The First Year: Ibs (Irritable Bowel Syndrome): An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed

by Heather Van Vorous

Book Overview

Offers answers and advice for those who have just been diagnosed with IBS.

Like the other titles in the "First Year" series, The First Year-IBS offers two distinct advantages. First, it is written by a patient-expert, Heather Van Vorous, who has managed her IBS for more than fifteen years and knows firsthand what's required to manage her condition. Second, it guides readers through their first seven days following diagnosis, then the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1569245479
• ISBN13: 9781569245477
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

critics should read this and her other work (including website) more carefully

This book (and Van Vorous' other work) has helped me tremendously. My symptoms were debilitating. When I was diagnosed, I asked my gastrenterologist if there were any diets in particular that might have an impact. He said "It's different for everyone." And while that is true to some extent, he didn't even mention that caffeine and alcohol were triggers, let alone fats and insoluble fibers. When I discovered this book and started following the guidelines, my condition improved dramatically. Before I discovered this book, I could not have gone near a half-cooked, let alone raw, vegetable without getting sick. Whole grain cereal, oatmeal, or pasta would have caused excruciating pain. But after first following the guidelines to the letter, I was eventually able to incorporate more of these foods--in the right amounts, combinations, and at the right time of day--into my diet. For those who have critiqued this diet because it tells you to eliminate insoluble fibers, you need to reread the title. This is titled "The First Year." You don't have to eat like this forever, just until your gut is is under enough control to tolerate such foods. And the fact is that you're never going to be able to go on Atkins diet, but you don't have to eliminate insoluble fibers completely. You do, however, have to limit your portions, eat your insoluble fibers after you've consumed a good soluble fiber base, and recognize that certain times of day are worse when it comes to eating insoluble fiber. For me, the morning is the worst time, so I don't have salads or raw vegetables for dinner. That simple. Another critic claimed that this diet is not good for the constipation form of IBS. Apparently they have not read Van Vorous' medically accurate description of why constipation occurs in IBS sufferers. The trigger foods cause the gut to seize up. By following the diet and eliminating the trigger foods for a time, drinking lots of water (even more than you're thirsty for), and engaging in mild exercise, constipation sufferers can benefit. Obviously, if you're a constipation sufferer and you don't have the nausea associated with the diarrhea form of IBS, then no, you wouldn't need to snack on a piece of sourdough bread. The other critical point that Van Voroous makes in this, her other books and her website is that the severity of the reaction to certain trigger foods depends on the person. This is where the reader/IBS sufferer actually has to determine what he or she can or can't tolerate based on his or her own experience with food. For example, I can now tolerate--after a good soluble fiber base--small amounts of artichoke. I cannot, under any circumstances, have even the smallest amount of spinach (not even cooked) no matter how much bread, oatmeal, or anything else I've had before hand. Another critic claimed that she stopped reading the book because it didn't include detailed and accurate information about fats. I'm sure that the fats she recommended could hel

Highly Informative Work

I truly benefited from this book. I have been having problems digesting since high school probably due in part to the stress of a hard childhood and now young adulthood. Anyway, I bookmarked the pages listing safe foods (soluble fibers) versus the unsafe foods (INsoluble fibers, red/dark meats, fats, dairy, etc). This book has changed my life. I have the knowledge to be able to choose my meals wisely. Amazingly, my acne breakouts have come to a screeching halt with the start of the IBS diet. It turns out those unsafe foods were actually causing my adult acne! I highly recommend this book.

Seek Out a Correct Diagnosis

This book is a real godsend for anyone suffering from IBS, in addition to Heather Van Vorous's other book, Eating for IBS, which has fantastic recipes. I had IBS-like symptoms for several years, and recently suffered a severe bout with it. While waiting to see a gastroenterologist I discovered Heather's book at my local library and decided to give the dietary guidelines outlined in the book a try. At this point, my condition was worsening and I had nothing to lose. Was I surprised to find that after only a few days of changing my eating habits by eating more soluble fiber I noticed a significant improvement. I felt considerably better, had more energy, and was able to freely go places I was afraid to go before. I felt like I was getting my life back. In addition to the wonderful dietary information, the book is also well documented and researched. It is very easy to read and understand, and the chapters are broken down into manageable segments on different aspects of coping with IBS. The author also stresses getting a correct diagnosis before assuming one has IBS. Due to this encouragement, I went ahead and had blood work and a colonoscopy, and was very surprised to learn I did not have IBS after all, but a condtion called celiac sprue which is a gluten intolerance. Even though I did not have IBS, the information in this book did help initially to improve my condition, and I am still following certain aspects of it (ie. soluble fiber) with the exception of wheat. I would encourage everyone out there who thinks they have IBS, but have not been tested yet to seek out a diagnosis. Don't assume as I had for years that you have IBS without eliminating the possibilities of other conditions.

I Wish I Had Known About This Sooner

I am a male that was diagnosed with IBS approximately three years ago, and suffered with it for four years before that. After being dianosed (at 36 years old, I got it at 31), the doctor told me change my diet, and that was all. I tried eating different, but it did no good at all. My family doctor tried a protein diet, but that failed, and I basically just accepted the fact that I would have to suffer with this problem. I finally found Heather's book, "IBS, The First Year, and after trying the diet, my symptoms have almost all disappeared, and I had trouble almost everyday. I don't use Immodium AD at all, my "insides" feel great, and all functions are almost comepletely normal. By the way...I've only been on the diet for ONE WEEK. The food tastes fantastic, and I have had absolutely no problems sticking to it. I recommend this book to anyone suffering from IBS. Doctors don't know much about it, and frankly cannot give much advise, so thank goodness we have Heather to help us. Sometimes it takes someone who suffers from the same affliction to help the rest of us when doctors can't.