GI Issues & My Diet & Exercise Challenge

Today, I would like to discuss something very important and hopefully it will become life changing for myself and many of you.  I have struggled with digestive issues for as long as I can remember.  It was time to figure out what it was.  So, I go to the GI doctor about 1 1/2 years ago and state my symptoms: alternating diarrhea/constipation, bloating, aches, joint pain, abdominal pain, feeling fluish, fatigue, stomach pain sometimes while eating, low back pain, migraines, terrible immune system, ADD, mouth ulcerations, etc.  They don't exactly know what to make of my symptoms because I don't have a lack of appetite and I'm twenty lbs over my normal weight.  What they failed to grasp is my lack of appetite was due to years of feeling like crap caused me to emotional eat.  For example, if I felt really sick due to bathroom issues, I would stuff myself with crap to force my body to go to the bathroom.  Plus, prior to having my 3 wonderful kids(notice we always say "wonderful kids" even when we want to kill them for driving us crazy...lol!) I was very underweight at 5'6" and 113 lbs.  So, the doc schedules me for a colonoscopy/endoscopy.  I drank the nasty stuff the day before to clear out the plumbing.  If you're not in the know and have not yet partaken of this fabulous drink, let me tell you, it is no joke.  You have now become intimately joined to your toilet.  I kid you not.  I was still having "private time" with the hospital toilet right before they wheeled me to the surgery room.  Good times...After I wake up from the anesthesia I see my doctor and his nurse standing by my bed and they looked truly shocked.  He told me that he was very surprised to find upon examination of my intestines that I had Crohn's Disease.  When people learn of it, they tell you they're sorry and feel bad for you.  I was actually very happy to know that I was not a hypochondriac.  I finally can put a name to a face.  They decide to schedule me for an ultrasound and these very expensive blood tests.  The ultrasound showed that I did not have any narrowing of my intestines at the time.  The blood tests strangely enough said that I didn't have Crohn's Disease and that I was negative for Celiac Disease.  Let me introduce you to the world of false negatives.  These blood tests are very expensive and if your insurance pays for them, it won't be a lot and you will be paying mucho dinero for nothing.  Obviously, from my up close and personal exam of my intestines, the doctor confirmed it was Crohn's.  Doctor's still don't exactly know how to handle Crohn's patients.  They don't exactly know how you get it, what diet to prescribe or what medications to prescribe.  As of yet there is no cure either.  You will here the words remission, flare-ups, etc.  Diet wise there is no set diet, because everyone has different "trigger foods".  Really the only way to find out what your "trigger foods" are is to do an elimination diet.  An elimination diet is when you stop eating certain foods for at least 3 weeks and document how you feel each day.  If you feel better or symptoms have disappeared that's one of your "trigger foods".  Also, if you have Crohn's or suspect you have a digestive disorder, get rid of the gluten.  Most people have some kind of issue with gluten and don't realize it because Americans have grown up eating wheat products.  Wheat really would not be an issue if it hadn't been twisted into a "frankenfood".  Between the soil contamination, chemicals and pesticides it's become unrecognizable as food.  Just like what's been done to corn.  Do you know that there is some form of wheat in most processed foods.  Even oatmeal.  Unless it says gluten free, you're up #&@^'s creek.  Pun totally intended.  LOL!  Oats do not have gluten, but, if they are processed in a facility that processes wheat or is grown near wheat, those oats are now contaminated.  Now your dropping at least $7 on gluten free oatmeal.  Ugh!  Anyway, since I am a glutton for punishment, love food and probably have an emotional eating disorder, I have delayed in changing my eating habits.  I have a hard time sticking with a "diet".  But, now things are different.  I have been in the midst of an episode for over a month.  I feel terrible.  I'm extremely bloated.  I have nausea,  abdominal pain, cramping, alternating constipation and diarrhea.  Besides my GI issues, I have high cholesterol, and a familial predisposition to heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes.  To put it plainly, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.  So below is my challenge to myself and I would love some moral support.  Also, if any of you would like to pick up the challenge that would be awesome.  My goals are to naturally drop any extra weight, decrease my bad cholesterol, increase my good cholesterol, decrease my flare-ups, tone up my muscles, decrease my chances of getting any other diseases and after 3 months get a blood work up to see the changes.  The way that I figure it is that if I'm eating healthy natural foods that aid my particular health issues, instead of "dieting", then the weight will come off and my health will be all the better for it.

