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Jesse’s Care Plan
Everyone’s healing journey is different, but I’m excited to share how I was able to reduce my symptoms by getting to the root of my condition.
I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was 19 years old and have been managing my condition for ten years. Traditional autoimmune care often felt disheartening and unfair, so I started using food to heal and my life changed forever. I’m now in remission, living symptom-free, and working as a Certified Nutritionist where I teach others how to reclaim their health.
In my intake session, I shared the many symptoms I was struggling with as well as the chronic health concerns I had spent a lifetime challenged by. My ultimate goal was to reach clinical remission of my ulcerative colitis — meaning no inflammation or markers of disease activity, as well as reduce diarrhea, stop rectal bleeding, and maintain and gain weight. Once I completed my nutritional assessment, I was able to get a clearer picture of what was causing my life long symptoms and what areas of my body needed extra support.
My upper gastrointestinal tract, large intestine and small intestine needed immediate support — this validated all of my digestive discomfort and gastrointestinal issues. My adrenals and blood sugar also needed to be brought into balance due to the stress I was under. This makes sense because disrupted digestion and absorption affect these areas!
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Jesse's Healing Foundations
HEALING FOUNDATION 01
Digestion
Nutrition
- Start with a gluten-free and dairy-free diet — This approach to eating will reduce inflammation throughout the gastrointestinal tract.
- Eat slow-cooked, pressure cooked, or braised foods — They’re often easier to digest. If you’re experiencing a lot of digestive discomfort try sticking to cooked vegetables.
- Use bitter nutrients — Consume ginger and apple cider vinegar, to stimulate stomach acid production and aid in optimal digestion.
- Slowly implement AIP followed by food reintroductions — The autoimmune protocol will help determine food sensitivities.
- Long-term — Avoid refined sugars, gluten, dairy, and nightshades while focusing on nutrient dense food sources.
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Lifestyle
- Incorporate movement — Move the physical body for at least 15 minutes of intentional activity a day to relieve stress and aid indigestion (walking, stretching, workouts).
- Eat slowly — Chew your food very carefully and thoroughly, stimulating the proper breakdown of nutrients from the start of digestion.
- Relax — Make sure to always eat when you’re in a relaxed state, to support the body’s digestive process.
- Breathe — Practice 4-7-8 breathing exercises before meals.
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Supplements
- Hydrozyme — Take 2-3 capsules, 3x daily with each meal. Hydrozyme contains small doses of hydrocholoric acid and pepsin enzymes to support the secretion of stomach acid to aid the breakdown of food into nutrients.
- Cod Liver Oil — Take 1 capsule per meal for anti-inflammatory support as it is rich in healthy fats and antioxidants that suppress pro-inflammatory proteins.
- Colon Plus Caps — Take 2 capsules, 2x daily to support optimal elimination while managing ulcerative colitis.
HEALING FOUNDATION 02
Blood Sugar Balance
Nutrition
- Start your day with a balanced breakfast — Incorporate protein, healthy fats, and veggies. By starting your day with a balanced breakfast, you’re less likely to fall into the craving cycle.
- Include a healthy fat and protein rich food with every carbohydrate — Increase consumption of healthy fats, like avocado, coconut, and olive oil to provide sustainable and satiating energy while signaling digestive hormones, like cholecystokinin (CCK), to stimulate the release of bile, supporting optimal breakdown of essential fatty acids.
Lifestyle
- Dry brush — Dry brushing before showers can support natural liver and bile detoxification.
- Castor oil packs & Epsom salt baths — 1-2x per week. Castor oil packs and Epsom salt baths aid in natural liver and bile detoxification.
- Talk a 10-minute walk after you eat — Walking helps push the glucose into your muscles which prevents sugar spikes.
Supplements
- Beta TCP — 1 capsule, 3x daily with food. Beta TCP contains a concentrated form of beet root, vitamin C, and taurine to help support healthy bile flow which allows for better fat digestion and absorption.
HEALING FOUNDATION 03
Adrenals
Nutrition
- Nutrient dense additions — 1 cup of bone broth 3-4x per week to help seal the gut lining, fermented foods daily as the nutrients in fermented foods are more easily absorbed, organ meats 2-3x per week for their high mineral content, seafood 3-4x per week, and leafy greens daily for their high vitamin content.
- Hydrate — Stay hydrated with electrolytes to ensure optimal mineral balance. Include 1/4 tsp sea salt in every 32-ounce water bottle.
Lifestyle
- Create a bedtime routine — Turn off screens 1 hour before sleep. Do stretches and listen to a meditation or sleep story when in bed.
- Manage stress — Practice 4-7-8 breathing exercises or take walks throughout the day to support your HPA axis.
Supplements
- Probiotic — Take 1-2 capsules at night to support continued gut lining repair, allowing the body a greater opportunity to absorb vitamins and minerals from food.
- Fiber powder — Consume as needed for occasional diarrhea and to help with mineral absorption.
- Seriphos — Take 2 capsules after dinner to help calm the adrenals. Can also be taken during the day during high levels of stress and overwhelm.
- Biomega 1000 — Take 1 capsule, 3x daily to support the HPA axis and anti-inflammatory pathways.
I have been in remission for two years!
My nutritional reassessment validates that I have my condition under control and while I might have a minor symptom flare-up from time to time, I now have the tools to manage it.
No longer experiencing urgent, painful diarrhea or rectal bleeding. Nutrient absorption has increased, allowing for nutrient repletion and weight gain.
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By consuming blood sugar balancing meals, energy levels increased, long term brain fog resolved, and menstrual cycles became pain free.
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Lifestyle changes around sleep, movement, and stress management allowed for a reduction in feelings of anxiety, stress, and persistent fatigue.
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The combination of dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, supplementation, and medication literally saved my colon and my life.
Jesse’s Transformation
I can go on hikes without worrying about not being near a bathroom. I have energy to engage in hobbies I used to love, like music and running. I'm able to plan trips with my husband and just enjoy life.
My healing journey with ulcerative colitis is never over — there are twists, turns, and obstacles along the way but this foundational approach to healing has changed my life. While my care plan is unique to me, the care plans I create for WellTheory members are just as comprehensive and tailored to the individual. When I say nothing out there exists like this when it comes to autoimmune care, I truly mean it because I have seen it all!
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