The IBD Healing Plan and Recipe Book

Book excerpt: Nearly 1.4 million Americans suffer from inflammatory bowel disease and this number climbs every year. Christie Korth, a nutrition expert, helps those with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis understand their food intolerances and lays out a holistic approach to dealing with their IBD that can help them lead healthy and pain-free lives. Korth also helps the reader explore the possibility of emotional involvement in the disease onset, making this the first book to address both the nutritional and the emotional factors of the disease. Korth herself suffered IBD and writes with insight, supplementing the nutritional and lifestyle information in the book with her own account of achieving wellness. She also includes stories of IBD relief told by those who have worked with her. The compassionate tone, understanding, and humor in this book offer emotional support for the reader, which is a key component for his or her recovery. Much of the focus of the book is on nutrition, and Korth introduces and explains menu planning, food choices, the concept of heating and cooling foods, common Crohn’s disease drug side effects and how to counter act them nutritionally, acid/alkaline imbalance and the major one--food intolerance. The nutritional information is enhanced by a thorough discussion of beneficial vitamins, herbs, natural chemicals that readers can take to supplement their diets. Korth shares tips on what to buy and how to take certain supplements, giving readers a complete idea of the nutritional options available to them. In addition to the groundbreaking information on digestive wellness, this book contains 100 recipes suitable for those with IBD. All recipes — for everything from beverages to vegetables, from salad to dessert — are free of the top eight common allergens. There are recipes that are supportive to those having a flare up, and lists of foods you should eat and foods you should avoid. The book is also complete with shopping substitution cards for those who have food intolerance. Along with the abundance of recipes, Korth includes daily ideas for lunches “on the go” so busy readers can eat convenient, healthy meals. The book also includes sample menus, exercises, worksheets, and personal habit quizzes that can help readers reflect on their own habits and explore the benefits of committing to digestive health. Illustrations, photos, and charts enhance the book’s message, and a directory of helpful websites directs readers to further information. The IBD Healing Plan and Recipe Book gives readers the knowledge they need to manage their pain and offers companionate emotional support during the process. The book does not advocate a “one size fits all” solution, nor does it leave readers reliant on prescription drugs or surgery. Its recipe and diet advice allows readers to achieve digestive health. Though Korth is not claiming to cure IBD, she believes that with appropriate intervention, there is great hope for someone to live symptom-free using natural methods.