Laura’s Healing Story (Ulcerative Colitis)

This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to see what that means.

Headshot of Laura: brown hair, brown eyes, green shirt

“I believe absolutely that it is in sharing the most vulnerable aspects of our journeys that we support each other to find grace and strength and healing during equally challenging times.”
~ Baden Lashkov


Living a Resilient Autoimmune Life

Autoimmune disease often strikes people at a very young age and changes their life forever. Laura Scaviola was only 25 years old when she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC). Amazingly, her doctor recommended the paleo diet. How cool is that? She’s been paleo ever since. Over the past year she’s been able to reduce her autoimmune medication, go off steroids, and has learned first-hand the impact stress and poor diet can have on her illness. By the way, do you believe in synchronicity? I contacted Laura for this interview, without realizing that today (May 19th) is World IBD Day. What better day to hear her success story?

Ad: Real Plans - Meal planning for your busy life

What were your first symptoms? When did you learn what it was?

I first noticed symptoms of ulcerative colitis (UC) when I was frequenting the bathroom a bit more often than normal for an extended amount of time. I was bloated, gassy, and could not digest properly for over a week. At first, I thought I just ate something that didn’t agree with me. After a few more days I noticed blood in my stool and knew it was something more serious. Eventually I was “going” over 20 times a day with an alarming amount of blood. I lost 7% of my bodyweight in 6 days. Symptoms got uglier and uglier until I was very malnourished and dehydrated.

The undiagnosed disease brought me to the emergency room where the ER doctor mentioned colitis and referred me to a gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy. After some tests and the colonoscopy my gastroenterologist confirmed it to be ulcerative colitis throughout my entire colon (pancolitis). This was March 2013.

Can you describe what it was like for you, when your condition was at its worst?

My condition was at its worst during my first flare up. I didn’t know what it was at the time, because I had yet to be diagnosed. I was scared, frustrated, alone, and embarrassed. I was scared that there may be something seriously wrong with me – that it could be life threatening. I was frustrated because there didn’t seem to be anything I could do to help my symptoms. Going to the bathroom was embarrassing, especially for a lady. Probably the worst feeling was that I was alone. Toilet troubles aren’t something people share often so I felt that I was the only one going through this problem and no one could truly understand what it felt like.

What treatment methods did you try before dietary intervention – conventional or alternative?

Luckily, I learned of paleo the day of my diagnosis. So, I began eating clean within hours of leaving the hospital.

Which healing diet(s) did you choose?

The paleo diet was recommended to me by my gastroenterologist. After a year of paleo I am just now experimenting with the autoimmune protocol to see if I notice an even stronger difference in my health.

How fast did you see results?

Immediately. Because I began strong medication in conjunction with the diet it is hard to tell exactly how fast the paleo diet had an impact on my disease.

With that said, I am confident the paleo diet allowed me to wean myself off steroids sooner than prescribed. And I didn’t gain any weight from over 10 weeks of steroids. None!

What symptoms still remain?

Most days I do not experience any symptoms. When I do, the most common are inflammation and bloating. Occasionally I will experience symptoms when I am stressed, tired, or not conscious about my clean eating regime. I have had minor flares which consist of frequent bowel movements that contain blood. They are hard to tame when I am under stress or traveling a lot, mostly because of my sleep schedule and absence of home cooked meals. Overall I am healthy and in control of my disease.

What other areas of your health improved simultaneously?

What hasn’t?! Check out my laundry list of health improvements:

  • My skin developed a glow. It also cleared up my Granuloma Annulare (an autoimmune skin condition) that I have had on my arm for 14 years.
  • A fibroadenoma in my breast has shrunk since the diet which gives me one less health problem to worry about.
  • My everlasting lower belly fat disappeared.
  • My nails and hair grew longer and stronger.
  • I can think clearly and my mood is almost always positive.
  • Paleo also gave me more energy which has brought me to join CrossFit.

What areas feel immune to the effect of diet?

Sleep, water, and stress have a strong effect on my UC. There are times I am strict paleo but I could be extremely stressed, busy, and not sleeping well. Those factors will upset me a lot. If my diet is inconsistent along with stress and poor sleep then fuhgeddaboutit! My gut will respond poorly. As important as diet is I also believe strongly in a well-rounded and balanced approach to health.

What other things do you do outside of diet to support your health and healing?

This is an area that is not my strength. I am terrible at relaxing. I always have been. However, I recently started CrossFit and it’s a great outlet for me. Never having been a gym person before, this was very different to my daily routine. It not only has made me physically stronger, but it is a reminder that my body can still look and feel strong even with an autoimmune disease.

Are you on any medication now?

My flare up got into remission with the help of medication, but stayed in remission because of my paleo lifestyle.

Currently I am taking a maintenance drug (mesalamine) for my ulcerative colitis. However, I am now taking half the dose I was first prescribed. Against doctor’s orders I was medication free for two whole months. I felt great, but after traveling for work and stress of the holiday season last year, I flared. After prednisone doses and hitting the restart button on my diet (bone broth, etc.), I went back into remission.

It is a goal of mine to be able to manage remission purely through supplements, diet, and alternative approaches, but it has only been just over a year since my diagnosis. I am still learning (and listening) to my body. Two months off medication has taught me how sensitive my disease is. If I am ever in remission comfortably for a year then I would definitely consider tapering further. My first remission lasted 8 months. As eager as I am to be medication free, I am in no rush. My priority is to stay in remission for long periods of time, however possible.

How strict were/are you on the dietary protocol? Any “cheats”?

