What I Eat: Five Minute Apple Bake

 Dessert or breakfast. Doesn't matter because this dish is delicious! Bonus: tons of soluble fiber.

In order to stay in remission from Crohn's, I eliminate all gluten and corn, and gluten and corn derivatives from my diet. This recipe fits in well. The oats are gluten free. I use almond flour to replace the traditional wheat flour that this recipe would normally use. The almond flour also lends a nice nutty flavor.

Ingredients:

1 red and 1 green apple (peeled, cored and cut into bite size pieces)

1 and 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil

1/3 cup raw gluten free oats

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

3 Tablespoons almond flour (divided in half)

1/8 teaspoon salt

cinnamon to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Directions:

1. Melt coconut oil in microwave for 30 seconds

2. In separate bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, half the almond flour, salt

3. Add melted coconut oil to oat mixture, set aside

4. In separate bowl combine apples with other half of almond flour

5. In separate microwave bowl, spread half of the oat mixture

6. Pour apples on top of oat mixture

7. At this point I add some more cinnamon on the apples (optional)

8. Top with other half of the oat mixture

9. Bake in microwave for 5 minutes

Bowl will be very hot at end of 5 minutes! Be careful taking it out!

For super duper dessert top with vanilla ice cream

serves 2 (or one really big serving)

Rethinking Diet

To me diet is essential. It is THE way that I control my Crohn's disease. I do not take medicines of any kind. I have designed a diet that works for me. I discovered this diet through trial and error. By carefully journaling everything that I ate and drank I was able to figure out which foods affected my colon and sent me into a flare.

At first it seemed like the foods that upset my colon had nothing in common. Just random. Once I thought deeper about the ingredients in foods it all became crystal clear. All the foods that affected me contained either gluten or corn. Sometimes just things that were derived from gluten and corn affected me as well. These were ingredients such as soy sauce, mayo, corn syrup, ketchup, mustard, pickles and white vinegar. Eliminating these ingredients were essential.

The results were fantastic. My last colonoscopy showed NO signs of Crohn's disease. Total remission through diet. Now of course this was not a cure. If I eat any of the foods mentioned above I will start to flare again.

I have heard people say "gluten free never really worked for me". Well a lot of gluten free products use corn as a way to make them heartier and have better texture. If gluten free products make you feel even worse, then it may point to corn as the culprit.

Others have said "My Doctor said it has nothing to do with diet". I can only point to personal experience here. Keep in mind that Celiac has everything to do with diet. We now know this as a fact. I believe that Crohn's is a sister disease that is affected by gluten (like Celiac) AND corn.

This blog contains many good recipes that I am able to eat without problems. Of course everyone is different so it may not work for everyone. I also do many product reviews of gluten and corn free foods.

Xanthan substitute

Ok this is sweet! Really nice! This company, Pamela's, has come out with a substitute product for xanthan and guar gum. These are generally used in baking products and add to the texture. They make gluten free less crumbly and more chewy delicious.

Of course, I avoid all gluten and corn as well as gluten and corn derivatives in order to control my Crohn's disease. I am on no medication and I am in total remission from the disease. I discovered this diet through trial and error.

Xanthan is a derivative of corn. And it'll flare me. This is one of the ingredients I never eat.

Above are pictures of my latest bread using this product. I just added 3 teaspoons to the usual recipe. The results were good. Would recommend this product.

I bought it at Whole Foods for a little more than 5 dollars and it will last a long while.

The importance of checking labels

Well tonight I kind of made a mistake. I can usually eat Altoid mints without problems. They're quite delicious. Ive had them dozens of times and did not check the label. Something about the texture felt off. So I checked the label and they are now using CORN STARCH as one of the ingredients. It may flare me. We'll see in the morning. I won't really know till then. This just demonstrates the importance of always checking the labels, every time, since things can change.

Teen dies due to severe allergic reaction

Below is a link to a story of a teen who recently died due to a severe reaction to dairy. He talked to the wait staff but was not full informed of all the ingredients. This tragedy should never have to happen. His family is now pushing to require all restaurants to list all ingredients in their foods.

https://www.foxnews.com/health/teen-dairy-allergy-byron-buttermilk-chicken

Found this beauty at Whole Foods. Just like the Ramen noodles eaten by college students everywhere, except healthier. It did come in other varieties as well. The nice thing about these noodles, other than being gluten free and corn free, is that they only take a few minutes to cook. I added vegetables and dry sea weed to make it more of a meal. Nice texture as well.

Eat the Rainbow

We all know the importance of eating lots of fruits and vegetables every day. They provide an abundance of phytonutrients along with fiber. They are low fat and full of flavor. They can be used in tons of recipes. Each color provides a different combination of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. 

