Digestive Health Now

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Praise for Digestive Health Now:

“Your book gave me the perfect guide to what I could and
couldn’t eat. I did the Digestive Clearing Diet and I felt more
energetic than I have in ten years”
Alan Newman, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Praise for Healing Digestive Disorders:

“Andrew Gaeddert, an innovative leader and teacher in the field
of herbal medicine, has put together a very practical guide for
the treatment of digestive disorders. This book will be useful
to both the patients with digestive ailments as well as the prac-
titioners treating them.”
Steven Krems, M.D.
Diplomate American Board of Internal Medicine
Practitioner of Complementary Medicine
“Herbalist and nutritionist Andrew Gaeddert covers the gamut

of natural treatments in a sympathetic voice, punctuated by anec-
dotes from his own healing journey and by case studies from
his clinic.”
Paul Bergner
Clinic Director
Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies
“Healing Digestive Disorders is an easy-to-read, client-friendly, and

comprehensive book for anyone who has ever had gastroin-
testinal problems. I will put it in my waiting room and recom-
mend it regularly to people who come to the clinic.”
Misha Cohen, O.M.D., L.Ac.
Author of The Chinese Way to Healing
and The HIV Wellness Sourcebook
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More praise for Healing Digestive

Disorders:
“In Healing Digestive Disorders, Andrew Gaeddert draws upon his

own personal history as well as his extensive clinical training to
provide an in-depth perspective of this problem. Examining
and integrating western and eastern perspective, he offers the
most up to date view on all aspects of this problem.”
James Ramholz
Oriental Medicine Journal
“This is a thorough and competent self help guide targeted at

those suffering with digestive disorders. It quickly becomes
apparent that anyone living in these stressful times would ben-
efit from the author’s experience and wisdom.”
Raymond D. Victorio,A.P., L.Ac.
The American Acupuncturist
“A complete primer on digestive disorders, I recommend this

book to students, practitioners, and patients alike.”
Robbee Fian, L.Ac., Dipl Ac. & C.H. NCCAOM
President AAOM
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Digestive
Health Now
The Four Week Plan to Heal
• Heartburn
• Ulcers
• Colitis
• IBS and more
Andrew Gaeddert
North Atlantic Books

Berkeley, California
Disclaimer
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The following information is intended for general information purposes only. Indi-
viduals with a health problem should always see their health care provider before admin-
istering any suggestions made in this book. Any application of the material set forth
in the following pages is at the reader’s discretion and his or her sole responsibility.
Copyright © 2002 by Andrew Gaeddert. All rights reserved. No portion of this book,
except for brief review, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmit-
ted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise—without the written permission of the publisher. For information con-
tact North Atlantic Books.
Published by
North Atlantic Books Get Well Foundation
P.O. Box 12327 8001A Capwell Drive
Berkeley, California 94712 Oakland, California 94621
Cover and text design by Catherine E. Campaigne
Printed in the United States of America
Digestive Health Now:The FourWeek Plan to Heal Heartburn, Ulcers, Colitis, IBS, and More
is sponsored by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences, a nonprofit edu-
cational corporation whose goals are to develop an educational and crosscultural per-
spective linking various scientific, social, and artistic fields; to nurture a holistic view
of arts, sciences, humanities, and healing; and to publish and distribute literature on the
relationship of mind, body, and nature.
Digestive Health Now:The FourWeek Plan to Heal Heartburn, Ulcers, Colitis, IBS, and More
is also sponsored by the Get Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose purpose
is to educate the public and health care providers about natural therapies that are com-
plements to Western medicine. Get Well Foundation operates a clinic, publishes books,
and sponsors seminars.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gaeddert, Andrew.
Digestive health now : the four week plan to heal heartburn, ulcers, colitis, ibs,
and more / by Andrew Gaeddert.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-55643-426-X (pbk.)
1. Indigestion—Diet therapy. 2. Gastrointestinal system—Diseases—Treat-
ment. 3. Naturopathy. I. Title.
RC827 .G34 2002
616.3’0654—dc21
2002011412
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 / 05 04 03 02
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Acknowledgments
S
I would like to greatly thank my wife Carol
for her encouragement and support
and my mother LouAnn for her help with the recipes.
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Table of Contents
S
Introduction: You Are Not Alone vii
1 You Can Heal 1
2 Program Overview 7
3 Deciding to Commit to the Program 15
4 Getting Started 25
5 Digestive Recipes 42
6 Tough Responders 73
7 Frequently Asked Questions 75
Appendix A: Obstacles to Health 84
Appendix B: How to Reduce Fat Intake 89
Appendix C: Digestion-Friendly Grains 91
Appendix D: Food Families 95
Appendix E: Resources 103
Bibliography 105
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Introduction
S
You Are
Not Alone
G astrointestinal disorders are very common. In fact, one

out of three Americans at one time or another will have
a digestive condition. Pharmacy shelves are brimming with reme-
dies such as antacids, laxatives, and drugs for indigestion, intesti-
nal gas, diarrhea, and nausea. In addition to having unpleasant
side effects, drugs often hide the cause of the problem. They inter-
fere with the body’s own healing systems, allowing digestion to
get worse, not better. In contrast, Digestive Health Now is a nat-
ural approach to healing your digestive system for life.
To get the most out of this book, it is important that you
remember the word DIGEST. “DI” stands for diet. During the
four weeks we are going to work with your diet. Simply put, you
will determine which foods your body tolerates and which it
does not.
“G” stands for goals. What do goals have to do with diges-
tion? Actually, a lot. Many people with poor digestion have trouble
expressing themselves. Perhaps you do as well? Also, many people
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Digestive Health Now
know exactly what they don’t want, and yet they have trouble
figuring out what they do want. Once you find out what you
want, you will have greater energy. Throughout the program, it
is important to remember that one of your goals is to improve
your digestive health. As an added benefit, you will have greater
energy and fewer stressful feelings. What will you do with the
extra energy? What have you always wanted to do? Who do you
want to be? If there were no limits, who would you like to be?
“E” stands for exercise. A crucial step in getting your diges-
tion regulated is to increase your exercise level. Exercise improves
blood flow and helps give body cells more oxygen. Do you need
to be a jock? No, walking and gardening are just fine, although
if you are able to engage in aerobic or weight-bearing exercise,
they are also good.
“S” stands for stress reduction. People with irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS), colitis, ulcers, and practically all health condi-
tions can be helped with a stress-reduction program. Digestive
Health Now introduces you to a time-tested technique for improv-
ing digestive function, as well as to a meditation. Typically, stress-
reduction programs work cumulatively, which means that you
may or may not see a benefit after the first few days, but certainly
after doing the stress-reduction exercises faithfully every day for
thirty days you will see great improvement.
Finally, “T” stands for trust.You must trust me that this pro-
gram will change your life. You also need to trust yourself that
Digestive Health Now is worth following. What do you have to
lose besides your digestive disorder?
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Chapter One
You Can Heal
I have never met a person with a digestive disorder who has

not been able to improve his or her condition with natural
treatments. Does this mean that all these people are symptom
free all the time? No, that would be unrealistic. What is realistic
is that you can take some of the bite out of your digestive symp-
toms. In others words, you control your digestive system rather
than letting it control you. Many clients have been able to reduce
their symptoms so that they can lead more normal lives. Some
of my clients have been able to avoid drastic surgeries, and oth-
ers have been able to be weaned off strong pharmaceutical drugs
that have debilitating side effects.
We live in an instant age with instant breakfast, instant bank-
ing, and computer dating; it’s no wonder that we desire an instant
cure. Rather than use a “Band-Aid approach,” we can often obtain
greater results by identifying the underlying cause of symptoms.
Identifying the underlying reasons for the digestive disorder allows
us to work on the root of the problem. Excess stress; eating foods
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we do not tolerate; and exposure to toxins such as bacteria, viruses,

