Crohn’s Fitness Food

Episode 29: Logan Crumrine, 25-year Crohn's Warrior

In today’s episode, Logan Crumrine answers the call for more male IBD advocates. After battling Crohn’s Disease for 25 years, he’s now speaking up to share his story and help bring awareness to Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis.
Logan began having his first Crohn’s symptoms as a junior in high school. He spent the next 25 years between states of flares, semi-remission, surgeries, and even a 15-year period of complete remission. But it was around 2012 that the long period of being symptom free came to an end. Crohn’s had been out of sight, out of mind and he nearly forgot it was even there. Over the next two years however, Crohn’s was relentless.
Logan shares an emotional side and talks about the decision he and his wife had to make in 2014 to move back home with family, unsure of whether he would make it through this flare. He signed up for clinical trials, hopeful to find healing, but also wanting to make a difference and help advance the research that could impact others being diagnosed with IBD in the future.
He shares tips for traveling, a little about the process of being declared disabled, and how a gratitude journal has helped him to realize “that in spite of all the junk that we walk through as IBD warriors, there are still bright spots in every day.”
Finally, Logan encourages all IBD Warriors to appreciate and be kind to your non-medical caregivers–our families and friends who are there after all the doctors and nurses have gone.
Logan’s top five takeaways for IBD Warriors:
This [IBD] is not your fault.
Find your ability to smile and nod.
Don’t waste any days.
Don’t be afraid to rest.
Laugh.
Follow Logan on Instagram and Twitter @thecrohniedad

Episode 28: Rachel Epplin-Rincker, Part 2 – Nutrition, fitness, medications, and advocacy

In part 2 of my interview with Rachel Epplin-Rincker, she continues to share her journey with Crohn’s Disease and how important both nutrition and physical activity were, in addition to Remicade, to helping her achieve the best health of her life.
We pick up right where we left off on the last episode and Rachel gets right in to talking about how her diet has evolved over the years and what she eats when she’s experiencing a mild flare vs. when she doesn’t have any Crohn’s symptoms. She even talks about how she was able to retrain her gut–a process that took a few years–to be able to eat many of the foods she enjoys but was not able to tolerate at first with her IBD.
She focuses on food quality and moderation more than restricting any certain types of foods and is now able to give her body the nutrients it needs to thrive. The energy she gets from eating healthy definitely fuels her activity. A runner since the age of 5, she still enjoys mixing running in with her strength training workouts. She talks about her decision to slowly build a home gym that gave her peace of mind when working out with Crohn’s and also eliminated the need for going in to a public gym with a compromised immune system. While her workouts are intense and consistent, she has also learned over the years to listen to what her body needs, whether during times of flares or sickness or when she was pregnant and required rest.
Finally, she talks about what it’s been like to be an active part of the IBD community after spending so many years undiagnosed and not having such a far-reaching support system. She talks about the importance of raising awareness for Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis and urges patients who have access to a Gastroenterologist who specializes in IBD to seek one out.
Follow Rachel on Instagram @rachelfitmom

Episode 27: Rachel Epplin-Rincker, Crohn's Warrior, shares part 1 of her story of misdiagnosis and infertility

In today’s episode, Rachel Epplin-Rincker shares her Crohn’s story and how she went more than 20 years undiagnosed. With symptoms from the time she was a baby until her early adult life, she was dismissed by doctors, believed to be anorexic, and slowly worsened as the years went by.
Finally, in her early 20s she demanded a colonoscopy and the diagnosis was conclusive: Crohn’s Disease–her colon was actually collapsed and inflamed so much that the doctor couldn’t even finish the colonoscopy. She was immediately put on medications and eventually started treatments with Remicade that finally put her on a path to healing.
Through the 10 years since her diagnosis, Crohn’s continued to give her challenges. She talks about how it affected her fertility and shares her experiences with IVF treatments–including a miscarriage and later a healthy boy–and then how, when her body finally reached full remission and a healthy state of being, she was able to conceive naturally.
Rachel shares her advice for women with IBD who are considering getting pregnant and talks about the importance of expressing your concerns and discussing all your questions with a doctor who is understanding and acting as a partner in your healthcare. Find a physician who will present you with facts and data and help you in making your own decisions along the way for balancing IBD and pregnancy. She also encourages patients who are newly diagnosed or still undiagnosed to keep track of symptoms and document everything that you are experiencing to become a better advocate for yourself and get the care you need.
We’ll pick up with part 2 of Rachel’s journey in next week’s episode where she shares how her journey to health continued after beginning Remicade and the birth of her babies, and how both diet and nutrition played a significant role in helping her achieve complete remission.
Follow Rachel on Instagram @rachelfitmom
 

