Helena Reed

My Recipes & Articles

• Kipper Fillets with Roasted Vegetables (Low FODMAP) on January 27, 2015

My Story

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was 21 (I’m now 28) and I feel I’ve been quite lucky with it so far. I’ve had a few bad flares and one which had me in hospital for a few weeks, but apart from that I have managed to get on with my life. After a few flares requiring steroid treatment I was told that if I had another it might be best to go onto an immuno-suppresant medication. Although I know this works well for people, I really didn’t want to go down that route. After I felt myself on the verge of of another flare earlier in the year, I started to look for other options. This led me down a path which looks at diet as a way of managing my disease. I came across the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) and blogs and books on the subject. The more I read, the more I am convinced this is the answer to my problem.

In July, after a couple of months on a paleo diet, my flare had gone down but I was still experiencing massive bloating after every meal and fatigue. I started an elimination diet to find out what what causing this, with a view to reintroducing only AIP friendly foods. After a couple of months my fatigue was greatly improved but the bloating is something I am still figuring out. I think FODMAPS are an issue for me so I am continuing to avoid those. This is where I am at now, and it’s very much trial and error with re-introducing foods into my diet. I am coming to terms with the fact this is going to be a long journey and with limited ingredients, I have had to get creative in the kitchen. I’m really enjoying the food and I’ve become obsessed with making each meal as delicious as possible, so I don’t miss all the foods I can’t have.