Mind Your Gut

February 19, 2024
This helpful resource from dietitian Scarlata (coauthor of The Low-FODMAP Diet) and health psychologist Riehl outlines strategies for managing irritable bowel syndrome. Explaining that stress can exacerbate IBS symptoms via the gut-brain axis, the authors describe how to change how one feels by changing how one thinks. For instance, they suggest that reframing negative thoughts (from “If I didn’t have IBS, I’d be way more productive” to “IBS is a bummer, but I can manage it”) can reduce anxiety. Scarlata and Riehl extol the benefits of such relaxation techniques as “gut-directed guided imagery,” which involves envisioning oneself in a tranquil environment and then “allow the same comfort that your senses are experiencing to bring comfort and peace to your stomach.” The dietary guidance revolves around cutting out foods high in sugars collectively known as FODMAPs, which create gas and cause cramping by stretching the intestinal wall. Other recommendations include keeping a consistent meal schedule, staying hydrated, minimizing alcohol intake, and incorporating oatmeal, canned chickpeas, and other fiber-rich foods into one’s diet. The breadth of strategies ensures that if readers don’t respond to one, they’ll have plenty of others to try, and the inclusion of a sample menu plan and extensive lists of low-FODMAP foods makes implementing the dietary advice easy. This gets the job done. Agent: Marilyn Allen, Allen O’Shea Literary.

Starred review from April 5, 2024

More than 45 million people in the United States suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The condition is difficult to diagnose and treat since the symptoms are variable, and there is no cure. Gastroenterology specialist and dietician Scarlata (The Low-FODMAP Diet Step by Step) and health psychologist Riehl (director, GI Behavioral Health at Univ. of Michigan) provide an accessible IBS guide for patients. The authors explain the symptoms, their origins, the diagnosis, and the steps that patients and their health care practitioners can take to make living with IBS easier. These involve proper nutrition, self-care techniques (cognitive behavioral therapy; hypnotherapy), and a team-based approach to healing. The book discusses the role of certain foods and stress in triggering attacks, and it offers coping techniques, recipes, and meal plans. The authors tell readers that it's essential to work with health care practitioners who specialize in treating IBS. It's also important to eliminate other serious conditions that have similar symptoms. The book's sidebars include myth busters, essential information lists, and nutrition tips. A series of appendixes provide recipes, resources, references, and a colonoscopy-coping prep kit. VERDICT An excellent resource with evidence-based information for readers dealing with a condition that's difficult to treat.--Barbara M. Bibel

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