Episode 26: Katie Dolgert, 18-year Ulcerative Colitis Warrior

In this episode, 18-year Ulcerative Colitis Warrior Katie Dolgert shares her journey with IBD. She talks about her story from diagnosis at age 21, her experiences with medications, and how her pregnancy with her second child put her into remission. Focusing on good overall health through lifestyle practices, nutrition, and fitness, she continues to be in remission–medication free–for the past four years.
Although she is currently medication free, she still experiences bad days and IBD symptoms. She has learned to listen to her body, knowing when the disease is becoming more active, and how she can navigate the symptoms by knowing exactly what her own body’s warning signs are.
She focuses on rest, hydration, reducing stress, and a variety of alternative therapies to help with overall wellness–from acupuncture and cupping to float therapy and meditation.
Katie talks about the mental aspect of IBD and how she learned to accept the diagnosis and wrap her head around a lifelong condition early on. She found support in the IBD community as well as her voice for advocacy through the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. It was more than 10 years after her diagnosis when Katie signed up signed up for a Team Challenge race with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. Shortly thereafter she appeared on a local television station to talk about IBD and since then, she’s been helping to raise awareness, be an active member of the IBD community, and offers support for both newly-diagnosed and long-time IBD Warriors.
Instagram: @the_ulcerative_colelitist

Episode 25: Mylissa Merten, Crohn's Warrior finding remission through medication, lifestyle, and nutrition

In today’s episode, Mylissa Merten, a Crohn’s Disease Warrior who was diagnosed almost 17 years ago, shares her experience as a camper at the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Camp Oasis and how, after 10 years of fighting to find something that would put her into remission, found that medications paired with the right nutrition and exercise program led to her first colonoscopy that showed no sign of active disease.
Having spent 10 years battling flare ups and symptoms without relief, Mylissa shares how the side effect of getting fit for her wedding improved her Crohn’s symptoms, gave her more energy, and helped put her in remission. She followed the advice of the nutritionist who was a part of her gastroenterologist’s practice and now knows which foods to avoid and which ones help her when symptoms start appearing.
An avid reader, Mylissa recommends the book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth to all IBD Warriors with its message of persistence. The secret to success (in all areas of life) is not talent, but grit–a special blend of passion and persistence.
Since her early days attending Camp Oasis, Mylissa has been talking about her disease to anyone and everyone she meets. Her experience early on at the camp made it comfortable for her to share her story and raise awareness about IBD. The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation gave her and her family hope, community, and support from the very beginning and she continues to be involved with the foundation today. She currently participates in the local Crohn's and Colitis Foundation's Young Professionals networking group in Minneapolis and encourages others to get involved. While most chapters are striving to have a Young Professionals group, current chapters in Minneapolis, Rochester (MN), Detroit, Phoenix, Seattle, Boston, New York, and Indiana currently have groups. If you'd like to see a Young Professionals group as part of your local Crohn's and Colitis Foundation chapter, simply reach out to the contact person in your area. You can find your local chapter on the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation website here. 
To keep up with Mylissa and her Crohn’s journey (see her workouts, meal prep, what she’s reading, and her story), you can follow her on Instagram @happy_healthy_myl.

Episode 24: Stephanie Gish answers her most-asked questions!

