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Summary: It WORKS
Review: My sister was diagnosed with terminal Crohns, all she could eat was mashed potatoes. She wasn't allowed to eat much else without pain. After a year on the diet, her Dr that first pooh-poohed the book, asked to read the book, because she was free of signs of crohns. He and his colleages could not beleive her recovery!
I also was having intestanal pain and followed the diet and the pains never came back.
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Summary: I didn't think it was possible!
Review: I've been a Crohn's disease sufferer for 4 years "officially", but symptoms have been around since college. Though probable causes of Crohn's vary (gut flora overgrowth, genetic deficiency, etc.), this book's diet(way of life) addresses them all. I was hospitalized earlier this year due to a flare-up, and I took a very serious look at my life. I had no energy, my work was suffering immensely, and I had lost too much weight. I'm in the fourth month of the diet - 10 times a day is now 1, am nearly off ALL medication, other symptoms are disappearing, energy is increasing, and I've started to gain weight back. I had to ramp up to the diet and learn how to shop all over again, but this book and Dr. Scala's book were a godsend. I personally added a probiotic supplement to the regimen (Primal Defense) which has helped others NOT able to follow the diet 100%. This book is EASILY worth the minimal expense.
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Summary: Good book if your problem was caused by bad diet
Review: I was diagnosed with colitis due to Giardia (a parasite). The doctors didn't know it at the time and I just kept getting worse and worse. I got this book because I was very impressed with the reviews. I followed the diet to a T for several weeks and didn't improve at all.
I think the reason I didn't improve is that my colitis was not caused by bad diet, but by Giardia. So if you suspect the cause of your condidtion may be due to a bad diet (white sugar, white flour, junk food), this book may help you.
But don't think that the diet outlined here is the only solution. If it doesn't work for you, then something else out there will. Inflammation of the colon can be caused by a whole number of things, and you have to keep looking until you find out what caused yours. I believe every single case is curable.
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Summary: I wish I had found this book 16 years ago.
Review: I've had UC for 16 years, and have taken a myriad of drugs which stopped the progression of the disease, but never made me feel normal again.I got this book one month before my most recent Gastroenterologist exam. After getting this book I started the diet EXACTLY as stated in the book. Within 2 1/2 weeks my Ulcerative Colitis symptoms were gone. I don't recommend this but, during week 3 I quit my meds and in week 4 I visited the doc. He said my UC was gone, which I already knew. It is unfortunate that so many doctors don't think that diet plays much of a role in Ulcerative Colitis or many other dieases for that matter. This book just shows you how to eat to cure your digestive system, and it works like no drug ever could. Thanks to this book I am medication free and in remission again. Thanks Elaine
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Summary: Good idea but hard to stick to
Review: This book set me in the direction of exluding starch and sugar from my diet and yes it helps my crohns. I would recommend reading it for the alternative it offers. I just dont have the discipline for this diet.
Unfortunately this diet tries to be a normal diet with muffins and cakes but no flour or starch of any kind. I think Elaine is right about the sugar and starch and the book is worth reading for that aspect alone. If you want to follow this diet check out books like Atkins or the caveman diets, for the menu ideas without starches.
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Summary: Very helpful, but there are some drawbacks
Review: This book has some very useful information for people suffering from an inflammtory bowel disease. If someone is looking into an alternative form of treatment, this book is worth checking out. It offers detailed explanations of how the digestive systems works, and how it reacts to different foods. I have been following the diet for a year and a half with very good results. However, I know this is not a diet I want to follow permanently. Not because it is too difficult, but because I am not convinced the diet is completely healthy. The diet seems to emphasize eating alot of meat eggs and certain types of cheese. These foods are all high in fat and cholesterol. If you are a vegetarian, this diet may not be such a good idea, as food will be very limited. The book also does not really talk about organic foods or free range meats. I don't see how eating meat that has been hormonally altered, or whatever they do it, can be heatlthy. Same goes for fruits, vegetables and cheese. My other complaint is the recipes in the book. On some of the recipes the cooking directions are very vague. Sometimes the oven temperature and cooking time would not be given. There were many foods, like squash, that I had never cooked before. I had no idea how to do it at first. I also think many of the recipes contain too much butter, and came out a little to moist. Despite the problems I have with the book now, I am greatful that I read it. It made me think about how much food affects the progress of Crohn's Disease, and it gave me a good start in learning to alter my diet.
