Welcome to the IBDCoach Blog
From Physiology to Mindset and Diet to Healthcare, Enjoy Our Diverse Collection of Short Posts
Racism and Health
Every day I wake up and I think about human health, and how the systems we have in place fail to prevent, treat, and protect us from the chronic health conditions that are the leading causes of death in the US. Specifically, our...
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Meet Our Science Advisors
I have felt extremely grateful that IBDCoach has been growing at record pace these past few months and our community is blossoming and thriving! Every day I watch our clients new and old make tremendous progress – these are folks who step into the ring and face their...
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Cannabis for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The Science and Practical Application Guide
I’ve recently finished a 3.5-hour exclusive video series for my clients outlining the latest research on supplements and herbs in Inflammatory Bowel Disease for the IBDCoach program. To my knowledge, it’s the most compressive and accessible overview of this specific...
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Andrew’s IBD Food Blog: Stuff He Eats with Crohn’s Disease
Andrew's Food PostsJuly 13, 2020: We discovered a huge untouched patch of California wild mountain huckleberries right up the road from our house and this happened: sweet potato vanilla oat waffles with huckleberry syrup and some chocolate mint. Done. 😋July 8, 2020:...
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For IBD Patients, Disease-Related Knowledge is Associated with Treatment Options Exhibiting Lower Toxicity
Modern healthcare delivery neglects potentially the most impactful and foundational treatment of all. And this “treatment,” taken on face value has no side effects and requires no drugs, supplements, infusions, or surgery. Indeed in the IBDCoach program, all 22...
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IBD Meta-Study Shows Improvement in Health with Vitamin D Supplementation
Let’s all be more like this blue-belly lizard and soak up the sun. This little creature was enjoying the sun so much that I was able to get up close with my iPhone and capture the moment. It is believed that up to 50% of Americans are Vitamin D insufficient, and that...
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A “Virus” of the Mind will kill 40x more people than COVID-19 in 2020
It’s possible that 1 million or more people will die from COVID-19 in 2020. This number is hard to imagine, it’s unfathomable, and it’s tragic. Now imagine 40 Million+. That’s the number that will die in 2020 of non-communicable, lifestyle-related conditions worldwide...
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Oral Contraceptives and Inflammatory Bowel Disease
It’s world IBD day and I’ve decided to write on an important subject – the relationship between the use of oral contraceptives and the development or possible worsenings of IBD. In 2020 we are in a new era in understanding and witnessing the prolific rise of IBD...
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The Role of Fiber in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Looking back at the last decade I’ve wanted to touch on what I believe is the largest advance in understanding and addressing Inflammatory Bowel Disease and frankly many other GI and inflammatory chronic conditions. It’s the microbiome folks. And yet we are still at...
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3 Considerations Regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease
This morning the World Health Organization raised its threat level to “Very High” its top-level, global markets are in continued free-fall, and countries are scrambling to prepare or cope. Time to panic? Definitely not. However, there has probably never been a better...
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Is the Optimum Inflammatory Bowel Disease Diet Plant-based, Carnivorous-based or Omnivorous-based?
I’ve been avoiding writing this post for a long time. (like over 6 months) I care of course very much about how it’s received, however, I suspect some of you will love it or hate it. Given the recent flurry of interest in the subject, I finally feel ready to go here....
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The Potential of Buproprion (Wellbutrin) for IBD
Can Buproprion (Wellbutrin) help people with IBD? The frontline drugs for moderate to severe Inflammatory Bowel Disease can demonstrate high efficacy and in many cases can be life-saving to people with IBD. These drugs unfortunately also come with side effects ranging...
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Posts from IBDCoach Members
Posts from IBDCoach Community Members
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Why Changing Your Brain and Mindset is the Most Powerful Thing You Can Do if You Have Inflammatory Bowel Disease
“Andrew, what do you recommend?” “What should I do?” “What diet should I eat, what supplements should I take?” Guess what. I never recommend anything. I never tell anyone what they “should” do. I won’t tell you what to eat, drink, or really how to live your life....
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Considerations for Omega 3 and Fish Oil in IBD
How does fish oil decrease inflammation? I’ve been working on the most comprehensive video-training on supplements, vitamins, and herbs in IBD ever produced. My general approach is always to never leave any stone unturned and to give my clients all the resources they...