Today’s episode is a special solocast where I’m taking the opportunity to answer the most common questions that many of you, my fellow IBD warriors, ask me through Instagram, email, and my blog. My first “solocast” was Episode 6 where I shared my full Crohn’s story, so be sure to check that out if you haven’t yet and want to learn more about my journey.
Most of the questions I receive are centered around Crohn’s, fitness, and food (go figure!). So today, I’m sharing my answers to questions like:
What is the best diet for/what diet do you recommend for Crohn’s?
Do you get nutritional deficiencies on a carnivore diet?
Don’t coffee and wine make your IBD worse?
How did you get off medications?
What supplements do you take?
How do you stay fit and active when fatigued?
How do you avoid bathroom issues when working out?
I have plenty more IBD interviews scheduled for the weeks ahead, but if you’re interested in more solocasts like this one, send your questions to crohnsfitnessfood@gmail.com and I’ll save them for a future episode.
References in the episode:Life Period Tracker apphttps://apps.apple.com/us/app/life-period-tracker-calendar/id703547387
Life Without Bread: How a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Can Save Your Life by Christian B. Allan, Ph.D and Wolfgang Lutz, M.D.
Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet by Elaine Gottschall, B.A., M.Sc.
The Complete Low-FODMAP Diet: A Revolutionary Plan for Managing IBS and Other Digestive Disorders by Sue Shepherd Ph.D. and Peter Gibson, M.D.
Human Performance Outliers Podcast
Carnivore Cast
Supplements:CBD Oil (My favorite brands are Endoca and Lazarus Naturals)   Beta-TCP by Biotics ResearchIntestinal Fortitude (GLR-6, AI-5, PRO-B11)

Episode 23: Jeff Gish (Stephanie's husband) shares a spouse's perspective of IBD

In this episode, my husband, Jeff Gish, shares his perspective of Crohn’s Disease as an IBD spouse. He shares his view of what it’s like to live with someone who has IBD and answers my questions about what are some of the things that maybe I should have told him in the beginning or what I could have done (and maybe still do) to help him understand this disease and the roller coaster that comes along with it.
While Jeff wasn’t with me during my first truly debilitating flare in 2006, he has been with me since 2015 and through a number of smaller flare ups. He’s watched me go off medications, back on medications, back off again, and supported me through all my wild hair-brained ideas and diets. From fermenting raw milk to carnivore, he’s even traveled with me and an ice chest full of food so that I didn’t have to eat anything I didn’t prepare myself while on vacation.
We’ve had many Crohn’s-related adventures that we talk about in this podcast and he gives wonderful insight and advice from being on the spouse-side of things, giving us patients a different understanding of our own disease. It has been truly wonderful to have Jeff by my side, knowing he’ll always be there to back me up. He seeks out places he knows I’ll be able to eat when we go out with friends, doesn’t get angry with me when I have my mood swings because symptoms have come back, and has been an incredible rock and pillar of support that I couldn’t be more grateful to have :)
Other than being my husband, Jeff is a forensic engineer (which is like CSI, but for buildings), he’s the reason for my continual escalation of wine snobbery, and probably the most down-to-earth, happy-go-lucky, and easy-going person I’ve ever met, with a sense of humor that keeps me laughing every day...and you’ll definitely get a glimpse of that in this episode!

Episode 21: Veronica Blancato, Crohn's and Extraintestinal Manifestations

Today’s guest is Veronica Blancato. With more than 15 years of fighting Crohn’s Disease, she shares her journey from diagnosis to remission, battling a variety of extra-intestinal manifestations along the way. She shares her experiences with surgery, arthritis, osteochondromas, pancreatitis, fatigue, and more.
Veronica’s symptoms began when she was 8 years old, but it wasn’t until she was 15 that she received an official diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease. Growing up with IBD, she faced discrimination from peers and the people around her, which resulted in lost friendships and eventually led her to stop talking about Crohn’s.
Throughout the years she tried numerous medications, had part of her intestines removed, and dealt with multiple obstructions. It wasn’t until 2015 that she achieved remission and described it as an intoxicating feeling to finally be well. She shares her many tips and tricks for dealing with symptoms and flares, how her diet evolved from white bread and pasta to nutritious whole foods and enjoying most foods in moderation, and how becoming part of the social media IBD community has both humbled her and made her more aware of the depth and breadth of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis.
She talks about the importance of having supportive people in your life when dealing with any chronic illness–especially an invisible one–and how her husband has been a strong and supportive partner. His positivity and desire to learn more and be involved in the management of her Crohn’s has helped to change her own mindset to a more positive one.
Despite the many challenges and complications that she has faced with Crohn’s Disease, she continues to learn from others, share her experiences, and–most of all–appreciate life.
Follow Veronica:https://www.instagram.com/crohns_queen/