parasites, and fungi are often the basis for digestive problems.
Digestive Health Now is written for the person with limited
access to holistic practitioners. It is designed as a supplement to
my book Healing Digestive Disorders: Natural Treatments for
Gastrointestinal Conditions. The Digestive Clearing Program, intro-
duced in Healing Digestive Disorders, will be revisited. Meal plans,
useful tips, and recipes are also provided.
The Digestive Clearing Program has helped thousands of
people improve their digestive health. This program is suitable
for most patients with chronic indigestion, ulcers, irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS), acid reflux, heartburn, constipation, intestinal
gas, diarrhea, diverticular disorders, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative col-
itis, and gallbladder disease. We have found our program to be
90 percent effective for those who faithfully follow it. Digestive
Health Now addresses exercise, stress reduction, and a change in
diet. To facilitate your own digestive healing, I will ask you ques-
tions throughout the book to help you change how you think
about food and your digestive problems. Although this is a self-
treatment book, it is essential that you also see a health profes-
sional to get a thorough diagnosis.Your symptoms might be caused
by something other than a digestive disorder, or you may have a
rare condition that is not mentioned here, so please get a thor-
ough biomedical evaluation. It is fine to show your health pro-
fessional this book and to inform him or her about your decision
to follow this program. Derivatives of this program are used in
many clinics across the country.
By focusing on diet and the emotions, we can find the under-
lying cause of your symptoms. Even if you have inherited a gene
that pre-disposes you to a digestive disorder, it is still possible
through stress reduction and some diet detective work to over-
come your condition. The treatment is to identify stressful
emotions as well as discover which foods may be triggering symp-
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You Can Heal
toms in your body. If you think you may have come in contact
with a toxin that is causing your digestive problem, it is essential
that you see a health professional to be evaluated.
We will be focusing on stress-reduction techniques, exercise,
and a specific way of eating that will help you evaluate your own
food reactions. The program consists of a two-week preparation
phase in which changes to your diet will be made gradually, fol-
lowed by the two-week clearing phase. It is important to get daily
exercise and do the stress-reduction techniques as specified. For
best results, it is important that you follow the plan as stated. We
recommend that you do twenty minutes of daily exercise. If walk-
ing twenty minutes per day sounds like too much, you may need
to work up to this level before starting the program.
There are two stress-reduction techniques: a meditation and
abdominal massage. Certain experienced meditators may look at
these techniques and think they are not advanced enough, but
remember we are taking a vacation from our former lives. You
can get back to your own routine at the end of the four weeks.
Think of the four weeks as an experiment to regain your diges-
tive health. It is important not to fight the program. Although at
times you might get frustrated while undergoing the program,
sabotaging it will only hurt you, as will trying to tweak the pro-
gram by adding “just one little thing.”The program is so power-
ful that some individuals find their digestive symptoms dramatically
reduced in the first two weeks.
Sound good? Here are some of the people who have bene-
fited from the program. Bob was a successful restaurant owner.
Typically he worked twelve-hour days, six days a week. During
work, he sampled delicious food, which was typically high in fat
and calories. Bob also enjoyed wine and consumed several glasses
daily. He was so busy managing his restaurant that he didn’t have
time to exercise. After turning forty, he noticed a persistent gut
ache. Constant heartburn, sour belching, and constipation alter-
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nating with diarrhea were common. After seeing many medical

doctors, he was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease
(GERD). The doctors prescribed a strong stomach acid–blocking
drug, which gave Bob headaches. At his wife’s urging, he visited
our clinic. He started the Digestive Clearing Program, and he
took herbs to support his digestion. Bob noticed a significant
improvement within three days. He learned several key points:
(1) he had to balance work with quiet time, including exercise
and meditation; (2) he had to limit his consumption of fatty foods;
(3) when he sipped herbal teas throughout the day, he had more
energy and less desire for coffee. Since he wasn’t wired on caffeine,
he didn’t require alcohol to relax. The most difficult part of the
program for Bob was eliminating alcohol for four weeks; how-
ever, his dramatic health improvement motivated him to limit
alcohol consumption to weekends only. As long as Bob contin-
ues to take digestion-supporting herbs, exercises, and moderates
what he eats, he doesn’t have digestive problems.
Sue was a teacher, and although she had been a vegetarian
for the past ten years, it was obvious that she wasn’t healthy. She
was overweight and had deep circles under her eyes. She was
diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Her doctor did
not provide information about diet; he prescribed various mus-
cle relaxants and medications for constipation and anxiety. The
medications either produced significant side effects or didn’t work.
Sue needed coaxing to include fish in her diet. She started the
Digestive Clearing Program, and after one week on the program
she said she started to feel like her “old self.” After completing
the program and slowly reintroducing foods, she rarely had con-
stipation or cramping and she lost twenty pounds. Sue learned
that her body did not tolerate soy products or cheese.
Steve had coped with Crohn’s disease his whole life and was
hospitalized numerous times each year for severe pain. After
following our digestive program, which included taking herbs and
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You Can Heal
nutritional supplements, his life turned around in a major way. He

was able to reduce his prescribed medications and was not hospi-
talized for almost a year. When he developed a form of arthritis
called gout, he was prescribed a drug that almost immediately
resulted in severe diarrhea. Although he was scared that he was
having a flare-up of Crohn’s disease, Steve reviewed his journal and
realized that he had previously taken this same medication and that
it had caused diarrhea. The diarrhea was not an exacerbation of
his Crohn’s disease, but a reaction to the medication he was tak-
ing. He notified his doctor and stopped the medication, and he
was able to take a different medication that did not affect his
digestion.
Chris’s Case
Before starting the program, Chris reported constant gas, frequent
cramping, and tiredness after eating. During the reintroduction
phase, Chris identified three major problematic foods: milk, choco-
late, and beans. Consequently, he avoided milk with cereal and
ate chocolate or beans only when Digestive Harmony, an herbal
blend, was on hand. He also discovered a sensitivity to excessive
amounts of bread and pastries. Prior to the program, he ate bread
or pastry with each meal. After the program, he ate one slice of
bread per day. When he reduced or eliminated foods that his body
didn’t tolerate, his digestion improved, and he lost ten pounds.
During the program, Chris also handled stress better; he learned
to balance excess stress with activity, such as swimming. He found
the abdominal massage (page 27) invaluable to help expel gas. It
made his whole body feel more comfortable.
After following the clearing program, aided by selected prod-
ucts, herbal teas, and a stress-reduction and exercise program, many
clients are able to eat more freely than before.
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Alan’s Case
Alan was taking several pharmaceutical drugs, including anti-
anxiety medications and acid blockers, and he complained of
heartburn and constant bloating and gas pain. We used several
techniques described in this book, including tuning into his symp-
toms and seeing if he could identify an emotion causing his symp-
toms. Once he found that he could make this connection, the
discomfort was immediately reduced by 50 percent. Further-
more, he found that if he drank a cup of hot water with squeezed
lemon or lime before meals and took Digestive Harmony, he did
not have any digestive symptoms. This illustrates the power of
combinations. Eventually he was able to eliminate all the drugs
he was taking, with his doctor’s approval.
Gail’s Case
Gail was a forty-eight-year-old woman who was very sensitive.
After completing the program she found out that her body did
not tolerate soy products or fruits. She also found that any food
she ate daily seemed to compromise her digestive system, except
for certain vegetables, chicken, and fish. To her surprise, she was
symptom free as long as she rotated her foods every day.
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Chapter Two
Program Overview
D igestive Health Now will help you identify problem foods.

