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Books of Interest

Here is a list of books that provide information on a variety of topics relating to gastrointestinal disorders and digestive health. Consult with your physician or other qualified healthcare professional before taking action based on information in these publications.

Click any title for details and a link to purchase.

Comforting your uncomfortable stomach KK and LD

Author: Kenneth Koch, M.D. and Laura Dotson

Publisher: Archway Pub (August 31, 2022)
Pages: 124 pages

In this guide for those who suffer nausea, a patient and her gastroenterologist collaborate up to provide a three-step diet to ease nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms related to the stomach and gastrointestinal system.

The pair provides easily understandable anatomy and physiology of the stomach to help you understand why the three-step diet is important to reduce nausea, vomiting and comfort your uncomfortable stomach. This book will serve as a companion in your journey to find the precise diagnosis and treatments for your nausea and vomiting. Throughout the book, Laura A. Dotson and Kenneth L. Koch, M.D., provide advice on how to become your best advocate for your own health!

Kenneth L. Koch, M.D., has dedicated his career to researching the neuromuscular activity of the stomach in patients with unexplained chronic nausea and vomiting. He has developed a three-step diet approach that will help you select foods, based on the function of the stomach. This diet will hydrate and nourish you as you seek a diagnosis and treatments for these symptoms.

Laura A. Dotson contributes her experience as Dr. Koch’s once very ill patient. Her livelihood was destroyed by severe and unexplained nausea and vomiting from severe gastroparesis. She followed Dr. Koch’s three-step diet and she developed many nutritious, delicious recipes to comfort her stomach while providing nutrition and variety. Those important recipes are within this companion to help guide your food preparations as well as tips on how to comfort your uncomfortable stomach.

Available online here

The Microbiome Connection

Author: Dr. Mark Pimentel and Dr. Ali Rezaie

Publisher: Agate Surrey (April 12, 2022)
Pages: 200 pages

Over the last fifteen years, research into the vast inner workings of the “microbiome” (the trillions of bacteria harbored in the gut) has led to groundbreaking advances in human health and well-being. Now, two of the leading experts in the field, Dr. Mark Pimentel and Dr. Ali Rezaie at Cedars-Sinai, have teamed up to create The Microbiome Connection, a must-have guide that arms readers with all of the knowledge and resources necessary to understand their microbiome, any symptoms they may be experiencing, and how to navigate symptom relief.

An estimated 70 million people in the United States are affected by SIBO, IBS, or one of the more than a dozen other diseases linked to digestive health, and 74% of Americans say they live with symptoms of digestive discomfort. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)—the most common gastrointestinal condition in the United States—affects millions of people of all ages. Not only do those who suffer from IBS and its similar, sister diagnosis—small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)—experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits, they may also avoid participating in activities, social events, or travel for fear of having to constantly disappear to the bathroom or the embarrassment of explaining their discomfort.

In The Microbiome Connection, doctors Pimentel and Rezaie provide explanations of what happens to IBS/SIBO patients from the first diagnosis to the end of treatment; reveal what changes can occur in the body in terms of the underlying physical processes to symptoms that may develop; and share evidence-based management and treatment of those symptoms through dietary changes and drug treatment. Also included are meal plans and sample menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all of which are accompanied by explanations of which foods to eat in moderation and which foods to avoid because they will feed bacteria in the gut and could cause additional symptoms.

A must-have resource for anyone who suffers from IBS or SIBO, or who wants to better understand their microbiome, this book will provide readers with the knowledge and resources to live a gut-happy and gut-healthy life.

Available online here

GutImmuneConnection hc c

Author: Emeran Mayer, MD
Publisher: Harper Wave (June 8, 2021)
Pages: 304 pages

In his acclaimed book, The Mind-Gut Connection, physician, UCLA professor, and internationally recognized scientist Dr. Emeran Mayer offered groundbreaking evidence of the critical role of the microbiome in neurological and cognitive health, proving once and for all the power and legitimacy of the “mind-body connection.” Now, in The Gut-Immune Connection, he proposes an even more radical paradigm shift: that the brain gut microbiome system is at the center of the majority of chronic diseases that defines our 21st-century public health crisis. 

