Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #301303 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Chronic gastrointestinal problems--heartburn, gas pain, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids--afflict 80 million Americans, who usually resort to the medicine cabinet in times of need. But wouldn't it be more logical to treat these disorders through diet, since eating the wrong foods probably caused the trouble? That's the sensible premise of Peikin ( The Feel Full Diet ), who heads the Digestive Disease Servicesic at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. The author lays out a "self-help nutritional program"--a high-fiber, low-fat, balanced diet that he claims has provided prompt relief to his own patients suffering from a wide variety of GI maladies. Emphasizing that such a diet needn't be monotonous, the book offers 75 pages of recipes. Elsewhere, Peikin describes in detail the many ills remediable from altered diet, and takes the reader on an instructive tour of the GI tract. We learn that both regular and decaffeinated coffees stimulate unwelcome stomach-acid secretion, that fiber is now thought to aid in ulcer healing and that true food allergies are rare in adults. Also discussed are prescription and over-the-counter drugs and the roles they can play in treating certain conditions.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Peikin, director of Gastrointestinal Nutrition at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, states in his introduction that more than 80 million Americans, many between the ages of 25 and 40, suffer from chronic digestive problems. This book addresses the many gastrointestinal (GI) problems in a clear, easy-to-understand style; most importantly, each specific ailment is thoroughly explained, including diagnostic procedures, drug and dietary therapy, and prognosis. Peikin stresses his self-help nutritional program, not necessarily as a cure-all, but as a method of alleviating and reducing many of the symptoms of GI distress. Included are an excellent list of "flag foods," a two-week master diet program, and, best of all, well-written recipes that will appeal to everyone, including those without GI problems. This is highly recommended for its thorough coverage, sound advice, and healthy suggestions.
-Debra Berlanstein, Towson State Univ. Lib., Baltimore
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ingram
Here is a self-help book that will help readers find fast relief from a wide range of GI disorders. Based on the latest research and his own clinical experience, Dr. Peikin prescribes a healthy diet high in fiber and low in fat, spices, lactose, and caffeine.l He provides a detailed list of "flag foods" to avoid in the case of specific problems and shows readers how to use exercise, over-the-counter drugs, and stress management to complement the program.

Customer Reviews

Gastrointestinal Health by Peikin MD
This book is very useful for a wide constituency of physicians
and patients . It is helpful for gastrointestinal, neurologic
and rhematological problems. The author treats the nutritional
dimension of our health. For instance, milk may harm ulcers
and exacerbate other problems in the GI tract. Spicy foods may
aggravate inflammations. The author explains that the small
intestine digests proteins and splits amino acids and enzymes.
The digestive system interacts with the circulatory system.
Nutrients travel to the liver which secretes bile and removes
toxins from injested foods. With the exception of fats, all
nutrients enter the bloodstream via the liver. Undigested
fiber evacuates. White bread, chocolate and pastas clog the
digestive system. Spasms aggravate existing digestive disorders.
These spasms may take the form of abdomenal discomfort,
IBS, Crohns Disease and diverticulosis. Pancreatitis is a
steady increase in abdomenal discomfort aggravated by alcohol.

Sandostatin treats pancreatitis. Certain foods contain gluten.
The gluten can aggravate existing gastrointestinal conditions.
Eliminating wheat, rye and sweets helps to alleviate symptoms.
Stress is an aggravating factor with regard to the GI tract.
An increase in fiber helps the tract operate better. In addition,
the GI tract needs micronutrients and vitamins to aid in
the digestive process. This book is excellent as a health
maintenance tool.

This book was a lifesaver
I suffered for a year before this book came to my rescue. Once I started having stabbing pains after I ate, a friend let me borrow her copy to seek some relief. After an endoscopy and a trip to the emergency room with excrutiating pain, I finally consulted the book and learned that my problem may go further than acid reflux. At my second trip to the ER I insisted on having my gallbladder tested. The ER doctor was not interested in going that direction, but he placated me and let me have an ultrasound. That revealed that I had an enlarged gallbladder and gallstones. I had surgery the next day to remove the gallbladder. Had I not read the book and become informed, there is no telling how much longer I would have had to suffer (the ER docs were content with medicating me and sending me home and not trying to figure out what was wrong). It helps to educate yourself when you know something is not right with your body, because doctors do not know everything. I had seen two doctors previously, and neither had an inkling that my gallbladder might have been my problem. I highly recommend this book to anyone that has digestive problems.

Walking Is The Key
I read the earlier edition of this book and have the new edition. I thought it was good enough to buy the second edition. If you ever watch the commercials on TV during the evening news you would think pretty much everyone in the United States has something wrong with their stomach. That is not too far off. I was one of these unfortunate afflicted people and have had many problems with my digestive system. Fortunately however these problems were mainly caused by my own diet and lifestyle and this book helped me to identify these things. This book is good because it gives real life examples and doesn't try to tell anyone to always eat pefectly which is basically impossible and even if it is possible the person would die of monotony probably. For example I used to eat 3 or 4 pork chops at one meal but the book says meat should not be as significant a part of the diet. This causes you to lose weight also in a safe way. The biggest thing I think is the part about exercise. The book says go for a long walk every night. I don't do that but do try to keep up my walking on a regular basis which is easier though in the warm weather. Walking is probably the best exercise for most people since it's much safer than running which people tend to not keep up with anyway. Getting on a walking routine can offset the problems caused by not always eating perfectly. If you do this and also identify things you may not be able to digest such as milk you shouldn't have too many stomach problems. There's milk out now called 'Lactaid' which has the lactose either partially or completely removed. Also I heard there's an orange juice out now with the citric acid removed but I haven't tried it yet. Those who don't do these things will ultimately try to treat their problems with over the counter or prescription drugs rather than attack the problems at the source. You can see by the number of over weight people in American society that many choose to take the easy way out which just makes the problems worse. I've seen commercials encouraging teenagers to start taking laxatives.