Caramal Publishing: : READER EVALUATIONS

Reader Evaluations

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT

I have suffered from IBS seriously since 1996. I tried all known medications in my country (Zambia, Southern Africa, a third world country) to no avail. I did endoscopy/colonoscopy only to be told that I had no structural defects but my problem was a functional one. I was put on predinesolone, "pancreax" and other enzymes, but not much help. I started drinking ORS, sipping it almost every 5 minutes to ease the rumbling in my stomach. I lost weight and feared to eat food.
However, after I read about your articles on the Internet concerning IBS or dyspepsia, I have discovered that my staple food made from corn (maize) flour irritates my bowels! I am now eating rice and I have stopped eating tomatoes, onions, fruits and vegetables. I don't take beer because it also irritates my bowels and I don't smoke Being a diabetic I don't eat sugar and fatty foods. The results have been tremendous. I do the colon massage. My wife and people are now telling me that I have put on a lot of weight (from less than 63Kg to over 76Kg for a 48 year old man). I can't believe what I am experiencing and I hope this is for real because it is too early to "celebrate".
I am very grateful to you for the free healing information I got from your website.
May God bless you and your family.

F.C.B.
Zambia

My son was diagnosed with Crohn's last summer - at 14 years old he weighed only 75 lbs. He was started on high doses of prednisone and Pentasa - having never even heard of Crohn's we willingly did everything the pediatric specialist said. It became apparent quickly that this wasn't working. On the same day we came home from a Dr. appt. where the Dr. said diet has absolutely nothing to do with Crohn's, and the only thing he can do is increase his medicine (he's already taking 15 pills a day), your book "Listen To Your Gut" and the shakes were on my back porch - I'm convinced it was an omen. Almost immediately, my husband and I noticed a change in him - he lost the dark circles under his eyes, he sleeps like a baby, he has so much energy (he is actually acting like a teenage boy should), and he has gained almost 5 pounds in a month. I can't thank you enough! The book is fantastic! George's Roadrunner Aloe Vera Juice has been a big help, as well as the Udo's Flax Oil - all of which he takes willingly because he has noticed the change also. I'm so glad you have a book with your recipes - I will be ordering it soon. I carry the book with me and refer to it all the time. Again, I really can't thank you enough for the change in my son - if we listened to the doctors and did no homework on our own, I am convinced he would still be curled up on the couch popping his megadoses of pills. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I tell everybody about you.
CD
Pennsylvania, USA

Two years ago I bought Jini Patel's book, LISTEN TO YOUR GUT, and this book helped me a lot to change my life and heal myself. This book was and is a big inspiration, in taking control of my sickness, not being a victim, but helping myself and my body to heal. It gave me the courage and discipline to follow a strict diet. Of course I was ready for it, for some time I had been considering to wean off my Immuran medication. Jini's book gave me the guidelines I needed to stop with Immuran. Because she tried so many things and described them in a practical way, she gave me some guidance. For instance she describes what can happen when you stop with your medication, that it is possible you come into a downwards spiral. That's exactly what happened and normally this would tell me I was doing the wrong thing, I would get scared! But Jini said it might indicate your body has to re-adjust to this new situation. The other thing I liked in the book, among lots of other things, was how she describes the phases of the diet, specific symptoms and what steps to take and how to adjust. Especially the last thing is very important. Of course, fibers are good for your bowel. But don't force your bowels to digest them when everything is sore and upset. Be nice to them. At my worst flare-up periods I tended to eat yoghurt with rough cereals....auch. And carrots in the afternoon, because that is healthy. Yes, but better wait. Another eye-opener was not eating oranges and milk products and for instance limit the use of tomatoes. The result of this book was that I weaned off my Immuran, I just use Salofalk tablets now. I have been eating fairly normal now for the last 1.5 year (still careful with milk products and try to eat as natural as possible). My hair and skin look very healthy again, I follow salsa lessons and sport every week. Not that I have 100% energy, but much more than I had before! And I made a mindset: I am in charge now, I am more fine tuned with my body. Of course I talk with my doctor, but not to ask him how I am, I tell him how I am! And that's nice....I hope I told this clearly, I could go on and on.
ps. Only recently I had some serious belly complaints again. I was a little bit shocked, because I took care of my body very well, but now I have been thinking, I should watch my diet again, I have been a bit lazy. So I ordered Jini's new book right away to get some new inspiration. Good timing!
M.M.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

