The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Well with IBS [Paperback]

Kate Scarlata (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 6, 2010 | Series: The Complete Idiot's Guide

Soothe your digestive system with 200+ meal plans and recipes.

The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Eating Well with IBS will introduce readers suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) to the information they need to identify the foods that trigger symptoms and prepare recipes meal plans that alleviate those symptoms.

•Features more than 200 recipes and meal plans

•Kate Scarlata is a licensed dietician with 20 years of experience helping IBS patients with their condition, and an IBS sufferer herself

•Thirty-five million Americans are estimated to suffer from IBS, the second leading cause of worker absenteeism

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kate Scarlata, RD, LDN, is a registered and licensed dietitian with over 20 years of experience. She currently provides nutritional consultation for conditions such as IBS, celiac disease, diabetes, and weight management in her private practice in Boston. Kate is the coauthor of Real People Need Real Food: A Guide to Healthy Eating for Families living in a Fast Food World.

Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: ALPHA; 1 edition (July 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1615640290
• ISBN-13: 978-1615640294
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.9 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Diseases & Physical Ailments > Irritable Bowel Syndrome

More About the Author

Kate Scarlata, RD, LDN is a registered and licensed dietitian with over 20 years of experience in the nutrition and wellness field. Kate currently provides nutritional consultation for conditions such as: IBS, celiac disease, diabetes, and weight management in her private practice in Boston and Medway, Massachusetts. Prior to opening her private practice, Kate spent 7 years working at the Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) providing outpatient nutritional consultation. Kate earned her Bachelor in Science from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. Her postgraduate training was completed at BWH, a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate.

Ms. Scarlata has led comprehensive nutrition workshops in the corporate setting across the country. She is the author of the book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Well with IBS and coauthor of the book, Real People Need Real Food: A Guide to Healthy Eating for Families living in a Fast Food World Kate is a featured author in many Boston papers and magazines.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent IBS resource September 6, 2010

By Cindy Carroll MS, RD, LDN

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Eating Well with Irritable Bowel Syndrome by Kate Scarlata is a "stand out" amongst IBS and other related GI health books. As with many syndrome-type medical conditions, it can take years of people suffering before the medical community gets a full grasp on exactly what the condition is, if it even exists and how to treat it. Dedicated research and the many IBS sufferers have finally put IBS on the map as a definitive diagnosis that deserves attention. Based on first hand experience as an IBS sufferer and her thorough research of IBS as a nutritionist , Kate carefully constructs a path down which the reader truly learns this GI syndrome, which foods and nutrients help and hurt it, and what sorts it out from other GI illnesses.

The first half of the book is devoted to the science and physiology of IBS and the latest research on which nutrients are wrecking havoc on your gut, primarily the fermentable carbohydrates. Many things you will learn, including the role of probiotics, the good and bad of fiber with IBS, food intolerances vs. allergies vs. sensitivities, how to eat out, and maybe most importantly the latest research on FODMAPs, an acronym to describe the specific carbohydrates that for various reasons never get fully digested and end up leaving you bloated and bound or bound for the bathroom. This is the heart of IBS treatment, which the medical community is starting to wake up to...because IBS sufferers improve with it.

I have used the FODMAPs to help my IBS patients and it works; people feel better and can live more functional lives.

The second half of the book includes a broad range of tried and true tested recipes that will leave you wanting to try them regardless if you have IBS.... Kate's style of writing and humor make this a wonderful blend of the hard science of IBS with the "how to's" of treatment. It gives IBS sufferers the tools to enjoy eating again and the medical community a reliable resource for a far too long, misunderstood diagnosis. I highly recommend IBS sufferers and anyone who treats them to read it. Read more ›

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One-stop-shopping book November 21, 2010

By Lyn Schwartz

Format:Paperback

This is a one-stop-shopping kind of book for IBS sufferers who are looking for solutions to their IBS problems. From gum, to cheese, to beer, to wheat, to hummus, to soy milk, author Kate Scarlata unravels the mystery of why some seemingly harmless foods can make IBS sufferers feel horrible. As a Registered Dietitian with IBS, I learned new information that will help me both personally, and with my clients who have IBS. The recipes and food tips are fantastic! Who knew most cheddar cheeses have almost no lactose? This book includes a great compilation of big and little facts that can add up to a tremendous difference in how our bodies react to food.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Truly the idiot's guide September 4, 2011

By cherylg

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you have been diagnosed with IBS, chances are you have already done some research on it and know more than what this book can tell you. I guess that's why it's called the Idiot's Guide.
The author goes on about different food groups and FODMAPs, but offers very brief lists of actual foods within each fodmap group, requiring you to do much more research on your own if you want to try the elimination diet. A diet plan, time-line, and an index of foods would have been helpful.
Also, the recipe section of the book seems more like a cookbook for incompetent, dieting idiots than a way to manage IBS. The recipes include countless ingredients she suggests you avoid, such as dairy, wheat, onion, and garlic. For someone who is trying to avoid these ingredients, there are few recipes left that I can actually prepare and tolerate. The first recipe is for an cheese omelet, (which, technically I can eat without problems), but the fact that it's in this book seems a little insulting to me. If I'm capable of reading all the way to p. 106 of your book, I've probably learned how to cook an egg.
Bottom line, don't waste your time with this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for the expert as well as the novice March 8, 2011

By Rebecca Horsman, MS, RD

Format:Paperback

As a Registered Dietitian and an IBS sufferer myself, I really enjoyed this book. It is a good refresher for basic nutrition, and I learned some new information. Readers do not need to know much about nutrition to find this book useful, because the author gives clear explanations on what IBS is, basic nutrition, and realistic ways to manage IBS and be healthier while still living a busy life.

Part 1 defines the different types of IBS, then discusses various carbohydrates, including FODMAPs and soluble and insoluble fiber, "good" and "bad" fats, food intolerances and allergies, good tips for easing digestion, and probiotics. A common theme throughout the book is that each individual needs to try different foods and see what works, because IBS symptoms and trigger foods can vary from person to person. The author suggests keeping a log to determine what foods are manageable and what foods to minimize or avoid, and in what amounts. There is also a handy guide to keeping track of different symptoms and their severity.

Part 2 gives strategies for coping with IBS when shopping, planning meals and snacks, dining out and traveling. There are some helpful food lists for grocery shopping that can be copied directly or used for inspiration, and good ideas for menu planning before you shop.

Part 3 contains lots of great recipes, along with nutrition information and preparation time for each one, explanations of some food terms and tips on substituting IBS-friendly ingredients for ingredients that may be problematic for some. Many of the recipes are simple, with ordinary ingredients that I usually have in my kitchen. I particularly liked some of the definitions in the recipe section, such as strata, polenta, and carnitas. I confess: I did not know all these terms!...

Overall, this is a wonderful book for anyone who wants current information about IBS, nutrition, and healthy digestion. Read more ›