In order to keep a healthy gut it is important to get both soluble and insoluble fibers. Soluble fibers can dissolve in water and are found in such things as apples, citrus fruits and bananas as well as oats, beans and rice. Insoluble fibers can not be dissolved in water and are not broken down by the intestines. They can be found in root vegetables such as carrots as well as cucumber, celery and edible seeds such as berries. 

Soluble fiber breaks down in the intestinal tract and is used for food to feed the healthy bacteria that lives there. These healthy bacteria keep our gut in balance and keep down any inflammation. This type of fiber is also responsible for lowering cholesterol. 

Insoluble fiber cannot be digested or absorbed. It pushes things along the intestinal track and prevents constipation. Some of it may be broken down by healthy bacteria. 

The more variation the better. Try to eat the rainbow, different colors of fruit and vegetables throughout the day. 

Of course the above picture shows corn as a healthy choice. I do not recommend eating corn in any form. This is how I was able to get my Crohn's under control.

Gluten and Corn Free Sichuan Beef

Being both gluten free and corn free makes it virtually impossible to eat out at Chinese restaurants. I really miss good Chinese food. This Sichuan beef recipe was really good and really quick. I started with flank steak that was already shredded, that I found at Whole Foods. You can also start with a pound of flank steak and slice it yourself.

Ingredients:

* 1 pound flank steak shredded or cut in thin strips
* 4  celery ribs, cut julienne
* 2 carrots, cut into ribbons
* 1 green onion, sliced
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* 2 Tablespoons potatoes starch
* 1 and 1/2 tsp sesame seed oil
* 4 Tablespoons gluten free soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos
* 1 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter
* 3 tsp brown sugar
* 1/4 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp minced ginger
* hot pepper flakes to taste
*2 cups cooked rice, if desired


Directions:

1. If meat is not pre shredded, cut into thin strips
2. cut celery, carrot and green onion in strips, ribbons and slices
3. In large bowl combine steak strips with potatoes starch, toss well to coat all sides
4. Heat oil in non stick pan
5. Add meat to pan, stirring frequently till cooked, several minute
6. Add vegetables and ginger, cook until desired tenderness
7. In small bowl, mix soy sauce, sugar, garlic powder, peanut butter and desired pepper flakes
8. whip together
9 Add sauce to pan and stir
10. serve with rice

New Name for High Fructose Corn Syrup

In order to keep my Crohn's in remission, I avoid all gluten and corn in my food. This includes all gluten and corn derivatives such as high fructose corn syrup. People are becoming aware that these substances can cause a lot of problems in some people. Manufacturers know that people are demanding a change. Well, that costs money. High fructose corn syrup is cheaper to use that white cane sugar. So instead of making the switch, they are renaming high fructose corn syrup, sometimes to just "fructose" which can be very misleading! See link below for the story:

http://achnews.org/2019/08/01/high-fructose-corn-syrup-has-been-quietly-deceitfully-renamed/?fbclid=IwAR3QOUrQ-1E-RHP7JC-_eItP4qN_Dp0YVCSPKvD-VcZSmS8NQ3aKrdkk5Rg

Clinical Study using a version of the Paleo diet shows improvement for patients with IBD

It seems that I am reading more and more about studies that tested the usefulness of dietary changes for people with IBD. Below is a link to a study that was done in 2016 using a version of the Paleo diet, known as the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). This diet was formulated to reset the immune system by eating foods that will not inflame the intestines. When inflammation occurs it sets off an autoimmune response. This diet is meant to reset the immune system.

The AIP diet excludes grains, legumes, dairy, refined seed oils, refined sugar and food additives. It also recommends eliminating alcohol, eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshade vegetables and coffee.

The study was conducted over an 11 week period. A baseline was established based on severity of symptoms at the onset of the study. Patients were tested again after 6 weeks. They were then put on a maintenance diet for another 5 weeks.

This was a very small study, starting with only 18 patients. 3 patients dropped out of the study due to the inability to stick with it. Not an easy diet to follow.

Of the 15 patients who were able to maintain this diet 11 achieved remission!! That's 73 percent!!!  And all of them stayed on the diet for an additional 5 weeks and stayed in remission. That is as good as some drug studies, and without side effects.

Take away: Although this was a small study it was quite amazing. We are hearing more and more about studies using diet to treat IBD. Look, it's hard to change diet. It's our emotions, our traditions, family, security and comfort. Perhaps a few small changes at a time could lead to big results.

Below is a link to the original study.


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5647120/

Now in book form

I am happy to announce that my blog is now available in book form at Amazon.com and Barnesanadnoble.com. In this book I detail how I discovered that I had Crohn's disease and the steps I took to beat it. I detail my diet, as well as compare it to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I also include 25 delicious gluten and corn free recipes that get me through the day, without flaring me. Please see links below.

