My diseaseHey ya’ll! I’m Gaby and I’m from Texas (could you tell?). Growing up I always had stomach issues but back in 2013, I went through a massive flare up which led to me being constipated for 3 days and finally passing out at a nail salon and the an ambulance rolling in to take me to the hospital (I refused and ended up just needing to go to the bathroom after drinking a sugar loaded coffee from Starbucks). Thinking it was nothing and finally giving in to seeking help, I reached out to my family doctor and she led me to a gastroenterologist. As a result, I got a colonoscopy and they found polyps in my lower intestine and I was diagnosed with proctitis and colitis, also in the category of inflammatory bowel disease. 
Everyday obstaclesMy everyday struggles, especially during a flare-up, include having lower abdomen pain, massive bloating, fatigue, gas, headaches, blood in my stools, a combination of diarrhea and constipation, horrible stomach cramps and dehydration. I have trouble keeping things down and have immediate reactions to coffee/caffeine, alcohol, dairy, gluten, spice (basically all of my favorite foods in life). 
When I’m in remission, I lead a symptom-free life, can eat all the things I love without remorse, with minimal bloating and 0 bleeding. 
My first gastro doctor told me that my diet had nothing to do with this disease and nothing I could change in what I ate would help. UGH. I sought for a second opinion and met with another gastro doctor (my current one today) and she gave me a holistic remedy which included cutting out dairy, gluten spice and eating more BRAT foods – Bananas, rice, apples, toast. And she also told me to drink aloe vera juice every morning, stop and do breathing exercises 3x a day, go on walks in the morning and at night and rub peppermint essential oils on my stomach every night before bed. She also prescribed me a steroid to get through the flareup and after doing these things she prescribed I went into remission. It didn’t last long. After a few months, I got lazy and started drinking more coffee, alcohol and sugar and spiraled into another flareup, which I’m currently being treated for.
How I overcome the flareups
I’ve recently realized this is a lifelong commitment and lifestyle change! Not just a ‘one and done’ fix it and then go back to my unhealthy ways. This time, I’ve been doing a lot more research into diet changes and planning my meals so that I can have something to eat that won’t upset my stomach. I’m really dedicated to getting my gut health back in shape and going on a mainly plant-based diet. 
Ways I’ve changed my lifestyle– intentional with my time spent doing the things I love with the people I love- Dedicating time for self-care and de-stressing every. day.- Eating whole foods and staying away from processed foods with ingredients I can’t pronounce- Drinking less alcohol and caffeine.
Not only has it helped increase my energy but I feel like my wellbeing is in a better place mentally. 
In 2019, I’ve gone through 2 flareups and I’m still on the road to recovery.
I started an Instagram that’s all about my journey towards a thriving lifestyle around eating whole foods, mindfulness, self-care and reducing stress where I focus on the positive rather than letting the weight of chronic pain and illness getting you down. You can follow me at @thrivingonmantras and my personal account @gabriellearora.
Thanks for listening!xoxo – Gaby Arora