Recently I received an e-mail from a reader who saw on this site that I had Crohn’s Disease many years ago, and wanted advice since I have been symptom free for so many years. This is a very debilitating chronic disease that I was able to beat by having a good diet and a balanced life. Not only did I beat it, I beat it while staying away from the anti-inflammatory drugs, which have side effects such as liver damage.
The e-mail from the reader was in regards to the 16-year-old son of her boyfriend. He had just been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and was in excruciating pain. In classic fashion, the doctor told them he could eat anything as long as he took his anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers. I was stunned that a doctor could be so ignorant about the role of nutrition in regards to such a serious illness.
This advice from the doctor is the classic case of treating the symptoms and ignoring the aggravating cause of the illness. And it leads to disastrous results. Fortunately, this reader and her boyfriend knew that the doctor’s advice was seriously flawed, to put it mildly.
Only 1/3 of the medical schools in the US have any courses in nutrition. I suggest that you take personal responsibility for your health and regard your doctor’s advice on nutrition with caution. Take some responsibility. Seek the attention of a naturopathic doctor or an herbalist. Consult Gary Null’s Encyclopedia on Natural Healing. Take the time and interest necessary to find the proper resources for optimum health.
If ever there was a condition that warranted high caution in what you eat, it is Crohn’s Disease. Here’s a short description of it: It was named after Burrill Crohn who described the disease in 1932. As was the case with me, Crohn’s Disease usually affects persons in their teens or early twenties. It’s a chronic condition — with periods of remission and exacerbation.
In the early stages of Crohn’s Disease, the pain is caused by the creation of small ulcers. With time, deeper and larger ulcers often develop causing scarring and rigidity of the bowel. This causes narrowness and obstruction. Sometimes, deep ulcers can create holes in the ulcer wall, leading to infection in adjacent organs. Over time, some people require surgery, removing parts of their colon. Some develop colorectal cancer.
In my case of Crohn’s Disease, I treated it with an anti-inflammatory diet, with plenty of vitamin C and flax seed oil. I found that the fiber from brown rice, vegetables and fruits were helpful in keeping my digestive track running properly. I found that fried foods aggravated the condition so I have stayed away from them. Sweets are inflammatory so I stay away from them too except when there is a temptation I cannot resist like a certain type of brownie.
As fate would have it, I just received a call from Tina, a professional herbalist in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. (Once I was writing-not on this site– about the FBI and just then an FBI agent knocked on my door.) Tina brought up the subject of this site so I told her what I was writing on and she added that a great anti-inflammatory is Nordic Natural Fish Oil. The company removes all impurities from the oil. You don’t have to worry about mercury, for example. Thanks Tina.
Speaking of herbalists, I’ve known Tom Wolfe for many years. He is one of the owners of Smile Herb Shop, and one of the very first members of the American Herbalists Guild. He’s also the son of a physician. He is very highly regarded and often speaks to doctors about herbalism. He is fond of saying that doctors in Western medicine are great at diagnosing conditions but that they are terrible at treating conditions. They are inclined to treat the symptom and not the underlying cause. In my experience–so very true.
For instance, Tina just told me about a recent visit of hers to a doctor seeking help for a condition that was troubling her for several weeks. When the doctor didn’t ask about anything going on in her life, such as stress or toxins or diet, she brought it up. He got upset. He didn’t want to know about any of that. Come on folks, we’re in the 21st century. There’s no excuse for that kind of professional care.
When I was hospitalized for Crohn’s Disease, nobody asked me any questions about my life either. If they had, they would have found out that I was a traveling musician, eating in restaurants three times a day, spending five hours a night in smoke-filled bars, and undergoing a lot of stress in my personal life. Fortunately for me, I discontinued all of that.
As human beings, we are whole systems. We need plenty of rest, exercise, fresh air, relaxation, and good nutrition. Our health depends on a balance of the physical, the mental, the emotional, and the spiritual.
If your body tells you there is something wrong, find out what it is. Don’t tell your body to be quiet, which is what we do when we treat only the symptoms and take painkillers. Listen to it. Get to know it. You’ll be happier and healthier too.
One Comment
Hi Gregory,
I have Crohn’s disease. I was diagnosed late, at age 45. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to control the symptoms through non-drug means only. I take Remicade and mercaptapur, along with diet, meditation, and trying to remain conscious.
I was fortunate. My physician did talk about diet. But he recommended a bland diet with little fiber. For someone who enjoyed salads as a meal, this was a bummer. But I’ve found that high fiber, fats, and, as you say, sugars, do tend to trigger symptoms so I avoid them. I’ve learned to like fish a lot, though. I also find that yogurt several times a week is helpful, and I take a B-complex vitamin with C and iron daily. I’ve developed a thirst for cranberry juice that hasn’t gone away since I was diagnosed, so it may be doing something for me.
I’m going to have to give the flax seed oil a try. It looks like it could be helpful.
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