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Chron's and Colitis Awareness Week : Interview with Jenna Farmer

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Chron's and Colitis Awareness Week : Interview with Jenna Farmer
 
 
It's Chron's and Colitis Awareness Week from the 1st to 7th of December. Therefore the team at Brown Paper Packages decided to speak to Jenna Farmer about her journey with IBD and her blog "A Balanced Belly"...
 
 
Firstly what is IBD & how is it different to IBS? 
IBD stands for Inflammatory Bowel Disease and is an umbrella term that covers
Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease. Unlike IBS, those with IBD will
have noticeable changes when the small and/or large intestines are
visualized via a colonoscopy or MRI; such as ulceration, stricturing,
and inflammation.

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your experience with IBD? 
Yes, I have Crohn's Disease and have since 2012 - I currently taken a combination of immunosuppressants to try and keep it in remission my illness is in the ileum; which is the final part of the small intestines.

Why did you start your blog A Balanced Belly? 
I started as I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease back in 2012 and wanted to find a way to connect with others and share their journey.

What are the best foods for Crohn's disease sufferers?
There's no one food that works and one that hurts - it really is for individuals. For me, I find potato, chicken, fish, bone broth and simple plain food helpful but it could be worth keeping a food diary. Some studies have found a Mediterranean diet could help but if you are in a flare, it's often recommended trying the low residue temporarily, which focuses on a low fat, very low fibre diet. It is worth asking to see a dietician or seeing one privately. I recommend Sophie Medlin, who specialises in IBD.

What’s your favourite recipe that you’ve posted on your blog?
I would recommend slow cookers; so I love this roundup of 10 of my favourites.

If you were to send a care package for someone recently diagnosed with IBD what would you send them? 
Great idea! Definitely, some herbal tea, a nice hot water bottle or bath salts as a warm bath can help pain. A notebook may be useful to help them keep a food diary or make notes about their condition.

What advice would you give to someone recently diagnosed with IBD? 
Be your own biggest advocate - research, talk to other patients, ask your doctor lots of questions to be as informed as possible.

What would you say to someone asking how to help someone with Crohn's disease or support someone with ulcerative colitis? 
Do some research on the condition Crohn's Colitis UK have a great app that allows you to experience life virtually as an IBD patient! Understanding and empathizing are so important.
 
A big thank you to Jenna for taking part in this interview and to learn about IBD click here.
 
 
By Christina @ Brown Paper Packages