5 Ways To Treat Ulcerative Colitis
Colitis is not due to a deficiency of medication. Chronic health problems like colitis are are a downstream result of an upstream problem. Fixing the upstream problem involves increasing overall health. In addition, by examining diet, lifestyle, colon health and food allergies, we can correct upstream problems and the gut will heal.So lets look at 5 ways to treat ulcerative colitis.
1. For colitis, treat the gut
Health begins in the gut. For example, functional medicine doctors that treat ulcerative colitis cite studies showing alterations in gut bacteria in colitis patients. Click to see study. A comprehensive stool test measures the gut bacteria along with markers for inflammation. In addition, the test measures digestive immune markers, parasites and how well you digest your food. Moreover, this gives our doctors the tools they need to develop an individualized treatment program for your specific problem. In short, by individualizing treatment we get excellent results treating colitis. Consequently, there is no treatment that fits every ulcerative colitis patient. Test – Don’t guess!
2. Eliminate allergic foods
Patients with ulcerative colitis will often change their diet to reduce inflammation. This will often help, just not all the way. A good ulcerative colitis doctor will test for food allergies so they know which foods are causing inflammation. More importantly, even a food like broccoli or spinach can generate an immune response without the patient realizing it. Therefore, you are eating a food, that while good for most people is bad for you. So to treat colitis effectively, food allergies must be tested because individualized treatment is so important. This includes IgG, IgE, IgG4 and complement reactions for commonly eaten foods. This is one of the reasons why Midwest Functional Medicine stands above in treating colitis.
Fun fact!
Avacados are a rich source of anti-oxidants and healthy fats!
3. Your supplements should match your tests.
In consultations with patients with ulcerative colitis and other chronic illness, they are almost always taking nutritional supplements. When I ask why they are taking a particular supplement I often get a blank stare or a vague answer. Every supplement you take should have a reason behind it. That reason should be to remedy a test result. Even probiotics vary widely. They should be matched to your microbiome that was tested with a stool sample. For example, your diet should match your food allergy tests. The days of guessing are over. Don’t guess, Test!
4. Find the root cause of ulcerative colitis.
Colitis is a condition characterized by pain in your digestive tract with constipation and/or diarrhea. Despite what you heard, ulcerative colitis can be successfully treated. But to treat your colitis successfully the cause of the inflammation must be determined. This cause will be different for different patients. Therefore comprehensive lab testing is needed to develop an individualized treatment plan. Symptoms are downstream reactions to upstream problems. For instance, some of the upstream problems are the following.
Poor Diet
- high sugar
- not enough fiber from fruits and vegetables
- too much protein, fat or the wrong kind of fat
- too much processed food
Poor gut health
- Dysbiosis or bad bacteria in gut
- alteration of good bacteria
- overgrowth of yeast parasites, other pathogens
Food Allergies
- IgG4, IgE, IgG4 and complement allergies which when eaten constantly inflame the gut.
Environmental Toxins: These are in your food or environment and need to be eliminated as much as possible.
Nutritional Deficiencies
- Deficient in B vitamins
- Vit D
- fiber
- minerals
Leaky gut syndrome
- The tight junctions of the wall of the intestine can “leak” toxins into the bloodstream causing inflammation.
Genetic SNP’s
- For more information CLICK HERE
Stress
- Stress affects everything!
Lifestyle
- Exercise and sleep patterns can have a large influence on health.
Therefore, to treat colitis a comprehensive approach is needed.
5. Use a health coach.
Changing diet and lifestyle can be very difficult. How many times have you tried to eat the right foods or not eat bad foods and failed. It’s tough! A good health coach will hold your hand and walk you through the process. Therefore, your health coach will be only a text message away, answering questions you have about cooking, ingredients, supplements and more. To sum up, a good health coach increases successful treatment dramatically, especially with colitis.
Putting it all together
At Midwest Functional Medicine we have a different approach to colitis, and other disorders. I will get to the cause of the problem, not just treat symptoms. Certainly, by performing the above tests I can assess biochemical pathways and develop a personalized plan with medical grade nutritional supplements and a personal health coach to help you with the process. I will discover which foods are inflammatory to you so you can avoid them. I will help you eliminate toxins from your diet and environment so your body will be better able to heal itself. If you are ready to take control of your colitis and your health click the link below and let’s get started.
