For sixteen years, I lived with Crohn's Disease. At my worst, I was taking fourteen tablets a day just to function.

Then on Christmas Day 2016 my bowel perforated, and I woke up from emergency surgery at 5 stone.

In that hospital bed, I told myself this wasn’t going to be my life anymore

I made a decision to look for alternative solutions to Crohn’s disease since nothing had worked until then, and I was in a worse state than ever.

I started on that journey of recovery, and twelve months later, I broke two national powerlifting records. Today, many years later, I live completely symptom-free and medication-free.

My journey from broken to healed led to the creation of Fifth Ray and Cosmic Hue. Not just by reading scientific papers, but from my real lived experience.

I’m Manny, and here's my story of what it was like living with Crohn’s disease.

I was Diagnosed With Crohn’s Disease at 11 Years Old

My mum and I went to the GP (doctor) when I was 11 because I was shorter than the other kids. The doctor ran some tests and discovered I had Crohn's Disease. I'd never even heard of it before.

The diagnosis came the day before I started high school. New school, new diagnosis, no idea what either meant. There was also hardly any research on Crohn's in 2001, so the symptoms that developed fast became my daily reality through my teenage years with no guidance.

The exhaustion controlled everything. Five minutes into a walk, I'd need to sit down. People assumed I was lazy. I didn't even understand it was fatigue, I just felt tired all the time.

Every meal meant pain afterwards. Bloating so bad I couldn't stand up straight, and I had no appetite either. I never gained weight, so I thought it was fine to eat what I wanted: pizza, McDonald's, doner kebabs, Coca-Cola.

Even though I was struggling with these symptoms, I refused to let Crohn’s define me.

I never wanted to be the guy who was unwell. So I masked it all, powered through, played football, stayed social and outgoing. I built this version of myself that was confident, charismatic, athletic. Anyone looking at me would never have known what was going on inside.

That persona carried me through my teenage years and into my twenties. I genuinely believed I could power through forever. I was wrong.

Christmas Day 2016 was the Breaking Point

In January 2016, stress from a new job triggered my worst flare-up yet. I was way out of my depth at work, completely overwhelmed, and my body paid the price.

Driving to the GP, any tiny bump in the road sent sharp shooting pains through my stomach. I could barely make it there.

They rushed me to hospital. My inflammation markers were 60 times over normal levels. I spent four days on a steroid IV drip, thinking that would be it.

Then came Christmas Day. Rushed to hospital again, quarantined, given morphine in A&E. I knew this wasn't just another flare-up.

When I woke up from emergency surgery, I was terrified.

Thirty to forty staples ran down my stomach like a zip. A bag on my lower stomach, filled with green bile. I'd lost so much weight my body felt foreign to me. Lying there, I kept thinking how have I got to this stage? All I felt was fear.

But lying in that hospital bed, somewhere between the fear and the morphine wearing off, something shifted inside me.

I had a choice to make.

My Decision to Heal Differently from my Hospital Bed

Fifteen years of medications. Different drugs, endless cycles, increasing dosages. My symptoms kept getting worse, not better. The system wasn't working anymore.

When my bowel perforated, I decided to take control. I started looking for answers outside of what the doctors were offering me.

One of the first things I came across was turmeric. I used to dismiss it as just a spice, something you throw in a curry.

But when I started looking at the research, one study found that people taking curcumin (the active compound in turmeric) saw their gut bacteria diversity increase by 69%.

I knew gut bacteria diversity was something healthy, so I started digging deeper.

My Kitchen Then Became a Laboratory

I started discovering more plants. Marshmallow root, cat's claw, ashwagandha. Before long, it grew into 30-plus plants I was working with to try and heal my gut.

I researched what works with what, watch videos from herbalists, read scientific studies, trying to understand from both perspectives. Then I'd mix different blends in teas and test them on myself.

This became my daily practice. I’d try different teas throughout the day, and note how my gut responded.

I got to know the flavour of each one intimately. The slightly sweet feel of marshmallow root. The woody bitter edge of cat's claw. The earthy calm of ashwagandha.

