All About Me

Hi, I’m Lyndsey! Thanks for stopping by my blog. 🙂

I’m a fourteen year old girl trying to discover myself and my dreams, all while battling Crohn’s disease. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s at the age of twelve, and it has been a struggle trying to manage this tough disease ever since. Through all of the ups and downs, I try to stay positive by enjoying the things in my life that I love. This includes singing, performing in musicals, cooking healthy recipes, drinking Starbucks, petting my two puppies, and just being my crazy self. To save you from reading a long bio about me, I compiled a list of all of my favorites so that you can get to know me a little better.

Food: Oatmeal and blueberries

Musical: Wicked

Singer: Taylor Swift

Hobby: Reading

Blogger: The Oatmeal Artist

Season: Fall

Drink: Tea & coffee

Movie: Titanic

Holiday: Christmas

Flavor Combination: Peanut butter and chocolate

Dessert: FroYo

Store: Aeropostale and Target

Website: Pinterest and Instagram

Place to visit: Disney

Writing utensil: Sharpie

Thing to cook: Pancakes

Animal: Dolphin

Veggie: Lettuce and sweet potatoes

I hope to inspire anyone fighting this awful disease to stay strong.

Many of the best parts of my life have come from it, and as much as it has affected me in a negative way, it has opened me up to new people and experiences that I wouldn’t change for the world. 🙂

My Eating Plan

The annoying part of Crohn’s Disease (among many others) is that it’s different for everyone who has it. That being said, there is no “quick fix” or certain medicine to ease the symptoms that come with it. It is frustrating for me because when I was first diagnosed I didn’t know what foods to eat, or which foods I would have to avoid. I tried a variety of “special diets” such a FODMAP, gluten-free, dairy-free, and clean eating. None of them gave much improvements to my symptoms, although I have heard others benefited from these diets.

Basically, I try to eat as healthy and clean as possible. This includes lean meats, lots of fresh organic produce, and whole wheat options. I avoid lactose in milk, as this has bothered me throughout my whole life, but greek yogurt does not give me any symptoms. Cheese is tolerable if I eat it in moderation. Greasy food such as pizza or donuts upsets my stomach, so I do not eat these foods often. Besides this, I try my hardest to eat a healthy, nutrient-filled diet.

I have trouble with food and drinks that have large volume because of the Crohn’s. Eating too much always ends up making me feel so sick I can’t eat the rest of the day! 😦 I deal with this by eating three small meals and two large snacks a day. This, in addition to making sure I eat enough calories a day, keeps me at a healthy weight. Since I was diagnosed, it has been hard to maintain my weight, and at one point, I had lost 10 pounds! My weight is now healthily restored and is staying steady. Thank God. 🙂

So what do you eat to keep your symptoms under control?      Low-sugar, vegan? Let me know 🙂