Eating with Crohn's!

Being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in February sent me into a lifestyle panic. I feel like I ate pretty healthy, but healthy really doesn't cut it with Crohn's. I have ulcers in my small intestine, and it's possible that some foods might trigger more problems. The problem with Crohn's is that no one knows why it happens and there's really no way to prevent it. 


That said, rather than take medication for the rest of my life (once you start, you aren't supposed to stop), I told my PA that I'd like to try to control my symptoms with a diet change. Diet has always been a dirty word to me being that I've never weighed over 111 pounds in my life and typically float by at 105. After having gone through the colonoscopy/endoscopy and then another endoscopy, two fasts in one month was too much for my body to handle. I'm currently down to 100-101 pounds..yikes!

I made the decision to leave glutenous grains, dairy products and evil sugar out of my eating patterns. That left me with a problem..what the heck do I eat for breakfast? I am a cereal and milk lover, and now it's out. So are waffles and pancakes and anything else having to do with gluten or wheat..oh boy. 

I read about the specific carbohydrate diet and it seemed that it was helping people with Crohn's..I also read it can take up to 2 years to really make a difference. So, currently, I am spending a lot of time figuring out how to make healthy balanced meals that aren't boring and don't contain gluten, sugar, or dairy products.  It's been quite a task. 

This evening, I tried a recipe I found online for a yummy nutty snack. It's actually pretty good, and I am sure I will be trying some new additions with the current recipe!

1. 2 cups of nuts (pecans, walnuts, or almonds)
2. 2 tablespoons agave nectar
3. 1 tablespoon canola, coconut, or grapeseed oil (I used canola)
4. 1.5 tsp cinnamon
5. 1/4 tsp cayenne powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Place nuts in a medium sized bowl
Combine agave, oil, cinnamon, and cayenne (I used a ramekin so it wouldn't stick as much)
Pour mixture over nuts and mix to coat. 
Place in a single layer in a glass dish. 
BAKE 12-15 MINUTES, stirring after 6 minutes. 
Let nuts cool for a few minutes and then place on aluminum foil in a single layer.
Enjoy!