Readers’ story: My success with a semi-elemental diet

This is a FANTASTIC example of using a semi-elemental diet to ensure bowel rest and cure an abdominal abscess and fistula. Remember, not everyone needs to be on a full-fledged diet (or has the time or can afford it!).

There have been studies of the benefits of a semi-elemental diet – but I recommend if you want to try a semi-elemental diet rather than “eat whatever you want” for the free diet implement one of the following options in conjunction with Absorb Plus:

1. For the “normal” portion of a semi-elementary diet, there are some very well-tolerated shake recipes with gentle food ingredients that you can find in your local grocery store or at the farmers’ market.

2. If you can eat some normal food, sticking to this list of low residue foods – specifically tailored for IBD – can help keep your bowels happy. Along with probiotics and possibly wild oregano oil to help fight intestinal infections.

3. Here are some well-tolerated protein shake recipes that are better tolerated than normal food. People use these shakes when they are ready to switch from an elementary diet before starting to eat normal food. So these shakes can be anything you need.

4th Or you can use my food reintroduction chart (see Listen to Your Gut and the IBD Remission Diet) and try to stick to the foods listed in Stages 1 and 2. These foods have been well tolerated in the past, but are still nutritious. If this is too difficult, at least stick to the maintenance diet guidelines (again given in both books) and avoid these top allergen foods: dairy, wheat (gluten), corn, soy, sugar, and refined carbohydrates.

The following reader implemented a semi-elemental diet along with protocols from my book on the IBD Remission Diet:

I have had a good experience with Jini’s protocols! I didn’t get the chance to read the IBD Remission Diet book in full, but I looked at certain parts that worked best for me.

I’ve had a pretty bad case of Crohn’s disease for about four years. I was on Remicade for two of them until I developed antibodies against them and couldn’t take them anymore. I started to flare up again about six months ago with a terrible stomach ache, very little energy, and I lost about 20 pounds (15% of my body weight). I’ve tried many different natural remedies (diets, naltrexone, probiotics, various nutritional supplements) and nothing I’ve tried helped get me into remission – so I had to go back to the GI. He recommended I try Entyvio so I started and had 3 infusions over a couple of months with no change in symptoms. In the meantime, I took budesonide to relieve my pain.

During that time, I developed an abdominal abscess and fistula, and had to go to the hospital twice for drainage and antibiotics. I have been told by several doctors that I would need an operation to remove part of my severely inflamed ileum. I was very discouraged, frustrated and scared during this whole experience and I wanted to avoid surgery at all costs.

During my second stay in hospital, a nutritionist came to my room to discuss diet. He brought up the Listen To Your Gut protocol, so I started researching it and decided to try implementing a partial elementary diet. I used Absorb Plus 1-2 times a day and the rest of the time I used Jini’s Low Fiber Guide and I had GREAT results!
I had very little abdominal pain, I’ve gained about 10 pounds since the beginning, and was able to stop all medication I was taking (steroids, entyvio, and antibiotics).

About a week after the second drain was taken, I was able to feel the abscess return for the third time, and I was sure I would end up in the hospital again (which I DID NOT want!). I desperately searched Jini’s book and website for information about abscesses and fistulas, and although there was no specific protocol for my exact problem (enterocutaneous abscess with intra-abdominal abscess) I was able to combine some of their ideas for anal abscesses and bowel strictures and create a topical solution using DMSO, aloe vera, and wild oregano oil. I’ve been using it twice a day for three days now, along with several drops of oregano oil orally, and I can already tell a big difference – the area has become significantly softer and the pain is almost gone. I am very hopeful that the abscess will go away completely in a couple of weeks.

I am so grateful for the information Jini provided to help me avoid another hospital stay and I would love to share my story and spread the word about LTYG if it can help others! I’ve already shared some samples of Absorb Plus with a friend who has Crohn’s disease, and I plan to post my story on various Crohns forums and Facebook pages! Thank you Jini !!

And thanks for sharing !!

If anyone else would like to share their story / feedback with me, please! You will always remain anonymous – send me an email to service@listentoyourgut.com.

In good health!

Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert in natural digestive disease healing. She healed herself from the widespread Crohn’s disease and has been drug and surgery free for over 20 years. Appeared on numerous podcast, television and radio shows in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, Jini gives people hope and visions on how to cure colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in all natural methods. Her books on natural digestive disease cures have been sold in over 80 countries around the world.