Cutting-edge research continues to advance our understanding of the function and impact of the billions of organisms that live in the GI tract, and in Dr. Mayer’s own research, he has amassed evidence that the “conversation” that takes place between these microbes, the gut and our various organs and bodily systems is critical to human health. When that conversation goes awry, we are at an increased risk of becoming seriously ill. 

Combining clinical experience with up-to-the-minute science, The Gut-Immune Connection offers a comprehensive look at the link between alterations to the gut microbiome and the development of the most common chronic diseases of today, like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, as well as susceptibility to infectious diseases like Covid-19. Dr. Mayer argues that it’s essential we understand the profound and far-reaching effects of gut health and offers clear-cut strategies and practical advice to reverse the steady upward rise of these illnesses, including a model for nutrition to support the microbiome. In The Gut-Immune Connection, he also points out the startling connections between the deterioration of the microbiome of our gut and the soil, our own health, and the health of the soil, the environment and the planet. 

But time is running out: A continuation of the upward trend of chronic diseases, affecting younger age groups, and the increasing risk of pandemics is only a few decades away if we don’t make critical changes to our food supply, including returning to sustainable practices that maintain the microbial diversity of the soil, and that have less damaging effects on the climate. To turn the tide of chronic and infectious disease tomorrow, and at the same slow the catastrophic consequences of climate change, we must shift the way we live today. 

Available online here

Gut Feelings The Patients Story

Author: Douglas A. Drossman, MD and Johannah Ruddy M.ED
Publisher: Drossman Care (April 30, 2022)
Pages: 216 paperback, also available on Kindle

This book builds upon Gut Feelings: Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction and the Patient-Doctor Relationship by presenting the personal stories of eight patients to create a full understanding of their disorders, personal experience of illness, and their relationship with the health care system.
Patients and providers will resonate with these powerful stories and learn how to optimize the patient provider relationship.

Available online at here.

gut feelings cover

Author: Douglas A. Drossman, MD and Johannah Ruddy M.ED
Publisher: Drossman Care (December 2020)
Pages: 232 paperback, also available on Kindle

A book co-written by a gastroenterologist and a patient on the science, diagnosis, and treatment of the Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction and the importance of effective communication skills for patients and their doctors. This book is broken down into four easy-to-read sections: 1) A Conceptual Understanding of the History, Philosophy, and Scientific Basis for the Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction; 2) The Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction; 3) Maximizing the Patient-Doctor Relationship; and 4) Information for the Doctor. The scientific explanations are presented in simple-to-understand terms, and many of the vital educational elements include the patient’s perspective. There are also case histories and videos to bring to life the learning experience. Special features include a glossary to aid patients in understanding technical terms, beautiful illustrations, cartoons, and a resource page to find top-tier clinical programs that see patients with DGBIs.

Available online at here.

the sacrifice

Author: Carmen Bundy
Publish Date: May 22, 2020
Pages: 207 (paperback)

Eden is a seventeen-year-old girl that is enjoying her last summer before senior year, but an unexpected curveball gets thrown at her with a life-changing disease. Her twin brother, Bennett, and best friend, Carter, stay by her side, but once a tragedy happens, she begins to feel the pain that she never imagined having. One letter ends up being the mystery that she wishes she never opened up. Will she be able to find closure, or will she give up on everything that she’s ever worked for?

