Abigail Marie the Chef with IBD
Professional Chef with IBD helping you navigate food, lifestyle, new IBD research, and patient advocacy.
The exact cause of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is greatly debated since at the moment we don’t know. Many theories are out there, but one that always seems to come up first is diet. There is no denying that over the last few decades obesity and IBD have been on the rise globally. In fact, … Read more
Acupuncture dates back to ancient China over 3,000 years ago, and is a therapy of traditional Chinese medicine that stimulates certain points on the body with single use needles. These points called ‘acupoints’ are a gathering of nerves that connect different organs to each other. According to acupuncture principles, these acupoints represent channels that carry … Read more
In the last several decades we have seen a global rise in IBD, but as of late more in the older adult population. A study of Medicare beneficiaries showed this steady rise increasing annually at 3.4% for Crohn’s disease and 2.8% in Ulcerative colitis. However, the largest rise in IBD was seen in the elderly … Read more
Vitamin D deficiency is commonly seen in patients with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis. So much so in fact, that an estimated 80% of those with CD and 75% with UC suffer from vitamin D insufficiency and 50% of those meet the markers to be deficient. To be considered Vitamin D insufficient your levels are between … Read more
Joint pain is the most common external manifestation of Crohn’s and Colitis. In fact, the two types of joint inflammation, arthritis and arthralgia, affect 40% of all IBD patients. In comparison, 30% of those with UC, and 20% with CD will be diagnosed with arthritis. Arthritis is joint pain from excess inflammation, whereas arthralgia is … Read more
Iron deficiency is a common complication in people with IBD. In fact, it’s so common that a recent study has shown 50% of Crohn’s and Colitis patients develop iron deficiency, and 25% develop iron deficiency anemia as a result. Iron deficiency and anemia go hand in hand, but they are not always seen together. It … Read more
SIBO is an acronym for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, and many people with IBS, Crohn’s, and Ulcerative colitis will experience SIBO at some time during their diagnosis. In fact, a recent study found that as many as 78% of those with IBS also have SIBO. In addition, an eleven-study database showed an odds ratio of … Read more
When dealing with Crohn’s and Colitis there are some complications that are more common than others, and fistulas are one of them. In fact, 1 in 3 people with Crohn’s and 1 in 35 with UC will experience this complication at some point in their life. A fistula is a small narrow tunnel-like structure that … Read more
One of the main goals of your body is to maintain homeostasis. This simply means maintaining physical, internal, and chemical conditions required by living systems. Some examples of this include body temperature, fluid balance, and pH level. PH refers to the ‘potential of hydrogen’, and is a measure of hydrogen ion concentration in a solution. … Read more
Smoking has been shown to affect both types of IBD; Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis. However, smoking and nicotine have polarizing effects on these diseases. While smoking increases risk and severity of Crohn’s, it seems to aid in reducing some symptoms for those with UC. Now before you consider smoking to help your UC, I want … Read more