Well, the important thing to keep in mind is that different things work for different people - I've heard from several people who've followed the SC Diet for years and are very happy with it and feel it works well for their body. And I'm sure there are hundreds more people for whom this is true.

Which brings me to the Raw Food diets. In theory, I like these diets. Ideally, all of us should consume at least a portion of our food raw (although some plants have natural defense mechanisms blocking nutrient absorption that are only disabled via cooking) or at least only lightly steamed/cooked. If you could tolerate a completely raw diet, then great, go for it. Unfortunately, I've found that for many people with IBD, their digestive systems are simply too sensitive and impaired to tolerate raw foods and consumption can trigger a flare.

Thus, I like the diet which recommends only raw juices first, until you're healed enough to handle raw foods. Unfortunately, again, many people may not even be able to tolerate raw vegetable juices (I was one of them) and they may cause violent diarrhea which can then trigger intestinal bleeding. Also, I don't know whether these diets would work if you were already at a low weight or suffering from malnutrition. If all you're going to consume is veggie juices for weeks (and/or raw veggies), you're going to lose some serious weight. Maybe you could throw in some whey protein (isolate) powder to counteract this (if you could tolerate the taste).

So, again, you really have to follow your own gut in this whole arena. If you feel a leaning towards trying a raw food diet, then give it a try, go slowly, and see how your body responds.

If you follow your own body wisdom, you may also come up with novel ways of eating that work best for you. For example, I was contacted by a reader who was 2 months pregnant and her symptoms flared terribly. She was worried about the effects of Prednisone on the fetus and was wondering if the IBD Remission Diet might be a better option. I agreed that it certainly would be better than Prednisone, but I was also concerned about the lack of phytonutrients (from plants) for the developing fetus. So, I suggested she try and see if she could tolerate a combination of the elemental diet (Absorb Plus) along with raw vegetable juicing. She could and it worked a charm and her baby was born completely healthy and continues to do well two years later.

I believe the best thing for all of us is to be open to all sources of knowledge and information and then bring that home to our gut and listen to what our body says feels right for us. And continue to listen/stay open. Your body may want raw food, but only for a week, then it might want something else, then back to raw food for a month, then something else, etc. (for example). As long as you're listening to and following your own body's wisdom, you'll do well in the long-term.

Regarding pizza and beer: When most people ask their gut what it wants to eat, they're usually asking their tastebuds - not their gut. Likewise with 'cravings' for foods you're actually allergic to, or addictive foods like sugar. Connecting with your gut (i.e. digestive system) will not give you same answer as if you ask your 'body' which usually means you're asking your tastebuds, or, the corresponding region of your brain. For example, 'hunger' is regulated by the stomach itself. But 'satiety' (feeling satisfied and not wanting any more food) is regulated by the brain. How many times have you been eating a meal and been offered seconds or thirds and you say, "Oh no, I couldn't eat another bite, I'm absolutely stuffed!" as you pat your distended, obviously full belly. But then your host brings out a mouthwatering chocolate torte and all of a sudden you find you have room in your stomach after all and actually WANT to put more food in your mouth? This is because whilst your hunger is certainly fulfilled and your stomach/gut has indeed had enough, the centre in your brain that controls satiety has not had enough of the tastes of cream, chocolate, etc. and thus you want to eat more. It is not your gut that wants to eat the cake, it is your tastebuds. Follow the instructions in "Dialoguing With Your Body" in LISTEN TO YOUR GUT for guidelines on how to do this. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts and if you want to pursue the path of natural/holistic healing, this is a skill you're going to have to develop.

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT is a comprehensive compendium of a variety of natural, alternative therapies that work to address specific symptoms of IBD and IBS. THE IBD REMISSION DIET however, focuses on just one of those natural therapies (the elemental diet) and then adds a natural supplementation plan to produce an effective program for inducing disease remission.

Whilst LISTEN TO YOUR GUT provides you with a variety of treatment options and you put together your own plan based on your individual symptom profile, THE IBD REMISSION DIET is a set, step-by-step treatment program that is the same for everyone - the only variable is the length of time you stay on the Diet.

THE IBD REMISSION DIET is definitely the fastest way to heal yourself, but it requires a lot more self-discipline and involves short-term, radical change. You can also attain solid, long-term healing using LISTEN TO YOUR GUT but it usually takes longer to achieve the same results - as you pick and choose from the therapies listed and go at your own pace. Both contain very valuable information and healing tools for healing Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis, Diverticulitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).