I was diagnosed with acute ulcerative colitis in 1991. My Gastroenterologist at the time was amazed I was not in tremendous pain or bedridden due to the severity of the ulceration. I attribute that to my lowfat mostly vegetarian diet. I do eat some fish. I was given medication (no steroids for me) and it was gone within a short time. Since then I have had about 5 - 6 flare-ups, some lasting longer than others, but with several years in between of being symptom free. All my flare-ups had been preceded by intake of cheese, though most gastro's refuse to believe that. I have been eating soy cheese for a long time, but after a long period of good health I would bring cheese back into my diet thinking that perhaps I had been cured. Well... not so. Most of the flare-ups were treated with Sulfasalazine or Asacol. With one flare-up I was actually able to heal myself (no medication) by juicing 3 times a day with carrot/spinach juice. But the last few flare-ups did not respond to that so I was back on Asacol. During my very last flare-up I was back on Asacol and enemas, but neither seemed to be helping so I purchased your book, which was very helpful. After 9 months of getting no-where I decided to try some herbal etc.
remedies that I had researched plus your George's roadrunner Aloe Vera juice. I took the following and within 3 months I was symptom free. It has been a year now since I had any symptoms. I, needless to say, have not touched cheese since.
Robert's Formula (Gaia Herbs)
Intesti-NEW (www.renewlife.com)
The Intesti-New is pretty incredible. They recommend taking the above with a ProBiotic plus some other product of theirs. Perhaps I would have healed even sooner, which they claim, but I chose not to. Anyway, with both these products plus the George's roadrunner..... pretty miraculous that in less than 3 months I was healed after 9 months of nothing with Asacol. Thank you for your book!! Blessings,
J.P.
Boca Raton, Florida

"I would like to thank Jini for writing this book. This has been a tremendous help to me. Some of the diet suggestions and environmental factors I had discovered on my own, but the supplementation section, and bodywork therapies have really made a difference. I started L-Glutamine, NAG, and Natren probiotics, and am seeing much improvement. I have also started dialoguing with my body, because after reading this book, I realized
that I treated my colon as a separate entity that I used to get mad at, instead of treating my colon and mind as one, and nurturing them both. Thank you again, and take care."
N.
Clifton Park, NY

"Thank you Jini. My son was not in such a bad way as to having to try some of the diets you mentioned but I took a lot of good tips from the book, i.e.: aloe drinks and supplements. I did however pass it along to a friend whose son has Crohn's and he did do the diets and she said it helped him immensely! That in itself was worth everything to me. Thank you again,"
D.K.
Belchertown, MA

I bought your book out of desperation about 1 1/2 years ago. I am 49 now and was diagnosed with chronic ulcerative colitis about 5 years ago. I only had rectal bleeding which was the reason for a colonoscopy, and yet, after the colonoscopy, I then had that awful pain/diarrhea that comes with UC. I took Prednisone, it cleared up...but then I was put on Asacol daily. I found I started feeling bloated and gained weight slowly. I had another episode last year in July, and could not get off the Prednisone. By that time I had gained about 60 pounds. I felt miserable, I lost my job because I wrote the wrong time on my time card, which was not like me, and I believe due to Prednisone, etc. I then bought your book.

I followed your guide to stopping the Prednisone. It worked, in addition to your recommendation of taking the CO Q10, a daily vitamin and sometimes the grape seed extract. That's all I've taken. I had never been in a health food store until I bought that stuff, thanks to you. I have now lost 60 pounds and I feel great. The first few months I still had diarrhea, but now everything is good, unless I eat something spicey, etc. I had also stopped taking the Asacol which freaked my doctor out.