This is accomplished by eliminating foods that are diffi-
cult to digest and then reintroducing these foods after a two-week
period. After reintroducing a food, symptoms will often return if
you have a problem with the food in question. The advantage to
this approach is that you will confirm which foods you do not tol-
erate well. You will take a break from foods that create havoc in
your body.The program is designed to be a vacation for your diges-
tive system. Similar to a vacation from work, it may not be pleas-
ant 100 percent of the time, but it will be worth it in the long run.
In addition, when you take more time to eat and minimize dis-
tractions, you can be in touch with your body’s needs.
Program at a Glance
1. Prepare by reading Digestive Health Now. Consult with a health
professional about beginning an exercise program. Review
meal plans and recipes. Visit a health food store to stock up.
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2. Weeks one and two are the introduction phase. Start mov-
ing toward a digestion-friendly diet. Eliminate fast foods, junk
foods, wheat, dairy products, and soda. Dilute all fruit juices
by adding at least as much water as juice. All foods should be
cooked. Drink sixty-four ounces of water or herbal tea each
day. Keep a journal to log emotions, medications, and food
reactions. Exercise to your level of stress and do daily stress-
reduction for the duration of the program. Take Digestive
Harmony and probiotics as directed. Digestive Harmony is
based on a time-tested herbal digestive aid that promotes food
absorption and alleviates symptoms of indigestion, gas, bloat-
ing, and mild cramping. A professional version, Quiet Diges-
tion, is available through herbalists and other providers.
Probiotics such as L-acidophilus are used to introduce healthy
bacteria into the digestive tract, thus assisting the overall diges-
tive process.
3. Weeks three and four are the clearing phase. Your diet will
be low fat, moderate protein, with plenty of digestible veg-
etables and grains.
4. Week five begins the reintroduction phase. At this point add
foods you have been avoiding in weeks three and four, in the
recommended order.
Program Recommendations
During and after the program, it is important to drink at least 64
ounces of water or herbal tea daily. I recommend a cup of warm
water with squeezed lemon or lime before each meal. Herbal
teas such as peppermint, chamomile, ginger, or cinnamon will
also aid digestion. Digestive Harmony is recommended with
meals to further aid digestion. Take this product between meals
if cramps, intestinal gas, or bloating are present.
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Program Overview
Keeping a Journal
We suggest that you keep a journal before, during, and after the
program so that you can identify any food-gut reactions, as well
as to understand which emotions seem to trigger your digestive
symptoms or make you more sensitive to foods.Very simply, you
need to record the date, time, foods consumed, and any emotions
experienced throughout the day, as well as the degree of dis-
comfort. See if you can also add a cool thought. In other words,
try to see if you can see the situation with greater balance. We
suggest that you keep a pleasure log so that you chart your joy
and happiness as well.
If you have any sensations, pleasant or unpleasant, it is impor-
tant to see if you can attach an emotion, even if you are not sure
what emotion you are feeling. Similarly, establishing a numeri-
cal value may not be possible, but it’s important that you do the
best you can. In terms of the cool thoughts, sometimes none may
come to mind. If this is the case, just write “I’d prefer . . . (describe
the stressful or painful situation) was not happening, but I will
handle it.” One of my clients thought this was foolish because he
was convinced he was going to need an emergency surgery for
one of his adhesions. “How can I handle it if I need to be rushed
to the emergency room?” My reply: “Well, you’ll handle it by
going to the emergency room.”
Food Emotional Journal
List the times you are eating, taking medication or experiencing

a strong emotion. To the right, write an assigned numerical value
for the degree of discomfort, 0 being no discomfort, 10 being
unbearable discomfort. When you have an uncomfortable feel-
ing, do your best to describe the sensation: are you angry, sad,
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overwhelmed, anxious, fearful, grief stricken? Underneath, be

sure to list a cool thought; in other words, can you see your sit-
uation from a different perspective?
Time Food Event Emotion Degree of Discomfort
Scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most discomfort, 0 being the least.
Cool thought:
Pleasure Log
Any time you have a pleasant thought or experience joy or hap-

piness, record it here. It is helpful to review your pleasure log any
time you feel discouraged.
Time Event or Pleasant feeling Degree of Pleasure
Scale of 1 to 7, 7 being the most pleasure, 1 being the least.
Tara’s Case
Tara, a senior citizen, had a lifelong history of nervousness and
symptoms of irritable bowel. Doctors told her to “live with it”
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Program Overview
Use your gut feelings when shopping and before eating.Ask, Does this food
really agree with me?
or prescribed tranquilizers. In going over her journal, it became

clear to her that she had too many commitments with her grown
children, one of whom was disabled, her grandkids, her husband’s
business, her church duties, and a volunteer job she had reading
to the blind. In addition she located several food triggers. She
found that as long she cooked all her foods, minimized sweets,
and stayed away from a green drink one of her friend’s sold her,
she did much better. She began to realize that she was happy on
days she spent gardening and less happy with some of her other
activities. She began to garden more, and before taking on a new
project, she asked herself, Do I really need to do this? Her life sat-
isfaction skyrocketed, and although she still has occasional symp-
toms, they do not bother her nearly as much as they used to. The
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following section is a sample from her journal. Jerry is her hus-

band, and Kevin is her son, who lives at home.
Tara’s Journal
2-1, 9 a.m.
Ate oatmeal, a little nervous about beginning of the program. Feel-
ing nervous—8/10
Cool thought: It’s always a little uncomfortable starting something
new.
2-1, 10:30 a.m.
Felt violent cramps—tried to breathe deeply per Digestive Health
Now. Feeling disappointed—9/10
Cool thought: I think the breathing helped.
2-1, 10:35 a.m.
Jerry phoned, the bookkeeper called in sick, he wanted me to
come in to work, but I promised Margie we’d go out for lunch.
Now I don’t know what do to. Feeling overwhelmed —10/10
Cool thought: Margie will understand. She always does.
2-1, 10:40 a.m.
Felt like I was going to throw up—actually had a dry heave. Why
can’t I call in sick? Frustrated—10/10
Cool thought: I didn’t throw up.
2-1, 10:45 a.m.
Had another dry heave. That’s it, I’m going to take a bath —I
can’t take a bath, it’s 10:45 in the morning. What would my
daughter say?—Take the bath—9/10
Cool thought: I can take a bath if I want to; they always help.
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Program Overview
2-1, 11 a.m.
After bath—felt calmer—5/10
Cool thought: See, baths always help.
2-1, 11:05 a.m.
Called Margie and told her I was in no shape to go to lunch. She
said she understood, such a great kid—grateful—3/10
Cool thought: I have a daughter who cares.
2-1, 12 noon
Tried to make myself eat, the food just didn’t look too good,
made myself a cup of tea and looked through Digestive Health
Now—2/10
Cool thought: At least I didn’t force the food down.
2-1, 1 p.m.
Got to Jerry’s business, made myself another cup of peppermint
tea, felt better—1/10
Cool thought: Tea makes me feel better.
2-1, 3 p.m.
Got really panicky, then realized I hadn’t eaten anything. Had a
rice cake—3/10
Cool thought: Sometimes when I feel panicky it’s just cause I haven’t
eaten
2-1 5 p.m.
Got stuck in traffic on the way home to make dinner, felt impa-
tient—3/10
Cool thought: There’s nothing I can do, so I won’t worry about it.
2-1, 6 p.m.
Cooked spaghetti for Jerry and Kevin. I had a few bites of salad,
then realized I wasn’t supposed to have salad—Mad—6/10
Cool thought: I’m just going to have to stick it out and try the
program. I had a baked potato; it tasted good!
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2-1, 8 p.m.
Everything is calm in the house—calm—1/10
Cool thought: I’ll do my stress-reduction exercise now while Jerry
and Kevin watch TV.
2-1, 10 p.m.
Got hungry, had a rice cake—feel calm—1/10
Cool thought: I think the stress reduction helps.
Tara’s Pleasure Log
2-1, 10 p.m.
Today was a good day. It was stressful, but I really think the stress
reduction is helping. I did a good job—6/7
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Chapter Three
S
Deciding to Commit
to the Program
R adically improving your digestive health is simple, but

