Thursday, May 3, 2012

I LOVE watching them EAT

A cha cha cha. The twins are in bed...I can hear Conor hooting, but I believe Liam is asleep...this week the boys turn ONE! I can't believe it. One year ago today I was uncomfortably sitting in that leather laz-y-boy, on bed rest, just trying to keep those boys in as long as possible...and on Monday they will hit 12 months. Incredible. They are so chatty these days, very mobile, eating so many different kinds of foods!

Liam

Conor


I love watching them eat. That must sound strange. But if you have an eating disorder, which is sometimes how I feel with Crohn's, or an autoimmune disorder, you will most likely understand that statement. 

I love that they have an appetite, get excited to eat and that they are being introduced to all kinds of foods...lentils, quinoa, tofu, pork, avocados, tilapia, my mom's homemade red sauce, just a few examples of their favorites! I so badly want them to have tough tummies. I want them to be raised on fresh foods, avoiding the processed foods as much as possible. With my lifestyle they will see this in action, that makes me happy. And then I laugh out loud when I change a diaper and find lentils under their onesie:) 

Crohn's Disease is genetic in my family. Not only is it genetic, but thus far traditional methods of care have not proven very helpful or even possible for us. In these moments, I encourage the boys to try all sorts of food. Oh food. I wish I didn't need food. It just stresses me out to eat. During the day, I am usually very good. I stick to my gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free diet and it truly helps. It's when I am desperate, usually at night, for something to eat and possess no energy to cook something that all hell breaks loose. I need to be one of those people that cooks mass quantity at one time, and has leftovers for the week. The person that makes their own energy bars, slices veggies and keeps them on standby in the fridge. I will get there. I was that person not long ago. Now...it's different. 

Since my system is a bit inflamed, and I have limited options in the medicinal world (if you are new to the blog, please note- I have tried every drug out there), I have been trying a naturopathic approach to handle my disease. The naturopath I have been working with is a lovely woman. What does our approach look like? It takes into consideration my diet, and then we have added a few things...B12, of course a probiotic, digestive enzymes each time I eat, and...this week I started glutamine. It is believed that glutamine (an amino acid) may have cleansing properties or even anti-inflammatory effects on the gut. Ok, let's try it!