I have never felt better, and I just find it hard to believe I even have UC. I refuse to have another colonoscopy either. I want to THANK YOU for giving me HOPE and especially for your book which has changed my life and got me back to the way I used to be. I can't thank you enough. You are the kind of person they talk about when they say there are angels on this earth among us.
Forever grateful,
D.E.
Cresco, PA

"I loved your book. I feel like it gave me my life back!!"
K.L.
Wentzville, MO

"I have enjoyed you book and found it useful. I have what has been sometimes termed 'cross-over Crohns,' where my symptoms are mostly like Ulcerative Colitis, but it is also in the end on my small intestine more like Crohns. I seem to be on an 18 to 24 month cycle, where I will be symptom free for that amount of time. Over the 10 years I have had IBD this used to be much worse, and the flare-ups were very debilitating. By changing my lifestyle and diet I have improved significantly. I have always worked out when I could by running, MTB biking, and lifting weights, as well as martial arts, but I have taken a more holistic approach and added yoga, acupuncture, and (attempts) at meditation. I have developed a skin irritation reaction to long term maintenance use of the Aminosalicylates based drugs, so I am now not using any medication unless necessary during a flare-up. The original thought of doing without medication after almost 10 years of constantly taking drugs was a scary prospect, and it has helped me a lot to have your book. I use Aloe Vera juice and fish oil capsules, but mostly I focus on whole organic, natural foods, and my normal higher protein diet that I use because of weight lifting. So far I have been pleased and hope to continue as I have been. My last flare-up was short (3 months or so) and I did not lose any weight. I was able to still go to the gym (although not as frequently). A far cry from 5 years ago when I had to take two naps a day, lost 25 pounds and took 9 to 12 months from first symptom to resumption of "normal" activity levels.
P.R.
Durham, NH

"I've been experiencing symptoms since I was about 15 (I'm now 21) but I didn't seek my doctor's help until about 2 years ago when a bad bout of food poisoning resulted in almost constant stomach upsets and bad reactions to certain foods. At first it was thought that I was lactose intolerant but my tests for all the food groups came up negative. After seeing a specialist I was diagnosed with IBS just over a year ago.

I found Jini's book over the Internet and it's been a great help. I must admit that when I first read it, especially the diets, I never thought I'd be able to follow it. Living without chocolate just seemed impossible! But gradually I came round and started to change my lifestyle. I now follow the Maintenance Diet as closely as I can. Milk and all milk products really upset me so I tend to avoid them altogether but other than that my diet
is very healthy. I do indulge in the occasional chocolate bar and from time to time I have the odd alcoholic beverage but as long as I don't overdo it I'm OK. I also take supplements; a multi-vitamin, a calcium supplement and L-Glutamine 500mg daily.

Changing my diet made a big impact on my symptoms but as my IBS is mainly stress related it didn't offer a complete cure. I have also started to practice yoga each week and I listen to hypnotherapy CDs specially designed for the treatment of IBS. These above all
else have made the biggest difference. At the moment I feel great and am not experiencing any symptoms. At particularly stressful times, such as exams, my symptoms can return but I'm learning how to cope with that. I'd like to thank Jini for helping me
realise that in order to feel better I had to change not only my diet but also my lifestyle and the way I thought of my IBS. Positive thinking really does help! Thanks again Jini."
L.D.
Edinburgh, Scotland

"My name is Erin and I am 26 years old. I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease May 29, 2002. I dropped from 130 lbs to 110 lbs this spring (I am 5 feet 8 inches tall). I was having rather severe cramps and loose stools about 6 to 15 times per day. My rectal
area was VERY raw and inflamed after the repeated trips to the bathroom. After a colonoscopy I was diagnosed. I felt much, much worse in the days following the colonoscopy. It really did a number on me. A few weeks later I had an Upper GI Small Bowel Follow Through, which was also an extremely unpleasant experience. I was put on 9mg of Entocort for about 12 weeks and was given ProctoFoam for my rump. I am
currently still taking 16 pills of Pentasa/day. I have also supplemented these medications with some of your suggestions. I drink George's Aloe Vera Juice at morning and night. I take about 3 NAG pills/day as well as 6 Udo's Choice Perfected Oil Blend capsules/day with meals. I also take one natural pineapple multi-vitamin/day. I live in Burlington, VT
and we have two fantastic all natural/organic grocery/drug stores right in town. I was able to find all of the above plus lots of organic fruits and veggies. During the past few months I have made some pretty significant life changes to help improve my chances of
recovering from the flare up and to keep others at bay. Your book was extremely helpful and supportive when others (including my doctor) could not be. The more I talk about IBD the more I realize that so many folks have to deal with it. At this point I am doing well. I am off Entocort and am up to 123lbs. I am still staying away from beef and pork. Occasionally, I will eat chicken. I also do not eat raw veggies and I peel off fruit skins. I haven't eaten popcorn in a long, long time. I plan to stay totally away from coffee, alcohol, soda and tea with caffeine. My cramping has just about completely subsided and my stools are formed and occur about 2 to 3 times/day. Thanks again!"
E.B.
Burlington, Vermont