not easy. Follow the Digestive Clearing Program for
four weeks, get exercise and stress reduction every day, and keep
a journal to express your feelings and make note of your improve-
ment. If you are reading this book you probably want to improve
your digestive health, but wanting to improve your digestive health
and committing to follow the program are two different things.
For example, millions of people each year want to quit smoking.
Why are only a small number truly successful? Primarily because
they have committed to a program. A program may include self-
rewards for completion, support from others, and self-
encouragement, which can be as simple as saying over and over,
I can do it; I’m doing a good job. Finally, visualizing a future when
you are in control of your digestive system helps a great deal.
With the Digestive Clearing Program you must decide
whether it is truly important to change your digestive health.
What do you want your life to be like? Visualize (or see in the
15
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mind’s eye) what it would be like to have greater digestive health.

Think of a reward you can give yourself when the four weeks
are up. Who can support you when the going gets rough, a coun-
selor, a priest, or a friend? What changes around food can you
make in your personal and professional life?
Sally tried to do the program off and on for over one year.
She noticed that she had fewer loose stools and cramping; how-
ever, her symptoms were not all gone. She had gone as far as
three weeks into the program, when her food cravings became
unbearable. She decided she had to have an ice cream sundae.
Since she had already gone off the program, the following day
she really pigged out on cookies and chips, and then her gut ached
in a major way. Then she felt like a failure and ate more. Another
difficult aspect for Sally was exercise. She felt that she could do
the program without the exercise; she had never liked exercise
and was overweight and very self-conscious about exercise. What
changed? Eventually Sally gave up trying to do the program and
gained over 20 pounds, bringing her weight to over 200 pounds.
Then her health insurance company told her that she would no
longer be eligible for coverage because of her weight. Finally she
decided that she had to do something. She made an appointment
to see me. At my suggestion she took up walking, completed the
first two weeks without a glitch, and rewarded herself by getting
a massage the day after finishing her initial two weeks. Several
important things happened: first, all her digestive symptoms went
away, next, she lost 10 pounds, and then she had the self-mastery
feeling that allowed her to continue with the reintroduction
phase. What strong reasons do you have for completing the program?
What will you do if you have the temptation to cheat?
16
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Deciding to Commit to the Program
What Do You Want

Your Life to Be Like?
I’m sure you don’t want symptoms, but what do you want in life?
The strongest emotion is stronger than any pain. We know this
because soldiers injured in battle often don’t need morphine or
other strong pain relievers. Why is this? The happiness from being
relieved from battle is more powerful than any discomfort.
You may have battled digestive symptoms for long periods of
time.You may have tried strong drugs, and they have not solved
the problem. What can be your emotional high?Where are you going?
How will you get there? It might be helpful for you to do the relax-
ation exercise on page 28 to relax fully. Then put on your favorite
music, and brainstorm with a pen and paper before filling in the
following form. What resources do you have to help you with
these goals? What obstacles do you have in your way? How can
you go over, around, through these obstacles?
Goals Worksheet
3 months 1 year 3 years
Family
Career
Physical
Emotional
Financial
Spiritual
17
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Ask Yourself Better Questions
Many people with chronic health conditions ask themselves dis-

empowering questions like these:Why me? How come I’m not
like John, who can eat anything? When will I have to go to the
hospital next? Why has God forsaken me? Negative thoughts are
like toxic chemicals, they create waste. Ask yourself the follow-
ing empowering questions if you get discouraged and at the begin-
ning and end of each day. This alone will have a significant impact
on your health.
What am I happy about?What am I proud about?What am I most
grateful for? How could I treat myself as a good friend?What would that
look like? How would that make me feel?
How could I enjoy exercise and stress reduction every day? How
could I create more fun and joy in my life?
Keep Tempting Food Out of Reach
During weeks three and four it is crucial that you keep all tempt-
ing food out of reach to avoid snacking and giving in to your
cravings. The best option is to keep tempting food out of the
house completely. If this is not possible because of your spouse
or children, at least keep the tempting food such as cookies, snacks
and other junk food out of the refrigerator or pantry. Perhaps
your spouse can keep the prohibited foods in a hiding place, or,
better yet, maybe just take the kids out for tempting food while
you do something you enjoy.
18
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Can You Communicate

with Your Digestive System?
Let’s review your digestive goals. Why do you want better diges-
tion? Try to see your health as a puzzle you are trying to solve.
See yourself as someone with a health “challenge” rather than as
the victim of a cursed disease. Everyone has challenges. If you
know someone who doesn’t, I’d like to meet that person. Part of
living in balance is that there will be times when things are better
and times when things are worse. Can you accept any unpleasant
feelings or sensations? Is your gut trying to tell you something?
What is it telling you? When are you least likely to have symp-
toms? Could you eat or live like this all the time? What can you
change? What resources or support do you have?
Understand the sensations your body is producing. Symp-
toms are usually the body’s best attempt to heal. For example,
abdominal cramping may be a sign that your body needs a break
from food. Diarrhea may be a signal that your body cannot tol-
erate something, either a food or stress. Constipation is usually
associated with stagnation, possibly a failure to “live and let live.”
Intestinal gas is related to not being able to process food, and is
often made worse by failure to exercise or process emotions. Can
you pick a metaphor? For instance, if your discomfort were a
color or shape, what would it look like? What does it feel like in
there?
Can you move that sensation outside your body? If you ignore
the signals of discomfort, the symptoms become stronger and
more frequent. In order for the four weeks to work for you, it is
important that you use your senses. The body has its own wis-
dom. When you tune in to your feelings, sensations, and thoughts,
it becomes easier to interpret what your body is telling you.
19
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Before Beginning the Program

