How to Get Into Remission with IBD
Is there an easy answer to the question, how to get into remission with IBD? The answer is no. But this article attempts to give you a brief overview. Of course, each person is different. But this is a brief explanation of what I have done to get into remission.
I have created nine steps to outline exactly what I did to get into remission with IBD. They are in numerical order, but can, and should, be done at the same time.
- Use an elemental or semi-elemental diet to give bowel rest
- Follow the IBD-AID diet completely
- Heal complications of IBD
- Manage stress
- Create your support system
- Use the correct supplements
- Fix your sleep schedule
- Control external influences
- Change your mindset
These steps may seem simple when written out like this. But it could take months, years or even a lifetime to master them all. Healing is an ongoing journey. There is no destination.
This website is full of detailed information on each of these topics. There is so much to know and understand about each of them. And you may find that there are extra steps in healing, for your particular IBD case.
Use an Elemental Diet
For many people with IBD this may need to be the first step in getting into remission with IBD. When you have IBD, there is chronic inflammation along your gastrointestinal tract. Each time you eat something, this food rubs against, and irritates, this inflammation.
For many people, it may be impossible to fully heal this inflammation while eating food.
That is why an elemental, or semi-elemental diet can be immensely helpful when healing IBD. It gives the body bowel rest. It gives the body the time, and space that it needs to heal the inflamed bowel.
Follow the IBD-AID diet.
There are many diets out there to help manage IBD. The IBD-AID is the diet that has successfully put me in remission, and helped keep me there. It is a clinically proven diet in helping people manage their IBD symptoms.
It is a three phase diet, that is based on your current symptoms. It helps heal dysbiosis in the gut. It eliminates all ultra processed foods. And is full of prebiotic foods to help repopulate the gut with good bacteria.
If you do not have access to an elemental, or semi elemental diet. Than phase-1 of IBD-AID is a great alternative.
Heal Complications of IBD
Many people with IBD will experience complications of the disease. These can include abscesses, fistulas, and strictures.
If you want to fully heal from IBD, you must heal these complications. This can be a difficult road to navigate. I had to travel overseas to India to heal my complex, grade 5 fistula. It was a huge up-rooting of my life at the time. But I knew that I would not be able to get into long term remission with a hole in my colon.
Manage Stress
Most people with IBD agree that stress affects their disease. In fact, stress is related to most diseases . And our high stress society and lifestyles are not helping.
I use a wide variety of techniques to manage my stress levels. Every single day I meditate for at least 30 minutes. I do yoga at least twice a week.
And I have changed my mindset to focus only on what really matters in life. To only worry about the things that I can control. And let go of the things that I cannot control.
There are so many excellent books on this topic, including The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle.
Your Support System
This was a huge one for me. My partner is my biggest supporter. He helps to keep me on track, and deal with stressful situations as they arise.
If you find yourself surrounded by people who are not supportive, find solutions to that here.
Having a great support system means that healing can be more fun. And increases the chances of the healing being long term.
Supplements
Each person with IBD, may need different supplements to support their healing journey. You should visit a knowledgeable naturopath, or herbalist. They can help you find the supplements you may need.
I have a whole article on what supplements I use here.
People with IBD often have issues with the absorption of nutrients. This is due to the chronic inflammation in their gastrointestinal tract. Due to these absorption issues, even with a healthy diet. You may not be able to get all the nutrients you need from your food. This is especially true when you are in a flare.
For many people with IBD they may find taking a high quality probiotic to be helpful. As well as turmeric (curcumin), and l-glutamine.
All these supplements provide your body with things that it may be lacking, but needs in order to fully heal.
Sleep
Sleep is the foundation of your health. While you are sleeping, your body is repairing itself. This is the time when it doesn’t have to focus on digesting, seeing, or thinking. And it has the time and space to focus on healing.
I personally find that if I do not get enough sleep, I have more BMs the next day. So if you are consistently getting poor sleep, or lack of sleep. It may be affecting your body’s ability to heal itself.
Sleep is especially important when you are in a flare. Your body has a lot of repair work to do when in a flare.
When you are in remission, sleep is still so important. Sleep is when you recuperate, heal, and rejuvenate your body. A healthy sleep schedule, will help keep you in remission.
Most people need between 7-9 hours of sleep, every single night. My need for sleep varies, but my symptoms worsen if I get too much, or too little sleep.
External Influences
There are so many external influences that can affect your healing. Everything from the pollution in the city where you live. To the chemicals in the moisturizer that you put on your face every day.
I really try to limit my exposure to negative external influences.
I only use 100% natural products on my body. In fact, I don’t use many products on my body at all. In general, if I can’t eat it. I don’t put it on my body.
Focus on the external influences that you can control first.
Mindset
Changing your mindset has so many meanings when it comes to healing IBD.
For me there are a few key things that I have been working on changing.
I try my best to view myself as a healthy, healing person. I have been stuck in the mindset of viewing myself as a sick person before. But I know that this mindset only perpetuates the dis-ease state.
It is so powerful to view your body as a miraculous vessel with the ability to heal itself. If you view healing as happening only from external sources such as doctors, medications, or even diet. Then you are missing the immense healing power of your own body.
Given the right resources, the body can heal itself. It was designed to heal itself.
Now the 10th and final step is to stay in remission as long as possible!
This is a super brief overview of what I have done to get into remission with IBD. Each of these steps is complex, there is a lot to learn about each topic.
Each of these topics has been written about extensively on this website.
One of the goals of this website is to share this information. I believe that we should all have access to the knowledge that can help us to heal ourselves.
I hope that you can find that knowledge here.