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Restoring Your Digestive Health:: How The Guts And Glory Program Can Transform Your Life
This title teaches readers how to love their guts and lose the medicine. It provides a revolutionary wellbeing programme for the millions of people seeking a simple, natural lifestyle change to help ease the pain of their debilitating digestive disorders.
- GenresHealthNonfiction
400 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 29, 2010
When I came back from Africa with an intestinal parasite and then took antibiotics for 3 months to try to kill it, I needed a little help getting my belly back in order. Colleen hooked me up with the book Restoring Your Digestive Health. It leads you through a cleanse for a few weeks and then provides direction on the best types of food to eat for ease of digestion.
I haven't had to do this cleanse since 2004, but I haven't been feeling great lately so I decided it was time for a refresh. Basically, you eat a homemade chicken soup that includes a whole chicken, carrots, celery, zucchini, onions, ginger and garlic with coconut oil. You cook it for 12-24 hours and then you eat that for every meal for at least 7 days. It gives your body a break and helps reset your digestion. After the first week, you continue with the soup and add in some goats milk yogurt to restore the good bacteria.
I highly recommend this diet if you're having trouble with your digestion.
I haven't had to do this cleanse since 2004, but I haven't been feeling great lately so I decided it was time for a refresh. Basically, you eat a homemade chicken soup that includes a whole chicken, carrots, celery, zucchini, onions, ginger and garlic with coconut oil. You cook it for 12-24 hours and then you eat that for every meal for at least 7 days. It gives your body a break and helps reset your digestion. After the first week, you continue with the soup and add in some goats milk yogurt to restore the good bacteria.
I highly recommend this diet if you're having trouble with your digestion.
September 19, 2013
Rubin seems to contradict himself throughout (pork is bad, but cow is all right?). His program consists of mostly vegetables and fruits, yet he bashes vegetarian diets and says they eventually fail a person, but ask Charlotte Gerson, who is 91 and has lived a vegetarian lifestyle for all of her life. Why hasn't it failed her yet? And Dean Ornish? And Caldwell and Rip Esselstyn? And John Robbins?
Rubin is a businessman, and a successful one, but he is not a doctor. I wouldn't doubt that he is taking payoffs from the dairy and meat industry, but if you dig around you'll find that he is actually the dairy and meat industry, as he now owns a stake in several companies. In 2004 he was also ordered to pay a fine and to stop making medical claims on his products. The program in this book depends on your willing to pay hundreds, and thousands of dollars over a long run, to buy his products he has manufactured. Rubin's diet also pushes you toward other long term problems: high cholesterol, heart disease, etc. He also tells lactose intolerant people to drink goat's milk, which is a disaster waiting to happen.
As far as people who had success with his diet, there are bits of generic advice that are going to help (most of which he took from other authors and their books). Fasting and juicing is obviously going to help anything. There are also a lot of silly ideas in the book like chicken feet and elimination benches. I think the joke is on us.
The bigger issue is that disorders like Chrohn's often go into remission on their own. I know several people who had it, continue to eat terrible while the disease still hasn't returned in 5, 10, or more years. If they had taken the products, they too would have been believers.
For a much more credible program see The Gerson Therapy, a book that will cure most diseases: http://www.amazon.com/The-Gerson-Ther...
Rubin is a businessman, and a successful one, but he is not a doctor. I wouldn't doubt that he is taking payoffs from the dairy and meat industry, but if you dig around you'll find that he is actually the dairy and meat industry, as he now owns a stake in several companies. In 2004 he was also ordered to pay a fine and to stop making medical claims on his products. The program in this book depends on your willing to pay hundreds, and thousands of dollars over a long run, to buy his products he has manufactured. Rubin's diet also pushes you toward other long term problems: high cholesterol, heart disease, etc. He also tells lactose intolerant people to drink goat's milk, which is a disaster waiting to happen.
As far as people who had success with his diet, there are bits of generic advice that are going to help (most of which he took from other authors and their books). Fasting and juicing is obviously going to help anything. There are also a lot of silly ideas in the book like chicken feet and elimination benches. I think the joke is on us.
The bigger issue is that disorders like Chrohn's often go into remission on their own. I know several people who had it, continue to eat terrible while the disease still hasn't returned in 5, 10, or more years. If they had taken the products, they too would have been believers.
For a much more credible program see The Gerson Therapy, a book that will cure most diseases: http://www.amazon.com/The-Gerson-Ther...
January 16, 2016
I read this one to learn more about the digestive tract especially microorganisms and the role of fermented foods. The book does a good job of reviewing medications and the role of microbial flora in digestion. The cleansing diet it prescribes (minus the magic water drops and expensive soil tablets the author is happy to sell you) seems solid especially the chicken foot soup recipe and the fermented veggie juice.
