Hello,
I've had Crohn's for many years and have been treated with drugs and one surgery. I am now (finally) feeling well, but recently had a mini-flare after attempting to taper off Entocort. I went back to my drugs and am now feeling better, but during that flare I mentally prepared myself for the elemental diet outlined in your book.

Now that I'm feeling better, is there any benefit to going on it anyway? I'm sick of dealing with all these ups and downs, constant medication, and enough Imodium to constipate a dinosaur. Does your diet offer the possibility of finally getting off my steroids and healing the gut, even though I'm not a in a place of crisis-- the studies I've read say that elemental diets can get patients into remission, but don't necessary maintain it? If so, how long would you suggest? My gastroenterologist said 6 weeks, and my intuition said 3-4. I want to err on the side of caution for the reasons you state in your book.

Thanks for your help,

The elemental diet and Jini's program have helped many others get off drugs and go into remission. Since you've been taking the drugs for some time, you're likely well aware of their side effects and the fact that they suppress the immune system and thus eliminate the chance of long-term healing...making you continually dependent upon the drugs. A nasty vicious cycle worth breaking if you can.

Jini may have more advice on the duration of the diet, but I'd make extra sure it's actually your intuition saying 3-4 weeks and not fear. The elemental diet is a big undertaking and it's only natural to be anxious about it before you've started and begun to feel better and realize the benefits. But you should know that almost all of the studies I've seen on the effectiveness of the elemental diet involve durations of at least six weeks, and some longer. I personally would try a minimum six week period on the diet, especially if it was my first time.

Hope this helps.

Chris

Just adding my two cents.

I've never read a study pertaining to an elemental diet that details what the person ate and how the person lived AFTER the elemental diet. I, too, have seen the study results that support that an elemental diet can bring about remission but that often, people gradually relapse. The question this leads me to is: Did the person go back to their old diet/lifestyle?

You know the old saying: If you keep on doing what you always did, you're going to keep on getting the same result.

Hence, if a person has a stressful lifestyle and further stresses the body with a poor diet (or a diet that includes foods that person's body is actually intolerant to), goes on an elemental diet and goes into remission, but then promptly goes back to their old diet/lifestyle......well, you see where I'm headed with this.

The beauty of Jini's plan is that it also includes a system for reintroducing foods and testing for symptoms. This means that you can get a good, clear reading on what foods do and do not agree with your own unique body....and yet, the system itself will work for anyone. It will really allow you to tailor your diet to support your body's healing.

Holistic healing is a multi-faceted, long-term investment. There aren't any quick fixes, and there aren't necessarily cures. If I was cured of Crohn's Disease, I'd be able to return to my old ways of living and eating and suffer no ill effects from it. I know I can't do that and maintain the gains I've enjoyed, so I don't consider myself cured. But I do consider myself well along the way of healing and am confident that I can maintain my gains by maintaining the changes I've already made and by staying attuned to my body and making further adjustments as it asks for them.

I feel following the IBD Remission Diet gave me a big jump-start on my healing (I've been on it twice....the first time for six weeks and the second time for two weeks), but I think of it more as a beam in the bridge, versus the entire bridge in and of itself. I think that mindset helped me as much as the diet itself.

Nicole

Very well said, Nicole. I particularly agree with what you said about seeing the elemental diet as simply the first stage of a longer journey - an important and big first step, but a step nonetheless.

Holy cow! I don't even need to show up here anymore! Wonderfully put, Chris and Nicole.

And yes, the IBD Remission Diet is the first step. Maintaining good health and continuing to heal the damage caused by prescription drug use (especially if it's been long-term) would involve utilising the tools in "Listen To Your Gut" on a long-term basis.

I have received emails from many people who have been completely "cured" from using my natural healing programs (and had medical confirmation of this). But not one of them mentioned going back to old ways. All of them had incorporated the healthy ways of being and eating so they were now their "normal" life.

all the best,
Jini