"Thank you, thank you, found your book on the web several weeks ago, ordered it right away and felt like I read a story very similar to my own. 10 years ago diagnosed with the unease (love that word) U.C. Did the medical thing for several years, figured out that that was not going to help me. So started my own research which led me to quite a few of the same conclusions and treatments that you have. Nutrition, herbs, scientific diet 1 year with the same conclusion, nd's etc. You have been more successful and thorough in your methods and thank you so much for putting them in writing. Your book has given me some needed encouragement and quite a few new ideas."
J.B.
Covington, Los Angeles

"Thank you for writing "Listen To Your Gut". It has been an inspiration to me throughout my healing from Crohn's disease. I was diagnosed on Feb. 14th of this year (2002). I had gone in for a hernia operation and they discovered a mass in my abdomen. It was determined to be Crohn's disease. My intestines were so screwed up that they had to do resection surgery the following day. After the surgery, the doctors said I could eat "anything I wanted" as long as it didn't hurt. That didn't sound too good to me so I sort of tried to watch what I ate. Three months later (to the day) I had a flare-up and had to be readmitted to the hospital. During one of the nights of my two and a half day stay, I looked up at the I.V. stand containing the steroid and antibiotic bags and down at the food cart at my pork and jello dinner and determined that the medical establishment doesn't know a whole lot about preventative care.

So when I got home I got on the internet and found your book. I read it and immediately eliminated many foods from my diet and started on the recommended supplements (fish oil capsules, L-Glutamine, grape seed extract, Source of Life vitamins, George's roadrunner aloe vera juice etc.). For the next several months I was in good shape. Recently though, I have had problems with heartburn and have had to take Prevacid and now Aciphex (twice a day). Otherwise, I'm doing really well. A recent trip to the G.I. doctor showed no signs of the disease. So far so good. Thank you again.
T.J.
Augusta, Georgia

"Thanks for writing that book! I am 25 years old. In 1999 Morbus my Crohn (MC) has been diagnosed. It was a shock as I didn't know the disease. And nobody else I knew had that disease. In the meantime I know 3 people with MC and I recommended your book to all three of them (it seems to spread). Fortunately, my disease is not as bad as it could be. I never needed to go to a hospital so far. First I took 'Budenofalk', a medication with cortisone and it helped really good. But I only needed to take it for 8 weeks, after that I took 'Pentasa' for a year, but didn't like to swallow pills all the time. After that I didn't take any pills at all. But I was not healed completely. I had every day belly ache and cramps and diarrhea. Not nice and always fear to do long walks etc. After reading your book I was shocked about the recommendations, what I need to change. But I just tried the easiest ones, and it worked quite good!!