It falls on its face in two ways; the first when it promotes personal opinion (book calls it spiritual beliefs) with no solid data and secondly when it celebrates discredited "wishful thinking" such as highlighting the work of Wakefield the British doctor stripped of his medical license after deliberately falsifying clinical data results for his personal gain. Along this line it works to debunk every other diet especially those poor vegetarians. I hope someone lets those millions on Hindus know they are following a diet bound to kill them all. Although after a thousand years or so it seems to be slacking off on the job.
It's pretty clear which author is writing which parts of this book.
It falls on its face in two ways; the first when it promotes personal opinion (book calls it spiritual beliefs) with no solid data and secondly when it celebrates discredited "wishful thinking" such as highlighting the work of Wakefield the British doctor stripped of his medical license after deliberately falsifying clinical data results for his personal gain. Along this line it works to debunk every other diet especially those poor vegetarians. I hope someone lets those millions on Hindus know they are following a diet bound to kill them all. Although after a thousand years or so it seems to be slacking off on the job.
It's pretty clear which author is writing which parts of this book.
February 10, 2008
not an outstanding piece of journalism or science writing, but if you want to learn from someone's experience, a great read. I learned a lot that I took away from this book that improved my digestive health.
June 3, 2011
If you suffer with flatulence this book will teach you how to cure yourself, Dr. Rubin Jordan suffered with Crones disease and was healed after he found the secret to his cure. He shares his knowledge with you to help you live a life filled with vibrant health.
June 7, 2014
This book isn't pretty and has some layout problems, but the information contained within is sound and is helping me tame down my recent Crohns flare up so it's a winner with me. I'll be keeping this book forever.
June 24, 2011
I have been going through many digestive healing books lately and this was a good one, b/c it was easy to read and understand and made a lot of sense without being too crazy. I had tried to read Jordan Rubin's first book, but just couldn't get through it...maybe this one is better b/c it's co-authored by a gastroninteroligist, who doesn't say you have to follow Rubin's diet to a T to restore your body to it's full health. Basically, the Guts and Glory program is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, but with the addition of a couple of types of bread, less intake of some of the allowed carbs and much more probiotics and supplements. The diets compliment eachother well and the authors endorse the SCD as well.
A good book for people interested in healing their digestive systems, eating better, etc.
A good book for people interested in healing their digestive systems, eating better, etc.
July 30, 2017
Jordan Rubin provided the foundation in my healing path and a starting point to complete and publish my book on my journey to curing my dreaded severe case of ulcerative colitis.
I thank him for being a pioneer in uncovering basic truths for this disease.
There is hope and you can be "cured"...although the doctors will only claim the disease is in remission I thoroughly believe that I have been cured. The same doctors telling me this are dumbfounded as they said my colon was too far shredded to ever go into remission. And yet it did. So there is hope for those other suffering souls inflicted with IBD (Crohn's or UC). :-)
I thank him for being a pioneer in uncovering basic truths for this disease.
There is hope and you can be "cured"...although the doctors will only claim the disease is in remission I thoroughly believe that I have been cured. The same doctors telling me this are dumbfounded as they said my colon was too far shredded to ever go into remission. And yet it did. So there is hope for those other suffering souls inflicted with IBD (Crohn's or UC). :-)
September 24, 2007
I actually learned quite a lot about digestion and the role of the intestinal lining in absorbing nutrients. It's hard to imagine why our culture has manufactured so many damaging foods and chemicals that we eat all the time. Now I see how certain foods are more healthy for us than others. I just wish the authors hadn't buried the information beneath a pile of chapters on why you should avoid other approaches.
January 4, 2013
Informative with many things that can be implemented easily and immediately.
May 8, 2012
very helpful info, though some chapters are repetitive.
November 20, 2023
Scam. Absolute bait and switch. I read three-hundred pages of repetitive badly structured information to try and help my daughter only to realize it was nothing but a ploy to get you to buy his products or the "real" answers from his other books.
This book is one of many in a long goose chase for profit, no results, and it's as simple as that.
I feel cheated and upset at the fact that someone who supposedly had crohn's--which I don't even care about now--had "conquered" it by himself, with the help of his unbelievable lucky upbringing and money, only to use it as an excuse to get people buy his products and books. If any of it is even true.
You will not find anything helpful in here that isn't explained in full detail with actual full recipes from any other book out there on digestive health. The first that comes to mind is Sarah Myhill's ME/CFS book. And you will not find any useful information here unless you want to document the inner workings of what specific enzymes, probiotics, ferment, and gut functions do.
