Helende makes a good point (noted in comments )....

Stress does not cause Crohn's disease BUT it absolutely exasperates it. Top reasons I was told that could cause a flare up with your Crohn's symptoms:

Divorce
Break up
Quitting and moving jobs.
Moving your home.

I did the last three all in the same year. Was not feeling so hot. But life goes on and you have to roll with the punches. You can not control all that happens. This is why I believe diet and exercise make a difference. When you work out you work off (for lack of a better way of putting it) the adrenaline that builds up in your body while you are stressed. It is good to do some cardio even if it is just taking a brisk walk. Eating right or things that cause less build up of gases in your intestine will help. It did for me. Also, when you work out you let your mind wander or concentrate on the task at hand. This takes the emphasis off the stress an helps you relax. I have found the diet and preparing my foods to be therapeutic as well. I set aside two days a week to prep foods for my lunches and snacks. I love to come home listen to the news or radio and cook. This might not work for everyone but it helps me unwind, not focus on work, and put my thoughts into my health.

My parting note is I also found out that caring for another (human or pet) brings new meaning and drive into your life. I love my kittens and could not live without them. The greet me in the morning, when I come home, and are always warm and full of life. I do have a boyfriend but he has the ability to speak and does not always greet me at the door.

Getting started and few helpful hints...

If you have decided to feel better and start to take control, I hope you started with:
*Finding a doctor that listens and is proactive in finding out what is wrong with you.
*Exercise.
*Diet.
*Reading up on what Crohn's is. What you can do. The more you know the better equipped you are to be an advocate for yourself.

If you have taken a look at Breaking the Vicious Cycle ( book in my recommended books section) and decided it might work for you, GOOD FOR YOU! Like I said, I started with making yogurt. I found it amazing how much better I felt with taking action. No it did not cure me, it made me feel less helpless. Yogurt is good for anyone. I recommend that it be the one thing you make at home and not purchase. I discussed why in my previous post. There are a few tricks:
*BUY a thermometer.
*Use fresh milk.
*Use a very clean pot and spoon.
*Clean and dry your yogurt maker well.
*Store your yogurt in a sealed container.

Yogurt I found to be the best substitute for almost everything. You can use it instead of sour cream, because it is less fattening you can use a lot! You can add it to hot dishes to make them creamy without using milk or cream(which is not allowed in the diet). You can strain the yogurt in a cheese cloth or simple tea towel to make cream cheese or a thicker dip.

A few recipes I found useful and helped spice up my diet.


Dill Yogurt sauce:

1 cup yogurt
½ tablespoon garlic
½ tablespoon dill
¼ cup green onions (scallions)
Salt & pepper (to taste)

Mix and refrigerate. Let it sit at least one hour. Great on fish or chicken.
Add olive oil or flaxseed oil for a great salad dressing.







Cucumber Yogurt Sauce:

1 cucumber
2 cups yogurt
Lemon
¼ tablespoon dill
½ tablespoon garlic
Salt & pepper to taste

Cut and seed English cucumber. Lie on paper towel or dishrag and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 3-5 minutes. Ring out cucumbers of all moisture. Add all ingredients and refrigerate for at least on hour.

Great with chicken. Add olive oil or flaxseed oil to make a great salad dressing.

Yogurt Salad dressing:

Mix yogurt & olive oil (or other oil of choice) with the following:

Mustard & Honey

Whole grain mustard

Sun ripened tomatoes

Balsamic vinegar & Dill


To go with my yogurt:


Cranberry sauce:

1 bag whole fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup water
¼ to ½ cup honey (Depends on how sweet you prefer your cranberry sauce.)
Cook one bag of whole cranberries with 1 cup water and ¼ to ½ cup honey in pot. Bring to boil and continue to boil until berries pop open. Usually takes about 5 minutes. You can blend the sauce or leave it whole.

Add to yogurt.
Add to yogurt with nuts.

Great addition to turkey.

Applesauce:

5 apples pealed
Water (1/2 cup to 1 cup depending on thickness desired)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Additions by choice:
Cinnamon
Raisins
Honey for sweetness

Cut and peel apples. Put apples and water in pot with a sprinkle of lemon juice ( 1 tablespoon at most) Heat apples slowly at low to medium low heat.

First things first...Yogurt!

Change is hard to do all at once. It is even harder to do when you are sick, tired, and depressed. If you are having mild symptoms or are very sick with an active infection I found that diet REALLy helped. I used Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall to help guide me. The book seems overwhelming. The diet may seem daunting. Depending on how you feel should guide how you follow the diet. Read it and see what will or will not work for you. I started with the yogurt. I bought a yogurt maker. I ordered yogurt starter online and had a few trials and errors. It takes a a few times to get it right.

I found that the Yogourmet yogurt maker had the best results. I also purchase CBA probiotic yogurt starter, this is key. Below is a site you can purchase both these items. I am not paid to advertise for them. I wish I were but they work.

http://www.healthgoods.com/Shopping/Appliances/Yogurt_Makers.asp

There are all these products out today that say they have Proboitics and Bifidobacteria in them. The fact is there are very few (if any) yogurts available by purchase that have not been pasteurized. When any dairy product is pasteurized it protects us from bad bacteria that "might" be present but it also kills all the good bacteria that is present to help our own digestive systems break down dairy. With out these helpful bacteria we are all "lactose intolerant" or other various names they give it when dairy gives you various side effects.

Besides from making my own yogurt which I love. I also buy raw cheese. You can find them at local health food stores or neighboring farms. Go local and go organic. While I am on the subject, even my doctors suggested to buy free range, organic, pasture fed, hormone free, animal and dairy products. One thing we did agree on. It costs a little more but you are not putting anymore bad or toxic chemicals into your body.

I do also take a probiotic supplement. It is Jarro-Dophilus EPS for intestinal and Immune Health. They are freeze dried capsules. They do not hurt my stomach and my boyfriend who eats anything and everything swears by them.