The IBD Life Coach

I've had Crohn's disease for 30 years. For many years, I believed I could never life a "normal" life. I thought having IBD would limit me and keep me living a sad lonely life but it wasn't true.

On this day 5 years ago I embarked on my first solo adventure.

I quit my job and my whole life and headed to Ecuador. People told me that I was crazy and that I was ruining my life. My grandma told me I was going to die alone over there. I was told people with IBD shouldn't travel alone. They were wrong!

I spent three amazing months traveling around the mainland and the Galapagos Islands. I met some of the nicest people and had so many incredible experiences. It was the best decision I have ever made for myself.

Don't let having IBD keep you from living your life. Sure it can be scary and takes a lot of courage and planning but it's definitely worth it! People have diarrhea everywhere in the world, there are also bathrooms everywhere in the world. Don't let people who are scared to live their own lives tell you how to live yours!

Are you an IBD traveler? Tell me about your adventures in the comments!

In the photos: The Swing at the End of the World in Banos, Ecuador and Quito, Ecuador.

In honor of , I’d like to recognize Dr. Nadine Burke Harris.

I was first introduced to Dr. Harris when I was gifted her book, The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity. It was a very emotional read for me. It was through this book that I learned about adverse childhood experiences (ACE) scores. I was devastated to find out that I scored an 8 out of 10. The higher the ACE score, the more likely you are to have greater health risks throughout your life. It’s not wonder I started having severe Crohn’s symptoms when I was 7 years old.

Dr. Harris has worked tirelessly to provide healthcare to vulnerable children. Her work has demonstrated over and over the link between toxic stress and lifelong illness. Dr. Harris acted as the first Surgeon General of California from 2019-2022. I’m so grateful to Dr. Harris for her contributions to the cause of protecting and providing much needed healthcare to vulnerable children.

Do you know your ACE score?

I'm always surprised when people ask me how they can quickly get into remission.

If it was possible to quickly get into remission, no one would be sick and suffering. You didn't get sick overnight and you won't magically heal your body overnight.

Healing your gut is a process. THERE ARE NO QUICK FIXES!

My journey to medication-free remission came from working on myself every single day for years. Here are my top 3 suggestions on where to focus your time and energy:

#1: Keep a detailed Health and Wellness Journal (see my blog about how to Food Journal) - When I started food journaling, I started to see how much my mental state/anxiety impacted my ability to eat so my journal evolved to take my mental health and what was going on in my life into account.

#2: Put yourself on a daily schedule - Go to bed/wake up at the same times every day, eat at the same times every day, go to the bathroom at the same times every day. The more your body knows what to expect, the more it can get into a rhythm and calm down. The hardest part of this is often getting into a potty routine. When I suggest this I often hear, "You can't put diarrhea on a schedule!" That's true, but you aren't diarrhea. You're putting yourself on a schedule, not your diarrhea. Even if you were just in the bathroom, when it's your scheduled potty time, go back for at least 5 mins. This will eventually train your body and reduce the urgent frequency.

#3: Work on your mental health - I believe this is the most important thing you can do for your health. There are all kinds of things you can do to improve your mental health. Write down your feelings, talk to someone (a therapist, a coach, a trusted friend or family member, etc) on a regular basis, and/or go out in nature. Find the things that bring you peace and joy and do more of those things. Notice the things, people, and situations that cause you stress and anxiety and limit or eliminate those things in your life.

Lasting good health doesn't come from quick fixes. It comes from awareness and consistency!

Health and Wellness Journal (AKA food journal) link: http://atexansfitness.com/2020/01/14/food-journal/

Getting an IBD diagnosis can be devastating but it doesn't have to mean that you can't live a full and happy life.

Read about my 30 year Crohn's journey and how I healed my gut and achieved medication free remission at the link below.
http://atexansfitness.com/2023/01/22/30-years-of-crohns/