Here are a couple of our top Lifestyle Tips for Autoimmune Health. These actually apply to EVERY person in the family not just the IBD’ers.
ALL ABOUT THE ZZZZZZZZ’s : SLEEP
Getting enough sleep. We are very strict on bedtimes at our house. Being worn down and tired is a recipe for disaster for anyone let alone a Crohnie. See this chart for recommended sleep times for YOU and your child!
TAKE CARE OF THAT OUTER LAYER: SKINCARE
Skin is your largest organ and it certainly can be a place where inflammation finds it’s home. Here are a couple of skincare areas to consider:
- Dry brushing regularly, helps with circulation and exfoliation
- Epsom Salt baths – regularly. Detoxifies and so good the body.
- Non-toxic or high chemical topicals: lotions, deoderants, sunscreens, bug spray. I use the EWG to find the best ratings of ‘clean products’. The less your skin and body have to work to detoxify from the chemicals you are putting on it, the better. We also love Beautycounter products and believe in trying to use natural essential oils of fragrances and/or natural properties of repelling bugs.
STRESS
If I were the Crohnie, I’d say yoga and meditation! But that will have to fall into the caregiver’s care category.
It’s hard to regulate our child’s stress. I think having a healthy and open dialogue with your child is essential. When schools do long state testing or you have sports competitions, always remember health, food & sleep are TOP priority.
Family time and downtime are essential to maintain balance and avoid over-scheduling.
MENTOR ME: SOCIAL SUPPORT
If it’s possible – find your child a friend or mentor with IBD, or even better on SCD? We were advised by some very wise parents of kids with Diabetes, to find an older mentor for our son. We were lucky enough to find a family friend that has Crohn’s and is about 12 years older then our son. He has become a wonderful mentor and inspiration for our son. And honestly, as a mother, he’s a joy to see because he is a healthy, thriving young man…exactly my wish is for my son. While our son’s mentor isn’t on the SCD diet (every case is different!) but he can completely relate to my son when they talk scopes, blood draws, GI visits, etc.
Today with technology it’s very easy for kids to connect to other IBD or SCD kids, as well as places like Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation activities (walks, charity events) and Camp Oasis.
Mom Care or Caregiver’s Care
LEAN ON ME: COMMUNITY
My advice here is find a community or a friend that is in a similar situation with IBD. Sometimes that may not be an option, but I also find it easy to relate to parents of kids with Diabetes and/or food allergies. There are some lovely online SCD pages and groups for us to share in.
BE SELFISH: SELFCARE
Scheduling time for yourself to still have an identity away from being a caregiver is even more important. It might not happen in the first 6 months or even first year. Yikes, I know! But you will need to build it in. Exercise or long dog walks have been my lifesavers.
MANDATORY GIRLS NIGHT OUT: FRIENDS/GIRLTIME
Talking with friends is invaluable. Again, even better if you can actually find a friend of an IBD kid. They don’t even have to be following SCD, but they can completely relate to many treatment and symptom aspects. No one understands the burden you carry better then another mother doing the same.
BE A BOSS: DELEGATE
Delegate. If there’s anyways to share or delegate cooking one or more items with a spouse, family member or friend, I highly recommend it. If anyone can read, they can cook! I’m beyond blessed to have a mother-in-law near by who loves to cook and bakes about 3 things every week for my son! It started as one recipe and then she added on 2 more. It’s been such a gift in feeding our growing boy. It allows me to focus on more cooking and more variety of foods for him. If all the cooking falls on you, delegate household tasks to your other family members. I personally don’t do anyone’s laundry except my own. Quite nice and very helpful in freeing up a little time!
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH: DIET & EXERCISE
You need to be healthy too! That’s where easting healthy and exercising comes in. I try to eat lots of veggies & fruit. Vegges at every meal. And exercise of any kind even walking the dog helps to clear your head. I think yoga is still the best for breathing and mind/body connection. But anything you like will get the job done. I realize that this might not be a priority in the first couple months of SCD. I actually gained a few pounds because I was snacking on SCD foods I as making for my son. They were healthy indeed, but a little too calorie dense for mom.