When planning for the program, pick a month when you are not
going to be traveling or entertaining. Visit your health profes-
sional to ensure that there is no reason you can’t start a gradual
exercise program, including abdominal exercises such as crunches.
Set a date to begin the program and stick to it. Rehearse the ben-
efits every day. Think of the time you will save if you can man-
age your digestive symptoms instead of them managing you!
Think of the goals you might achieve! It’s time to begin making
the transition to a cooked food diet. This step alone has helped
many people manage digestive symptoms. Reduce alcohol con-
sumption and substitute tea for coffee. Do you eat dairy prod-
ucts? Dairy products (milk, cream, cheese, yogurt, butter, and ice
cream) are the number one digestive enemy. Have a sweet tooth?
Until the program is formally underway, try to substitute fresh
fruits for sweets such as candy, cookies, pastries, cake, chocolates,
and so on.
You should use foods in the most natural state possible. As a
general rule, if you can’t pronounce the name of an ingredient,
don’t eat it. Food additives, yeast-containing foods such as mush-
rooms, wine, beer, bread, and nuts are problematic for many chil-
dren and adults. Naturally occurring chemicals such as salicylates,
the active ingredient in aspirin, and amines are poorly tolerated
by many people (see page 23). Although other tests are available
that claim to evaluate sensitivities, they are expensive and do not
have a long history of proven results. The rotation diet is the sim-
plest, least expensive, and most reliable at determining sensitiv-
ity for your body.
20
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Stress Reduction and Exercise

Stress reduction and exercise are an important part of healthy
digestion. In today’s busy world, many of us live in a “flight or
fight” response. This is an arousal response and is the body’s nat-
ural adaptation to stress; it’s the body’s best attempt to defend itself
against a perception of some kind of danger. During stress, the
body experiences heightened physiological, biochemical, and
neurochemical responses, similar to the responses you would have
if you were being chased by a tiger. Increased heart rate and blood
pressure, muscle tension, and increased circulation to joints and
muscles prepare the body to fight or run away. The body perceives
stress as a danger signal and responds accordingly. Under daily
stress, the gastrointestinal functions become compromised—you
can’t run from a tiger and digest food at the same time. Stress
hormones are produced during stress and anxiety and act to pre-
pare the body cells for increased activity. Stress hormones shut-
down digestive processes.
Incorporating a stress-reduction program and exercise into
your daily routine will help you adapt to stress so that small annoy-
ances do not result in excess upset, so that you “don’t sweat the
small stuff.”
As mentioned earlier, before starting an exercise program, it’s
a good idea to visit a health professional to assess your baseline
health and to find out if any exercises are contraindicated. Set
aside twenty minutes or more each day for doing an enjoyable
activity, vigorous enough that you are not dwelling on any prob-
lems. Walking is one of the best ways to begin an exercise pro-
gram. Almost everyone can walk twenty minutes a day; no special
place or equipment is required. Gardening also provides light
exercise and is excellent for stress reduction. If you are in good
shape, consider a vigorous activity such as swimming, a team sport,
or an exercise class. In our clinic, we rarely see very athletic clients
21
015-024(03).DHN:015-024(03).DHN 2/14/08 5:43 PM Page 22
with digestive disorders, but if this is you, consider reducing your

activity 50 percent or more. You might be exercising too much
for your constitution.
Paul was a long-distance runner who had a diagnosis of ulcer-
ative colitis. In addition to having many injuries that were slow
to heal, he would have bouts of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and
dehydration, which often resulted in hospitalization. Our advice
to him was to reduce his rigorous training schedule and build up
his body using herbs. In addition, he found the Digestive Clear-
ing Program very useful as he learned that his body did not tol-
erate corn or wheat. Although Paul continues to run, he
cross-trains more. Limiting the amount of wheat and corn he
eats helps him to remain symptom free.
For stress reduction, we recommend meditation, prayer, yoga,
or tai chi. The stress-reduction activity should be enjoyable to
you. It’s important that your spirit is in it; otherwise, it may not
be beneficial. During the four-week program, we will present
specific exercises that are stress reducing and beneficial for your
digestive system. I have not met anyone who did not notice
improvement after faithfully performing these exercises for thirty
days. During the four weeks we will introduce you to two med-
itation techniques and abdominal self-massage.
Other Aspects of Food Sensitivities

Many patients have a difficult time digesting foods such as dairy
products, beans, wheat, sweets, alcohol, and corn. The more you
eat these foods, the more you are likely to become sensitive, as
these products may cause a subclinical allergy, which degrades
the intestinal lining over time. Even where the food is grown
can affect your digestion. For example, many highly sensitive
patients do better with locally grown organic foods than with
22
015-024(03).DHN:015-024(03).DHN 2/14/08 5:43 PM Page 23
commercially harvested products. Cooking also reduces

sensitivities. It makes components in food easier to assimilate.
Several natural methods can be used to reduce food intoler-
ance. Rotate your foods so that your diet has a lot of diversity.
We have found certain supplements very useful. Taking an antiox-
idant containing mixed carotenes, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and
selenium may reduce your intolerance over time by improving
the function of your immune
t i p s f or succ e s s
system. Quercetin, enzymes,
colostrum, and constitutional If you know you have an aspirin allergy, it
herbal therapy recommended may make sense to avoid salicylate-containing
by an herbalist can be foods and food products. Some of these prod-
extremely helpful. Quercetin ucts are:
has anti-allergic properties. • almonds • ice cream
Colostrum has immune fac- • apricots • margarine
tors that may make the body • blackberries • distilled beverages,
• boysenberries except vodka
less allergic. Constitutional • cake mixes
• raspberries
herbal therapy is used to make • bakery goods
• peaches
the body more resilient so that • jello
• prunes
it can handle stress and food • grapes • candies
components more easily. • cucumbers • gum
Changes in weather, par- • tomatoes • lunch meats
ticularly in the spring and fall, • cloves • sausages
may trigger sensitivities. For • apples • tea
example, you may tolerate • currants • cider
eggs in the summer, but not • gooseberries • wine
in the winter, when the heater • strawberries • diet products
• plums • lozenges
stirs up house dust. Baromet-
• oranges • jam
ric changes may also com-
• raisins • jelly
promise health.
• pickles • beer
Environmental factors, • soft drinks
• mint and
such as where you work and wintergreen
live, may contribute to food
23
015-024(03).DHN:015-024(03).DHN 2/14/08 5:43 PM Page 24
intolerance. For example,

t i p s f or succ e s s
moldy, windy, and damp envi-
ronments may contribute to
Six Ways to Stop Food Reactions ill health and make the body
Follow label directions unless directed more sensitive. Some patients
otherwise. have simultaneous allergy and
1. Take Digestive Harmony (two sensitivity. Kirsten, for
tablets as needed).
instance, had severe allergies
2. Take pancreatic enzymes as
to ragweed, herbs, and foods
directed.
in the same family as ragweed.
3. Take colostrum over time to
reduce food reactions. Start with
She also had sensitivities to
1 to 2 grams daily. If constipation dairy products, pork, and
results, reduce the dosage. beans.
4. Use activated charcoal (500– Cross-reactions are also
1,000 milligrams every half hour possible — you may tolerate
as needed). certain foods when they are
5. Take baking soda (one teaspoon eaten separately, but when
as needed). combined, a reaction may
6. Constitutional herbal medicine result. I once saw a movie
may lessen food reactions over
where the leading character
time.
had allergic symptoms when
he drank tea and was exposed to cat dander. Needless to say, it
took a long time to discover his cross-allergy.Your body may be
sensitive to a combination of foods and another allergic substance
such as pollen, house dust, mites, or mold. Other suspects include
fuel oil, pets, particleboard, feather pillows, and chemicals or fumes.
Amines are naturally occurring nitrogen compounds in cheese,
tomatoes, bananas, pineapples, and meat. Amines cause edema in
the cranial area. Tyramine foods may be especially problematic:
aged strong cheese, chicken liver, pickled herring, and fava beans
can cause such severe allergy that even smelling them can cause
symptoms.
24
Chapter Four
Getting Started
C hoose to start the program during a month that works