Link to Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0359734278/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Link to Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-i-beat-crohns-lynne-frankenbery/1132322676?ean=9780359734276

Krusteaz Gluten Free Brownies

 This brand is both gluten free and corn free. I got it at Walmart in the gluten free section. When we made it, we substituted milk for the water, and melted butter for the oil.  Milk substitute can also be used. We also used 2 eggs instead of 1. This made it even better. But I think it would still be good when original recipe is used.

Blueberries for intestinal disease

A new study came out showing good outcomes using blueberries. It seems that when blueberries are combined with a probiotics, the outcome is even better at calming things down. I think it's a winning combination anyhow.


See link below for the story:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208145055.htm?fbclid=IwAR0drL_z1FvbGxcAQQFV1ZC3-KgUBOYD0n7O0nQ3ps1KQezFgVAknNsrPB8

Dr Praeger's Spinach Littles

These are just yummy! I don't have small children in the house, but I buy these all the time for myself. They taste like tater tots, but with the added benefit of spinach. Gluten and corn free, of course. They also make ones that are made with kale instead of spinach.

What I Eat; Thai Green Curry Sauce

I have been using this sauce for quite a while now and absolutely love it! It's sweet, tangy and spicy all rolled into one. Great for leftovers, especially if they are a bit dry. Today I used it on my leftover tofu. Please note, it is not vegetarian. It does contain fish.

I got this at Whole Foods. While it was pretty expensive, around 8 dollars for a jar, you only use a little bit. A small amount goes a long way, so it contains several servings per jar.

What I Eat: Barramundi

Last night we had delicious Barramundi fish. With fish, I don't add any sort of breading unless I'm sure it is gluten-free. Instead, I like to use lots of seasonings, including garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. I grilled it in the pan for about 10 minutes and flipped it half-way through.

I had a side of roasted broccoli and potatoes, mixed with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. I roasted them in the oven (425 F) for 20-25 minutes.

I always try to add lots of fresh fruits and veggies to my diet, so I had my fish with a side salad of leafy greens, apples, and peppers. Most dressings aren't good for my diet because they usually contain distilled white vinegar (which is derived from corn). To substitute, I love to use a combination of lemon juice and olive oil for a fresh taste!

[As a side note, distilled white vinegar is the ONLY type of vinegar that flares me. Apple cider, balsamic, white wine, and rice vinegar have never caused me to flare.]

Probiotics

I just started using this probiotic a few weeks ago, and I've already started to see an amazing improvement! It's called Fortify Optima Max Potency 100 Billion Probiotic by Nature's Way. I got this at my local Whole Foods market at about $40 for a 30 day supply. Not a bad price for a really good probiotic.

Probiotics are made up of good bacteria that have huge benefits for the digestive syste
m. We usually think of bacteria as being what makes us sick, but this isn't always true. The human body has tons of bacteria that the body needs to stay healthy, and probiotics help to make sure there's plenty of good bacteria in the gut.

It's especially good to take a probiotic after you've been on any antibiotics. Antibiotics are made to kill the bad bacteria in the body that is making you sick, but it also tends to kill the good bacteria as well. This can cause your digestive system to get all out of wack and cause problems like diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, or inflammation.

Because probiotics help to calm inflammation and help to balance your gut health, they are a MUST for anyone with digestive diseases like IBS, Colitis, and Crohn's.

These are also enteric-coated. That means that they dissolve in your intestines instead of your stomach. This allows for the full dosage to be delivered without being broken down by stomach acid.

They can be taken with or without food, but I like to take them in the morning with my breakfast.

Please note that I do unbiased product reviews. I was not paid by this company for advertisement.

What I Eat: French Toast

There is nothing as delicious as French toast in the morning. Unfortunately, that is not always an option on a gluten free and corn free diet. This morning I used my homemade gluten free and corn free bread to make it. It is very important to only use pure maple syrup because commercial brands use corn syrup. I also only use powdered sugar that is free of corn starch.

I like to use 365 Everyday Value Organic Powdered Sugar. I usually get tis at my local Whole Foods market. Another great alternative available online is Wholesome Sweeteners Powdered Sugar.

What I Eat: Veggie Omelet and Grilled Pineapple

Made this beauty yesterday. First I sliced up some fresh pineapple and grilled it with a little olive oil and cinnamon. Then I made a super healthy omelet with lots and lots of dinosaur kale greens.

I used Earth Balance Buttery Spread which is a gluten and corn free butter substitute. I love this stuff because it tastes just like real butter.

Going Gluten Free Made a Difference

Found this on facebook about how one woman found relief for her Crohn's symptoms from changing her diet. She went gluten free and found amazing results. The link is below.

https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/living/lifestyle-change-saved-life/?fbclid=IwAR0VOtsIKMipAMemLofH-iaLbQmwBB5o31XM1xD4tcV13yC3V810RlnKAbU