Spirit of Women magazine is a national publication presented to women by hospitals and their physicians. The magazine provides up-to-date, evidence-based healthcare information and promotes our hospitals as leaders in women's health excellence.
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7 w w w. s a m c . c o m S U M M E R 2 015 H E A LT H Y S P I R I T IBD SYMPTOMS you shouldn't ignore Be sure to consult your physician if you're experiencing symptoms that may be related to infammatory bowel disease: • Diarrhea • Rectal bleeding • Urgent need to move bowels • Abdominal cramps and pain • Sensation of incomplete evacuation • Constipation (can lead to bowel obstruction) Source: Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America C elebrity cook Sunny Anderson has built a successful career appealing to people's taste buds. So was she at all concerned about becoming a public spokesperson for an especially unappetizing intestinal condition? "It's really hard to discuss that part of the body sometimes, but I have no problem with it," laughs Anderson, 40, who has suffered from an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) called ulcerative colitis for the past 20 years. "I never had a problem with going to work and saying to my boss, If I have to go to the bathroom really quick, it's just my disease." Anderson, who co-hosts the Food Network show "The Kitchen," became a spokesperson for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's new "Get Your Full Course" educational initiative (http://www.getyourfullcourse.com) in mid-2014 "because this is a discussion that really does have to be had," she says. "People come up to me and say thank you, I didn't know how to start the conversation [about their own disease] … There are things I want to get people to talk about, so people like me who have the disease don't feel so alone and don't have to explain to every other person what the disease is." IBD UNCENSORED Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are the two major categories of IBD—chronic inflammation of all or part of the digestive tract. Crohn's disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus, while ulcerative colitis is limited to the colon. Either condition can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, pain, weight loss and low energy. Anderson first experienced bouts of abdominal pain and blood in her stool at age 19 while she was living in South Korea, where her father was stationed with the U.S. Army. She felt comfortable talking to her dad about her symptoms because he was a physician, she says, and he directed her to a GI specialist. "I was immediately diagnosed [with ulcerative colitis] and immediately got treatment, which allowed the symptoms to dissipate," she says. "And I've only had a couple of flare-ups over the years," thanks to working with her doctors to determine which foods, such as raw vegetables and fruits, tend to aggravate her symptoms. TAKING ON THE WORLD Despite her diagnosis at a young age, Anderson says she never let it get in the way of making big plans for her life. After launching her career as an award-winning radio broadcaster and journalist for the Air Force, she landed in New York City working as a radio DJ and running her own catering company. In 2005 she made a guest appearance on the Food Network's "Emeril Live" and soon began sharing her comfort food cooking style on her own shows, in addition to publishing a New York Times best-selling cookbook in 2013. "This disease is not the boss of me," says Anderson. "I put the disease in a place in my life where it's in the background—it's not going to run me. There are no ingredients I can't eat, just ingredients that I know will cause problems." And her dietary limitations have never been a factor in her rise to fame as a celebrity cook, Anderson says. "My job isn't about me. It's about taking care of others and making sure that others know how to cook," she explains. "I get to create things that make others happy if they try them." In her new role with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, however, Anderson has developed recipes for IBD-friendly dishes based on her own experience with the foods that work for her, which she demonstrates in videos on the foundation's "Get Your Full Course" educational website. In fact, she even had an opportunity to shine a spotlight on IBD symptoms, she says, while working on the website. "One of the stagehands came up to me afterwards and said, I've had these symptoms too, and I've had them for a month. What should I do?" says Anderson. "I said, Dude, you should go to the doctor!" • PHOTO Y GET YOUR FULL COURSE