·	not to drink with meals, but I drink 2 litres of room temperature spring water a day
·	try to avoid non-organic food ( I used to drink Coke light every day, and after stopping that I felt better)
·	reduce wheat (in Germany we have a lot of dark bread and I try to eat that more often)
·	reduce tomato (but I love tomatoes...)
·	reduce alcohol (but I drink a glass of wine every weekend with the food - and it is ok)
·	stop drinking coffee ( when I drink coffee, I have aches the whole day, can't drink coffee at all)
·	eat no fruits in the morning

And now I have cramps and not formed stool only one or two times a week. That is alright, I think. I feel quite healthy. But I eat not enough fruits and vitamins as I have often problems with fruits - I think that is not really good. In fact, a lot of colleagues often catch a flu and I am only infected once a year on average. So I think my immune system is quite good. What I want to try next is a homeopathic therapy. On Monday I will travel to the Domincanian Republic and hope that I can eat everything and can stand the alcohol ( I think I will have more wine as usual, as we will eat in a restaurant each
evening..). Ok, I think I wrote enough about me, but it is good to know that there are other people with similar problems and how they cope with it. Thanks again!"
J.S.
Hamburg, Germany

"I spoke to a nutritionist and changed my diet to a breakfast of rice flake porridge with soya milk and a small amount of honey.
Lunch - variety of vegetables.
Dinner - no deep fried food, mostly fresh vegetables and a small amount of cooked meat. Avoid spicy foods.
Additionally I start every meal with a glass of water and don't drink any liquid with the meal so as not to dilute the digestive juices.
No dairy products initially although I now have small amounts of cheese.
No tea or coffee but I can have herbal tea - particularly Chamomile & Spiced Apple which is meant to be good for the colon.
I usually take a dessert spoon full of Udo's Oil at breakfast and dinner.
The initial diet was quite strict however, I now have quite a regular, normal diet and consume small portions of alcohol. Obviously this is a fantastic situation from the prospect of being told I would need to take pills for the rest of my life to where I take none. Many thanks for the advice in your book."
M.R.
Dublin, Ireland

"I loved your book, even more as my gastro insists he has no idea how food matters. Your idea of massaging my belly proved really helpful and is a good way of reducing frustration when I want to start the morning "right" and cannot spend a whole hour trying. Most of your food no-no's proved to be right for me (especially tomatoes, of course). I don't lose weight, am mostly symptomless (almost) if I live right. So all I have to worry about is to live right and take my pills (pentasa 4 g a day) regularly. Thanks for the book."
J.M.
Rehovot, Israel

"First of all, thank you very much for your book, and the inspiration it gave me. I was diagnosed with Crohn's in February 2001. I refused to take the medication the doctor prescribed to me. Instead I changed my diet and quit smoking, even if I only smoked sometimes when out socializing.Your book helped me understand that I could do much by just listening to my body. I followed many of your diets, and after just a few months I began feeling better. A year later i went for another Colonoscopy, and the docktor could not find anything wrong with my small intestine. He had never seen anyone getting better from Crohn's, and he was very surprised. He said that I had healed myself, or that I never had Crohn's in the first place. He said that I may have Cøliaki, or that I had an inflammatory infection that took some time to heal.

But I know that the diet have helped me a lot, and I will never go back to eating like i did before. I have no problem keeping my weight, and I have the same energy as I had before I was ill. My illness really took away my energy, and I could not do the activities I loved. But now I am my old self and enjoy running, skiing etc. I don't get tired, i don't start to hyperventilate, and I do not have the "plug" in my ear when I get tired anymore. I hope you are feeling well too, and once again thank you!"
K.W.
Oslo, Norway

"Your book is the primary reason my UC is in remission and I am also feeling the best I have ever felt. That is due to following many of your tips on diet. One significant change I made as per your book was to eliminate vinegar from my diet. Unbelievable! Everyone who has Crohn's or UC will have a food that is a flash point - mine I believe was vinegar. I also followed many of the other steps. Great book - I refer to it often. I also recently finished 5 months of acupuncture. 3 days a week, 40 minute sessions. Never felt better!"
T.C.
Ontario, Canada

"I've already ordered two copies of Listen to Your Gut for friends and now I need to order a copy for myself! First heard about the book from my sister who found an excerpt on the internet. I found the whole book useful--variations on diets, for example. I'll never forget reading the first chapter at a time when I really needed it."
A.W.
Waterville, ME, USA

"Thank you so much for your book. I have ulcerative colitis and February of last year (2000) I had my second major flare up since 1995. I spent 10 days in hospital and got down to 43 kg. (95 lbs) in weight. I had 2 blood transfusions and the specialist wanted to remove my colon. To put it bluntly, my GP didn't have a clue, in fact he was dangerous and a hinderance to my recovery. The specialist had gone as far as he could with what he knew.