These are all things you do not need to know about in order to cure yourself. You are not a doctor. If you want to be informed, great, but just as the book says, you're reading to get help and get healthy by doing a specific set of things. None of which are given to you in this book.
You need ingredients by name, and minerals by name, and probiotics by name, and you need recipes and a plan to follow. This book does not have any of that. It has filler:
The introduction and long winded information about each possible disease and function on the planet, mixed with ideas about ancient ancestor eating habits (which are all assumed; I highlighted the word "probably" about 60 times) and the definitions of countless biochemicals.
When you come to the time for healing, which you've earned after the intimidating dry read, you will be presented with vague terminology, such as information referring to: anti-inflammatory formula, or enzyme packages, or probiotic ingredients (actual used words).
So, what are they, you ask? Good luck finding that out without realizing that you just spent four days reading to recognize that you've been had. Those things, even if at one time existed, are not specified in detail as to what they are, or where to get them, or how you go about making them yourself. Mentioned time and time again (check the appendix), as though you will be given the information by the time you're ready to start, when you do get there, you're left just as lost and alone as you were from the beginning with less money in your wallet.
This book is one of many in a long goose chase for profit, no results, and it's as simple as that.
I feel cheated and upset at the fact that someone who supposedly had crohn's--which I don't even care about now--had "conquered" it by himself, with the help of his unbelievable lucky upbringing and money, only to use it as an excuse to get people buy his products and books. If any of it is even true.
You will not find anything helpful in here that isn't explained in full detail with actual full recipes from any other book out there on digestive health. The first that comes to mind is Sarah Myhill's ME/CFS book. And you will not find any useful information here unless you want to document the inner workings of what specific enzymes, probiotics, ferment, and gut functions do.
These are all things you do not need to know about in order to cure yourself. You are not a doctor. If you want to be informed, great, but just as the book says, you're reading to get help and get healthy by doing a specific set of things. None of which are given to you in this book.
You need ingredients by name, and minerals by name, and probiotics by name, and you need recipes and a plan to follow. This book does not have any of that. It has filler:
The introduction and long winded information about each possible disease and function on the planet, mixed with ideas about ancient ancestor eating habits (which are all assumed; I highlighted the word "probably" about 60 times) and the definitions of countless biochemicals.
When you come to the time for healing, which you've earned after the intimidating dry read, you will be presented with vague terminology, such as information referring to: anti-inflammatory formula, or enzyme packages, or probiotic ingredients (actual used words).
So, what are they, you ask? Good luck finding that out without realizing that you just spent four days reading to recognize that you've been had. Those things, even if at one time existed, are not specified in detail as to what they are, or where to get them, or how you go about making them yourself. Mentioned time and time again (check the appendix), as though you will be given the information by the time you're ready to start, when you do get there, you're left just as lost and alone as you were from the beginning with less money in your wallet.
January 9, 2021
There are some good pieces of info here.
May 1, 2021
Helpful book but repetitive if you’ve read his other books.
January 1, 2024
Inaccurate at best.
October 26, 2024
By the parts I read, author has put a lot of opinions in certain parts and made incorrect assumptions.
March 17, 2017
When I opened this book, I hoped to find good information that would help me in the search for better gut balancing due to reflux. This book didn't address that, and I quickly found that it wasn't the book I was looking for. I appreciate Jordan Rubin's writings, particularly The Maker's Diet, but this wasn't my cup of tea.
June 25, 2014
Excellent book looking deeply into the digestive environment. I really enjoyed how the personal element was presented first in the author's troubling history with Crohn's disease. It is nice to know there are digestive health sufferers out there that have conquered the problem and can share their solutions.
January 15, 2014
this was the first book i read a few years ago now...and it revolutionized my life! in fact, i prayed for this book, and one day i found it, read it, put it into practice, and i thank God ever since!
May 17, 2008
nice diet if you can stomach the chicken feet
December 31, 2008
Learning more about my digestive system since I have acid reflux
November 11, 2009
The diet sounds pretty extreme, although I agree with the author that most foods we eat are not healthy.
September 24, 2011
Very important and informative. Everyone one should read this.
August 29, 2012
Helpful and informative
Read
January 9, 2014I loved this book. A lot of really great information. I have tried some of the diet and felt it helped a bit.
Read
February 29, 2016HSOs, probiotics & digestive enzymes; three-phase diet; dairy, fish & meats are a-ok. Comprehensive re: tests, diets, treatments, but can be contradictory.
October 27, 2010
A great resource on how to improve digestion.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews