Benjamin I. Brown - The Digestive Health Solution: Your Personalized Five-Step Plan for Inside-Out Digestive Wellness

The Digestive Health Solution

Your personalized five-step plan for insideout digestive wellness

Benjamin I Brown, ND

There is an old naturopathic adage that ill health begins in the bowel and modern research has shown that digestive dysfunction results in nutritional deficiencies and excessive toxins the basic causes of many health problems. To improve your health, read and use the excellent guidance provided in The Digestive Health Solution.

Dr Joseph Pizzorno, ND, editor-in-chief of Integrative Medicine, A Clinicians Journal, author of Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine

The Digestive Health Solution offers a proven, practical, step-by-step approach to understanding, controlling and reversing Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Ben Brown has combined all the best natural approaches into a logical, easy-to-follow program.

Leo Galland, MD, FACP, FACN, author of The Fat Resistance Diet, director of
The Foundation for Integrated Medicine

The Digestive Health Solution is an outstanding synthesis of cutting-edge research, a timely book that stands apart from the hype and pop nutritional fads. Ben Brown has established himself as a trusted authority, a researcher and clinician dedicated to sound nutritional approaches in complex cases. Ben captures the reader immediately with raw honesty as he describes his own experiences; he then proceeds to expertly navigate difficult discussions in a beautifully written, crystal-clear manner a reader-friendly resource, providing guidance that matters.

Alan C. Logan, ND, co-author of Your Brain on Nature

One of the biggest issues in the world today is poor gut health its at the root of just about every chronic health condition. The talented Ben Brown has taken the reader through the trenches of the digestive terrain in a way that is multi-faceted, personalized, and most of all, solves the problem! A must read for all.

Deanna Minich, PhD, functional nutritionist,
author, and founder of Food & Spirit

An interesting journey through the digestive tract, brought alive by personal experience. The writing is supported by scientific research throughout; although it contains detailed technical information, it is easy to follow. Whether you are a student, a health practitioner or a lay person, this book will seize your attention, educate you, amaze you and help you understand why gut health is so important to general health and wellbeing.

Breda Gajsek, principal and founder of the
UK College of Nutrition & Health (BCNH), London

Ben Brown is an unusual combination of clinician and science geek. Unlike many other health authors, Ben combines these twin passions beautifully, and in his writing and teaching is able to explain concepts clearly and effectively, while still staying true to the latest research that is available. This book is a great example of this talent and will be a tremendously useful resource for anyone want to better understand their digestive health and get off the treadmill of symptomatic treatment and really start to understand the causes of their symptoms.

Paul Mannion, ND BHSc

This book is essential reading for anyone wanting to better understand their own gut health and gives them the valuable information needed to create an individualized gut health plan that is going to work for them.

Claire Yates BHSc (Nut Med), author of Optimum Health the Paleo Way

Ben Brown has assimilated personal experience, peer-review research and his knowledge base as a naturopathic practitioner to create a practical guide for those with IBS. This easy-to-read book offers an up-to-date view of IBS and a sensible stepped programme for a return to good gastrointestinal health. The Digestive Health Solution is highly recommended for anyone trying to cope with an irritable bowel.

Megan Arroll, PhD, FHEA, C.Psychol., C.Sci., AFBPsS, director of Simply
Research Ltd, author of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: What You Need to Know

Combining the latest research with real-world solutions Ben Brown addresses common digestive issues such as IBS in his book The Digestive Health Solution. Going beyond just symptom management, Ben busts common myths and guides the reader through the diagnositic maze, revealing the underlying causes of digestive issues. This is an eminently useful resource for those with digestive health problems and those who want lasting health solutions.

Ananda Mahony, ND, senior lecturer in Nutrition,
Endeavour College of Natural Health

This book is for anyone wishing to resolve their digestive health issues for good. With an ideal combination of scientific evidence and practical tips to follow, youll find this book a fabulous resource to refer to time and time again.

Christine Bailey, MSc, nutritionist and author

This book is for you, for asking questions, seeking answers and empowering yourself to improve your own health; we are all the authors of our own health and wellbeing.

And this book is also dedicated to the clinicians, educators and scientists who are selflessly championing a shift in medicine towards a more compassionate, natural and personalized approach, grounded in the connection to our food, lifestyle and environment.

Contents

Introduction

This book started in a hospital emergency room in Paris. Three weeks earlier I had set off on a trip through southern Spain, across the Strait of Gibraltar and around the magnificent country of Morocco. Like many people who travel abroad, I enjoyed the local and sometime less hygienic food than I was used to, and managed to pick up a case of travellers diarrhoea. Foolishly determined to continue the journey, I pushed through continuous nausea, cramping, pain and intermittent diarrhoea, only to wind up so physically and mentally exhausted that I collapsed the day after flying from Marrakech to Paris; not the highlight of the trip!

I was released from hospital after a few days of treatment and rest, but my symptoms were still severe: intense abdominal pain, cramping, intermittent diarrhoea and constipation, bloating, distention, palpitations, constant vertigo and relentless waves of extreme nausea. After a few weeks of this, significant fatigue and anxiety set in and I recall it being very difficult to walk two blocks to do my grocery shopping. To rule out more severe illness, I went through a barrage of tests checking my heart, kidney and liver function, blood, and the presence of any intestinal parasites, but, ultimately, everything was fine and I was told things would probably settle down eventually. What I then discovered was that I had a classic case of post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or in plain language, a gut reaction to an infection that was causing continuous digestive problems.

Luckily I had been writing about, teaching and practising integrative medicine for years and had some idea on what might be going on and how to speed up my recovery, so I ordered a few tests of my own. It turned out that my gastrointestinal bacteria, which should normally have a nice healthy population of good bugs such as lactobacillus and bifidobacteria, and low levels of bad bugs, had been turned upside down. In fact, I am not sure I had seen a test result that bad before. Sharing my story with one of the worlds foremost scientists on gut bacteria over dinner one evening, I was not surprised when after hearing my experience and test results he promptly moved his chair back from me a few paces, jokingly, I think.

So, having some idea on where to start I researched and planned a road to recovery. Using a variety of treatments including natural medicines, dietary changes and mindbody therapies, I managed to virtually resolve my symptoms over the coming months and now have only minor flare-ups from time to time an excellent result considering that symptoms can very seriously affect peoples lives for many years.