[.ca] Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet (ISBN 0969276818)

This diet gave me back my health:
I should have written this review years ago, but I guess it's not too late. Here's my experience: After months of suffering GI problems, I was finally diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in the fall of 1996. The specialist wanted to put me on a couple of pharmaceuticals, but I wasn't interested in taking such toxic drugs, so I declined the pills but agreed to use Cortenema. But my condition continued to worsen and I developed other strange symptoms. Researching on the internet, I found out about several alternative treatments and some recommended books. I bought three books including "Breaking the Vicious Cycle." In the end, I decided to go with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and started on it in early December of 1996. When I started, I weighed 90 lbs., was extremely weak and could barely get out of bed. Amazingly, after only about three days on the diet, most of my major symptoms disappeared, and the rest went away within two to three weeks. In short, the SCD pulled me back from pain, suffering, a state of wasting away, and feeling that I was just slowly dying. I lost some more weight at the beginning of the diet, but I continued to stick to the diet, and as my GI tract slowly healed, I began to gain back the weight and energy. By May 1997 I was back all the way. During follow ups, my doctor was surprised that I was doing so well without any medication, but he wasn't interested in hearing about the diet I was following . Today, years since I first started, I look and feel just fine. The only times that I've had a relapse is when I have "cheated" by ingesting something that is forbidden on the diet. I have learned much in all these years and been in contact with others on this diet. It works, as long as it is followed to the letter. And contrary to what some reviewers have written here, this diet is not about what you should eat, but about *what not to eat* in order to get well. There's plenty of choice for all types of foods, for a well balanced and healthy diet. I have given this book five stars just because the SCD diet is such a life-saver. But I have to be honest -- as far as books go, this one could have used a good editor to help with the writing style and organization of the book. And the recipes in the book are not quite ready for primetime (thank goodness for all the SCD websites and support groups on the net!). These are minor quibbles, but such things bother me. Other than that, I recommend this book and the diet to everyone who suffers from any type of digestive disorder. You have nothing to lose -- you can even read the book at the library.

This diet worked like a miracle for us.:
Our son was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 1997. We tried every medicine available, including Prednisone, Imuran and Remicade. He only got worse. So we started the diet outlined in this book in August 2000. We also began weaning him off of his medications at that time. Within a week he had more energy. After one month on the diet his SED rate had dropped over 15 points. By the following spring his SED rate and CRP were normal and he was no longer anemic. He has been med-free for over 3 1/2 years. His last SED rate was 2! CRP was 0.09! Even his gastroenterologist agrees that the diet has healed him. I highly recommend this book and the diet to anyone suffering with Crohn's.

A Life Saver!:
This book describes a diet for people suffering from intestinal conditions such as celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel disease and crohns disease. It is a very restrictive diet, no gluten (grains), no sugar and no starches. It is definitely not for the average person, but it is just the right thing for someone with serious intestinal problems like myself. I have celiac disease and had been on the prescribed gluten-free diet for several years. Unfortuately, I kept having intestinal troubles and seemed to be getting sicker and sicker. I was desparate for some help, but the medical community offered nothing. That is when I found this book "Breaking the Viscious Cycle". It literally saved my life! When you first start the diet you might feel worse for the first month. I did. However, you should persist because you will start to feel significantly better. I have been on the diet ten years and am enjoying perfect health. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for relief from an intestinal problem that traditional medicine can't treat. There are support groups throughout Canada and the United States for individuals on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet which the book describes. It has made a huge difference in many people's lives and has a large following. Over one million copies of the book have been sold!

Breaking the Vicious Cycle:
I am adding my voice to the many others who've been helped by this wonderful book. My young son was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis this year. I felt helpless watching him struggle with feeling so sick despite taking lots of prednisone. I watched him become ill with related conditions like arthritis, uveitis and he even started to show some signs of liver involement. I was terrified of what might be looming ahead, like having his colon removed or maybe even liver failure. I found this book through Amazon.com - it was one of many I purchased at the time. I decided to try the diet as it was the one which made the most sense to me, it was healthy and it contained the foods we most probably evolved to eat. I am happy to report that my son's diarrhea stopped THE DAY he began the diet. He has made a dramatic recovery, no more joint pain, no more uveitis, no more cramps or diarrhea! His blood work gets better every time and he feels better now then he has in 2 years. The author of this wonderful book, Elaine Gotchell, was kind enough to call me personally to answer a question I had faxed to her. The depth of her loving support and kindness can't be overstated. You can visit her website at www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info. Thank you Amazon for stocking this book, and Elaine, you are my hero.

Must Read for Anyone with Crohns, Colitis, & IBD:
This popular book, written by a biochemist and cell biologist, got its start when Gottschall's daughter was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease at a young age. She developed the "Specific Carbohydrate Diet," a strict grain-free, lactose-free, and sucrose-free regimen, as an alternative to medication and surgery. The diet is intended to starve anaerobic bacteria in the intestinal tract, similar to the use of antibiotics for Crohn's. No clinical trials have been conducted on its effectiveness for IBD as far as I know, but if you are looking for alternative approaches you might try this dietary approach. Visit the IBD Book Store for other reviews on books related to Crohn's Disease, ulcerative colitis, and IBS. As for other books for proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle I strongly recommend Can We Live 150