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Video: Why Controlling for Your Environment and Exiting a Toxic Situation is Crucial When You Have Crohn’s or Colitis
Control for your environment and exit toxic situations
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Pay Attention to the Inactive Ingredients in OTC Pain Medicine if You Have IBD
The common actions we take everyday are contributing to our IBD One of the major themes of my postings and thinking is that I try to point out things that many of us do every day – things that are literally right in front of us and sort of blatantly obvious – that are...
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Could the Common Potato Actually Be Beneficial for Both IBD and the Microbiome?
The common potato. What a boring topic to be posting about? Not so fast. Throughout history, the potato (like russets, whites, reds, purples) have been vilified and embraced. Today is no different. While often given blame for so many health problems in the US and...
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Understanding the Role of Dopamine in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and How I Maintain My Dopamine Level
Dopamine. People with IBD and in fact even any form of low-grade inflammation probably have reduced synthesis, release, and reuptake of the neurotransmitter dopamine. As many of you know before I dove headfirst into the world of gastrointestinal health, the...
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Peptides, BPC-157, Crohn’s Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis
Peptides. Everyone who is doing their homework is talking about them - for uses across the health spectrum. And there are quite a few with promising effects. Perhaps the most relevant to IBD and gastrointestinal health is called Body Protection Compound 157 (BPC-157)....
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The Big Picture: Why I am Fighting for People with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Why am I doing this? I can feel the water on my face and in my hair – the early drops of the autumn rains pouring down from the skies like tears. I am feeling the weight of problems in our world, in our country, and in our communities. I feel that we each must pick...
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Is GT’s Kombucha a Clinically Backed Probiotic for Crohn’s and Colitis?
“Andrew, which probiotics/fermented foods do you take/eat?” These are the types of questions I get asked at least 5x per week it seems. My answer: I currently do not take a probiotic supplement as the evidence is quite mixed. However, I do eat some fermented foods...
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Autophagy and Fasting in the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Like Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis
What is Autophagy and how does it affect IBD? It’s possible Inflammatory Bowel Disease and a host of other disorders come down to problems in a little known biological process called “autophagy” pronounced aa·taa·fuh·jee. Autophagy is a mechanism in molecular biology...
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Just Because You Find it At Whole Foods, Doesn’t Mean its Not Crap, Especially if You Have IBD
My Whole Foods walkthrough and the surprising results On Saturday - I filmed a “Whole Foods Walkthrough,” for my clients. I have to say that while it’s one of the best places to find IBD-friendly food – the stunning amount of non-real, non-whole foods was pretty...
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If You Have IBD Be Ready for Natural Disasters Like Forest Fires
Be prepared for fire season and environmental stressors It seems like most of you have forgotten - a reminder to those of us who live in the western United States. Last year California experienced the most deadly, destructive, and costly fire season in the history of...
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Does Having IBD like Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis Actually Present an Evolutionary Advantage?
An unconventional view of chronic conditions I view IBD and frankly all other “chronic conditions” in an unconventional way. By far most chronic illnesses including: Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Diabetes, Obesity, Depression, and even many forms of cancer seem...
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The “Impossible” and “Beyond Meat” Burgers Are a Nightmare for Crohn’s and Colitis
Keywords to avoid when you have IBD I have a general rule of thumb: when I read words like “modified,” “concentrate,” “isolate,” “extract,” “expeller,” I steer clear as this does not meet my definition of food. No-one is doubting the good environmental intentions of...
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Fix All Parts of Your Life When it Comes to IBD
My message for you today. Whether you are fighting a chronic condition, building the next big thing, or just seeking happiness then this applies to you.
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The Power of a Mindfulness Practice in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Control your brain, mind and emotions I’ve controlled my chronic health condition (Crohn’s Disease) by first controlling my brain, my mind, and my emotions. Without this, I’d still be frantically swimming against the current gasping for air. Yet instead I am the...
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When You Have a Chronic Condition like IBD, Getting Away can be Important
Get out of the city and into nature when you have a chronic condition About 280 miles and 7 hours north of the San Francisco Bay Area lays an area of coastline so remote and rugged that the builders of California’s renowned highway one literally skipped over it. The...
