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Welcome to episode 1 of our series- IBD Can Eat Me guest hosted by Stacey Collins, IBD RD. In this series, Stacey will interview other Dietitians who also specialize in IBD. This week we welcomed Venus Kalami- board-certified pediatric Dietitian Nutritionist!

What if the strict diet you’re told to follow does more harm than good? We sit down with pediatric dietitian Venus to unpack how nutrition in IBD can support health without sacrificing joy, culture, or family life. From Stanford Children’s IBD and celiac center to medical affairs and public education, Venus brings a rare mix of clinical depth and human warmth—and she doesn’t shy away from hard truths.

We dig into the pressure families feel to “do everything,” the overuse of restrictive therapeutic diets, and the real risks that come with them: malnutrition, ARFID, pediatric feeding disorders, and lasting food trauma. Venus shares a clear way to tell the difference between a transient food reaction and an inflammatory flare, helping patients step off the rollercoaster of fear and over-correction. She also shows how to make care culturally inclusive with simple, powerful questions: What do you like? What do you cook? What feels doable at home? It’s a move from generic handouts to plans that honor heritage foods and real life.

You’ll hear a vivid case study where a patient referred for low FODMAP improved dramatically without elimination—just lactase with dairy, spreading fruit across the day, and changing other patterns developed from past food trauma. We talk about involving mental health early, “asking around the ask” when supplements come up, and borrowing pediatric best practices for adults who shouldn’t have to navigate IBD alone. The theme running through it all: patients deserve permission to dream beyond survival. Biomarkers matter, but so do birthdays, travel, and the comfort foods that make you feel at home.

If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs a gentler path, and leave a review to help more people find evidence-based, humane IBD care. Your feedback shapes future episodes—what question should we tackle next?

• Nutrition Pearls podcast with Venus
• Venus on X
• Solid Starts app
• "Offering Nutritional Therapies to Patients with IBD: Even If You're Not An Expert"- Video from Nutritional Therapy for IBD

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Want a clear, human guide to modern IBD care without the jargon? We’re joined by Janette Villalon, a physician assistant at UC Irvine’s IBD Center, who brings a front-line view of what truly helps patients: personalized therapy choices, honest safety talk, and practical plans that fit real life. She traces the evolution from a handful of anti-TNFs to a wider toolkit—anti-integrins, IL-12/23 and IL-23 inhibitors, JAK inhibitors, and S1P modulators—and explains how we match treatments to goals like fast relief, fewer side effects, and coverage of extraintestinal issues such as arthritis, uveitis, and psoriasis.

We dig into how APPs power the day-to-day of IBD clinics, from education to monitoring and rapid access, and how the GHAPP Conference and national societies elevated advanced practice training. Janette breaks down when clinical trials make sense, why strict inclusion criteria matter, and how logistics can steer decisions when someone is very sick. She demystifies biosimilars, outlining FDA standards that support confident switches when insurance demands it, and shares how she helps patients balance infusions, injections, or pills against travel, work, and adherence.

For those planning a family, Janette offers timely guidance: aim for clinical and endoscopic remission three to six months before conception, continue pregnancy-safe maintenance therapy, and discuss starting low-dose aspirin at 12 to 16 weeks to lower preeclampsia risk, coordinated with maternal-fetal medicine.

Looking ahead, we explore precision medicine and AI—predictive markers, microbiome insights, and smarter monitoring that could reduce trial-and-error and catch flares early. The throughline is empowerment: ask questions, read, return for follow-ups, and shape your care around your life. We close with community resources from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and a shout-out to Camp Oasis for young patients.

If this conversation helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—what’s the one topic you want us to go deeper on next?

Links:

• Gastroenterology & Hepatology Advanced Practice Providers (GHAPP) organization
• Camp Oasis- Crohn's & Colitis Foundation USA
• IBD Medication Guide- Crohn's & Colitis Foundation USA
• Pregnancy & IBD video- Crohn's & Colitis Foundation USA

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A boxer in training. A terrifying spiral of symptoms. A life-saving surgery that changed everything. Jose Torres joins us to share how ulcerative colitis pulled him out of the ring and propelled him into purpose—building community, advancing equity, and living well with a J‑pouch in a city that isn’t designed for urgent needs.

We trace Jose’s path from misdiagnosis in Brooklyn to specialized care in Manhattan and the brutal logistics of public transit without bathrooms. He opens up about the cultural currents in his Mexican and Puerto Rican family—why speaking up took time, why steroids raised tough questions, and how food traditions collided with new IBD realities. The story turns on resilience: a colectomy and J‑pouch, early pouchitis, iron infusions, and then a decade of medication-free stability supported by smart nutrition, consistent exercise, and honest attention to mental health.

Jose also brings us inside the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation—from literally ringing the office doorbell to roles in advancement, business development, and DEI leadership. We talk about real lived experience, research into disparities, and why culturally fluent care changes outcomes. Along the way, he shares practical tactics for managing frequency, a nudge toward pelvic floor physical therapy, and a grounded philosophy: don’t chase perfection, cultivate accountability and hope.

If stories of grit, culture, and community help you feel less alone with IBD, this one’s for you. Cheers!

Links:

• Camp Oasis- Crohn's & Colitis Foundation USA
• Camp Purple- Crohn's & Colitis Foundation New Zealand
• About IBD podcast with Amber Tresca episode- "IBD in the Hispanic Community with Dr. Oriana Damas"

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