Q. What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?

IBD can be described as any digestive disorder that has a negative impact on an individual’s life.  For example, crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, rectal bleeding, constipation and/or diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are all classified as IBD.  However, these names are typically given in order to describe unexplainable digestive disorders.

Despite all the confusing names given to describe conditions related to IBD, all those who suffer have one thing in common; intestinal inflammation.  This intestinal inflammation often effects individuals differently; hence all the confusing names used to describe IBD.  However, once this is inflammation is reduced, symptoms of IBD often disappear.

Q. Why do I Have IBD?

If you suffer from IBD, we ask that you take a good hard look into the foods in which you are consuming.  Many who suffer from digestive disorders often consume foods that are extremely inflammatory to the digestive system.  Luckily, we’ve covered these foods already and you can read all about them on our IBD Homepage.

Also, fungal overgrowth’s such as candida can cause intestinal inflammation.  It’s well known among researchers that candida releases over 70 different toxic substance; many of which can cause intestinal inflammation.  Unfortunately, a vast majority of individuals suffering from IBD unknowingly suffer from this pathogenic fungal overgrowth.

Furthermore, the overuse of antibiotics can disrupt the healthy gut flora which can lead to intestinal inflammation.  It’s for this reason that many report digestive problems after taking antibiotics for long periods of time.

Q. Is IBD life Threatening?

Depending on the severity of the condition, IBD can lead to life threatening complications in the body.  Also, those with IBD have been shown to have an increased risk of developing colon cancer.  With that said, the severity of the condition varies from individual to individual.

Q. What are the Symptoms of IBD?

If you suffer from IBD, you can expect to suffer from one of the following symptoms; chronic constipation or diarrhea, bloating, rectal bleeding, abdominal cramps, unintended weight loss, reduced appetite, fatigue, brain fog, and fever.

Q. Can IBD be Cured?

Yes; there are thousands of testimonials of individuals curing their inflammatory bowel disease all through diet.  Despite what you may be told by health experts, the body is an amazing machine with fascinating regenerative abilities.  Once the correct diet is put into place, the body is able to repair and rebuild the gut.  We highly recommend you head over to our Diet Protocol Page to get the full details on the best diet for IBD.

Q. I Eat Healthy, How can I Have IBD?

This question gets asked a lot among many individuals suffering from digestive problems.  However, most are surprised to find out that many of the foods in which they think are “healthy,” are extremely inflammatory to the gut.  For example, all plant foods contain extremely high amounts of anti-nutrients which can contribute to intestinal inflammation. 

In fact, raw vegetables, raw nuts, and raw seeds contain the highest amounts of gut disrupting anti-nutrients than any other food.  It’s for this reason that vegan, raw vegan, or even vegetarian diets are not recommend for anyone suffering from IBD.  In our experience, these types of diets are extremely damaging to the mucosal lining in the gut and contribute significantly to intestinal inflammation.

Q. Can IBD Go Away on its Own?

No; as previously mentioned, IBD is a direct result of high amounts of inflammatory foods being consumed through the diet.  The only way to truly get rid of IBD is to restrict all inflammatory foods and follow a correct diet.  Those hoping that symptoms will go away on their own will be disappointed to find that symptoms will only intensify until the root problem is properly addressed.

Q. Is IBD Medication Effective?

We highly recommend against taking medication if you suffer from IBD.  In our opinion, medication does not address the root problem.  The only way to address the root cause of IBD is through diet.  All other strategies will be short lived and will only prolong the problem.  That being said, we cannot legally comment on the effectiveness of medication when it comes to IBD.

Q. What Foods cause Bowel Inflammation?

There are several different foods that can contribute to intestinal inflammation.  As mentioned before, almost all plant foods will irritate the intestines to some degree.  However, for a full list of foods that should be avoided, please refer to our Homepage.

Q. What is the difference between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS)?

Inflammatory bowel syndrome would fall under IBD.  Doctors describe IBS as individuals suffering from a spastic colon, abdominal pain, and bloating.  As a result, those suffering from IBS can be described as having a form of IBD.

Q. Can You Get IBD all of a Sudden?

Typically, IBD is a result of long term poor eating habits and long term intake of inflammatory foods.  It usually takes years to begin to notice the damaging effects an individuals diet may be having on the intestines.  That being said, there is a possibility of IBD occurring rapidly, but would typically only occur if the individual was on long term antibiotics, or on a plant heavy diet.

Q. All Foods Irritate my Gut, What Should I Do?

Besides heading over to our Diet Protocol Page, it’s imperative that you stop consuming all forms of plant foods for a short time.  Focus your attention on high quality animal food and healthy fats which DO NOT contain anti-nutrients and WILL NOT irritate the intestines.  In our experience, consuming bone broth daily can cause significant positive changes in those with severely irritated intestines.

Q. What can I Cook with IBD?

Often times, changing diet to more IBD friendly foods can be challenging for most individuals.  It’s for this reason that we created our Intestinal Health Cookbook.  Our cook book contains over 20 different mouthwatering and gut friendly recipes that both taste good and are good for you!  We highly recommend it to anyone who is new this way of eating, or to anyone looking for healthy and delicious meals.

Q. How Long Does it Take to Reverse IBD?

This question is highly individualized and is dependent on several different factors.  However, as a rule of thumb, the more severe the condition is, the longer it will take to reverse.  It’s important to understand that intestinal disorders typically take years to develop.  As a result, it can take significant amounts of time to fully recover from such conditions.

Q. Can I Consume Alcohol if I Have IBD?

No.  You will want to avoid alcohol at all costs if you have any type of intestinal inflammation.  Alcohol can contribute to yeast and fungal overgrowth’s in the gut which can make intestinal inflammation much more severe.  It’s absolutely imperative that you avoid alcohol at all costs if you wish to return to optimal digestive health.

Q. Can I Eat Sugar if I Have IBD?

No. Sugar is one of the worst things you can consume if you suffer from IBD.  This is because, like alcohol, sugar can feed pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and fungus in the gut which can wreak havoc on digestive health.  In fact, sugar is so toxic that the body will actually use its mineral reserves in order to cope with the toxic effects it has on the body.  In our opinion, no matter your condition, sugar has no place in the human the diet.

Q. Is Fruit Good for IBD?

Those suffering from IBD may be surprised to hear the truth about most store bought fruits.  This is because almost all modern fruit found at the grocery store has been hybridized in order to contain much more fructose (sugar) and is much bigger than its wild counterparts.  In fact, all wild fruit that grows naturally in nature is extremely low in fructose, contains high amounts of seeds, and is not available year round.

Those consuming copious amounts of store bought fruits are actually consuming extremely unnatural foods.  Research has shown numerous times that diets high in fructose can lead to inflammatory conditions in the body and makes the body more prone to developing conditions such as fatty liver disease.  This is because the body was never designed to handle such large amounts of fructose that is present in all store bought fruit.

It should be mentioned, that fructose can have the same damaging effects on the intestines as sugar.  It’s for this reason that we highly recommend IBD sufferers to only consume seasonal fruits that have not been overly hybridized.  Most types of berries are good options for those with intestinal health issues.

Q. What are the Early Signs of IBD?

Unfortunately, early warning signs of IBD often go unnoticed.  However, anything from chronic constipation or diarrhea, bloating, reduced appetite, and unexplained weight loss can be early warning signs of IBD.  If you think you may be suffering from early warning signs, it’s important that you change your diet immediately.