Hello everyone, I'm new here.

A bit about me: I'm 27 years old. I came down with Ulcerative Colitis almost 3 years ago. Prednisone erased the symptoms for a time, but a little over a year later, anxiety started making them come back. Even when the disease is in remission, I have to run to the toilet more than 5 times per day sometimes if I'm anxious/stressed about something. In other words, anxiety triggers gas and bowel movements (though thankfully, it doesn't get worse than that).

I decided to start the Maker's Diet in hopes of curing my Colitis, as I've heard more than one person do. For the first 3 days of week one, I felt awful -- headaches, horrible cough, other flu-like symptoms.

After that went away, I felt somewhat energetic for a time, but my anxiety level has been up ever since I began this diet. Such that I'm now beginning phase 2 (week 3 total), I'm still going to the bathroom just as often, and I'm feeling sick again. Perhaps it has something to do with how I started on the Primal Defense yesterday, or maybe it's something else. But ever since last night, my stomach has felt awful after full course meals. It feels very tumultuous down there with some light nausea, and of course, I have increased defecation. Only, this doesn't feel like anxiety defecation at all -- it feels like sick defecation, if anyone gets what I mean. I could end up going 10 times per day or more at this rate. I also have this annoying (and persistent) soreness somewhere between the corner of my throat and behind my right ear, though I don't feel it unless I swallow hard.

My question is (drumroll)...is this normal? Should I be feeling these "die-off" symptoms (if that's what they are) as far into the diet as week 3? Is it normal *not* to feel like my condition is starting to cure itself yet? And lastly, is it alright if I add a phase 3 food a little early -- say, Ezekiel bread, for the remainder of phase 2?

I was a gi-normous pasta addict before this diet. I had it with pretty much every meal except breakfast (my Italian roots, I guess), so thus far, this diet is like being in jail, only without the big guy named Bubba to corner me in the shower. Still, I haven't broken it once in 16 days and I'd really like for that trend to continue. So, any help/comments/advice is appreciated...and maybe a marriage proposal, since I've got nobody to cook for me and I can only visit my mom so often *grin*

-Michael