 Except for the
common cold, digestive problems drive people to the doctor more than
any other ailment. Jordan S. Rubin, NMD, and Joseph Brasco, MD,
believe that both the cause of digestive disorders and their cure lie
in the foods people eat. In personal and clinical experience. Jordan
Rubin, who recovered from a severe case of Crohn's disease, first came
to the attention of readers in 1997 in an article on soil-based
organisms. Joseph Brasco, MD, is a practicing, board-certified
gastroenterologist. Their book gives motivated people, suffering from
gastrointestinal disorders, a blueprint for restoring health. It also
critiques some of the many supplements, diets, and alternative
treatments that Rubin tried in his attempt to overcome Crohn's.
jordan Rubin
developed Crohn's disease at age 19, the summer after his freshman
year of college. His weight plunged from a normal of 175-80 pounds
down to 120. X-rays showed inflammation in his small and large
intestines. He had 10-15 bowel movements a day and was unable to sleep
through the night without going to the bathroom almost every hour. At
one point, he was taking two anti-inflammatories, two antibiotics,
Diflucan for thrush, and an acid-suppressant. Rubin believes that the
high-carbohydrate, low-protein, almost-no-fat diet that he went on "to
get in shape" and the sigh stress of his many college activities led
to the illness. Since conventional medicine offered control of
symptoms but no cure, Rubin turned to alternative medicine, seeking
help from 70 health practitioners in seven countries and 300 different
'miracle' products - without success. He found some relief with the
low-carbohydrate diet outlined in Elaine Gottschall's book Breaking
the Vicious Cycle, but it wasn't until a nutritionist taught him what
and how to eat that he saw an improvement. By changing his eating
patterns and supplementing with homeostatic soil-based organisms,
Rubin was able to stop taking all the medications and regained his
health.
Similar to the diet
that the nutritionist had advised Rubin to follow, the Guts and Glory
Program, outlined in Restoring Your Digestive Health, avoids
modern processed foods and emphasizes meat from organically-raised,
grass-fed animals; raw, fermented goat's milk in the form of kefir or
yogurt; vegetables; fruits; and certain fats like goat butter, coconut
oil/butter, olive oil, and flax seed oil. The authors also encourage
readers to consume fermented vegetables and fruits, because of the
lactobacilli they contain, and easily-digested, nutrient-rich homemade
stocks and broths. Restoring Your Digestive Health explains the
reasons for these food choices in detail. "If this book had a mantra,"
the authors write, "it would be this: Decrease the total amount of
carbohydrates you eat and be selective about the quality of the
carbohydrates you eat." Carbohydrates are especially difficult for
people with digestive problems to break down. Because of this, some
undigested carbohydrates end up feeding harmful bacteria in the small
intestine. These bacteria damage the intestinal wall and further
impair digestion.
The Guts and Glory
Program also includes some supplements, such as digestive enzymes,
water additives, anti-inflammatory formulas, and bentonite clay.
Homeostatic soil-based organisms (HSOs), made by Rubin's company
Garden of Life, play a major part in the program. Sources for
recommended foods and supplements are included in the book.
The Guts and
Glory Program is divided into three phases:
The first phase, during which `Brasco Broth' is eaten throughout the
day (recipe is included), is designed to rest the bowel and encourage
the repair of the bowel lining. It also reduces inflammation,
rehydrates the body, and reduces the total microflora.
When improvement is noticed (usually 7-14 days, or sooner), the second
phase begins. During this phase, which also lasts 7-14 days, fermented
goat dairy products and more steamed vegetables are added to the diet.
Additional probiotic supplements help reinoculation of the gut with
friendly bacteria, lowering colonic pH and improving nutrient
absorption.
The third phase, which is long-term, seeks to restore and maintain
health. It draws more attention to the consumption of healthy fats and
the quality and quantity of carbohydrates.
The authors use the
three phases as blueprints for creating treatment plans for over 20
gastrointestinal disorders, ranging from hemorrhoids and ulcers to
constipation and Crohn's disease. In addition, Restoring Your
Digestive Health contains 7 nutrient- or probiotic-rich recipes and
some lifestyle recommendations that benefit digestive health.
Dr. Brasco writes,
"One hundred percent of my patients would get better by changing their
diet. However, only three or four out of ten patients agree to change
it." Jordan Rubin compares his recovery from Crohn's disease to an
athlete training for the Olympics: "It takes that kind of commitment
to get well from a chronic or degenerative disease." Restoring Your
Digestive Health does not offer a `miracle' supplement or pill. It
outlines a program that requires effort and commitment. However, even
people who don't want to follow the Guts and Glory Program can learn
ways to enhance digestive health from this book.
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