I honestly wouldn't say that people 'haven't done everything possible to rid themselves of these curses'...it's offensive.
Everyone's experience of chrons & UC is different; some may be characterized with pain whilst others may not however noone wants to hear someone else suggesting that the reason they are not getting better is their own personal fault because they haven't tried things david kleins way.

Although I agree that everyone should try all the options conventional and alternative however the indivduals personal circumstances need to be taken into account - it may be difficult to follow this diet when you are financially restricted and have other familial/work committments restraining/stressing you.......

I did in no way want to offend anyone, if I did I'm sorry. I'm only trying to suggest that there is a way that many may not have fully explored. David Klein maintains that absolutely everyone will improve on this diet. I do understand your point about personsal situations and finances, however if I were in such dire pain and discomfort I would move mountains to find alternatives. I do disagree with on pone point and that is cost. This diet of fruit and vegetables is ABSOLUTELY cheaper than a meat and dairy based menu. If your on Kraft dinners Rice-a-roni and other processed foods it might be cheaper but it's killing you. Once again sorry to upset you I just want to help. Once again I would like feedback from other members who have tried the vegan So far I've only got positives.
Kind Regards
Steve

luvnit beat me to it. I wanted to post the same sentiment. Your message implies that people who rely on meds or opt for surgery and everything in between aren't serious about their disease or their health.

You know what. Here's what I want. I want to eat a balanced diet of pretty much whatever I want to eat and not be sick from UC. Well, meds allow me to do that much of the time, so I feel lucky and absolutely successful at managing my UC and still being able enjoy food. And when I say I eat what I want, I don't mean loads of crap food. I eat good food, and sometimes, it involves meat, dairy, and wheat. Sometimes, I even am able to enjoy a treat.

And I don't know where you shop but it is more costly to buy fresh fruits and veg, particularly if it's organic.

Sorry for the rant, but this got me going.

People do whatever you want that helps you.

I understand where you are coming from and I definitely agree with the need to explore ALL options. Personally I am doing everything I can to ensure I don't need surgery however it is difficult going vegan when living in a flatting situation...

I agree that people need to rid their diets/lifestyles of processed foods however in saying that, I almost never ate processed foods, barely had alcohol and never took over the counter drugs yet I still got UC..............its been an uphill battle getting it under control with remicade been my only success....

Oh, by the way I would make contact with indie64 he is an advocate for david kleins book :)

i too agree with everyone needing to try to find and explore all options of treatment and opinions out there.(this may take a lifetime if not longer!)in trying to control my crohnes and trying to find a "tolerable, liveable zone" i have gone down MANY different paths in hopes of only feeling a tad bit better, or getting a few more answers.many and most have been "dead ends" sadly, and my parents and husband and i have spent so many dollars to this day. i believe its never too late or too far in your life to yet again try something new.i admit to going through many procedures which i was extremely uncomfortable and unbelieving. you must stay true to yourself, BUT if i have to go out of my "safe zone" to get a little relief i will!EVERYONE has different symtoms and feelings on different matters. the longest i've gone without medical help (drugs) was three years, and i can honestly say those were the best years, but i have to be truthful and admit that those years are over and now i need help. i have followed so many diets, and tried so many miracle supplements, and done so many procedures that i have become very "hard'. my hopes have been crushed so many times. but hope continues to live in me!and i say, everyone to thier own but lets be kind and remember everyone has thier own opinions and descisions to make!cheers to everyone finding better days!!!

oh. i also wanted to add this. everyone has things that they do on a daily basis to feel better and for our health. this is great! i have found that by buying organic, eating vegetables and alot of fish and staying away from red meat and sugar and processed foods i feel alot better day to day. yes, its EXPENSIVE. but by eating healthy and feeding hubby healthy, made-from-scratch, wholesome meals i feel so good knowing what we are putting in our bodies. and i guess i'm lucky that hubby agrees with me that in the end we wont regret the "more expensive" grocery bills!:)

I agree that the expense is worth it. I started cooking with more intent and mindfulness over the last few years. I find that when you eat whole foods and fewer processed foods, you feel fuller and more satisfied. So you typically aren't eating as much. In that sense, it ends up being cheaper to eat this way in the long run.

But seriously, it's one of the things that irks me in our society- this big push for families to eat better and getting kids to eat healthy and yet it can be cheaper to buy dinner for a family at a fast food restaurant or order a pizza than to prepare a meal made of fresh foods. Factor in the fact that not everyone has the luxury of time, decent pay checks, etc adds to the complexity of the issue.