for you. Doing so will improve your chances of com-
pleting the program. Recall something that was difficult for you
in the past that you completed — this will help you remember
feelings of confidence. For many people, holidays and vacations
are often poor times to be on the Digestive Clearing Program.
There are two parts to the program. The first part involves
changing your diet for the next thirty days; the second part
involves lifestyle changes. The lifestyle changes should take no
more than one hour per day. Many people have a hard time imag-
ining spending another hour each day doing something. It is
important, however, to understand that you are doing this to
improve your digestive system—for life.
Some people wake up an hour earlier every day to gain that
hour per day for stress reduction and exercise. You might find an
extra hour by taking a monthlong break from the TV and news.
25
You may even gain more than one hour a day! Listening to the
news or watching TV does not necessarily improve your life.
The only thing you stand to lose is your digestive disorder.
Week One
For the next thirty days, the food you eat and drink should be
warm or at room temperature. Avoid iced drinks and foods.
Remove all cookies, crackers, margarine, vegetable shortening,
prepared meats and fish (that is frozen or canned), shellfish, bread,
corn, fruit juice, sodas, alcohol, and processed foods from the
kitchen and house. Your diet should be free of wheat and dairy
products. Three oils are allowed: extra virgin olive oil, sesame
oil, and flaxseed oil if you have constipation. Eat more lean meats
and freshwater fish. Substitute herbal teas and water for all other
beverages. Drink at least 64 ounces of hot or room temperature
water or herbal tea per day. Substitute fresh fruit for prepared
sweets. If you drink coffee, start reducing your intake by half a
cup per day until you are at one cup per day. For the duration of
the program, no milk or cream is allowed in your coffee or tea.
You may use the natural sweetener Stevia if you wish. Stevia can
be found in most health food stores. Shop at a health food store
to buy rice, millet, and other foods you may not normally eat. I
recommend purchasing the herbal formula Digestive Harmony*
to help you digest and assimilate foods. Try to eat more vegeta-
bles, and drink herbal teas such as peppermint and chamomile.
Drink ginger or cinnamon tea if you often feel cold or chilled.
If you are currently taking medication, it is important that you
not stop taking it without consulting your health professional.
*A professional version, Quiet Digestion is available through

health professionals. See the Resources section, call 800-233-
9355, or visit www.healthconcerns.com.
26
Getting Started
We also suggest you take probiotic supplements on an empty

stomach twice per day. I recommend clients take them before
bed and again in midmorning or midafternoon. Probiotics aid
digestion and promote the absorption of nutrients. Acidophilus
and bifidus are examples of popular probiotics. Recommended
brands are PB-8, Natren, and Culturelle.
Begin the program today, and start walking. If you are on an
exercise program, add walking to your regular routine on days
you are not working out. Climb stairs instead of using elevators,
and park your car farther from your destination and walk. Make
a list of people you would enjoy exercising with. Could you exer-
cise with your family?
Choose an activity that doesn’t involve eating: for instance,
movies, massage, a visit to the museum, or gardening. Purchase
a journal or notebook and begin recording your meals, thoughts,
and emotions. Spend twenty minutes daily doing the abdominal
Abdominal self-massage can be

performed daily for twenty min-
utes. Or it can be done anytime
you feel discomfort. First warm
your hands for a few minutes by
shaking them vigorously or by
sitting on them.With your right
hand, rub a small circle aorund
your navel in a clockwise direc-
tion. Gradually increase the size
of the circles. Experiment with
different pressures. Now do the
exercise with your left hand.
Finally, perform the exercise with
your left hand on top of your
right hand.
27
massage and twenty minutes or more exercising each day. If you

have been exercising more than two hours a day, reduce your
exercise level by half. It is important while you are exercising that
you not think about your digestive system or any other problems.
• Spend twenty minutes a day doing abdominal massage. This
is best accomplished in the morning or during a break in the
daytime. Make sure you haven’t eaten for at least two hours
before doing the massage. See illustrations on the previous
page for help doing the massage. If you wish, you can add a
few drops of calming lavender essential oil to your abdomen
during the massage. If you like, you can experiment with
other essential oils such as peppermint; however; these should
be diluted in olive oil. Use five drops of essential oil to one
tablespoon of oil. For more information, see my book Heal-
ing Digestive Disorders.
Week Two
By week two, you should have cut down to one cup of coffee or
less per day. Limit your consumption of fruits and vegetables that
are “not allowed” (see page 30) as these tend to be gas producing.
How are you dealing with stress? Start meditating or praying every
day for twenty minutes in addition to your twenty-minute abdom-
inal massage. If you have problems quieting your mind, I recom-
mend yoga, tai chi, or audiovisual stimulators (www.mindmachines.
com; 818-831-7931) to help you relax. It is important that if you
pray, you pray for what you want. For example, say Please help me
to strengthen my body and improve my digestion. This is also a good
opportunity to give thanks for all the good things in your life.
Quiet your mind. Lie on the floor or sit up with your spine
straight. With your in-breath, say breathe deeply, and with the out-
breath say relax completely. To ensure that you are performing abdom-
28
Getting Started
inal breathing correctly, place a book or hand on your abdomen.

You should see a definite rise of your abdomen on the in-breath and
lowering of your abdomen on the out-breath. An alternate stress-
reduction exercise is the four-by-four breath. Breathe in for a count
of four. Hold your breath for a count of four, then let your breath
out for a count of four. Continue breathing in this fashion for twenty
minutes. A more advanced version is to breathe in for a count of
four, hold for four, breathe out for four, and hold your breath with
your lungs empty for a count of four before breathing in.
Week Three and Four

(Digestive Clearing Program)
It’s now time to start the digestive clearing phase. Make sure that
you are taking plenty of baths and probiotics. During weeks three
and four, we urge you to discontinue any supplements (not men-
tioned in this book) that you are taking. The clearing plan is
intended for those who have sensitivities. If you have severe reac-
tions to any food, you should not consume that food even if it is
on the list of acceptable foods. The following lists describe foods
that are allowed and not allowed during weeks three and four.
Protein
Allowed: Beef, lamb, venison, elk, chicken, hen, turkey, duck,

goose, ostrich, rabbit, pheasant, quail, and other game. Fresh fish.
Not allowed: Shellfish, prepared fish (such as breaded fish or fish
sticks); prepared or preserved meats such as bacon, sausages, hot-
dogs, cold cuts, canned meats, pork, ham, and chicken eggs.
Preparation: Boiled, baked, broiled, and poached. Avoid deep-
frying.
29
Vegetables
Allowed: Most. Limit potatoes to one per day.

Not allowed: Soybeans, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower,
mushrooms, brussels sprouts, beans, peas, lentils, and corn. These
should be the first foods to be reintroduced.
Preparation: Try to use only fresh vegetables. Frozen vegetables
may be used in a pinch. All vegetables should be steamed, boiled,
or lightly stir-fried with olive oil. To do this, spray olive oil or
use a maximum of one tablespoon per serving of extra virgin
olive oil. Sesame and flax oils are also allowed; however, flax oil
should not be heated.
Fruits
You may use lemon or lime wedges squeezed into hot or room
temperature water. No other fruits are allowed. During the rein-
troduction phase (weeks five and after) begin with bananas, pears,
apples, kiwi fruit, mangoes, papaya, pomegranates, passion fruit,
guava, and melons. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and
other fruit may be added later.
Starches and Grains
Allowed: Rice, millet, amaranth, tapioca, buckwheat, and quinoa.

