Crohn's

What is the Precautionary Poop? I thought you'd never ask. If you force yourself to try to go #2 out of fear before leaving the house or if you have thought "I'll just try to get rid of all the diarrhea so that I'm safe", I call that The Precautionary Poop - and I did it for years. This indicates a digestive problem (obviously) and may be more concerning, an issue with the mental "wiring" surrounding your digestion. 

While I have gotten some recent compliments about my quarantine beard, my rugged handsomeness is not really what I'm talking about here.Through the years there have been multiple instances in which doctors, friends, family, and others underestimated the extent of my digestive issues - because I “looked” OK. I remember going to my pediatrician and sharing with him how frequently my stomach hurt. He looked me up and down and in all his medical knowledge, declared “well you’re taller than me, you don’t look sick!”  Thanks.

If you were doubling over in gut pain or having multiple bowel movements per day and some digestive “guru” simply told you not to think about your digestion, you would write that “guru” off pretty quick.Well, I’m no guru but I am telling you to minimize your focus on your bowel movements. Easier said than done, sure, but hear me out… As Dr. Thurman Fleet said in his book, Rays of the Dawn, “ Any part or function of the body is apt to become disordered if too much attention is centered on it. Body processes that are controlled by the innate mind are best performed when left undisturbed by the educated mind.  In the case of sleep and digestion, we cannot pay too LITTLE attention.” 

Hello! Dr. Troy here!If you’re reading this, it’s likely you or someone you love has been dealing with chronic diarrhea, bowel urgency, Crohn’s, Colitis, or other digestive issues that have been affecting your life in key areas. For example, have you been avoiding and losing opportunities in important areas of your life, such as travel, work, and relationships?  I would guess the answer is “yes.” I know because I’ve been there!As you may know, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease when I was 20 years old, though I probably developed symptoms as young as 10-12 years old.

Let me ask you…have you ever been in a conversation with someone who knows you suffer from Crohn’s or Colitis and with no warning at all, they say the most ridiculous thing?I have. Many times.The truth is that while many people have heard of Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, they don’t really know what it is. And that’s okay…I don’t expect them to. But when those crazy comments come out of their mouths, it can be so frustrating.Here are a few of my favorites that I’ve heard over the  years…

Vitamin D deficiency plays a significant role in autoimmune disease, gut health, and digestion. In fact, there is strong evidence that Vitamin D deficiency may even be a contributor to autoimmune disease.Your body synthesizes Vitamin D in response to absorption of UVB radiation from the sun. It is a type of steroid hormone that controls the expression of more than 200 genes and the proteins those genes regulate.  WHY DO YOU NEED VITAMIN D?

So, you’re cruising down the grocery store aisle and find yourself in the meat section. You likely have a variety to choose from…and some are way more expensive than others. Do you sometimes wonder what all those terms REALLY mean? And are the more expensive selections really better for you than the lower priced options?The short answer: Maybe.

Medicine has come a long way in the last hundred years, and thankfully an awareness of gut health has as well. For a long time, doctors did not know how to treat the digestive issues that so many people experience today.A BRIEF HISTORY OF GUT HEALTHDYSENTERY AND DIARRHEAIn 1892, William Osler, “The Father of Modern Medicine”, wrote that dysentery “has been more fatal to soldiers than powder and shot.” Author Mary Roach writes: 

As you likely know, I suffered from Crohn’s symptoms for a really long time. I feel like a totally different person now and I’m often asked exactly what I did to improve my digestion and terrible gut issues. The first thing I say jokingly is, “well I figured out that beer and chicken wings weren't good for me!”The truth is…it’s taken many years of trial, error, learning, and relearning to get where I am today. I wasn't even close to eating healthy 20 years ago. While I suspected that food had an effect on the severity of my symptoms, my gastroenterologist insisted that this wasn't the case. I was in denial and I thought there was nothing I could do about my Crohn's disease. 

By now you know my personal experience with Crohn's disease.Healing my Crohn's was way harder, took longer,  and was quite honestly more dangerous that it needed to be—all because I made it that way.  In the early days of my disease I was waiting for a pill to fix me and for too long I relied on a medical model that quite frankly didn’t have answers for me.  I bought into the idea that I was just unlucky and was destined to deal with Crohn's until they found a cure. This mindset kept me isolated and stuck without health or hope.I made things harder on myself because I was determined to "suffer" my way to health. I restricted my diet in unhelpful ways, only to realize that the physical and emotional stress of this approach and lack of nutrients made me even more sick.