Where are our #IBDwarriors ? We see you strong mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, warriors during World IBD Day & always. Autoimmune diseases are especially near-&-dear to our hearts as Dahlia also lives with an autoimmune condition. We want to make you #IBDvisible as autoimmune conditions can place mental, emotional, physical, & financial trauma on all involved.
Why is is important to have a week to bring awareness to Crohn's and Colitis? Because according to the @cdcgov “In 2015, an estimated 1.3% of US adults (3 million) reported being diagnosed with IBD (either Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis). This was a large increase from 1999 (0.9% or 2 million adults). Most people with IBD are diagnosed in their 20s & 30s. There may be as many as 80,000 children in the United States with IBD.”
What are some symptoms of IBD?
Frequent, urgent bowel movements (at times more than 30 times per day in a flare), often feeling that evacuation is incomplete - Abdominal pain
Rectal bleeding (which should be checked out ASAP!)
Fever
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Fatigue, due to inflammation and frequent interruption of sleep due to pain and use of restroom
Night sweats (some patients report waking 2-3 times in the middle of the night to change their sweat-soaked pajamas)
Nutrient deficiencies (including iron, B12, vitamin D, and micronutrients)
Other co-morbidities and complications .
The Crohns and Colitis Foundation reports, “the exact cause of IBD is not entirely understood, it is known to involve an interaction between genes, the immune system, & environmental factors.” We often speak of environmental nutrition and its importance, this especially rings true in this with IBD. Environment includes everything from food that the bowels interact with multiple times each day, possible toxins in the surrounding environment (pollution, personal care products, pesticides, etc.), & factors affecting gene expression. Those suffering who do not make lifestyle changes are often faced with months or years of treatment with medication, pain, suffering, & in extreme cases, resection (aka removal) of parts of the intestines. We now know that in combination with medication to induce remission, low inflammatory diets (especially a whole food plant based diet) are effective in treating IBD & even keeping people in remission indefinitely!
If you are or have an #IBDwarrior in your life, share this with them! We’d love to hear their story & show them some #goodgut love!
If you are interested in working with an RDN, we would love to support you! You can schedule a personalized visit with us and we would love to collaborate with you on your journey! We see clients from all over the world. Follow us @MarriedtoHealth and join our newsletter so you never miss a #GoodGut thing!