Eating for IBS: 175 Delicious, Nutritious, Low-Fat, Low-Residue Recipes to Stabilize the Touchiest Tummy (Paperback)

by Heather Van Vorous (Author) "IBS IS NOT an explicitly defined medical diagnosis with a clearly understood cause..." (more)
Key Phrases: saturated fat, total dietary fiber, soluble fiber base, Directory of Resources, Glaxo Wellcome, Egg Beaters (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
If you are one of the millions of people suffering from IBS, immediate help is finally at hand. Contrary to what many believe, eating for IBS does not mean deprivation, never going to restaurants, boring food, or a limited and therefore unhealthy diet. It does mean learning to eat safely by realizing how different foods physically affect the GI tract, and how these foods can prevent or trigger IBS. For example:

* There are two kinds of fiber...one soothes the colon but the other can cause severe attacks

* Dairy is a common trigger...even in people who are not lactose intolerant

* Peppermint, chamomile, and fennel can prevent attacks better than some prescription drugs

* Bland foods are not automatically safe foods

In Eating for IBS, Heather Van Vorous, who has suffered from IBS for over 20 years and gradually learned to control her symptoms through dietary modifications, offers sympathetic suggestions tailored specifically to the needs of IBS sufferers that are based on first-hand experience as well as nutritional research. She provides a comprehensive overview of IBS, explicit eating and cooking strategies, travel and restaurant advice, daily menus, supermarket ideas, and 175 gourmet recipes. IBS sufferers will be thrilled to discover that they can enjoy traditional homestyle cooking, ethnic foods, rich desserts, snacks, and party foods—and don’t have to cook unusual or special meals for themselves while their families follow a "normal" diet. Eating for IBS will forever revolutionize the way people with IBS eat—and live.

From the Publisher
Over 100,000 copies sold

Finalist for the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Health and Special Diet Award, 2000

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1 edition (October 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569246009
• ISBN-13: 978-1569246009
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (136 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,878 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #2 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Disorders & Diseases > Abdominal
  #2 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Disorders & Diseases > Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  #9 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Spirits

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

113 of 114 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW!!!!!, January 19, 2001

By	Abra Carroll Nardo (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you have IBS, you MUST get this book. I have had IBS for 15 of my 31 years. I have spent time and effort reading about IBS, making food diaries charting how different foods make me feel. Most of the conclusions that have taken me years to find out on my own are in this book. I wish it had been given to me when I was 16. Most books give vague suggestions that don't help. IBS is treatable, but only with diet. Nothing else I've tried has worked. And I've tried everything. I always felt like I had some psychological problem that made me have these reactions to food, but it's clear I don't. I still experience stress, but nothing gives me an attack quicker than a glass of milk or a large plate of fried food. All of the suggestions that she makes are right in line with what it took me years to find out. I knew that I couldn't drink orange juice on an empty stomach, but I thought that was only relevant to me! To think, there are millions of others who could have benefitted from this same bit of knowledge. The diet is perfect for me. There are only a few other things that are different for me. First, I am able to eat yogurt (except not frozen yogurt) without added fruit without any problems. Second, I am very allergic to MSG ..., which means I have lots of trouble with soups (because of the MSG in the broth), frozen foods, salad dressings, many veggie burgers, and the like. Lastly, caffeine causes me no trouble in small quantities. Through the use of this book as a starting off point, a person with IBS can quickly find a new way of eating that will change their life for the better. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend this book. I am so happy it's been written. Hooray!

78 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a book that teaches you what and when to eat food for IBS, November 9, 2000

By	Sarah E. Golding (Lowell, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Anyone who has IBS knows that controlling your diet can be very difficult. This book helps address the issue of diet and foods for those with IBS. Eating for IBS is written in a simple and easy to understand way that makes it a pleasure to read. Also, the information in the book is not from a doctor it is from someone WHO HAS SUFFERED FROM IBS...this is what helps makes this book so good and honest.

The book itself has two main sections. The first is an overview of what IBS is and what foods work with and against your colon. Some of the great parts of this section are a list of trigger foods (and why they are trigger foods), an explanation of the different types of fiber and fiber foods, IBS kitchen essentials, and many other great tips.

The other part of the book is recipes. These are low residue recipes that work with a sensitive stomach. The categories of recipes listed are wide and include: beverages, appetizers and snacks, breakfasts, breads, side dishes and salads, soups and sanwiches, main dishes and desserts. The recipe section also contains a menu at-a-glance feature. The recipes in this book are great. They include flavor, great taste, and variety. The author of the book, Heather Van Vorous, uses many substitutes to make recipes that were normally unthinkable great for people with IBS. Also, the recipes included generally are easy to make. Another great feature is that each recipe has a very detailed nutrient analysis directly under it on the page.

The one downfall of this book is that many of the recipes require ingredients that aren't normally found on your local grocery store shelves. However, Vorous does respond to this problem by having a directory of resources in the back that includes phone numbers and web address of places where these items may be purchased. Another downfall of the book is that some of the recipes just seem to elaborate for an everyday meal--a few of them just seem so fancy they should be served at a dinner party.

Overall, this book is really fantastic. Although it has a few problems, as noted above, this book is well worth the cost. It can help people who suffer from both mild and severe IBS. The advice and recipes contained within the book help people with IBS realize that they don't have to give up great tasting food. This is a really good buy for anyone who suffers with IBS.

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only book on IBS written by an IBS sufferer..., November 8, 2000

By	"xinamine" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

If you have IBS, you already know how frustrating and debilitating this disorder can be. It affects and often controls your whole life, and consumes time and money as you go from doctor to doctor, medication to medication, explore alternative healing modalities. Heather Von Vorous's book is the best $17 you will ever spend in an effort to learn to control your IBS symptoms. This is the only book on IBS written by a fellow IBS sufferer. Ms. Von Vorous is a sympathetic and understanding writer. Personally, I suffered from severe IBS and found no relief until I found Ms. Von Vorous's website..., which she has turned into her book, Eating for IBS. I followed her reccomendations and recipes to the letter for two months, and began to see my IBS in a whole new light. Not only did I greatly improve my IBS symptoms, but I discovered through this book a healthy, wholesome way to eat and enjoy food again. Ms. Von Vorous strongly believes that having IBS should not mean deprivation as far as food is concerned, but simply substitution. And her recipes deliver. Did you ever think you would be able to enjoy wonderful cakes and sweet breads without paying for it later with stomach pain and discomfort? Or eat gelato or Thai stir-fry without any consequences? Well, believe it! This book literally saved my life. Before I found this book, I weighed 87 pounds, could not tolerate any foods, and had IBS symptoms so severe I had to quit my job. Now I am gaining back my lost weight, can enjoy a tremendous variety of foods, and can live a normal, full live again. If you are ready to start managing your IBS and can open your mind to the suggestions and diet modifications that Ms. Von Vorous presents, you will be amazed at the results. As an IBS sufferer, I have infinite sympathy for others like myself who suffer from this awful condition for which there is no medical cure. This book does not propose a miracle "cure" for IBS, but it will aid you tremendously in managing it, so you can be in control of your life again! Heather Von Vorous' thorough, detailed and compassionate information and recipes are better than any pills, potions, or doctor's advice on this disease that I have come across.