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I am getting totally confused by the various diet out there.

I tried Specific Carbohydrate Diet, was about 95% compliant.  Still had bleeding, mucous.   I read most of "Breaking the Vicious Cycle"  O
ne of the reasons I thought SCD might work was because of the inclusion of meats.  I tried to think in terms of all the foods I could eat and
not what i couldn't eat.  I still had problems.  I tried to reduce stress in my life.  I purchased a really nice Vitamix 5200 (not cheap) in the
hope I could prepare many of my meals with full knowledge of what exactly was going into my food. 

Then I began reading a book called "Self Healing Colitis & Crohn's" by David Klein.  After considerable thought, I decided I couldn't really
do a fully vegan diet.

Lastly, I'm now reading "What to Eat With IBD by Tracie Dalessandro.  That book was recommend to me by some one on a Yahoo SCD
forum.  Of all the literature I've noted here, I am finding "What to Eat With IBD" the most realistic.  There are still foods that are not
recommended for eating.

I am TOTALLY confused.  SCD tells you "don't eat, don't eat that"  "What to Eat With IBD' says almost complete opposite.  I don't know who
to pay attention to.

In addition, I am almost always  totally exhausted and find myself sleeping half the day away.  I am sure I am lacking certain nutrients & can
not figure out which ones I need to replace. 

 Reply posted for karpdiem2.

SCD won't work with 95% compliance. Any remaining bad gut bacteria proliferate rapidly and in great numbers.

 Reply posted for karpdiem2.

I highly recommend you read Perfect Weight America by Jordan Rubin. The author suffered from Crohn's disease and was wasting away because his system was so sensitive to everything. He learned to focus on ingredients, not just foods. It has made a big difference for me to be conscience of those things. I can really control my bloating and pain when I am more vigilant about avoiding chemicals I cannot pronounce. I have my moments when I just get tired of monitoring myself so much and eat things I probably shouldn't, but when I am really serious, I can really turn my symptoms around. I highly recommend you check it out. 

 Reply posted for karpdiem2.

I suffered from UC for 3 1/2 and then started researching online. My husband was my donor and it has now been almost 4 months of being back to normal, having normal bowel movements - no gas, no cramps, no urgency, no blood, etc.  I am back to eating anything I want after 6 months on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I hav even been eating some things that are considered illegal on SCD, but with no problems.

If you would like to read my story and see links to other articles, email me.

Just don't give up thinking it is hopeless - there is another way. I am not on any drugs and completely symptom free.

These digestive issues are caused by a imbalance in the bacteria in your gut, most likely from antibiotic use or sometimes food poisoning.

Just google Fecal Transplant and you will find how it is being used to heal digestive issues - I had UC and it healed me.

Email me for a link to my blog - kwi_sky@yahoo.com

Teri

 Reply posted for snydeka.

Here's the diet I use to get my Ulcerative Colitis in a super deep remission. I follow a Paleolithic diet (high protein, medium fat, low carbs). Avoid especially grains and soy. Also, get some Probiotics VSL#3 and Manuka honey from Amazon.com. I have done blood tests and doctors say I'm as good as a person without the disease.

P.S. Boswellia also helps. 

 Reply posted for karpdiem2.

I started with the Anti-Inflammation diet.  (Remember our illness is nothing more than chronic inflammation).  There are several versions of this diet plan at Barnes and Noble. I later started seeing some alternative medicine doctors and we identified some foods I was sensitive to.  When I was initially very sick and starting this journey, I couldn't eat wheat, dairy, sugar, soy, or caffeine.  I now follow the anti-inflammation diet and avoid wheat and caffeine.  Good luck

I started on a Macro diet in early 2011. I was pretty strict for 6 months.
I read the book Controlling Crohn's the natural way by Virgina Harper .

I am not as strict but for me not eating meat and no dairy has helped me be in remission
for over a year now. I also now know how to control my stress naturally by getting a massage or similar things.

I was having flare ups every 6 months and was told I needed to go on remicade, but I 
wanted to try to change my diet first.

My gastro doctor said it had nothing to do with my diet, but I am living proof that it was.
Well at least for me. Now I only take probiotics and I am off all the prescription medications.

I know all are bodies are different but becoming a vegan and dealing with my stress has kept me in remission so far.
 

I know exactly how you feel. I have an atypical crohn's that has resulted in 5 bowel re-sectionings in the past 4 years and ten abdominal surgeries total.I have had stomach disorders my whole life with all types of diagnoses- IBS, IBS, Spastic colon, Fibromyalgia. I have had my gall bladder out and my appendix. Aside from the the last 5 surgeries, I was hospitalized 4 times in the past 4 years to "just let the SBO" pass, as well as riding through countless blockages on my own at home.  I get in a bad cycle trying to manage an eating disorder ( kind of a f-it I am in pain anyway, so I should be able to eat what I want) and my Crohn's. I also created a bad situation by taking Vicodin and Amitza at the same time, which is confusing my Bowel and making things worse. Like you, I have been told all about the SCD diet and Paleo, etc. I decided to do a blend of both. I already know what I am allergic to and can't eat so those things are off the list. I sat down with Breaking the Cycle, Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint (Marksdailyapple.com) and made a comprehensive list of what I can eat and cannot eat. Then I plan on making homemade (pureed) vegetable soups and gluten free snacks to have with me all day to resist eating "illegal" foods. I definitely have seen a major decline in my health and my family and friends are hoping I can finally get a handle on this.  I have had fibromyalgia since I was 18 and the only thing that really helps are B-12 shots. My blood test revealed a super low level. I get one a week. People with stomach disorders have major mineral and vitamin deficiencies. I also got a Spectra Cell Blood test which tells you what your body need to supplement with. I have also noticed that the easier I make it for my stomach to work the better I feel ie: pureed things and soft foods, smoothies, etc.  Ok I hope that helps and good luck to you! :)

 Reply posted for karpdiem2.

Many of the diets have the same general guidelines - no grain, dairy or sugar. Some are just more restrictive then others so you need to find one that works for you that you will be successful at. I am trying the paleo diet now in hopes that will help with my UC symptoms. It is a difficult transition (esp if you are carb obsessed like I am) and requires time and patience to meal plan, shop and cook everything from scratch but if it can make a difference, I'm willing to try it.

I'm only a week or so in but have noticed my frequency and urgency has gone down considerably and I have not had any bleeding. So I'm going to stick with this for the time being and see if it works!

Good luck!