Black eyed peas with basmati rice

Fabulous dinner last night. A slight variation of typical beans and rice. I started with basmati rice and steamed it with turmeric and a bit of margarine. I like the texture of basmati. It separates nicely and doesn’t have that sticky texture. Then I simmered the black eye peas with fresh kale, tomatoes, curry powder, margarine, salt and pepper. Topped it all with fresh diced sweet onion and avocado.

All of these ingredients are in compliance with my diet that controls my Crohn's and keeps it in remission. All of the spices are pure, meaning no corn starch.

Any rice is good, I just prefer the texture of basmati.

I bought the beans precooked and frozen. Some canned beans may contain dextrose. Dextrose is a sugar that can be derived from corn. I avoid corn in every form. It seems like a small amount but it makes a difference. Always check the label on canned beans.

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.

New product review: Enjoy Life Protein Bites

These were delicious. Very chewy, chocolatey and not too sweet. No doubt about it they tasted good! They are gluten and corn free since they are from Enjoy Life. However a tad expensive and a bit high in fat and calories. I will still buy them as a special treat. they fit in with my diet of being totally gluten and corn free in order to keep my Crohn's in remission.

What I Eat: Soup

Now that it is getting back to Fall weather, I am starting back on my soup making. Nothing is more satisfying and nutritious. Yesterday I made this lovely soup with the vegetables that I had on hand plus a potato to give it bulk. Any vegetables would do. I start my broth with a large tablespoon of miso paste, whole onion and garlic in the water. Then I just add add add vegetables. I let it simmer most of the day. I did not need salt because of the miso. I also added about a teaspoon of turmeric. That was it. This soup contains onion, garlic, bok chow, celery, poblano pepper (yes the soup was a little spicy), yellow squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, miso paste, turmeric, and a can of green beans. This is so healing and easy on the digestive tract.

Note: I use miso paste because it is hard to find ready made broth that is corn and gluten free. This diet (corn and gluten free) has kept me in remission for years.

Treating Crohn's with worms

Ok this is totally new to me. Apparently there is a new treatment for Crohn's that introduces microscopic worms into the intestines. This is done through a doctor's office and can be taken as a liquid that contains worm eggs. Ummmmm yuck. But apparently it has had worked on some patients. When the worms attach to the lining of the intestines it produces an anti-inflammatory effect. Not currently available in the United States.

  This is NOT something you can do yourself and there are side effects. Click on the link below to read the article.

https://www.healthline.com/health/crohns-disease/hook-worms