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Why One-Size-Fits All Weight Loss Fails

Why One-Size-Fits All Weight Loss Fails

There’s a moment when you’re sitting across from yet another health professional, watching them flip through your chart with that familiar look of confusion. Your weight hasn’t budged despite following their meticulously crafted meal plan. The high-protein, high-fiber recommendations sit heavy in your stomach, like literally. And once again, you hear those dreaded words: You just need to stick to the plan. But what happens when standard approaches simply don’t work? Living with Crohn’s Disease, a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) has taught me that weight management isn’t just about willpower or following the right program. It’s about navigating…

Empowered Patients Are the Missing Metric in Healthcare

Empowered Patients Are the Missing Metric in Healthcare

I remember sitting in an exam room in 2017, knowing something was wrong with my body, but not having the words, the tools, or even the space to say it. The questions I should’ve asked? I didn’t know I could ask them. The information I needed was there, but buried in medical terms, rushed appointments, and the quiet assumption that I’d figure it out on my own. What I’ve come to understand, not just as a Crohn’s survivor, but as a Certified Patient Leader, is this: Outcomes in healthcare don’t just depend on new treatments. They depend on empowered patients.…

Shared Decision-Making in IBD Care: A Pathway to Better Outcomes

Shared Decision-Making in IBD Care: A Pathway to Better Outcomes

Managing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) comes with a series of complex decisions from treatment options and medication plans to lifestyle changes and long-term care strategies. For many patients, it can feel overwhelming. That’s where Shared Decision-Making (SDM) comes in a compassionate and collaborative approach that brings patients and healthcare providers together to make informed decisions aligned with what truly matters to the patient. What is Shared Decision-Making? Shared decision-making is more than a medical conversation—it’s a partnership. In this process, both the patient and the healthcare provider contribute their knowledge and perspectives to arrive at the best path forward. It…