Not allowed: Wheat or wheat products, bread.
During the reintroduction phase add gluten-containing foods
(oats, barley, rye, and spelt) and yeast-free muffins and crackers
before adding breads.
30
Getting Started
Nuts
Eliminate nuts during the digestive clearing phase. During the

reintroduction phase, you can start incorporating nuts and nut
butters; however, peanuts and peanut butter should be tested last.
Technically peanuts are in the bean (legume) family.
Seasoning, Flavorings, and Oils
Allowed: Sea salt, pepper, t i p s f or succ e s s

herbs, and spices, if they are
If you are constipated, drink warm
used alone (that is, don’t
water on an empty stomach. You may
use combination season-
also try magnesium citrate or aspartate
ings). Use cold pressed
(200 to 800 milligrams per day) and/or
extra virgin olive oil and
psyllium husks without additives (1 to
sesame oil for cooking.
3 tbsp. per day in water). If you have
Flax oil can be used
cramping or gas, drink at least three
unheated.
cups per day of peppermint or
Not allowed: Red pepper, chamomile tea. Also take Digestive
garlic, combination spices, Harmony. For loose stools, Digestive
artificial seasonings (if you Harmony can be used as well as
can’t pronounce it, don’t colostrum (use as directed). If you are
eat it). Any oils besides significantly underweight and have lost
olive, sesame, and flax. more weight on the program, it is best
to continue the program only with
professional supervision.
Beverages
Allowed: Filtered water, spring water, carbonated water, and herbal

tea. One cup a day of black or green tea may be used during
weeks three and four, if necessary.
31
Prohibited Foods and Beverages
Not allowed: Any food not in the preceding lists, including but
not limited to dairy products (milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt,
ice cream), eggs, coffee, sweets, yeast, pastry, prepared or instant
foods, vinegar, marmite (yeast extract), alcoholic beverages, canned
foods, horseradish, bouillon, bread, wheat, corn, bagels, rolls,
chips, salad dressing, desserts, fruits and fruit juices, ice drinks,
iced foods, soda, uncooked foods, and green drinks such as bar-
ley green, spirilina, and algae.
The following are lists of additional foods and beverages to
avoid:
S Hidden Sources of Sugar S

Some surprising sources of hidden sugar are
bouillon luncheon meats
canned and frozen foods peanut butter
tomato sauce, roasted nuts chips
gravy salad dressings
instant tea and coffee soups
Here are some other names for sugar:

amasake corn syrup glucose
barley malt date sugar glycerin
beet sugar dextrin glycerol
brown rice syrup dextrose high-fructose
brown sugar diglycerides corn syrup
cane juice disaccharides honey
cane sugar fructose malt dextrin
caramel color fruit juice malt extract
carbitol sweetener malt syrup
32
Getting Started
maltodextrin monosaccharides succanat

maltodextrose powdered sugar sucrose
mannitol raisins (sweetened) sugar cane
mannose raw sugar turbinado
maple syrup rice malt xylitol
molasses rice syrup zylose
monoglycerides sorbitol
S Sweets S
Cake French toast Pies
Candy Graham crackers Preserves
Cereal Ice cream Waffles
Cookies Jams
Doughnuts Pastries
S Wheat Products S
Beer Flour (white and Pizza
Biscuits whole wheat) Popovers
Bouillon French toast Postum
Bread Fried foods Pretzels
Bulgur (coating/batter) Rolls
Cereal Gin Sauces
Chips Luncheon meats Sausage
Crackers Malt Semolina
Croutons MSG Soy sauce, tamari
Couscous Muffins Stuffing
Dumplings Noodles Waffles
Durum Ovaltine Wheat germ
Farina Pancake mix Whiskey
Pasta
33
S Yeast Products S
Antibiotics derived Dried fruits Prepared cheese
from yeast Dry roasted nuts products
(Chloromycetin, Fermented bever- Salad dressings
mycin drugs, ages: beer, Pretzels
penicillin, tetra- brandy, gin, Sour cream
cycline) rum, whiskey, Soy sauce
Barbecue sauce wine, vodka Stuffing
Biscuits Grapes Torula (a type of
Bread crumbs Malted products: yeast)
Brewer’s yeast candy, cereals, Vinegar
Buns malted milk Vitamins made
B vitamins (yeast) Moldy melon from yeast
Catsup MSG Yeast extract
Cheese Mushrooms (bouillon)
Citric acid Mustard
Crackers Pizza
S Corn Products S
Baby foods Corn sugar Grits
Beer, ale, brandy, (dextrose) Gum
wine Corn syrup Ham
Candy (corn (glucose) High-fructose
sweetened) Frostings corn syrup
Carbonated bever- Fructose Hominy
ages Fruit juices Ice cream
Cereal Fruits (canned, Jam, preserves
Corn chips frozen) Jello
Cornmeal Gelatin Lozenges
Corn oil Glucose Maize
Cornstarch Gravy Margarine
34
Getting Started
MSG luncheon meats Soda

Nescafe and sausages, Sorbitol
Pancake syrup sandwich Soup
Peanut butter spreads Soybean milk
(corn Pudding Tortillas
sweetened) Saccharin Vegetables
Polenta Salad dressings (canned, frozen)
Popcorn Salt (iodized) Vinegar
Powdered sugar Sauces Xanthan gum
Preservatives Seasonings Yogurt
Processed Sherbets
S Soy Products S
Artificial meat Protein powder Soy vegetable oil
(gluten or soy) Salad dressings and broth
Bean sprouts Soybean flour Tempeh
Lecithin Soybean oil Tofu
Margarine Soybeans Tuna or other fish
Meat substitute fast Soy pasta packed in oil
food Soy sauce Vegetable protein
Miso Soy sprouts
S Egg Products S
Custards Egg whites Pancakes
Deviled eggs Egg yolks Pasta
Doughnuts French toast Pastry
Dried eggs Frostings Powdered eggs
Egg albumin (oval- Fruit pie Puddings
bumin) Mayonnaise Quiche
Egg Beaters Muffins Soufflés
Eggnog Omelets Tartar sauce
35
S Milk Products S
Au gratin potatoes Kefir Sherbet
Buttermilk Lactalbumin Skim milk
Carob products Lactate Sodium caseinate
Casein Lactoglobulin Sour cream
Cheese Lactose Whey
Chocolate Powdered milk Whipped cream
Cream Pudding Yogurt
Ice cream Salad dressing
Reintroduction Phase:
Weeks Five and Thereafter
We recommended that you stay on the clearing plan and pro-
ceed in the suggested order. Keep a journal and record food, liq-
uids, supplements, moods, and symptoms. Use colored pens to
highlight adverse reactions so that they stand out, and use a num-
bering system: 0 (no reaction) to 10 (can’t tolerate). Reintroduce
foods that you know or feel will be the most tolerable first. When
reintroducing foods, make sure to get one or two healthy serv-
ings. If you react to a food, avoid it and reintroduce it again in
two to three weeks. If a food produces a minor reaction, avoid
it for three months; if a major reaction occurs, avoid the food for
six months and then reintroduce it. A mild reaction may be indi-
gestion, gas, bloating, loose stools or discomfort. A major reac-
tion may be watery or explosive diarrhea, difficulty moving your
bowels (prolonged constipation), constant gas, or pain. You may
have problems with a food family, or your problem may be specific
to a type of food. For instance, Yukon gold potatoes may create
problems, but not red potatoes; one type of apple may produce
a reaction, but not other types. The problem could be related to
36
Getting Started
pesticides or the way the food is cooked; for instance, cooked

