Master Your IBS [Paperback]

I've suffered from IBS for years, and there were times when it was so bad I have folded in half in the middle of a work day from abdominal cramping or had to get home NOW so I could have my half hour in the bathroom not at a restaurant. Those of you who suffer from IBS know what I'm talking about. :) One of the worst parts for me is how afraid I am to eat anything the next day. The doctors were very dismissive of my assertion that I had food triggers, but like many IBS sufferers I knew that wasn't the case. I have, however, had a hard time pinning down exactly what it was.

One thing that frustrated me with this book is that the writers assume a tone that low-fat, high-fiber is the ONLY way to go. They do deal with food triggers in one (short) section, but there isn't much guidance for how to go about it. They continue to suggest beans, low-fat dairy, and wheat products throughout which, according to studies coming out of Australia where some of the best IBS research is going on, are major trigger foods for a lot of people. The book also encourages people to look at nutritional labels for nutrient content, instead of ingredients, which I find completely backwards.

A large chunk of this book deals with relaxation techniques. I do recognize that stress is a factor in my symptoms, and like most people, I do get stressed out occasionally. On the whole, however, I'm a confident, optimistic, low-strung person, so being told "just relax; take some yoga" is the most useless and frustrating piece of advice I've ever gotten from a doctor. (Nothing against Yoga; I really like it, but, at least for me, it doesn't fix IBS.) If you ARE one of the people for whom "chill out and eat your fiber" is effective, this book goes into greater depth with deep breathing techniques, autogenic exercises, and chapters on things like building positive self-esteem. If, like me, you don't need help with your positive energy or some other self-help manual type advice, this book is pretty useless.

If what your doctor already told you hasn't been helpful (which is why most of us are doing research on our own), this is probably not the book for you. If you're looking (like me) for the more cutting edge research coming out regarding FODMAPs and carbohydrate or fructose intolerance, this is definitely not your book. I don't recommend this. I read some of it, skimmed the rest of it, and learned nothing. I wish I had known ahead of time a little something of what was being offered so I could've saved myself the money.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome can be quite the drain on one's life but it's conquerable. "Master Your IBS: An 8-Week Plan to Control the Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome" is a guide to face one's condition and beat it through the use of good diet, exercise, and other natural actions to get it under one's control without the use of drugs or other actions with potential side-effects. "Master Your IBS" is not to be missed for anyone who wants to better manage the condition to improve the quality of their life.

› Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews  3.5 out of 5 stars