Lifestyle

Adequate physical rest is a prerequisite to healing. The most effective and physiological form of rest is a full nights sleep. Try to get 8 or more hours of sleep during the night. Go to bed between 9:00-9:30 pm and wake up between 5:00-6:00 am. Eat dinner 2-3 hrs before going to bed.

Water Intake

The importance of adequate hydration can not be over emphasized. Drink two full cups (8 oz each) of water (at room temperature) first thing in the morning. Increase your daily intake of water (without ice) and try to drink 1-2 liters during the day. Try to have a complete bowel evacuation every morning. Use filtered water or bottled water. Avoid prolonged exposure to heat, especially during summer months.

Yoga and Pranayama

Practice 2-4 rounds of Surya Namaskar (Sun salutation) in the morning and 10 min of Kapalbhati Pranayama. Join a Yoga class and research them online. Other useful poses for you are: Bhujangasana, Shavasana, Vajrasana, Sarvangasana, Halasana, and Yoga Nidra. Practice Vajrasana for 10 min after meals. Slow relaxed walking is very good, especially after dinner.

Avoid

Red meat, alcohol, sour foods and fruits, egg yolk, fried foods (including fries and potato chips), coffee, fermented foods (bread), yogurt and dairy in all forms, processed and canned food, sour salty and pungent tasting foods, and tobacco products. Avoid fruit juices and soda in all forms. Avoid heating spices such as garlic, ginger, pepper, chilis, and vinegar. Avoid raw foods such as salad, and processed/canned/preserved foods.

Prefer

Whole wheat pasta/tortilla/naan, mung beans, rice, cooked or baked vegetables, lentils, couscous, sweet astringent and bitter tasting foods, and mild green or black tea. Use cooling spices such as coriander, cilantro, cumin, and fennel. Prefer cooked food veggies such as potato, tomato, onions, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, and egg plant. Use olive oil or ghee for cooking. Try soaked almonds and raisins as a snack.

Herbal Supplement

Order and start taking our Ayurvedic Herbal Supplement for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It contains ten different herbs: Foeniculum vulgare, Cyperus rotundus, Glycerhiza glabra, Aegle marmelos, Emblica officinalis, Tinospora cordifolia, Messua ferrua, Plantago ovata, Withamnia somnifera, and Aloe Vera. One tsp of this herbal supplement powder is stirred in a cup of water, along with 1 tsp local honey, and taken orally twice a day, after breakfast and dinner. If you are passing blood per rectum, your dose is 2 tsp twice a day and 1 tin will last you for 1 month.

Further Management

The herbal supplement do not have any known adverse effects in the dose recommended. They also do not have any known interaction with any prescription medication. Herbal supplements take 4-6 weeks to show their positive effects and are typically continued for 1-2 yrs for chronic illnesses. Thereafter, the recommended lifestyle changes and yoga-pranayama should be followed consistently. When you start feeling better consult with your Gastroenterologist to slowly taper steroids and other anti-inflammatory medications. If you have iron deficiency anemia, talk to your doctor about venofer-iron-sucrose injection. Avoid oral iron or multivitamin supplements. In a recent survey most patients reported 51-75% relief in symptoms and improvement in their quality of life.

How to Deal with an Acute Flare

A flare has three different stages. Below are my recommendations on how to take care of yourself during each of these stages and what to do/avoid:
1. The “Oh No” phase – This is when you have new symptoms and based on your prior experience, you are scared that a relapse is around the corner. Most flares happen due to a combination of stress and dietary indiscretion, and not due to an infection. So, avoid antibiotics at all cost and start oral prednisone asap. Talk to your GI about starting an oral 20-40 mg/day dose. Antibiotics kill all good and bad bacteria in your gut, and it may take several weeks to reestablish them. Dicyclomine is another medicine to avoid (it does not help as much with abdominal pain either). Have faith, rest as much as possible, and have a family member take care of your daily needs. Check your weight daily. Eat small frequent meals consisting of low residue foods such as chicken noodle soup, toasted and buttered white bread, and mashed potatoes.
2. The “I am Getting Better” phase – When the effects of prednisone kick in, you will start feeling better and your symptoms will become less severe. Your weight will start to increase. Your appetite will start to come back and now is the time to replenish your body with the nutrients it has lost. Add some variety to your diet (white meat, salmon, rice, lentils etc) and keep eating frequent meals (not necessarily small). Try organic (not from concentrate) pomegranate juice (from Trader Joe’s) and take 1-2 cups a day. Continue to take prednisone for 2-4 wks (depending on the severity of flare and your GI’s advice).
3. The “I Feel Great Again” phase – Your energy levels are back and your symptoms have mostly resolved. This is the time to get back in the grind of life with work, family, and leisure. Get back to your pre-flare routine. Learn some poses and start a yoga / meditation practice (20-30 min every morning) at home. Your weight and energy levels will keep getting better. Continue to get enough rest and good nights sleep. Start to taper prednisone (about 5 mg/wk from 40 to 20 mg/day, then 2.5 mg/wk) with the help of your GI. You will come out of it successfully!!
During all the phases continue to keep yourself well hydrated and take my herbal supplement, as this will expedite your healing.

Personalize Your Healing Program

The information above is generic and does not apply to all patients. Click on the link below to order Herbal Supplements or a Personalized Healing Program. The Personalized Healing Program includes detailed consultation with Dr. Bhargava and a 2 month supply of Herbal Supplements.