I.B.S. Relief: A Doctor, a Dietitian, and a Psychologist Provide a Team Approach to Managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Paperback)

by Dawn Burstall (Author), T. Michael Vallis (Author), Geoffrey K. Turnbull (Author) "At the outset, we want to clear up some terminology issues..." (more)
Key Phrases: gassy foods diet, irritable bowel symptoms, people with irritable bowel, Food Guide Pyramid, All Bran, North Americans (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Finally, A Complete Approach To Managing I.B.S. At last, here’s a comprehensive program that combines every proven strategy to managing irritable bowel syndrome. Written by a team of specialists, I.B.S. Relief succeeds where single-dimensional treatment attempts fall short because it addresses the complex nature of I.B.S. There are medical issues that require a gastroenterologist, nutrition issues that require a registered dietitian, and stress and coping issues that require a psychologist. Going beyond generalities, this book will help you pinpoint and treat your unique pattern of symptoms, including pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, even heartburn. You’ll learn how to:

• Limit the frequency and intensity of episodes
• Adjust your diet to your symptoms
• Manage pain
• Establish a healthy routine
• Deal with stress
• Practice relaxation strategies
• Overcome fatigue

I.B.S. Relief also offers self-assessments, helpful record forms, and six different diet plans to be used alone or in combination.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (May 6, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471347418
• ISBN-13: 978-0471347415
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #532,890 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

175 of 183 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Be careful on published medical advice, April 24, 2000

By A Customer

This is one of many books being published that explain and propose cures for IBS. All the books I have read prior to this one were heavy on dietary precautions but not as concerned with the so-called psychological aspects of IBS. As a psychologist myself, I have noted the growing tendency, when physicians don't know what causes a disease, to quickly dismiss it as psychological. As a sufferer of IBS (started after I took an antibiotic), I wasn't content with being told that it was entirely or partly in my head, and I got relief from most symptoms by visiting a nutritional doctor (not a nutritionist) who tested me for food allergies using an IGG blood test. Once eliminating the foods I was sensitive to, my IBS improved dramatically to the point where I do not need medication. Nor am I affected by stressful situations as I was prior to watching what I ate. My biggest concern with this book was the advice on loading up on wheat fiber. If you research gastric diseases, IBS is very similar to celiac sprue, which is caused by extreme allergy to wheat. I found this misguided, because I don't doubt that some cases of IBS are celiac sprue -- just not diagnosed because traditional physicians believe it only occurs in infants. Our digestion is being assaulted by processed foods, junk food, pollutants in our drinking water, disease spread by unsanitary food services, and even plastic and styrofoam chemicals leeching into the liquids we drink. Like me, if you are a sufferer from IBS or any "new" disease, you may be getting frustrated by publications that claim cures, including psychoanalytic cures, rather than revealing the reasons or sources of disease. This book just doesn't cut it if you are a person interested in answers, and I do worry about the cure proposed here. If you want to study up on gastrology, getting more info that you can use to search for your own cure, don't neglect the information on digestion and the stomach's nervous system in The Second Brain by Gershon. There are plenty of books on Food Allergies also on amazon.com -- a number are good sources for all sorts of symptoms, not just IBS.

32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars IBS Relief -- Effective, March 21, 2000

By	Nicole Gardiner, RD (East Coast) - See all my reviews

IBS Relief is a practical and effective guide for people trying to manage irritable bowel. I use it in my practice as a nutritionist and recommend it to all of my patients with irritable bowel. It is particularly useful because it offers a team approach to the condition. A medical doctor, a nutritionist and a psychologist teamed up to write this book based on the understanding that effective management requires a multidisciplinary approach, not just advice from one health professional.

The review from the East coast (July, 1999) is misleading for people considering buying this book. IBS Relief does not recommend that people load up on insoluble fibers, it provides advice on the gradual introduction of wheat based (primarily insoluble) fiber to a level that provides a regular bowel habit for each individual. Oatmeal (primarily soluble fiber) is a food that is well tolerated by people with irritable bowel but is not very effective in regulating bowel habit. The book recommends a very gradual introduction of insoluble fibre to manage diarrhea prone irritable bowel which, from my experience, is more effective.

I recommend this book to any person with irritable vowel who wants to manage their condition.

32 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dietary advice very misleading!, July 22, 1999

By A Customer

Although this book explains the difference between soluble/insoluble fiber, it recommends people with IBS load up on the insoluble type through All-Bran or whole wheat. This is dangerous advice! The nutritionist also dismisses soluble fiber sources like oatmeal as being unable to help regulate IBS, which is completely backwards. In the end this book was not worth buying.