A lot of patients who come in to the clinic with digestive disorders or complaints such as Crohn’s or Colitis or Irritable bowel issues often wonder if their diet has anything to do with the symptoms. Absolutely, yes! You are what you eat and if you are eating food items that are not compatible with your   digestive system (food allergies or intolerances /sensitivities), you are going to have digestive issues sooner than later.

A lot of people wonder why this is because they themselves have never noticed a food reaction and feel fine with all the foods that they are eating, so why suddenly are they reacting to certain foods?  Well, usually your digestive system will suppress distress symptoms as much as it can, until it gets to a point where it can no longer withstand the insult to the intestinal lining. Your body’s natural defense against exposure to foods its reacting to is to create more mucus in the intestines, so that there is protection for the intestinal lining. Eventually, this wears down and the body is unable to protect itself and this is when you would see symptoms of Crohn’s or colitis, most often after a sudden or an extreme stressful event.

Can this all be related to stress only?

Although a stressful event will sometimes bring on the bulk of symptoms all at once, and it quite often feels its all stress related, its not.  Usually there is an underlying cause for digestive problems. Diet, stress and parasitic (bacterial, viral, fungal and protozoan) infections will usually exacerbate the symptoms. Stress management programs may be helpful to alleviate the symptoms a little, but most times, the symptoms will recur as the root cause of the disease has not been fully addressed.

Will changing my diet cure me of the disease or symptoms?

No, but it will help manage the symptoms a lot better. It is important to understand what the body is reacting to before changing the diet – is it a food intolerance / sensitivity ? Is it an allergy to a certain food?  The usual offending factors in regards to food include dairy, wheat, corn, sugars, among other food items. I generally recommend talking to your naturopathic doctor about getting tested before eliminating any foods from your diet, as they would better understand what tests you need to run and what course of natural treatment would be most appropriate.

What else can i do to improve my symptoms of Crohn’s and / or Colitis?

Improving your diet is key to managing your symptoms, but relaxation and stress management is extremely important. Acupuncture and massage is quite helpful for relaxation and stress release. Natural/ naturopathic remedies work very well to treat the disease and keep it bay.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.