In the beginning I was so strict I would not even think about touching a non-paleo food. When the decision was made to eat paleo, I knew I wouldn’t stick with it if I allowed any cheats or gray areas. After I was in remission for a few months, I began slowly reintroducing different foods in controlled experiments, so I could see how my body responded. Luckily, goat cheese is something I can tolerate in small quantities. That’s key. If I know I can tolerate goat cheese and ghee then I don’t push my limits. I enjoy it in small bits. Grains, however, are something that still upset my digestion. Corn, rice, and many gluten free products usually cause me trouble when I try them. My motto is if the food looks the same going out as it does going in then we probably shouldn’t be eating it! As for cheating, I got too confident recently and started eating a cheat meal about 3 times a week. This caused a minor flare, which taught me that cheating’s not a good idea.

Do you intend to do this diet forever, or do you hope to wean yourself off it eventually?

Forever! I cannot imagine my life eating the way I used to. This has my new lifestyle for over a year and I extremely passionate about it. So, why change?

What were/are the challenges for you in sticking to the diet?

The biggest challenge is having to cook everything I eat. Also not being able to eat pasta and cheese! Not only do I live in an area that is not conducive to clean eating, but I come from an Italian-American family where pasta, bread, and cheese are staples in the cuisine. Before my shift to paleo, I definitely took for granted the convenience of being able to grab dinner on the way home from work….Or order a normal meal on a date without having it turn into a conversation about my disease and why I can’t eat pasta. Oh, and I really miss pasta and mozzarella cheese. Did I mention that?

Who supports you in your healing journey?

My family and close friends are the people who have been my biggest support. My parents, brother, and sister-in-law are always making paleo food during the holidays, but that’s only a fraction of the support from them. My friends are also very accommodating to my diet and are great at knowing just how to boost my spirits. I love them all.

Additionally, strangers have actually been an amazing support to me as well. It also sounds silly when I say it, but the network of support I’ve built through social media has been amazing. I mean, I’m talking about people I have never met in person. They are complete strangers who share a connection through diet and/or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. They support my journey by sharing tips, send smiles, and holding me accountable to maintain my health through diet. It is so humbling and motivating to have them thank me for being a voice for people with ulcerative colitis.

What advice would you give to people with autoimmune disease who are just starting to consider diet and lifestyle changes?

Firstly, I would applaud them for shifting their lifestyle to one where food is medicine. Changing your diet all depends on the person. Know that there isn’t one diet that’s perfect for you. You create it. Find what works for you and commit to that. Depending on the type of person you are it may benefit you to dive right into a diet like I did. Or you may find it better to take baby steps by removing gluten first and then grain, and then dairy, and then processed food, etc.

Do research. Ask questions. Keep a food journal. Don’t get discouraged if things don’t work. Reward yourself when things do. Foster a relationship with your doctor. Share your story. Smile.

A photo of Laura lifting weights at CrossFit

You May Also Be Interested In

This is part of a series of autoimmune success stories. Click here to see the full list. They are also a regular feature of my podcast: Phoenix Helix.

Do You Have My Books?

8 comments on “Laura’s Healing Story (Ulcerative Colitis)”

  1. Thank you for your story. I have Lymphocytic colitis and can’t find any info online about treatment with AIP. Do you have an ideas for me or do you know of success stories?

    1. Hi Joy. Your best bet is to ask in some of the larger AIP support groups. There are two on Facebook: AIP Support and The Paleo Approach Community. Keep in mind that autoimmune diseases have more in common than not, so every success story applies to you, even if the diagnosis isn’t exactly the same. Wishing you wellness in every way!

  2. Hi Laura, I love your story and your blog! That is so cool that your gastro recommended Paleo….hopefully more of them will start doing that! I knew you were Italian just from the name of your blog…..keep up the good work 🙂 It is nice to hear another success story! I was diagnosed with Crohn’s at 23, so I know just what you mean…it is a rough age to have to deal with all this stuff especially the potty talk!!!!!

  3. Laura,
    You are so lucky to have a doctor from the start who recommended the Paleo diet. I was hospitalized with ulcerative colitis at 29 years of age. My prognosis of living on steroids and antibiotics, enduring frequent barium enemas and colonoscopies, eating pretty much a bland mush food diet (as I called it), and still probably ending up with a colostomy bag and most likely cancer did not sit well with me. I was lucky to have a friend who was a nutritionist who, along with a lot of studying, helped me on the road to a better diet. I had flares over the first few years but none as severe as the first. I continued to find new diet changes and supplements that helped, and I have been free of any colitis flares in over 30 years without any medications. I also had asthma which has not flared in many years now. I still can do a lot to improve my diet so I am going on the autoimmune Paleo diet to find out which foods I need to eliminate. I hope you continue to make progress in your journey to control what can be a debilitating and, as you noted, at times a lonely disease. Thanks for sharing your story.

    1. Sherry,

      Thank you for your kind words and for sharing a bit of your story, too. I’m impressed that you’ve tamed your flares so well – not surprised since diet is definitely a positive contributor to remission!
      Thanks for giving people with colitis hope. 🙂

      -Laura

  4. This story is an inspiration to me! Thank you for opening yourself like this. I find my path to be similar to yours and to know you’ve had some hiccups along the way yet have stayed on course gives me motivation to continue my path. I started AIP only weeks after my Crohns colitis diagnosis and am still learning how my body is going to heal itself, what are my triggers, and what is a healthy balance.

    Really, thank you!!

    Jennifer

    1. Thank you, Jennifer. It’s definitely a process and you’ll be constantly learning and listening to your body. Best to you and thank you for the kind words.

      Much love,
      Laura

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top