Customer Reviews

Controlling Crohn's Disease: The Natural Way

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a must read for anyone with Crohn's disease. Virginia Haper tells her personal story of living with Crohn's Disease for most of her life. Her experiences will be familiar to anyone who has dealth with this illness. Through her story the reader will find out how she was able to overcome the disease and live virtually symptom free for over twenty years. Her story proves a change in eating and living habits can help this disease. Her story and triumph are truly inspirational and bring hope to all those who suffer with Crohn's Disease.

This is a compelling personal story of the author's battle with Crohn's disease, near-death experiences, and her triumph in finding a solution in macrobiotic food and lifestyle. While most of the painful and embarrassing experiences Harper shares are common to people suffering from IBD, I think it takes a lot to share this kind of personal information with unknown readers, and she deserves credit.

Harper finds health and happiness in a macrobiotic diet and a lifestyle that is less stressful. Most traditional doctors and specialists will say that `diet has nothing to do with Crohn's'. I agree with Harper's point that "most people who suffer from some form of IBD know in their heart [gut!] that food is a trigger and a likely cause of their illness". I also agree that beyond simply taking prescribed pills, the patient needs to take a greater role in one's own healing. Harper points out the power of positive visualization, and the joy she felt when the healthy image she envisioned years earlier was actually achieved. Beyond the macrobiotic diet she espouses, other key points include: the importance of chewing your food completely to aid in digestion, eating smaller meals (but more often), and the importance of a caring support structure. To anyone critical of the time commitment involved in any sort of natural self healing: it is an investment of time to feel well versus time spent seeing doctors and feeling poorly.

My disappointments with the book stem from the broad title and where the book leaves off. The title suggests the possibility of the discussion or comparison of more than one natural solution to dealing with IBD. For example, I follow the SCDiet, and would consider that to be natural as well (albeit quite different from the macrobiotic diet). Also, I was left wondering if Harper would be able to sustain her diet and lifestyle changes, as she deviated off the regimen, which resulted in a few flares.

This book is a dramatic story of a young woman who moves from Chile as a teen and very soon suffers symptoms of
an unknown health problem. Through years of ups and downs and an eventual diagnosis of Crohn's Disease,
Virginia Haper must then suffer the side effects of prednisone. After much weight gain and a great deal of suffering, Virginia then finds hope. Her father discovers
a health counselor who guides Virginia on the path to
total recovery .... The latter half of the book
gives the natural healing recipes that Virginia used.
A powerful story of human triumph. But the best news of all
is that this program of natural healing and food can be used
by anyone willing to learn and apply the knowledge.

This is probably the most forthright and helpful book about Crohn's that has ever been on the market. Personally, I know many individuals (myself included)who have changed their entire health condition around, due to the macrobiotic lifestyle that is advocated in this book by Virginia Harper. If you really want to get well, and eventually off of your medications, read this book and get in touch with Ms. Harper- the real expert on digestive disorders. Sure, many doctors don't agree with the ideas presented in this book, most likely because they can't make any money off of you when you are well and in control of your health! Eating this way does mean you have to cook- a major lifestyle change for many. Would you rather cook and live a better quality of life, or be on meds and continuously have operations for the rest of your life, and never get the chance to live the life you were meant for? That's the decision only you can make for your self.

This book is a dramatic story of a young woman who moves from Chile as a teen and very soon suffers symptoms of
an unknown health problem. Through years of ups and downs and and an eventual diagnosis of Crohn's Disease,
Virginia Haper must then suffer the side effects of prednisone. After much weight gain and a great deal of suffering, Virginia then finds hope. Her father discovers
a health counselor who guides Virginia on the path to
total rocovery, eventually freeing herself from all drugs,and
avoiding the need for surgery. The latter half of the book
gives the healing natural recipes that Virginia used.
A powerful story of human triumph. But the best news of all
is that this program of natural healing and food can be used
by anyone willing to learn and apply the knowledge.

I read Ginny's book after going to do a consultation with her in person at her learning center in Franklin Tennessee. Her personal direction combined with the story of her own triumph in her book are 'the' reason I am here today.
I had a severe case of ulcerative colitis. I had been diagnose a year earlier. I had a net weight swing of 90lbs in less than 12 months. I am 6'3" and weigh around 180. I lost 35 lbs during my first flare. Gained it all back in a new form, fat, read: prednisone. I then had a second flare and it all fell off again in less than 3 weeks. The doctor's prognosis was that I would need to move up to much more severe drugs, very likely surgery, and almost certainly a shortened lifespan full of side effects, infections, probable cancer etc......
I discovered Ginny and her book in late November of 2006. I took my last medications January 28, 2007. I have had no need for them since, (today is March 26, 2009, still healthy and strong and very well fed).
I have a deep desire to share the benefits not of a macrobiotic diet, but a conscious life. Everything I did contributed to or diminished my susceptibility to UC. Ginny has showed me so much more than eating miso. I live a life that is so much freer and richer now that I am aware of how my body interacts with my environment, emotions, and food. Food is only the beginning.
I urge anyone with a digestive illness or disease to read this book and/or contact Ginny. Her website is kioflife.com .
Or you can call. You'll probably talk to me. I now work with Ginny and her learning center, helping people heal themselves from these highly treatable conditions.
No matter what you choose, good luck, and please share what you learn. It all helps!

What did I enjoy about this book? First, my sister was diagnosed with Crohn's (many years ago) long before doctors had much information about it. After many health challenges, she died of various complications, and, what encouraged me about this book is that a woman who had such serious health issues was able to completely manage her Crohn's through her diet, along with the implementation of other lifestyle changes.

This book should give anyone hope, and, the information is really a great beginning if you wish to learn more about how to help your system from the inside out, and yes, I tried some of these healing foods at specific times when I was experiencing an unusual amount of stress!! The dietary information (and specific information about grains, etc., and their healing attributes) is top quality for the size of the book.

Really, Virginia has a delightful and engaging way of telling her story (both dietary and personal) while getting back to basics, nutritionally and otherwise, and her honesty refreshes one as much as the dietary suggestions do!

All in all, a very good read.

Having recently been diagnosed with crohn's disease and finding the Doctor's to be frustrating, I decided to give this diet a chance...I am happy to say I am drug free and able to control the symptons and flair ups. I also use accupuncture to keep my body and symptons in check. I recommend this diet to anyone having intestinal problems as well as weight issues.

I have just received this book and have found it very informative. If we all went back to farm life then I am sure that none of the diseases of today would be around.

I too have severe crohnes disease and have taken every medication
from prednisone to remecade.The remecade works but i was very
concerned about prescription drugs and thought there must be a
more natural alternative.Now I take vitamin and mineral suplements, omega fatty acids,digestive enzimes,green food supplements and a few others to keep myself alkaline. As long
as I keep my acid-alkaline levels in the alkaline side (about ph6 to ph7) my crohnes disease remains in remission.(2 years no meds).