That’s it. I’m done. I’m done with feeling tired and bloated. I’m done with my pants not fitting. I’m done with being just on the cusp of a psoriasis flare. I’m done with feeling 70%. I’m done with bone-crushing fatigue that never goes away and has me falling asleep at work. I’m done with walking around in a fog and forgetting important things. I’m done with aches and pains that I didn’t earn. I’m done with all this shit.
I’m done.
So that raises some obvious questions. Most pointedly, this: What am I going to do about it?
Diet. It’s all got to start with diet. I’ve been drifting further and further away from flora-friendly eating for the last 18 months or so, and clearly it’s catching up to me in spades. Bone broth, proteins, limited carbohydrates. It all comes back to this.
So here’s my plan: This weekend, I’ll be making an extra big batch of bone broth. I’ll be roasting up some burger patties and chicken thighs. I’ll be advance-prepping a big ol’ pile of mirepoix. I’ll be making a giant batch of yogurt. Most importantly, I’ll be reading my own blog and my past food journals to reacquaint myself with what I was eating when I was thin, when I felt good, when my mind was sharp, when my skin was clear, and when my poops were regular.
If you’re reading this blog, you know what a big deal it is to go through the intro/die-off process. I’m fortunate that I’ll have some terrific spousely support, but I’ll take whatever else I can get. Who’s in this with me? Who’s ready to get back to fundamentals and take back control of their immune issues? Drift is human…. no matter how dedicated we are to a process, we will waver and drift in that commitment. If you’ve been needing an excuse to sharpen your saw and get back on your bandwagon and (insert metaphor here…), here’s an opportunity! What better time to try and hone your diet than the holidays, right?!?
I’m feeling super inspired right now, and I can’t wait to feel good again.
I’m with you. I’m edging closer to my 6 month “will I flare?” Date and I too want to be mindful of what goes in. Thanks for the kick in the butt! Happy cooking!
Thanks, Celeste. Let’s do this thing!!!
Hey you, my dear old friend. I’m with you. 🙂 It sounds like you and I have a lot of work to do, but everything is easier with a buddy!! Right?? 😉 I’m in the process of trying to ‘get back on the horse’ myself. It’s NOT easy, but I too am sick of feeling like ****. SO, it’s TIME. No more B.S. Please do not hesitate to reach out, or ask me for words of encouragement. You and I are in very similar places right now (in terms of our symptoms and our mental/emotional health), and I wouldn’t mind getting back on the horse with a friend. I know we haven’t talked in ages, but it’s never too late to be a friend to someone. Essentially, what I’m saying is that I’m HERE!!! 🙂
I look forward to getting back on the horse with you! WE CAN DO THIS!
Hugs and healing vibes to my dear friend.
Very kindly,
Allie
As always, your words ring with hope and happiness. I’m really excited about this next phase. I think what’s most interesting about it is how bad I had to let things get before I felt motivated enough to do anything. It’s kind of a cruel joke of the universe that the worse you feel, the less motivated you feel to change it.
Happy New Year! How’s it going? Just came across this blog and thought i’d say hello and good luck with the Crohn’s battle this year! I’m a UC’er, dx 2012. Bunch of failed meds and then strict/religious SCD, Nov 13. Results were amazing, energy levels through the roof etc. Lasted a year and a half then slowly back in to a flare that’s been going on since summer ’15. Balls! I read about salicylate intolerance and that’s worth googling if you have time. Makes sense to me. I wanted to ask if you are still on LDN and how is that going? I just started it today.
All the best and i’ll raise a glass of the finest bone broth to you for 2016!
Hi Beck. Thanks for your comments. Like you, I did really well on SCD for a couple of years. And then it just stopped helping. I’m easing back into more flora-friendly eating, but so far, I’m not seeing much improvement. I’m hoping that a more hardcore reset button will help, and next month, Diana and I will be starting an intensive 2-week anti-inflammatory protocol, followed by a much more strict dietary adherence than we’ve been doing lately. Fingers crossed!
As for LDN… I’ve been off it for a few months now. It was getting expensive, and I just didn’t feel like I was getting much benefit from it, so I dropped it. I have continued to slide gently backwards, but I’m still not convinced that the LDN had anything to do with it. I may revisit after another year or so.
In the meantime, bone broth for everyone!
Good luck to you and Diana! I really wish you well.
I have read some good articles about long term maintenance diets and possibilities as to why the initial positive reaction fades over time. Lot of talk about starving out bad bacteria, whilst good to start with, actually ends up starving good bacteria in the long run. Don’t know if you’ve seen it before but this article was interesting:
http://www.tylerpenn.net/is-starch-a-necessary-component-for-a-healthy-gut-microbotia/
I also recently started reading about phenols and salicylates and why they could also be halting our progress.
http://scdlifestyle.com/2010/04/phenols-and-salicylates-what-they-are-and-why-it-matters/
Hope you don’t mind the links. Have a great weekend and all the best.