DEALING WITH FLARES. FOR MORE VISIT WWW.IBDAWARENESS.COM 1
WHAT IS A FLARE? Flare : A sudden outburst of or an intensification in the symptoms of a disease or condition. 2
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Understanding flares. A flare is the onset of symptoms of a chronic illness. Specifically, an IBD flare is when the symptoms of Crohn s disease or Ulcerative Colitis appear. A flare results in different symptoms depending on the person and how severe your flare and condition are. If you have experienced a flare up or are in the middle of one right now; you know that you want it to end as soon as it starts. It is important to first understand the reasons why you are flaring to turn off the triggers. The immune system is triggered to switch on and fight with inflammation. This inflammatory response causes the uncomfortable symptoms. The most common symptoms of a flare are below. Symptoms of a flare 4
The digestive system is the first line of defense. An IBD flare means painful symptoms for you. Meanwhile, for your body it means that your gut is under havoc. The immune system is primarily within the gut. When your digestive system is not working as it should you know what happens. It attacks everything and you feel the damage. The lining of the digestive tract is very sensitive. People with IBD already have a compromised immune system and digestive tract. It takes little to damage the lining to the point where it sets off the alarm we know as a flare. Do you know what is causing your flare? 5
WHY DO YOU FLARE? 6
What is the cause of your flares? The real causes of flares are usually part of modern life. While, you might not notice that they cause symptoms right away, there is a lot that they do to bring on flares. The cause of flares with ulcerative colitis and Crohn s disease is closely linked to stress. There are a few types of stress. These can be linked to all of the mentioned causes. Because, alcohol, tobacco, poor diet and the rest all stress your body. Causes of flares Processed foods Sugar Wheat products Vegetable oils 7
WHEN DO YOU FLARE? AND HOW TO PREVENT IT. Probably, you know by know that you flare at the most inappropriate times. Your inflammatory bowel disease flares up when you are the most stressed out. Perhaps, you had a really heavy savory meal. Maybe it was a splurge of some deep fried food. You might feel happy, but your digestive tract is certainly stressed by this. In contrast, if you are keeping your diet as clean as possible but seem to not really get better, you definitely have inflammation that doesn t subside. Food is always blamed first for IBD symtpoms but your symptoms can be completely irrelevant to your flare. A busy schedule keeps inflammation symptoms as a constant drag. Another major stressor are relationships. Try keeping a journal of your symptoms and major events. If you notice a correlation with 8
flares after or before big events you should consider cutting back on things you know will likely cause a flare. The main types of stressors fall into the following categories. 1. Physical stress: athletic, car accident, over working 2. Chemical stress: processed foods, chemicals in products, paints, and dyes. 3. Emotional stress: internal, over thinking or worrying about thoughts and feelings. Task: Find what type of stress is affecting you the most and come up with 3 things that will help prevent this type of stress. 9
HOW YOU CAN DEAL WITH A FLARE NOW. Relieve a flare in as little as 24 hours by giving your body a reboot. Eat whole foods for what your body needs. Roasted and baked foods are a great way to add healing foods to your gut. You are flaring because your body needs some help creating the enzymes and compounds that keep you feeling good. Essentially, our body is low 10
on everything during a flare. Except, for inflammation which you can help relieve the same day. Because, you are low in energy and pain during a flare, getting nutrition becomes even harder. Luckily, there are 3 easy foods you can quickly make to feel better. The best part is, you can cook them all together. Roasted carrots Yes, carrots are tough when they are raw. Also, tough on the esophagus and entire gi tract that is likely raw and painful during a flare. However, when you eat carrots and other roasted vegetables for an IBD flare up they help your gut a lot. Potatoes and squash An easy food to eat for those that are used to avoiding solid foods. You can peel the potato after cooking it. Because, they are part of the nightshade vegetable group they are known to upset inflammation. The skin of the potato and other vegetables is the issue. So, simply peel the food before eating and you will be able to enjoy them in an IBD friendly meal. Roasted chicken or beef You don t have to be a great cook for this easy meal. Roast the chicken over a bed of vegetables at 400F for around 1.5 hours. Add a healthy fat such as grass fed butter to the chicken before putting it in the oven. The entire meal will be cooked in one dish and at the same time. Use the leftover chicken to make a soup. The broth will 11
soothe the lining of your digestive tract. In fact, if there is one thing you follow from here, have it be this. Begin to sip on broth the moment you feel the flare coming on. Since you are flaring you are likely lacking in the essential greens for IBD. Download the free shopping list with over 35 meals to get you out of this flare. 12
WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT MANAGING IBD? IBD Awareness has tons of free resources for you to help yourself to health. Visit the website for more on managing IBD. You will learn what Inflammatory Bowel Disease is and what really causes it. In addition, the treatment process and best diet for IBD. We include easy to follow guides, and meal plans to support your body. For more resources visit: www.ibdawareness.com 13