Available online at Amazon.com.

the low fodmap diet

Author: Kate Scarlata, RDN, LDN and Dédé Wilson
Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books (December 19, 2017)
Pages: 378 (paperback)

A cookbook dedicated to easy, delicious, everyday recipes for the many sufferers of IBS and other digestive disorders, by a New York Times bestselling author and former Bon Appétit contributing editor. Do you suffer from IBS or a chronically sensitive stomach? The culprit may be your diet: many everyday foods contain FODMAPs–a group of carbohydrates that can wreak havoc on your digestive system. Digestive health specialist Kate Scarlata and expert recipe developer Dédé Wilson share their clear, accessible, three-step low-FODMAP diet. Backed by the most up-to-date, sound medical advice, The Low-FODMAP Diet Step by Step walks you through:

  • Identifying FODMAPs and what foods contain them
  • Customizing your own gut-friendly plan to alleviate painful symptoms
  • Using an elimination diet to help determine your food triggers
  • Stocking your low-FODMAP pantry, with food lists and more
  • Easy, delicious recipes for every meal, with specific food reintegration tips

Available online at Amazon.com.

poop

Author: Thomas R. Duhamel, PhD
Publisher: Maret Publishing 2 edition (February 17, 2018)
Pages: 206 (paperback)

This book is the revised and expanded 2nd edition of The Ins and Outs of Poop: A Guide to Treating Childhood Constipation. It is a how-to book for parents and a treatment guide for pediatric healthcare specialists. This edition contains all of the information contained in the first edition plus new and updated information on important topics related to prevention, early diagnosis and the treatment of functional constipation. These topics include: functional constipation in the first 24 months of life, how toilet training can cause encopresis, how to manage encopresis in the classroom and how temperament-related behavior problems can cause functional constipation. It also includes a self-study Parent-Child Interaction Training (PCIT) course which teaches parents how to “treat” such behavioral problems.There are six steps required to effectively treat functional constipation: 1. Educate the family 2. Empty the rectum 3. End withholding 4. Shrink the rectum 5. Withdraw laxatives 6. Remain vigilant. Each step is explained in detail along with the tools needed for successful implementation, such as forms for data collection and instruction in the use of laxatives and incentives. There are many stories written by parents describing specific aspects of their child’s treatment. The book is written in a light-hearted fashion and uses cartoon-like illustrations to highlight key points. It emphasizes the very good news that with comprehensive care, functional constipation can be dramatically improved.

The author is a clinical child psychologist who has collaborated with parents and pediatric care providers about functional constipation for over 30 years. Available online at Amazon.com.

whorwell control ibs

Editor: Peter Whorwell, MD
Publisher: Vermillion (2017)
Pages: 150 (paperback)

IBS is common and while there is no definitive cure, there are ways to take control of the condition and minimize symptoms so you can get on with your life. Unravelling misconceptions, this book recognises that a one-size-fits-all treatment doesn’t exist. Dr. Whorwell distils over 30 years of experience and research around IBS and gastrointestinal disorders int a practical and straightforward guide for sufferers. Available on Amazon.

ibs elimination diet cookbook jacket image scaled

Author: Patsy Catsos, MS, RDN, LD
Publisher: Harmony Publishers (2017)
Pages: 304 (Paperback)

From Patsy Catsos, MS, RDN, LD, author of IBS — Free At Last! and IBS-Free Recipes for the Whole Family, comes a complete guide and cookbook to help overcome symptoms of IBS by discovering your dietary triggers and building a personalized, doable, and fulfilling diet around nutritious foods using the FODMAP diet approach.

While this approach does not help everyone, working with your healthcare provider this edition offers the theory along with a program that walks you through eliminating FODMAPs (difficult to digest carbohydrates found in a variety of otherwise healthy food) and adding them back one by one. The book contains 56 delicious recipes, 24 full-color photos, and comprehensive guides to high- and low-FODMAP foods. Available for purchase online at Amazon.com.

mind gut connection

Author: Emeran Mayer, MD
Publisher: Harper Wave (2016)
Pages: 320 (hardcover)

We have all experienced the connection between our mind and our gut – the decision we made because it “felt right”; the butterflies in our stomach before a big meeting; the anxious stomach rumbling we get when we’re stressed out. While the dialogue between the gut and the brain has been recognized by ancient healing traditions, including Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, Western medicine has by and large failed to appreciate the complexity of how the brain, gut, and more recently, the gut microbiota—the microorganisms that live inside our digestive tract – communicate with one another.

