Seldom have I had the pleasure to reviewed a cook book that was researched and so well written for its intended purpose of providing healing and soothing food recipes for those with ailments like Irritable bowels, Crohns disease, Coeliac (Celiac) disease and colitis. This book is indeed a veritable treasure to all sufferers of these illnesses,furthermore the recipes are suitable for use by the whole family.
All of Sandra's recipes are free of grains,gluten.sugar and lactos. Sandra's book is beautifully presented with some 250 pages of delicious recipes for the entire requirements of family eating from sweets, salads,main courses,soups and beverages etc. All of her recipes are written with clear English directions and are accompanied by tempting full page coloured photographs. For its modest price this cook book is a must and should be on the shelf of those with delicate digestions (Reviewed by Alan Mannering)
Diarrhoea or an excessive need to go to the toilet or a feeling of such
Constipation or the inability to pass a motion
A feeling of bloating or distension in the tummy area
A feeling of pain or cramps in the area of the abdomen
Alternate bouts of either diarrhoea or constipation
A build up and passing of more than normal wind
A sense of not having emptied your bowels after going to the toilet
Nausea or vomiting for no apparent reason
The passing of mucus from your back passage
Any unusual change in your bowel habits should be reported to a medical practitioner
Who can be affected?
The general feeling is, that any person of any age or racial origin can develop irritable bowel syndrome although there is a general feeling that it is more common in women. It used to be thought that this was a Western disease and occurred infrequently in people of Eastern origin but there is little established evidence to support this contention.
Having made this observation it needs to be reiterated the important role that diet plays in causing, aggravating and soothing the symptoms of irritable bowel symptom.
How can I
find out?
Firstly I must emphasise that this is not an occasion when you can attempt a self diagnosis as the symptoms are so wide and varied and are different from one person to another and generally comparisons cannot be drawn.
You will need to see your own general practitioner in the first place who will undoubtedly want to order further tests and will almost certainly want to refer you to a consultant who will normally be a gastroenterologist, that is a specialist in intestinal problems.
A range of tests may be called for, including examination of the bowel and checks on your blood. The main purpose of these tests is to check for other similar conditions which may cause the symptoms displayed. Diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome will probably be determined by default, that is if no other blatant cause is found.
When this has been completed you will be advised on your general life style in the form of what foods to eat for preference and which foods to avoid although you will probably already know this yourself. As part of this you will probably be screened for any stress level and given advice or medication to ease this important contributor to your condition. Medication will be discussed and prescribed according to your needs and inevitably you will require regular medical screening and assessment to check on your condition
Is there treatment available?
This is without doubt the most difficult question to answer since there simply is no easy, simple or definitive answer mainly because irritable bowel syndrome manifests itself in many diverse ways and the outcome is that what works for one person may not work for another.
Generally it is true to say that what treatment is available, is aimed at minimising the symptoms and at present there is no miracle cure that will simply restore your bowel system to its normal functioning. Treatment will therefore be on these lines but you may also be referred to a dietician for advice and advice. Also, medication may be available if stress is diagnosed as a major contributor to your IBS
You will find after a while that you come to know what facets of your life cause you trouble with your bowels and this may be through items in your diet or through some stressful or emotional problem. On the good side is the hope that this disability may slowly dissipate in time.
The prime consideration is to seek expert advice throughout as they will obviously be aware of any developments in treatments and give you options on strategies to try. Please also refer to my book list for informative reading.
Who Are You, Alan Mannering?
I am just a guy
who was diagnosed late in life and wants to help other sufferers. I am 71 and am a
retired teacher and still lead a normal life and travel
frequently. I just consider that this is an important
message to get across to people.
For any of you who are members of a society or club where you require speakers, please click here for details of my talk which is called'Any Old Iron'. Details of several other public speakers covering a wide range of subjects are also available through the site Public Speakers Corner
Revised:
: 23rd January 2010 Published by: Alan Mannering, Sheldon,
Birmingham
and assisted by Compare-creditcards.com & Myholidayhouse.co.uk also by my ex wife Dianne Mannering who has taken time out from running her company www.thebigbloomerscompany.co.uk to assist me in writing this website - so if you need big underwear, sizes from 16/18 right up to a very accommodating 8xl do click on the link and visit Dianne's knicker company
