate the ovaries. They are not necessary for life, but are essential for reproduction. If you're not producing them in the proper amounts you won't ovulate and therefore you are likely menopausal. 

Both hormones showed menopausal results. That added to the fact that I didn't have a cycle in over a year lead my doctor to believe I was menopausal, which of course is what she informed me. I wasn't really sure if I was happy or sad. I always wanted more than one child and now I was being informed that any possibility of that happening was over. Yet on a positive note, I went through menopause without one symptom. Wow. How awesome is that!

So this past October, out of the blue, after 15 months of no periods, I had a typical period. Hmmm....

I started researching online what could be the cause of bleeding in menopausal women and found a lot of disturbing information candidly. Most of which was not good. Most of which lead to complications of the uterus. All sites I researched suggested getting the cause of the bleeding checked out by a doctor. Well, life continued and time flew by and I forgot about it until, vwa la, here comes my November period. What??? Exactly 29 days later, I have another cycle. Now I'm getting scared.

So, I remember back at what Dr. Azar told me. She with certainty said, when you are healthy again, you'll start getting your periods again. I immediately decided to make an appointment and discuss all of this with my medical doctor. Her schedule and mine didn't line up so I saw her P.A. Jennifer Haugen. I shared with her what it was that my holistic doctor told me and the entire history of my Crohn's and how I was anemic and this physical shock to my system was what Dr. Azar, my holistic doctor, thought prompted the menstrual cycle to stop. 

Jennifer explained to me a little more about the two tests I had. She explained that the tests were an indicator of if the ovaries were working. Well from a layman's perspective, I already knew my ovaries weren't working during the time I wasn't having a cycle. That only makes sense. But what I really wanted to know was why? Had they stopped working because I'm menopausal, or have they stopped working because of the physical state I have been in because of what Crohn's had done to my body.

Ultimately, additional test results have come back and I am not so fortunate to have gotten through menopause with no symptoms. The results have changed, and although they don't indicate that I'm as fertile as a 20 year old, they do indicate that having a cycle is within my hormonal state. 

In further discussions with my holistic doctor, the body some times when in shock, diverts to life saving functions only. Now that my body is in balance, it could function normally again. How amazing is that? There is no doubt that based on my age and my current hormone levels that menopause is around the corner, but can you comprehend the amazing intelligence of the body? 

To put this in better perspective, my doctor also tested my blood count because I've been anemic for over a year now, and sure enough, my hemoglobin is normal for the first time in over a year. The normal range for a woman is 12 - 16 gr/dl. I've been under between 8 and 11 since my diagnosis, and only when my red blood count is normal, it was at 13 just recently versus 10.9 back in August, does my monthly cycle return. It's as if my body knew that retaining red blood cells was important, and it only allowed the loss of these cells after my body was back to normal again.

Ultimately, my blood tests last week are normal in all categories for the first time since my diagnosis. Even my body has responded back to normal in all aspects of my life. I've even gained weight without trying again. Haha....but seriously, this means my intestines are again absorbing all of the nutrients and minerals, versus when I couldn't keep anything at all inside of me. 

The bottom of my last and only flare up since my diagnosis last September occurred in March. Since May, I have been living without any medication and everything is back to normal! I'm amazed. I can't comprehend how just a year ago I was told I had an incurable autoimmune disease, and today I live a normal life without medication, without any symptoms, and all medical tests indicate I'm normal.

Consider how many people with Crohn's or ulcerative colitis live a life filled with medicine and still don't have a life without symptoms. I remember meeting a gentleman at Del Friscos, just around the corner from where live  This was around Christmas of last year. He had ulcerative colitis. He had to get drugs intravenously every two weeks because his body developed a tolerance to the drugs I was prescribed. He confirmed what Dr. Sigmon had told me early on. He had to bump up the medication he was taking because the weaker medication that I was taking at the time, no longer worked for him. The next step for him was to have his colon removed...

Wow! How blessed am I?

I have added more food to my diet and even some alcohol:) No red wine, however. But that's okay. It's amazing how I don't quite have a taste for it any more. In any regard, My next blog will be on how I'm balancing my diet. Even that is great news. But my most recent experience and doctors visits resulted in such amazing information, I had to share this first.

Regarding my diet, I'm still avoiding all animal products and limit myself on processed foods including any grains. I'll give you more details soon...

Merry Christmas everyone!