In The Mind-Gut Connection, Dr. Emeran Mayer, professor of medicine and executive director of the UCLA Center for Neurobiology of Stress, offers a revolutionary and provocative look at this developing science, teaching us how to harness the power of the mind-gut connection to take charge of our health and listen to the innate wisdom of our bodies. Available for purchase online at Amazon.com.

ibs freer

Authors: Patsy Catsos, Lisa Rothstein, & Karen Warman
Publisher: Pond Cove Press (2015)
Pages: 172 (paperback)

If you are using the FODMAP approach to manage your IBS symptoms (or your child’s), learning a few new tricks in the kitchen can make all the difference. Step-by-step recipes, tips, time-savers, and substitutions plus clinical and nutrition insight with information you need about FODMAPs and nutrition, when a low-FODMAP diet is appropriate, and how to avoid common pitfalls of eating for IBS. Available for purchase online at Amazon.com.

Check out this article by Patsy Catsos, MS, RDN on our IFFGD website at aboutIBS.org, “Five Low FODMAP Diet Pifalls (and What You Can Do to Avoid Them).”

eatingfrontcover crystal

Author: Crystal Zaborowski Saltrelli, CHC
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2014)
Pages: 178 (paperback)

Certified Health Coach (CHC) and long-time advocate with the Digestive Health Alliance (DHA), Crystal Zaborowski Saltrelli recently released the new edition of her book Eating for Gastroparesis: Guidelines, Tips & Recipes. Based on her experiences as a Health Coach and her own journey with gastroparesis, Zaborowski Saltrelli guides the reader through the process of making dietary changes to help manage the symptoms of gastroparesis. In the book you’ll find answers to common questions, grocery lists, and over 75 nutrient-rich, gastroparesis-friendly recipes. Available for purchase online at Amazon.com

gutsolutioncover

Authors: Michael Lawson, MD & Jessica Del Pozo, PhD
Publisher: Lemke Health Partners (2013)
Pages: 144 (paperback)

Children suffer and parents worry when gastrointestinal problems like tummy pain, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion and bloating become chronic. Managing these problems can be disruptive to the whole family.

In The Gut Solution, Dr. Lawson and Dr. Del Pozo reveal their approach to treating functional gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and recurrent abdominal pain (RAP). Their program, SEEDS (which stands for Stress Management, Education, Exercise, Diet & Sleep), guides the child patients and their families on how to manage these common and often difficult digestive problems.

The book explains not only the underlying physiological and biological issues at play, but the neurological, behavioral and emotional factors in irritable bowel syndrome and abdominal pain and most importantly, what can be done about it.

The case example of a child named Sara is followed through the book, to illustrate how the SEEDS program helps her and her parents identify and modify her thoughts, feelings, and behaviors around her symptoms. The child is treated as an active partner in her own healthcare, and the authors stress the importance of hearing and validating the child’s perspective.

managing life with incontinence

Editors: Cheryle B. Gartley, Mary Radtke Klein, Christine Norton, and Anita Saltmarche
Publisher: The Simon Foundation (2012)
Pages: 232 (paperback)

Leakage, overactive bladder, fecal incontinence, stress incontinence… whatever you choose to call it, the fact is that life with incontinence can be challenging. This book provides guidance from leading experts about how to take control of daily life, even when living with incontinence. Chapters include information on treatments, communicating with friends, family, and health professionals, helpful resources, and overcoming stigma. Courageous stories from people who live, and thrive, with incontinence provide encouragement and inspiration. Written specifically for individuals who live day to day with bladder and/or bowel incontinence, the book also provides information useful for physicians and nurses who understand their patients’ frustrations and wish to more fully comprehend the quality of life issues facing people with intractable incontinence. Available online at: www.simonfoundation.org.

the tunnel at the end of the light

Author: Peter B. Cotton, MD
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing (2011)
Pages: 272 (Paperback)

Dr. Cotton has a long and distinguished career in gastroenterology, including pioneering the development of ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) and other diagnostic procedures. In this memoir, Dr. Cotton offers insights into his life as a gastroenterologist and a teacher of physicians during the times when the practice of medicine was being revolutionized. He shares many of the anecdotes garnered from a lifetime of clinical practice and research, and recounts both humorous and thought provoking recollections from this unique field of medicine. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to a fund designed to support training in Advanced Endoscopy.

