Gut Feelings - by The Crohn's & Colitis Dietitians

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In this episode, we discuss colonoscopies. We know they are so important for our health, especially those with IBD, but we are always relieved when they are over! Ashley and Danielle share personal stories about the challenges and discomfort associated with the dreaded prep process and the procedure.
We discuss:

• our experiences with different colonoscopy preparations, including a new prep that Ashley tried last month. She talks about the pros and cons of taking her prep in pill form
• the importance of planning ahead for a colonoscopy
• the emotional and physical challenges associated with colonoscopies, and how these procedures are approached a little differently in the US vs Canada.
• how we have experienced a mix of fear and curiosity during a colonoscopy and the discomfort you could feel after the procedure
• for a lot of patients, medication and nutrition are both important in order to optimally manage IBD

We also celebrate the news that Ashley recently received- that she is in deep remission with her Ulcerative Colits!
This conversation reminds us again that support is so important for those with IBD and other chronic conditions. We wish that everyone could have an IBD BFF and we hope that sharing these experiences helps you feel less alone!
Want to work with The Crohn's and Colitis Dietitians but have questions?
Book a call - HERE

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/the-lakes/bluebird
License code: FTTITUEPIFAD2VEO

Follow us on instagram @crohns_and_colitis_dietitians
Follow us on youtube @thecrohnscolitisdietitians
We love helping provide quality content on IBD nutrition and making it more accessible to all through our podcast, instagram and youtube channel. Creating the resources we provide comes at a significant cost to us. We dream of a day where we can provide even more free education, guidance and support to those with IBD like us.
We need your support to do this. You can help us by liking episodes, sharing them on your social media, subscribing to you tube and telling others about us (your doctors, friends, family, forums/reddit etc). Can you do this for us? In return, I promise to continually level up what we do here.
💜
Ashley

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Ashley and Rebecca from The Crohn's & Colitis Dietitians talk about all things IBD-related. In this episode, we talk about how small things make a difference and how being in tune with your body can build trust with yourself.
0-6 minutes
Ashley talks about the ingredients she used in a gluten free and dairy free pizza she recently made. She mentions some gluten free and dairy free brands that don't taste terrible! We talk about how carbohydrates are essential and not to be avoided.
6-13 minutes
Ashley discusses a client she recently worked with who was gaining weight but couldn't figure out why and thought maybe she needed to see a specialist. She was not eating much in the morning or for lunch, was working out and then crashing in the afternoon. Ashley helped her to realize that she wasn't getting enough fuel and her body was in starvation mode. We talk about how sometimes we think we need complex solutions, but often simple things can help. We talk about how a perfectionist mindset around food is unattainable and we should give ourselves grace.
13-19 minutes
Rebecca brings up how trust with health professionals is key. It is natural to feel vulnerable or worry about judgment but it can help immensely to be open with those we trust. With IBD or other diseases it is normal to question things and try to figure out the causes of our diagnoses and sometimes there aren't clear cut answers.
IBD is so unpredictable and complex. There can be grief when diagnosed or even years into the process when treatment or symptoms change.
19-23 minutes
We briefly look at the role of IBD with pregnancy and discuss having kids when the parent has IBD. Keeping in mind that you have a plan in place and a supportive healthcare team can drastically improve our quality of life. We try to remember to not let IBD get in the way of living life!
23-33 minutes
IBD affects joints, skin, and mental health too; we talk about how it's all connected.
We have fun with some mindfulness dice and cards. We talk about breathwork and we practice ujjayi breath which can be helpful to induce relaxation.
Ashley talks about some advice she received when making decisions based on how your body feels with each scenario. Does the choice make you feel restricted or expansive? We acknowledge that sometimes growth can feel scary, and in that situation is a good thing. The body is a great guide. With IBD we can sometimes disconnect from pain and uncomfortable feelings or symptoms but it is good to check in with yourself. We can start small to build trust with ourself and body.