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Podcast: Patient Empowerment, Precision Medicine, and Next-Generation Approaches in Crohn’s and Colitis
What does the future of IBD, medicine, and healthcare look like? This is what the future of IBD, medicine, and healthcare can look like: I had the absolute privilege to record an incredible podcast with two rockstars in our field: Drs. Samir Kakodkar and Lucy Mailing....
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Morning Routines are My Superpower in Fighting IBD
What's my secret weapon for achieving complete remission? I get asked 3 times a day how I achieved complete remission from a serious illness and how I stay motivated. My secret weapon? Morning Routine. I wake up at 7am every weekday (I’ve tried waking up earlier and...
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Find Your IBD Pattern
Find your pattern of health The scientific literature lists hundreds of interventions that can help with IBD (perhaps even much more). These range from medications to surgery, from specific supplements to nutrition, and from meditation to even something like vagal...
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Drinking Ensure or Other Protein Drinks Can Cause Havoc on IBD
Why is drinking Ensure bad for IBD? Many of you report to me that you drink Ensure. If I drank Ensure you could probably Ensure I’d be hospitalized. Maltodextrin? = decreases the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful microbes, promotes biofilm production, and...
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Understanding the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Moving Towards a “Functional Cure”: Michael Briggs PhD
Against the Grain Podcast: Dr. Michael Briggs A couple weeks ago I introduced two unsung and unnoticed heroes in the IBD world: Dr. Michael Briggs, a physics professor with Ulcerative Colitis turned unofficial IBD researcher – the author of one of the best and perhaps...
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The Story of IBD: How to Maintain the GI Epithelium in Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
The story of IBD I'm working hard to tell the "story of IBD" and I get a lot of questions about the biological mechanisms of IBD. Here is my belief and understanding of what's going on: A breakdown of the integrity of the epithelial membrane of the gut is perhaps the...
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Could the Next Generation Drug for IBD, Crohn’s, and Ulcerative Colitis be similar to LSD?
The impact of psychedelics on IBD “Psychedelics produce a potent blockade of the inflammation produced by TNF-α in cell and animal models of inflammation.” Recent research suggests that psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms) can help with...
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Faecalibacterium Prausnitzii, Your Friend in the Fight Against IBD
The unsung hero of the story of IBD: F. prausnitzii I’ve been studying the microbiome non-stop lately. It’s a mysterious, and thrilling story – a vicious, dynamic and microscopic battle going inside of you between those keen to destroy you and others willing to do...
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Could the Mitochondria be the Next Frontier in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases?
Could the mitochondria be the next frontier in IBD? The mitochondria are one of the most magnificent structures of the cell. They are the “powerhouses” or the “lungs” of the cell turning the food we eat and the oxygen we breathe into a high energy substrate called...
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Having IBD is Like Being Held Under a Giant Wave
How having IBD is like being held under a giant wave
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Why Doctors Just Don’t Have Time to Read the Science when it Comes to IBD and Other Chronic Conditions
Does your doctor read the scientific literature for IBD? There is a high probability that your doctor does not read the scientific literature. And they most likely wish they had time to do so. Many physicians see between 20-40 patients per day - working long hours and...
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Probiotics are a Pandora’s Box Especially in Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Probiotics and Pandora's Box Probiotics are a pandora’s box - a mystery of positive potential and potential issues. Have you ever wondered about all these different bacterial and fungal species listed on your probiotic bottle or on your yogurt? What are they? What do...
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The Mystery of the Human Microbiome & Dysbiosis in IBD
The mystery inside us I’ve been studying the human microbiome quite intensely lately and it’s becoming abundantly clear that the bacteria, archaea, and fungal organisms that live inside of our GI tract live in a delicate symbiosis with their host. We understand this...
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Why Just Doing “One” Thing in IBD is Probably Not Enough
The complexity underlying IBD and other chronic conditions Our current healthcare delivery system will often disregard complexity in the pursuit to find a single treatment option for people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and many other chronic conditions. I view this...
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Intermittent Fasting in IBD, Hot Fad or the Real Deal?
Intermittent Fasting and IBD It seems like more and more these days we are hearing about intermittent fasting as a near-miracle treatment for all sorts of issues. This is where for about 16-20 hours out of your day, you just don’t eat. There have been multiple studies...
