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The Colitis Blog shares our experience with Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Here, we put together the peer-review medical articles we read for our research, the diet we developed on the basis of that research, and the recipes that have helped us maintain remission.

This blog shares what has worked for us. We understand that our approach may not be for everyone and that’s OK. If you have already found a different diet and lifestyle that works for you – we couldn’t be happier for you because we know what it’s like to take back control of your life. For those still searching for answers – we hope you find some great resources here.

Our Story

In 2014, Phil and Ala met and fell in love. Phil was a newly-minted PhD in the sciences and Ala began her PhD in the humanities.  When they met, Phil had been diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) for a few years, but his medication regimen did not do well in managing his UC. Ala worried about Phil and the lifetime prospects of UC. This was the beginning of our journey.

During the 2 years that followed, we put together our PhD research skills to learn all we could about UC: we read medical journals, researched clinical studies, learned of various tests, tried numerous diets, and invented recipes. It was a challenging journey, but one that has brought us to complete management of UC with minimal to no symptoms: no pain, no urgency, no inflammation, and overall better health. Read more about our Research path.

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Our Approach

We base our approach in science. To educate ourselves about UC, we read publicly available information on the FDA website and peer-reviewed medical journals that publish medical research. Peer-review is the process of evaluation of research, whereby one or more specialists with similar competencies review, critique, and scrutinize a piece of research and its findings. In the academic world, where we come from, peer review is a mechanism that ensures the highest quality and credibility of research findings and determines its suitability for publication. Our Research draws on top journals in gastroenterology and medicine, and everything is cited, so you can read more yourself and know that it is top-quality research.

We are not medical researchers and so we do not have the resources to conduct large clinical studies to confirm our findings. In that sense, we are a sample size of 1. But, basing our diet in top-quality published studies and research, we think our successful experience may be helpful to more people. If you wish to try our diet, please consult your physician about it first and let us know how you feel.

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Did You Know?

“Both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC).” [Jess et al, 2012]

The cumulative probabilities any Ulcerative Colitis patient developing colorectal cancer (CRC) are: 2% by 10 years [of disease], 8% by 20 years, and 18% by 30 years. [Eaden, Abrams, Mayberry, 2001]

“Patients with more extensive bowel disease are at greater risks; the incidence of colorectal cancer in UC patients with extensive colitis (pancolitis) is 19 times higher than in the general population compared with 4 times higher if the disease is limited to the left-side colon only.” [Chang et al, 2017]

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This Blog Is For You If:

• You have been recently diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and wish to learn more about it from our experience;
• You are in a flare and want to learn more about diet and lifestyle changes that may help address the flare;
• You are open to gain control over your Ulcerative Colitis symptoms with the help of a diet and lifestyle changes;
• You want to learn more about improving your quality of life and travel with UC;
• You have struggled to emotionally cope with the challenges of UC.

We Believe In:

• Taking charge of our own health;
• Learning about Ulcerative Colitis (UC);
• Creating a healthy work-life balance to help address the challenges of UC;
• Following a healthy diet supported by UC research
• Making healthy food a priority and planning our meals (Lunchbox recipes and shopping lists coming soon!)
• Improving eating and lifestyle habits for better emotional coping with UC, better travel, and flare readiness. 

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