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Summary: A life-changing miracle
Review: After being diagnosed with Crohns Disease at age 25, the thought of living the rest of my life with pain and anxiety was crushing. I found this book only days after being diagnosed and it changed my outlook for the future. The diet described in the book is very easy to follow once you realize the amazing positive effects it will have on your health. I have been living like a "normal" person for almost a year now, and look forward to a long and healthy life thanks to Elaine! If you have any intestinal problems, you need to read this book!
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Summary: This book changed my world
Review: This book literally did change my world. I was told by several doctors that I would never have a normal life again, that there was nothing to do apart from taking steroid drugs and eventually removing the colon. In desperation I looked for another way out. This book clearly laid out why it was happening and how to get back to normal. It states that if you follow the guidelines strictly, with no cheating whatsoever that you can get your health back and in some cases the condition will actually be cured forever. I found this to be absolutely true. For anyone who struggles with the pain and isolation of this disease, please get this book and follow it to the letter. I've now been symptom free for 2 years.
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Summary: The Best Book for Ulcerative Colitis
Review: My twelve year old son was diagnosed 4 months ago with Ulcerative Colitis. His doctor put him on standard medicine and told us that diet had nothing to do with this disease. My gut instinct was that diet had everything to do with it. I began searching the internet and found a website that discussed this book. I immediately purchased it, and the rest is history. Even though I was told by other IBD parents that my son would not stick to the diet, I tried it anyway. We saw results after a few days. My son had more energy, had a little color in his face, and bowel movements started to become more normal and less frequent. His doctor did not approve of his being on a restrictive diet. Needless to say, we now have a new doctor, who has read this book and promotes this diet with all of his IBD patients. My son is gaining weight again, happy, and much healthier, and we owe it all to Elaine Gottschall.
It's a much better alternative than losing body parts. We are forever grateful to you Elaine. I recommend this book to EVERYONE I know who has UC, Crohns, or even Irritable Bowel.
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Summary: The Bible of the Controversial SCDiet
Review: At the risk of infuriating the SCD fans, I feel it necessary to try to write a review that explains the controversy over this diet and how this book relates. First, it's important for me to state that I am no fan of alternative medicine and that IS what we're talking about here. The author (who holds a Masters in biochemistry) has developed a diet which claims to be able to cure inflammatory bowel diseases, a class of terrible autoimmune disorders in which the body's immune system attacks the intestines (in Crohn's, the entire digestive tract is a risk). The diet essentially requires one to carefully choose the specific carbohydrates they will eat (hence the name). The SCD has a substantial following and presence on the internet. And Gottschall actually prints her phone number in the book -- a testiment to how strongly she believes in the diet and her desire to help. The medicial community is well aware of the diet and has not endorsed or accepted the diet primarily because of the lack of well-constructed scientific studies. So I consider the diet controversal because there is considerable friction and downright animosity between the SCD followers and the medical community. If you are interested in persuing this diet, then you really owe it to yourself, the author, and the SCD community to purchase this book. It is extremely readable and you will find yourself unable to put it down. Gottschall details her reasoning behind the diet (which is actually quite simple) and how it works. It's always useful when an author explains the theory behind any regimen because that knowledge helps you (a) decide whether the regimen is worth trying and (b) make decisions about foods not explicitly covered by the book. There is also a fairly comprehensive recipe section which you will find extemely valuable. I don't want to give away too many details of the diet here (read the book for details) but it's worth noting that the author emphasizes that this diet must be followed strictly for a minimum of two years. After you read her theory, you'll understand the rationale behind this strict adherence. Should you buy this book? Realize that by doing so you are essentially becoming your own physician and nutritionist. It would be pointless for me to postulate whether the diet actually works. In the absence of any randomized, double-blind studies I would argue that there is not one single person on the planet who actually knows whether the diet actually cures IBD since the severity of the symptoms of the disease ebb and flow for no discernable reason. There is a considerable internet following so there is no danger of getting "stuck" with a book and diet you can't understand. If you do decide to try it, I wish you the best. My father had severe ulcerative colitis and so did I until I finally had to have my colon removed so I'm well aware of the devastating effects of IBD.
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