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A New Way Forward in Approaching Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
The current way and the new way. In the current treatment model for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, the patient (patiently) waits on their doctor and medical team to take away their pain. They hope for a single miracle pill or procedure that will heal them forever. They...
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Why I started IBDCoach
Being diagnosed with IBD Being diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease is devastating. I’ve been so sick that some days I could barely get out of bed and went to the bathroom 17X. There is so much misinformation out there and it seems like every physician, health...
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Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are Most Likely Caused by a “Perfect Storm”
Evidence of environmental effects on IBD Evidence points us to understand IBD as a multifactorial process. In most cases, a compounding "perfect storm" comes together to manifest the disease or to worsen symptoms. Genetic predispositions, your gut ecology, immune...
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Phosphatidylcholine (PC) for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
How does Phosphatidlycholine impact IBD? Most people who are paying attention know about Curcumin or Glutamine as supplements that have demonstrated efficacy with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. One of the lesser-known and most promising compounds is called...
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Does Michal Pollan’s Eating Philosophy have a Place in IBD Dietary Approaches?
Lessons from Michael Pollan about Diet I used to believe that eating all gluten was horrible. Then I tried eating a little highly fermented sourdough. I used to believe all dairy was bad. Then I tried some local goat yogurt at the farmer’s market. I used to believe...
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Saying Goodbye to the Standard American Diet in IBD
The State of The Standard American Diet (SAD) and IBD It makes me sad to think about what the majority of Americans put in their bodies every day. It makes me even more sad to know that many of these individuals currently suffer from or will develop Crohn’s Disease or...
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Find Your Breakthroughs when You Have IBD, Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis
How to find your breakthroughs Everyone knows what it's like to be sick: a cold, the flu, some other virus. It feels difficult to function in your daily life and might throw you off for a bit but eventually, you recover relatively quickly. Having a chronic condition...
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The Vicious Cycle Between Stress and Food Choice in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Understanding the Vicious Cycle After going through the intensive process of attaining remission from Crohn’s Disease and talking to hundreds of people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in addition to reading hundreds of peer-reviewed studies – I would like to share...
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If You Have IBD, then Listen to YOU
Be your own best advocate Listen to You. Listen to your body. Don’t do things because others tell you, do things that you know will help you feel good. You are your own best advocate. No-one knows you as you know yourself. Does drinking bone broth help? Do it.Does...
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The Role of The Mycobiome in IBD
Mycobiome, Fungi, and Our Gut We hear so much about the microbiome i.e. the bacterial species in our gut. Well, guess what guys? It's fungi too! Although there are fewer species inside of us, they seem to play significant roles in IBD. This an emerging area...
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The Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor in IBD
What is anti-TNF and Tumor Necrosis Factor? Perhaps many of you have heard the term "anti-TNF," in reference to your medication like Remicade or Humira. What the heck is TNF anyway? Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) is a signaling protein in the human body that helps...
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There Is No “One” IBD Diet
The Perfect IBD Diet I get so many questions about the "IBD diet." Plant-based? Carnivore? Paleo? SCD? FODMAPS? It's enough to make anyone's head spin. The answer is this. There is no one diet that works perfectly for everyone. There are patterns though. And certain...
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Biology Basics: The Story of IBD
Biology and IBD In order to understand Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), you must understand the biology and some of the systems that make up our body and how they relate to the disease. The First Word In IBD - Inflammatory Inflammation is a defense mechanism...
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Brain Science, Stress and IBD
There is no silver bullet When I was diagnosed with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease 7 years ago, I wanted a simple and straightforward “cure all” treatment. To my dismay, I learned that relying on one silver bullet drug, would not suffice. Controlling this disease...
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A Human Superorganism, The Microbiome in IBD
Microscopic picture of Campylobacter jejuni, a microbial species often found in faeces. Source: De Wood and Chris Pooley, US Department of Agriculture Our human body as a superorganism The human body is a “superorganism” with thousands of distinct...
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The Promise and Pitfalls of Biologics in IBD
How Do Biologics Work? Currently, the largest blockbuster drug in America, with about $110 billion dollars in total sales is called Humira (Adalimumab). Humira and an older variation called Remicade are considered the frontline and gold standard treatment for...
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