Episode 20: Anthoney Q interviews Stephanie Gish on the Total Human Performance Podcast

It’s the 20th episode of the Crohn’s Fitness Food podcast and today I wanted to share an interview I did recently on the Anthoney Q Total Human Performance podcast.
For this episode, I sat down with Anthoney and we talked about my Crohn’s Disease and some of the updates and changes that I’ve gone through with my diet and fitness in trying to manage my disease over the years. We talked about how my diet has evolved into my current carnivore approach and some of the new supplements I’ve added–including CBD oil–and my experiences with them.
Anthony and I also talk about a variety of health and fitness topics from fasting and meditation to working out and some of the things I’m excited about in the field of Crohn’s research.
This is a new podcast from The Lab Strength and I was lucky to be featured as one of the first few guests on the show. So, if you like this episode, I encourage you to subscribe to the Anthony Q Total Human Performance podcast. I hope you enjoy the show today and getting the chance to learn a little more about my (continually evolving) Crohn’s journey!
Anthoney Q Total Human Performancehttps://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anthoney-q
 

Episode 19: Carrie Combs returns; we talk emotions, coping with Crohn's, and running!

In this week’s episode, I caught up again with Carrie Combs (@carriethecrohnie) to follow up on her recent race at the Nashville Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon and to go deeper into some of the emotional aspects of Crohn’s Disease, along with the coping mechanisms and habits that made dealing with a Crohn’s diagnosis even more challenging. At the end of this episode we talk about the half marathon she completed in April with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Team Challenge and run down a quick gear and supplement checklist for distance running!
Diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease 8 years ago, Carrie has had three surgeries, countless medication changes, and–as she puts it–a lot of really bad days. We talk about her transformation since diagnosis that took her from using food as a reward (only to find out the things she once enjoyed were causing her harm after her diagnosis), bottling up her emotions, and not asking for help, because she believed she was burdening people, to finally learning how to fill up her own personal cup of happiness and being stronger and more resilient to deal with the challenges that life with Inflammatory Bowel Disease brings.
For newly diagnosed patients or family members working to understand IBD, we talk about what it’s like to feel lost in the beginning, not wanting to feel like a burden to the people we love and care about, and how finding a passion or setting goals can help in the journey.
Carrie's Distance Running Gear & Supplement Recommendations:
A good pair of running shoes: Highly suggest going to a local running store and getting fitted. This isn’t the place to cheap out–your feet, ankles, shins, hips, and back will thank you later.
Hydration belt: Some people will use the water bottles with a handle. I personally don’t like feeling unbalanced or having anything in my hands, so I prefer a belt. Mine has a pocket for my phone so that I don’t have to have anything else on me.o https://fitletic.com/ 
Body glide: Any part of your body that touches repetitively over a few hour period will get chaffed if you don’t use this. It’s similar to Vaseline but won’t stain your clothes.o https://www.bodyglide.com/ 
Compression socks: I have erythema nodosum, which is a skin condition that is related to having Crohn's. Inflammation and joint pain are some of the symptoms. so I’ve found that a good pair of compression socks helps.
Electrolytes: Nuun and Salt Stick are my go-to brands. Both are relatively inexpensive. I use one Nuun sport tablet every afternoon as part of my everyday hydration.o https://nuunlife.com/o http://saltstick.com/ 
Fuel for long distances: Honey stringer chews or gels. These personally are the only ones I’ve tried that don’t upset my stomach.
Sunglasses: I personally use Goodr. They are available at most running stores and online. They are polarized, non-slip when you get sweaty, and only cost $25-$35o https://goodr.com/ 
Epsom Salt: Best feeling after a long run is soaking in Epsom salts. Lots of people also swear by ice baths for recovery, but I’m not a fan of the cold, so I’ve just never felt the need to try that, lol!