I was searching the internet looking for some kind of hope when I came across your book. Your book gave me the confidence to take charge of my health. I started following your diets and I found myself an excellent naturopath who specialises in IBS and IBD. Within 4 days she had stopped the bleeding and in 2 months my colitis was well on the way to recovery.

I started researching about colitis and basically empowered myself to make informed decisions about my health. Your book was the beginning of this.

I have had just about every major organ in my body cleansed and detoxed from the effects of long-term Sulphasalazine and Prednisone use. My GP came to visit me a month or so ago 'to see how I was doing' because I hadn't been back to him since September. I told him and he could see for himself how well I looked. He was not the slightest bit interested in how I did it. I am looking around for a new GP.

I now have no fear regarding any flare-ups because I have knowledge about how to help my body heal itself - naturally.

The Naturopath put me onto an amazing product called Glutagenics (made by a company called Metagenics). This product helps repair the mucosal lining of the colon. I was taking this along with slippery elm powder every day for the colitis. The bleeding was controlled with marshmallow herbal extract - 1 tablespoon x 2 daily. I used L-Glutamine and psyllium hull powder and the Reduce Diarrhea Diet to control and bulk up my bowel motions.

I am now on a vegan diet and drinking lots of juices and distilled water. I feel great!

I am continuing to go to the Naturopath and often refer to your book on various alternatives. I've also got to say your beef broth saved my life during the earlier days. The Bowel Rest Elemental Diet actually helped me to discover I had a wheat intolerance. I went to a friend who is a Chiropractor who also heals with homeopathy. He put me on a 7-day wheat free diet while taking homeopathic drops and I can now eat wheat till the cows come home. This has been an amazing journey of discovery and knowledge and once again thank you for giving me the confidence to try alternatives."
J.B.
Gracemere, Australia

"Your book is a bible to me for my daughter Jessica. You should see it, I've written notes through it, highlighted bits and it goes everywhere with me.

However, she has just started a course of sulphasalazine. Her weight was dropping even more and she was doing about 7 motions a day. We had been following (and still are) diet modification (I've had the Ultra Whey More sent out from Canada) George's Aloe etc as well as the supplements you suggested.

My concern & that of the naturopath and Gastro was she wasn't stabilising (It had been 6 months). I feared that she would deteriorate so much so that we would have to take more drastic measures. So I have opted to start her on Sulphasalazine and her Naturopath is working with us to counteract any side effects. Once stable we'll get her off it & continue as we were before.

Now having said that, within hours of taking this tablet, she went down to 2 motions a day (can sleep through the night now) and has so far no side effects. She is smiling again and has her spirit back. We are monitoring her liver and kidneys through painless bloodtests every 2 weeks. The tissue around her bottom is starting to heal nicely. She gets up each morning and has her L-Glutamine, George's Aloe, Cod Liver Oil and a weight gaining shake etc.She eats nothing but organic foods (costs me a fortune but worth it).As I work as a Doula here in Singapore I have contact with people who do alternative healing. She has seen a healer and thought it was great.

So (I'm back tracking now) info on her diagnosis. I started to get concerned with the drastic difference in weight between her and her identical twin sister Brittney (12 kg's). I requested that blood work be done. Nothing was found in the initial bloodwork (I now know what to specifically ask them to look at) but 3 months later at age 9 1/2 she developed an anal fistula (that burst) and had to undergo a fistalectomy. Whilst having this treated, several polyps were removed and tissue taken for analysis. The diagnosis was Granulomatous Colitis. Her courage through this time and to this day is inspiring.

Brittney so far does not present symptoms (although they say chances are fairly high for her to also develop Crohn's). I'm not concerned about it. I'm at the "I'll cross that bridge IF we come to it" stage. We are starting to modify her diet though. If she does develop Crohn's at least we know what to do and what paths we can take.

