Digestive Wellness (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

There is currently an epidemic of digestive illness in this country, an epidemic that can be traced to the foods we eat and the way we live. One-third to one-half of all adults suffer from some sort of digestive problem, and faulty digestion is directly responsible for a vast array of other ailments--everything from bad breath, ulcers, heartburn, and constipation to colitis, diverticulitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. Disorders that are caused indirectly by this problem include arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and migraine headaches. In this well-researched, comprehensive book, noted nutritionist Elizabeth Lipski helps readers understand the complex interrelationships of the digestive process.

From the Back Cover

"If you seek to be more proactive and involved in your health care decisions, this well-written, understandable book is an important place to begin the process."
--Doug Wilmore, M.D., and Judith Shabert, M.D., R.D., M.P.H.

Not only is faulty digestion directly responsible for a large number of gastrointestinal disorders, it can be indirectly responsible for a vast array of seemingly unrelated illnesses including arthritis, migraines, and auto-immune diseases.

In Digestive Wellness, clinical nutritionist Elizabeth Lipski explains how your digestive system works and what can happen when it experiences complications. She covers all the common gastrointestinal disorders and offers her expert guidance on the newest advances in testing and diagnosis, nutrition, and natural therapies, including detoxification and self-care options for more than thirty common conditions.

Identify and treat digestive complications such as:

IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) • GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) • indigestion • gas bloating • constipation • celiac disease • hepatitis • inflammatory bowel diseases • and more

Digestive Wellness offers practical information that will guide you toward better health. This new edition is extensively updated to include:

• New sections on hepatitis, cirrhosis, Barrett's esophagus, and Behcet's disease
• The latest information on food allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, probiotics, prebiotics, and the use of supplements and herbs
• Advice on how healthy changes in diet and lifestyle can help you achieve a level of physical and emotional wellness you may have never experienced before

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 2 edition (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879839848
• ISBN-13: 978-0879839840
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #476,389 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Digestive Wellness, Updated Second Edition, October 27, 2002

By	Cassandra Barnes "Cassandra" (California) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Not only is the list of difficulties caused by poor digestion lengthy, it includes many health problems that people don't immediately associate with their digestive process. Most people know that bad breath, indigestion, hiatal hernias, and Crohn's Disease are related to what happens in the digestive tract. Clinical nutritionist Elizabeth Lipski, M.S., C.C.N., also includes arthritis, autism, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, and schizophrenia in the list of digestion-related ailments.

Lipski cites all the latest research and studies on digestive disorders and therapies in her new book, Digestive Wellness, Updated Second Edition.

Digestion begins in the mouth and continues through the stomach and intestines to the colon. Each organ has an important role to play in helping the body break down foods so that their nutrients can be absorbed. Lipski says that "most of us don't think much about digestion unless it isn't working well," adding that "many people with chronic digestive problems continue to eat poorly, never realizing that their food choices are causing their ill health."

She starts with an exploration of the causes of digestive illness, which is often related to lifestyle choices. She then describes how a healthy digestive system works, and explains where and how the process can get out of balance. Lipski also includes information on how to pinpoint the source of your particular digestive disorder and provides recommendations and therapies for restoring wellness.

She emphasizes that each person has different biochemistry, and that what works for one will not work for another. Although health professionals can order lab tests (and she explains these tests fully), healing usually involves modifying individual eating habits. Accordingly, Lipski devotes one section to self-care strategies, with the intent of exposing readers to "more plans, new ideas, and the tools to be your own health expert."

She ends with a resource list of nutrition experts, health professionals, laboratories, and suggested reading.

Lipski says that Digestive Wellness "is about taking control of your lifestyle to increase your chances of getting healthier and more vibrant each year." It's an excellent resource for everyone suffering from any kind of digestive disorder and those who care about them.

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing book on an odd but important topic, May 17, 2000

By A Customer

I read this book not because I had digestive problems per se, but because a friend recommended it as one of the most interesting, empathetic, and broadly applicable books on health issues that she'd ever read (!) And I found that I agree. Completely. Digestive Wellness addresses arthritis, food sensitivities, migraine headaches, and skin conditions, explaining how digestive problems--whether or not they manifest themselves as such--can be responsible. A must read for ANYONE with a digestive system and an interest in maximizing his or her health!

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good & informative, August 15, 2001

By	Georgina "tville" (san francisco, ca) - See all my reviews

This is a pretty good book. I am celiac and have found a lot of her book interesting and provocative. She discusses the possibility of virus' and colitis and why keeping a good digestion and it's good bacteria up to par is important to ward off a host of disease including cancer. The downside is the index is not well done & things aren't well put together But the information is there if you read from front to back; skipping doesn't work :-)