The best thing was that I could feel actual improvements in my body. Gradually, my skin cleared, my hair got healthier, and my appetite improved.

I also started gaining healthy weight for the first time in years.

Breaking Powerlifting Records 12 Months Later

Over time, my inflammation dropped, and real energy returned. Not caffeine-fuelled crashes, but natural, sustained vitality.

I started training in the gym again, and my body responded well. My muscles grew, and my strength came back faster than expected.

Twelve months after my bowel perforated, I broke my first powerlifting record. 180kg deadlift. Six months later, 195kg.

This was proof to me that when you heal your gut, everything else follows. Your energy, your strength, your resilience, your mental clarity.

But beyond the records, what really mattered was how I felt waking up every single day.

What Freedom Actually Feels Like Now

After 16 years with Crohn's, freedom feels like waking up without pain.

I used to wake up with agonising stomach cramps and brush it off as normal. "Oh, it's just my Crohn's."

I'd open my bowels six times on a normal day. Most days it was 10-plus times, bad days 20-plus, sitting there 15 to 20 minutes each time. That's half a day in the bathroom, every single day.

I was scared to eat, confused about what foods were safe, anxiety building around every meal. Now I wake up with energy and vibrance. One healthy bowel movement. No pain. No fear.

I have confidence in my body again.

It's been my normal for eight years, and I felt compelled to share my story for people who were in the same situation as I was.

Why I Created Fifth Ray and Cosmic Hue

During this time, I became a Gut Health Coach. People with Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis, IBD, IBS started reaching out after hearing about how I’d recovered from where I was.

Every single person I guided experienced improvements when they added different lifestyle changes and natural remedies to their wellness plan.

All of these conversation is what inspired Cosmic Hue, a powerful plant tea blend with seven key ingredients: fennel seeds, ashwagandha root, stinging nettle, astragalus root, echinacea, cat’s claw, and marshmallow root.

After all those years of testing and experimenting, this was what I found to be the most effective blend of plants to support gut healing, and what I found myself recommending over and over again.

This isn’t to say drinking Cosmic Hue will solve all of your gut problems in isolation. But it is a powerful tool in your toolkit to feel better alongside nutrition, stress management, exercise, and sleep.

So, if you're still reading this and you're struggling with Crohn’s disease, I want to share what I wish someone had told me.

If You're Still Fighting Crohn’s Disease

I remember lying in that hospital bed at 5 stone, thinking this was it. I was broken beyond repair. But I wasn't. And neither are you.

Your system is just out of sync. The pain, the fatigue, the fear around food, these are signals, your body is trying to communicate to you.

What changed everything for me beyond lifestyle changes was my mindset.

I'd catch myself in thought spirals. "My stomach's hurting. It must be my Crohn's. Last time this happened, I couldn't work. My boss will be angry. I'm going to lose my job."

One thought spiralling into the next, creating more stress, more inflammation, more symptoms.

I learned to pause, say "cancel," then reframe. "My stomach's hurting, but I'm healing. I'm calm. I feel strong." Even when I didn't fully believe it, I said it anyway.

I was training my nervous system to believe something different.

Start catching the negative thoughts. Cancel them. Replace them with what you want to be true.

Your thoughts create your feelings. Your feelings affect your gut through the gut-brain axis. It’s all connected.

Your Journey Starts Here

The journey to being symptom-free and medication-free was a long one.

But lying in that hospital bed I had a choice. Accept that this would be the reality for the rest of my life or try and do something about it beyond what was being prescribed to me.

If Cosmic Hue can help you in that journey, then that is great. However, the purpose of this article is to share my story, and maybe get you thinking in a different way about what is possible.

We’d love to support you on your own journey in any way we can. You can get in touch with us on our contact page.

Manny 💛

Author: Manny is the founder of Fifth Ray and a certified Gut Health Coach. After battling Crohn's Disease for 16 years, he transformed his gut health through plant-based healing. His story has been featured on BBC, ITV, and Daily Mail.

Disclaimer: This information is for education only. Cosmic Hue is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always speak to your healthcare provider before changing your routine.