The IBD Life Coach

IT’S THE LAST DAY OF 2024!!

Do you have a word for 2025 yet?

My word is BRAVE. It's all about stepping outside my comfort zone and facing challenges head-on.

What's yours?

I recently listened to LIFE IN FIVE SENSES by Gretchen Rubin. It was a great listen and reminder to really experience your life.

What are you currently reading?

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.

February 3rd is

As someone who has been dealing with Crohn's disease since I was 7, I've seen a lot of doctors throughout my life.

I generally prefer women physicians. I feel like I'm actually heard. I feel I get a better quality of care. I don't feel dismissed or talked down to. This is often not the experience I have had with many of the men physicians I have seen.

What has been your experience with women physicians vs men physicians?

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/

Last week I celebrated my birthday and went to my favorite restaurant, Salty Sow, for dinner.

Years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy this delicious meal (or any other). I would have taken a couple of bites and then spent the rest of the night in agony in the bathroom.

It took several years and a lot of hard work but I was able to heal my gut and finally get to a place where I can eat and enjoy food without pain or fear.

You can become an IBD foodie too! Never give up on healing your gut!

(📷: duck fat fries, crispy Brussels, Day of the Dead cocktail, Bananas Foster with vanilla ice cream)

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/

I’ve been taking a break but now I’m back!

This last year has been one of the roughest years I’ve gone through but I’m finally starting to feel like myself again.

Stress is definitely my biggest trigger and the last several years of my life have been incredibly stressful. The grief and trauma of suddenly losing my uncle a year ago pushed my body over the edge.

After 11 years of med-free remission, I’ve been experiencing some very mild Crohn’s symptoms again. Grief is such a difficult emotion to overcome. It involves many hard emotions like anger, guilt, and sadness and I needed time to allow myself to process my feelings.

Do you take time to care for yourself when you are struggling emotionally?

(📷 : My uncle and me in Italy! 💗)

January 2023 marks 30 years of living with Crohn’s disease for me.

How long have you had IBD?

MONDAY MANTRA

Releasing pain and numbing pain are not the same thing.

Our brains are designed to avoid pain so our tendency is to do anything we can to stop feeling pain when it arises.

When you have a painful chronic illness, the pain often seems endless. There is certainly a time and place for pain medication but when you constantly silence your pain, you're likely to miss the valuable, maybe even life-saving, information that pain is trying to relay.

Your pain is not the enemy! Your pain is your body's way of trying to keep you safe. Your pain is a flashlight, illuminating where you should focus. Don't fight against your pain.

Accept that your pain is there to help you. Listen to your pain. Learn what your pain is trying to tell you. Thank your pain for shining a light on what needs attention. Then release your pain.

Don't go numb. Release!

So say it with me...
I AM RELEASING PAIN FROM MY BODY