Dr. Cotton is currently Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, where he founded the Digestive Disease Center in 1994. Of interest primarily to professionals.

living well with gp

Author: Crystal Zaborowski Saltrelli, C.H.C.
Publisher: Sea Salt Publishing (2011)
Pages: 245 (paperback)

This book is a comprehensive and easy to follow guide to navigating life after a gastroparesis diagnosis. Certified Health Counselor and gastroparesis patient-advocate Crystal Saltrelli guides you through all aspects of managing gastroparesis, including self advocacy, appropriate medical treatment, complementary therapies, dietary modifications, nutrition and supplementation, supportive lifestyle practices, stress management, and coping skills. You’ll also find practical tips and advice for socializing, travel, career, and relationships. The book concludes with 75 brand new GP-friendly recipes.

The author is a Certified Health Counselor specializing in gastroparesis management. Diagnosed in 2004 with gastroparesis, she provides a unique and useful perspective as someone with both personal and professional experience with the condition. Available online at Amazon.com.

books

Author: Ami D. Sperber, MD
Publisher: IFFGD (2011)
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 228 KB

If you, a friend, or a family member is suffering from IBS, this book is for you. Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is the most common of the functional disorders of the digestive tract. The condition is complex, chronic, and unpredictable. It is characterized by multiple, often painful, symptoms. The cause of the symptoms is not found on routine testing like an x-ray, or blood test. In other words nothing appears wrong in the tests. But physical examinations and routine tests all assess structure – not function – and IBS involves a problem with the way nerves and muscles function. This has led to a great deal of misunderstanding about IBS, and to needless suffering.

In this book Ami Sperber, MD provides a fresh and clear guide to help people understand the condition and the diagnostic process. Individuals with IBS will find useful ways to self-manage and gain a greater sense of confidence. The approach is empowering, helping people improve chances for treatment success.

The book contains clear and detailed explanations of treatment approaches. These range from diet to complementary and alternative medicine to medications and to combinations of therapies.

Each chapter begins with quotes and personal anecdotes to help others recognize they are not alone in their journey of self-discovery and personal care, and ends with summaries of vital information. For quick references or detailed explanations, this book provides it all.

Dr. Sperber is an internationally recognized physician and researcher. He has a long history of contributing to the understanding of living with and treating IBS and related conditions. Available online as an eBook at Amazon.com.

eating for gastroparesis

Author: Crystal Zaborowski Saltrelli, C.H.C.
Publisher: CreateSpace (2011)
Pages: 90 (paperback)

This user-friendly, easy to follow guide answers the most frequently asked questions about eating for gastroparesis, addresses common misconceptions, offers tips for symptom management and provides 50 simple gastroparesis-friendly recipes. Following accepted dietary guidelines it offers detailed lists of ‘friendly’ foods, tips for enhancing nutrition and minimizing symptoms, and answers to common questions. The author is a Certified Health Counselor. Available online at Amazon.com.

my tummy hurts

Author: Joseph Levy, M.D.
Publisher: Fireside (2004)
Pages: 288 (paperback) 

From a baby’s colic to an older child’s complaint of “my tummy hurts,” abdominal distress is painful for kids and worrisome to parents, ranking second only to upper respiratory tract infections as the most common reason for non-routine visits to the pediatrician. In many cases, the discomfort is easily remedied and even prevented, but some kinds of pain indicate a more serious affliction. How can parents make the distinction?Dr. Levy offers a guide, drawing from more than two decades of experience as a pediatric gastroenterologist. He is professor of clinical pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center and director of the Children’s Digestive Health Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. My Tummy Hurts is organized for easy reference, providing a handbook for parents and caregivers. Available through booksellers, such as Amazon.

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IFFGD is a nonprofit education and research organization. Our mission is to inform, assist, and support people affected by gastrointestinal disorders.

Our original content is authored specifically for IFFGD readers, in response to your questions and concerns.

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