Sorry, but it IS offensive.
Yes, I've tried the diet. For years and yes, it was the most successful thing I tried. However after two years I ended up obstructing AGAIN because I ate something that I was assured had no wheat and it did.
I've tried:- Fish oils, Emu oil(???) Accupuncture, homeopathy, meditation, every medication, TPN, surgery, surgery, surgery, surgery, surgery, surgery, surgery, pregnancy, pregnancy, massage, faith healing, living in another country (yes, I up-rooted my entire family to try the Mediterranean lifestyle - for 4 years, not a few weeks) exercise (disastrous) .
Don't you DARE tell me I haven't tried everything to be well. Yes, I have one of the worst types of crohn's but so do others, and you haven't a clue about my life til you've lived it.
Good for you that the diet is working. If in six months you find differently, please have the decency to apologise.

Five flipping weeks for goodness sake!!!!!
Try 26 years.
No, I'm not sorry, I'm very cross.

I sometimes wonder if people benefit financially from these "plugs" of products.....

Suey2y
Once again I apologise if I have offended you--that was not my intent. Of course I realise that there are many more severe cases than mine. Perhaps they are beyond any type of significant remission and for that I'm truly sorry. You did say however that it was the wheat mistake not the diet itself that lead to relapse. May I ask if that was the end of the diet or did you try again with no success. Once again sorry I caused you distress.
Steve

My point was that the diet is only successful if you cook your own food at home all the time. The minute you try to eat anything else, anywhere or cooked by anyone else, it can cause problems.
Also, once you have eliminated foods that cause problems, the reaction if you DO make a mistake is much more serious - I was rushed to hospital that night by ambulance.
After many many years of this kind of life, I still eat extremely carefully and yes, I have found it to be the best treatment, but if I decided it was no kind of life, that denying myself any kind of pleasure or meals with friends or dinners out or treats, after many, many years of trying was too much, that doesn't mean I don't want to be well, that any of us choose this life.
We do what we can, we try as hard as we can, but NO-ONE has the right to say we don't want to be well.
Oh, how many zealots have I encountered over the years, convinced that one treatment or another will definitely CURE me. How many times have I hoped and prayed they are right.
Unfortunately, after 26 years, I can say that there are things that help, and God give me the strength to stick to them, but it is a challenge beyond most and no, they are not CURES, they are treatments. Unfortunately, I still got sick on the diet - even on a liquid diet specially designed for crohn's. I ate no solid food from February until June once my friend.
So yes, I followed the "regimen" religiously for 3 years and I ended up with another obstruction.
Good luck, but never judge.

I'm curious about the science behind David Kleins claims....is the science behind his claims peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials with large samples and small margins of error??

I'm curious about the term "cure" and how that is measured or determined with these types of claims. Is it merely that no symptoms occur for a certain duration and that's considered cured? Or are there more extensive, definitive tests that can determine someone is "cured." If you're going to accuse people of not helping themselves, then be prepared to defend every aspect of your claim.

I have an acquaintance who was diagnosed 30 years ago with UC. She had one enormous flare, was in the hospital for months with it, and days away from having her colon removed, she suddenly went into remission- out of no where. She has not had a flare since. Not one. That's 30 years of no symptoms and she eats a regular diet. That's the thing with IBD. For some people there can be long bouts of no symptoms. I was in remission for several years and that's back when I was eating lots of crap food.

It's a no brainer that if you are eating poorly or eating foods that aggravate your IBD, you can benefit from diet changes. That applies to the non IBD inflicted.

The more I read this original post, the more bothered I feel by it. It is really condescending. IBD pain, symptoms and flares are not "curses," as if we're living in the Dark Ages. It's a medical condition that we are all coping with the best that we can, given our situations, our means, and what we want for our own lives. It's not a one size fits all thing. Do the diet. Seriously, if it helps you do it. And if you feel good, even better! But don't get on a superiority soap box about how most of us just aren't trying hard enough. That just chaps my butt.

Sorry, Squasher. I know we're smackin' you around a bit. I understand that you were soliciting feedback from people who've been on the diet for a while. That wasn't the issue. The issue was the editorial commentary aspect of your post. Would you tell a cancer patient or a diabetic that they've not done enough to help themselves, that they're not serious about their conditions? Having cared for and loved people with both these conditions, I could never imagine saying that to them.

Cute dog, by the way.

I think the OP was poorly phrased, but I dont think we should be jumping down his throat this hard. I think he meant well but was poorly received.

And if you are not looking carefully at diet and lifestyle, but are taking the drugs and getting the surgery, then you are really not doing everything you could be. I think that suggesting that such people dont care enough about their own health to want to get better is going a little too far though. There is a lot of conflicting information about what diet is right, and the diet that helped one person might not help somebody else. People want answers and solutions but its not always so cut an dry and the data isnt always available. Most docs dont offer as much information on diet as they would get from a nutritionist or naturopath.

We should try not to judge people but instead offer positive suggestions. Once people feel like they are being judged their ears close and instead of being receptive they become defensive and angry.