So thank you once again. I think you should do a follow up book "Listen to Your Child's Gut"."
T.G.
Singapore

"Just wanted to pass on to you my thank you's for your book and the help I received from it. It is by far the best book I have read for my symptoms of IBS/IBD, Diverticulitis, and Lactose Intolerance. I followed many of your suggestions and within 3 weeks the pain is gone, the burning has eased, the nausea has subsided and the dreadful diarrhea has stopped!! Keep up the good work!"
D.F.
Arizona, USA

"I have found the book (Listen to Your Gut) VERY helpful. By following some of the advice, and listening to MY gut, I have greatly reduced the medication I had been taking and feeling better. I recommended the book to my doctor, but . . . . he recommended more drugs."
M.N.S.
Texas

"I first ordered Listen To Your Gut and loved it--particularly the range of subjects covered and the common situations the author and I had experienced. I loaned it to a friend who has a nephew with Crohn's-- hoping it would help him, too. But I am ordering it again because I'd like to have my own copy here for review and reference. Thanks for a very helpful book."
D.G.
Cincinnati, Ohio

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I needed a kick in the butt to get back on track and this book has done it. Thanks a million."
T.R.
Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA

"I'm a meeting facilitator by vocation, and one of the activities I take a group through at the end of a session is a "plus/delta". We take a candid look at all the stuff that went well and that we liked about the session, and then we make specific suggestions for the next time (often the following day). I'd like to use this method in my comments regarding "Listen To Your Gut".
PLUS: (there are SO many things I liked, but here are the major ones)
	I REALLY like the book. I like the message it sends about whole-body health -- remission and cure are more than just diet, more than just drugs, more than just yoga, etc.
	I like that it is so easy to read.
	I like how Jini Patel Thompson really shares her personal successes, struggles, stories, etc. in a loving, caring way for the benefit of others. This is not easy for most people.
	The concept of "dis-ease" -- I had not really thought of the etymology of the word before this book. Such an interesting way to soften the word!
	End-of-chapter exploration exercises are phenomenal!
	End-of-chapter exploration exercises are phenomenal! Gosh, I hope people take the time to do these! I did a few and they are really powerful!
	The self-help style is really great
DELTA:
	I am an "SCD-er" (Specific Carbohydrate Dieter - as outlined in the book, "Breaking The Vicious Cycle" by Elaine Gottschall). I recognize that yoga, stress management, and "leaving NYC" quite possibly play as large a role in my remission as the SCD, but for me the SCD was the foundation for this healing.
	p.216; For me, I'd move #7 (elimination of dairy) much closer to the top of the list" M.S. Tucson, Arizona, USA

"I wanted to write to tell you that I think your book is superb. It is the best book I have seen for people with bowel disorders. In fact, I was thinking of writing one myself and thank you for doing it first! I have had Crohn's for over 10 years now and I am getting close to being completely healed I think, although going through a bit of a rough patch now. But, with your advice I've got new things to try now and I'll get on to them. Finally, a book that doesn't stop with just changing your diet! A book that talks about us being individuals! I will recommmend your book to anyone I meet with IBS/IBD who is really ready to heal (and you know what I mean). Thank you again."
K.S.
Queensland, Australia

"Jini Patel Thompson's book, Listen To Your Gut, is an informative and unique guide to dealing with Crohn's Disease. It was comforting for me to hear about her personal experiences with Crohn's Disease as well as the successes she has had with her alternative healing methods and techniques. The way she encourages the reader to take control of their disease and to reevaluate the terms "incurable", "chronic", and "remission" is empowering. Along with the information there is also a helpful list of questions at the end of each chapter that enables the reader to turn Thompson's information and techniques into concepts that will work for him/her. I highly recommend this book to anyone ready to take charge of their disease and explore healthier, more effective options."
A.H.
East Liverpool, Ohio

"This book was a wonderful, refreshing and inspiring introduction to the world of healing through love rather than "war". It truly is magical what one can do through mind power ~ and that power extends to every aspect of one's life.
Also, her penchant for not mincing words really made me laugh at times!"
D.A.
Raleigh, North Carolina