Cara's Plan Of Attack:

1-Eliminate all forms of gluten from my diet.  Read labels!!!

2-Eliminate most dairy except non-fat yogurt, low-fat ricotta, low-fat mozzarella, feta, kefir. 

3-Increase insoluble fiber.

4-Increase intake of fruits and vegetables.

5-Increase intake of certain fish.

6-Eat chicken and turkey sparingly.

7-Eliminate intake of red meat and pork.

8-Increase intake of water and green tea.

9-Get at least 30 minutes of some form of exercise each day.

10-Keep a daily food and feelings journal.

Some Extra Info:

Crohn's Disease-a chronic inflammatory condition of the GI tract.  Which runs from your mouth to your anus.  It is an inflammatory bowel disease.(IBD)  It is also considered an auto-immune disorder.  
                   
Symptoms-

• Persistent Diarrhea
• Rectal bleeding
• Urgent need to move bowels
• Abdominal cramps and pain
• Sensation of incomplete evacuation
• Constipation (can lead to bowel obstruction)
• Ulcerations that can appear anywhere in the GI tract

                Other Symptoms:

• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Weight Loss
• Fatigue
• Night sweats
• Loss of normal menstrual cycle

Gluten Intolerance-

        Celiac Disease & Non-Gluten Sensitivity Symptoms-

• Abdominal Distention
• Abdominal Pain and Cramping
• Alternating Bouts of Diarrhea and Constipation
• Anemia
• Arthritis
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
• Bloating (see Gluten Intolerance Bloating)
• Bone Density Loss
• Borborygmi (stomach rumbling)
• Constipation (see Celiac Disease Constipation)
• Stunted Growth and Failure to Thrive
• Depression, Anxiety and Irritability (see Celiac Depression)
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis
• Diabetes
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Low Ferritin Symptoms
• Malodorous Flatulence
• Malodorous Stools
• Gluten Ataxia
• Grayish Stools
• Hair Loss (Alopecia)
• Headaches and Migraines
• Hypoglycemia
• Infertility (see Gluten Intolerance and Pregnancy)
• Joint pain
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
• Lactose intolerance
• Mouth sores or mouth ulcers
• Nausea
• Numbness or tingling in the patient’s hands and feet
• Osteoporosis
• Peripheral Neuropathy (including either a tingling or sensation of swelling your toes and fingers)
• Sjogren’s Disease
• Steatorrhea (high lipids in the stool, which may cause the stool to float)
• Teeth and Gum Problems
• Turner Syndrome
• Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies
• Vomiting
• Unexplained Weight loss
• Urticaria

It'scary that I have most of the above symptoms. :(  But, not fatal.  No more gluten.   

My Superfoods List-These will be my "go to" foods each week.  I will be tweaking my food list as I investigate more on nutrition and to see if any are "trigger foods" for me.

       Pineapple, Steel Cut Gluten Free Oats, Brown Rice, Beets, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Seeds, Peanuts, 

       Peanut Butter, Non-Fat Yogurt, Apples, Lettuces, Carrots, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, Spinach, Kale, 

       Green Beans, Salmon, Fish (TBD), Soybeans, Soy Milk, Tofu,  More to come.  But this is a good

       starting point.  I will be posting what I'm eating daily, what my exercise for the day is and a monthly

       weigh in starting tomorrow.  So stay tuned...If you have any great recipes that are gluten free, let me 

       know.  I LOVE to bake!!!!