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Ashley and Rebecca from The Crohn's & Colitis Dietitians talk about all things IBD-related. On this episode, Ashley and Rebecca talk about supporting family members with IBD and delve into a recent blog post we published on the Top 10 IBD Myths Debunked.
0-9 minutes
Ashley talks about her sister's recent Crohn's diagnosis and how this reminded Ashley of her own experience of being diagnosed and the associated feelings. There can be anger about the challenges or from being dismissed by doctors previously. There can be fear of the unknown and about how much treatment will cost. We discuss the grieving process and how hard it can be to watch a family member go through all of this. Ashley said that she felt helpless at times when seeing her sister in pain and dealing with factors that are out of their control, such as what insurance will cover. Rebecca gave Ashley a compassionate reminder that being present for loved ones is an important role and we don't need to have all of the answers right now.
9- 23
We discuss that when someone has IBD or any disease it is important to process emotions, and allow oneself to go through the grieving process when newly diagnosed and even years after. We talk about some of the phases we went though after getting diagnosed with IBD. We felt validation, grief, and would sometimes feel frustrated when hearing insensitive comments from others. We agree that having someone support us and just be with us is helpful but we don't want people to feel sorry for us.
Ashley references a Brene Brown youtube video at 18:15: Empathy vs. Sympathy
23-27
Rebecca talks about how her husband understands her fears around living with Ulcerative Colitis because he has Crohn's disease. He reminds her to not let IBD control her life. Rebecca discusses some of her worries, such as traveling, and how IBD can feel overwhelming at times. We discuss how nutrition can feel overwhelming too because there is so much information out there and not all of it is good. We acknowledge that some things can be partially true but that doesn't mean it is helpful. Danielle did a recent blog titled: Top 10 IBD Myths Debunked. Feel free to use this as a reference if you would like to clarify things for people!
27- 36
We discuss a few of the myths in the blog:
Myth: IBS and IBD are the same thing
Myth: my bloodwork is fine so I don't need stool test
Myth: IBD is my fault
36-47
We delve into more myths with IBD
Myth: fad diets will cure my IBD.
Myth: if you have no symptoms, there is no inflammation
Myth: If you have symptoms you are not in remission
Myth: all fiber is the same
Myth: stress causes IBD
Myth: you have to eat low fiber for the rest of your life
Myth: diet doesn't matter
We hope this podcast is helpful and that you feel less alone if you are experiencing challenges with your IBD!

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Ashley and Rebecca from The Crohn's & Colitis Dietitians talk about all things IBD-related. In this episode, we are joined by our very own Christa Smith, another IBD specialized dietitian, who we have loved working with, and her 3 year old daughter, Millie.
**Note: In this episode we had many interruptions in internet connection so we tried to salvage what we can. This is why it sounds like you are coming into it mid conversation. Enjoy.
0-9:00
-We enjoy some insights from Christa's daughter. We really appreciate her honest answer when asked if she likes broccoli: "I do but I don't"
-ASMR: sounds we enjoy.. or don't
-We're impressed by the confidence of 3 year olds!
9:00-18:00
-Christa, a busy mom who wears many hats, talks about what she does when she feels overwhelmed. She tunes out unnecessary noises and tasks, prioritizes and focuses on issues of most importance
- Christa discusses how these parenting challenges can be rewarding
-We agree that asking for help can be difficult. A lot of the time we think, "I'll figure it out on my own."
- Dealing with the ups and downs of IBD made Christa realize that she does need to ask for help.
19:00- 28:00
-Christa talks about the postpartum period and how she paces herself and provides herself with more grace and patience.
-Christa talks about raising children and how they are expanding their family to 4 kids!
28:00- 35:00
- Christa talks about IBD during pregnancy- what her experience was like, the treatments she went through, and why she felt like it was worth the difficulties and unknown.
- We remember when Christa first met Ashley.
35:00- 46:37
- ASMR and movie theaters
- Ashley talks about how she loves her noise cancelling headphones because certain sounds really bother her.
- We talk about icebreakers and what we do and don't like about them

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In this conversation, Danielle and Ashley discuss the three types of triggers related to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). We explore how these triggers can affect people differently and the importance of understanding them so we can manage IBD better.

We discuss:

• three types of triggers for IBD: symptom, inflammatory, and trauma
• symptom triggers can vary greatly from person to person
• inflammatory triggers have long-term effects on managing IBD
• awareness of triggers can help in managing symptoms effectively
• dietary changes can improve symptom triggers over time
• working with a dietitian can clarify and manage triggers
• triggers can change as gut health improves
• understanding your triggers is crucial for effective IBD management

Want to work with The Crohn's and Colitis Dietitians but have questions?
Book a call - http://bit.ly/4anBnGq

Looking for products developed for that help reduce symptoms and improve gut health? Check out: https://gutlove.us/

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/the-lakes/bluebird
License code: FTTITUEPIF

Follow us on instagram @crohns_and_colitis_dietitians
Follow us on youtube @thecrohnscolitisdietitians
We love helping provide quality content on IBD nutrition and making it more accessible to all through our podcast, instagram and youtube channel. Creating the resources we provide comes at a significant cost to us. We dream of a day where we can provide even more free education, guidance and support to those with IBD like us.
We need your support to do this. You can help us by liking episodes, sharing them on your social media, subscribing to you tube and telling others about us (your doctors, friends, family, forums/reddit etc). Can you do this for us? In return, I promise to continually level up what we do here.
💜
Ashley