"I was diagnosed with Crohns Disease (CD) in 1996 and I have been relatively asymptomatic with the exception of the occasional flare up of diarrhea (including a major flare up in May prior to my wedding-understandable really). The minor problems I have are intermittent pains and weight loss. I have been on Budesonide for 2 years and Pentasa for one. There is notable scarring on investigation.
In the short time that I have had the book, I have tried just a few things which I believe has helped:
	Being a Physical Therapist I should have used my noggin and stayed away from so much sugar. I thought I was, but after reading that it has been proven to be an immune suppressant I modified the intake.
	I have tried the Aloe Vera juice, Kombucha Tea and the Omega 3. The Omega 3 has helped my back pain as well as the CD.
	I am drinking more water to get rid of the toxins. I am reading the ingredients more and more.
	I am reading the ingredients more and more.
	I have cut down on carrageenan namely Ensure supplementation which also is high sugar content.
Anyway, the bottom line is I am off the Pentasa and weaning off the Budesonide and having less pain. Most of all I have had a new and more positive outlook on how I look at my intestinal problems. I have some better ideas on weight gain as well as others...and I am not even half way through the book. Essentially I have taken more responsibility for my health and am having fun doing it.
PS Thank you to Jini Patel Thompson for such a good read." K.B. Wisconsin

"I did just one thing suggested in Listen To Your Gut and my diarrhea of ten years stopped within three weeks. I would recommend this book to anyone with these diseases."
C.G.
Burnaby, BC

"Conventional medical therapies aren't for everyone, Listen To Your Gut is an excellent tool and resource guide for people looking for viable alternatives."
Dr. D.W. BSc
ND Vancouver
BC President Finlandia Natural Healing Centre

"You have done a great work! My nose was buried in Listen to Your Gut for a couple days after receiving it and now I refer to it for guidance and it has been MOST helpful.

Anyway, I realize now that I was keeping my disease in remission. Now I have the knowledge and capability to cure it and I must thank you for most of my information source. I guess I brought the whole thing "to a head" because for the past several years we've been eating meat again. My wife and I were living in California for a few years, converting a regular juice bar into a strict organic, vegan restaurant and juice bar. You can imagine coming from living entirely on the absolute finest, vine or stalk ripened produce and then coming back here to the sickly, green-picked sorry excuse for produce we exist on up here felt like we were not getting any nutrients! Although being fairly careful about proper combining, we went back to consuming meats - of all sorts (mostly fish and poultry). And we had started consuming far too much (deadly) sugar. We have now found a source of the absolute finest source of organic vine-ripened produce that has had all the minute elements of trace toxic compounds removed (that invariably end up in even the most careful organic farmer's produce) and so once we finish the several quarts of frozen turkey, chicken and beef broths we have in our freezer and I've progressed to consuming more solids, we are going to go back to a primarily vegetarian diet

When I could not consume anything without starting the bleeding again, the elemental bowel rest shake was absolutely the best thing. I find I get pretty much what I need and can start healing with it. I've recently started testing the foods in the first level and I just love the research behind this book - I can really understand how you've used your body as the "guinea pig" from my time when I was changing my diet the first time and experimenting. In fact, I didn't mean to go on for so long about myself, except to help you understand where I come from and just how well I can appreciate what you've been through to accomplish this. I can't say enough of my appreciation for your work and I would like to say to anyone faced with these disease challenges - healing is accomplished if you, Listen To Your Gut - and all your body! Thanks again!"

C.J.
Vancouver, BC, Canada

"I have personally witnessed the effectiveness of the diets and methods in this book. It's a well-written manual of wholistic treatments that work."
V.S. MN, Registered Nurse
Calgary, Alberta

"No one can be less satisfied with conventional medical treatment for these complaints than the medical profession itself. Patel Thompson gives excellent dietary advice and the clearest message from Listen To Your Gut is that one should cease to be a victim of illness and make a determined effort to take charge of one's fate and welfare."
Dr. D.B., MD
Gloucestershire, UK


		· CATALOGUE · WHO WE ARE · FAQ's · CONTACT US · ORDER · PRIVACY/REFUND POLICY · SITEMAP ·

	Copyright 2002-2005. Caramal Publishing. All Rights Reserved.