carrots may not create a problem, but raw carrots may cause gas.
Below is a suggested reintroduction order. Items at the top
of the list should be tested first. Foods at the bottom of the list
should be tested last.
In the following list, you should have no more than one serv-
ing per day of items marked with an asterisk (*) and no more
than one serving every three days of items marked with a dou-
ble asterisk (**).
• Prohibited vegetables (unless you know they are problem-
atic), except tomatoes and tomato products; not beans/
legumes. These should be tested later.
• Whole fruits (except berries, melon, grapes, and dried fruits).
Fruits should always be consumed on an empty stomach, not
with meals, for digestive health.
• Eggs.*
• Vinegar and mustard. If you cannot tolerate vinegar, try
buffered vitamin C in powdered form as a substitute.
• Oats, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, teff, kamut (gluten-containing
grains). Many people who can’t tolerate wheat can tolerate
these grains. Try eating them in cooked form.
• Nonwheat pasta.*
• Butter* (for recipes). Occasionally butter may be used as a
flavoring agent, but we want to avoid using butter with every-
thing (for example, butter with toast, as an ingredient in a
rich dessert, in meat or vegetable sauce, and so on).
• Beans, including soy products.* (You may find it easier to
digest miso and tempeh rather than tofu, soybeans, soy milk.)
• Mushrooms (test all mushrooms before button mushrooms—
they are most likely to get mold).
• Yeast-free and wheat-free muffins, yeast-free and wheat-free
crackers.
37
• Pork and ham.

• Melon, berries, grapes. Make sure there is no white fungus.
These fruits are to be tested later because they easily get fun-
gal mold.
• Corn and corn products.* (Test fresh corn first.)
• Goat and sheep cheese.** (Occasionally goat and sheep’s milk
can be added to recipes, but they are not recommended with
cereal or as beverages.)
• Raw vegetables.* (Be sure to chew well. Some people can
only tolerate salads and other raw vegetables in the summer
months).
• Other fresh foods not mentioned in this list.
Tips: If you find that you are having increased symptoms
since starting weeks three and four of the program, you may need
to consult the food family lists in Appendix D. It may be help-
ful to test in order of food families before going to the next fam-
ily; of course, it’s smart to test families of food that you like. You
do not need to test foods that you never eat or are unlikely to
eat.
You should consume the following foods every three days or
less if you are having digestive symptoms:
• Cereal. Cold cereal with milk is one of the most difficult
things to digest. Try oatmeal porridge and other hot grain
porridges instead of cold cereal with milk. By adding more
water, you can thin the porridge so that milk is not needed.
• Peanuts, nuts, and nut butters. (These can be highly allergic
for some people. Their high fat content makes them difficult
to digest).
• Cheese from cow’s milk.
• Shellfish.
• Wheat (breads, bulgur, couscous), wheat pasta.
• Sweets and sweeteners (for example, honey, pure maple syrup,
38
Getting Started
date extract, molasses, sorghum). It’s always better to increase

protein-rich foods or protein shakes or eat tolerable whole
fruits to counter sweet cravings. You may find eating yams
or taking chromium supplements (200 to 600 mcg per day)
useful. L-Glutamine (500-3000 mg) may also be useful to
counter food cravings. Some people will notice an immedi-
ate benefit, others will notice results over time. Tonic herbs
recommended by an herbalist can also help.
• Diluted fruit juice. Undiluted fruit juices should not be
consumed.
• Sodas.
• Tomatoes and tomato products. (Some people will do bet-
ter with fresh tomatoes in season than commercial products
such as tomato sauces.)
• Luncheon meats, sausage, and bacon.
• Prepared foods; frozen, canned, deli, or restaurant foods.
• Alcoholic beverages. (If you must drink, you might find that
some types are easier on your system than others as different
grains, processing, and preservatives are used.)
• Commercial spices with multiple ingredients.
• For health reasons we only recommend extra virgin olive oil,
sesame oil, and flax oil. If you are intolerant of these ingre-
dients, consider other oils.
Not recommended: green foods (algae, spirulina), raw veg-
etables in the winter and cooler months, cow’s milk, ice cream,
pizza, fast food, eating in restaurants or deli’s habitually, and MSG
and other additives.
Digestion-Clearing Meal Plan

You may notice that the meal plan includes some familiar as well
39
as some unusual foods. It is highly important that you eat a var-

ied diet and rotate the foods you do eat. I tried to include selec-
tions from meat, poultry, and fish. You may want to include
venison and rabbit, as they fulfill the requirements for lean sources
of protein. The rare foods list in Appendix D includes other more
exotic meats. When selecting breakfast and lunch choices, it is
important that you rotate the grains you eat. Many digestive
patients seem to do well on cooked grain breakfasts; however,
whenever possible you should not eat the same grain at every
meal. We always want to keep rotation in mind. Therefore, if
you eat one grain on one day, the following day or meal, you
would consume a different grain. The meal plan described later
is meant to be a guide. If you don’t like a food mentioned or
your body does not tolerate it, there is no need to incorporate
it. The criteria for all meals should be that they are low in fat,
moderate in lean protein, with plenty of digestible vegetables and
alternate grains that do not contain gluten.
Coping Strategies
You may find after reading this book that going to the super-
market is a frustrating experience, as it seems like everything con-
tains wheat, corn, or milk. Many of us also may associate these
foods with good things such as mothers, farms, wholesomeness,
or even the American way of life. Never fear, however; there are
many exciting substitutes. When you are finished with the prepa-
ration, clearing phase, and reintroduction phase of the program,
you will have a better insight as to which foods your body does
and does not tolerate. Coupled with stress-reduction and exer-
cise, you have an excellent chance of going from a person whose
digestive system controls you, to a person who controls his or her
digestive system. You may find after several months that you don’t
40
Getting Started
need be so strict with yourself, as long as you eat a healthy vari-

ety of foods. Occasionally “blowing it” will not be a problem,
especially if you take Digestive Harmony herbal supplement before
and after the offending food. Using the recommended probiotic
products will help rebuild your digestive system. Over time we
hope you will realize that it is possible to eat around the aisles of
the supermarket where the fresh foods are. Hopefully you will
have found coping strategies around family, friends, and cowork-
ers.
It is important not to dwell on the things you won’t be eat-
ing, but rather to make this an experience of trying new things.
During the clearing phase, we introduce alternative grains such
as rice, millet, buckwheat, and quinoa. There are recipes for rab-
bit and lamb. Are there vegetables you have forgotten about and
could be enjoying?
Some people will want to prepare several dinners at once,
which saves quite a bit of time, and bring extra portions to work,
where the food can be reheated. Most of the recipes in this book
freeze well. Other people will want even greater variety, so meal
plans also include lunch and breakfast ideas. The foundation of
the program is soups, stews, and porridges. I firmly believe that
if your digestion isn’t working, the only way to change it is to
take different actions. Why not try eating your heaviest meal of
the day for breakfast or lunch, and your lightest at dinner? In
other words, as the old adage says, “eat like a prince for break-
fast, a merchant for lunch, and a pauper for dinner.” What else
could you change? Is there a friend, family member, or colleague
who would want to do the program with you? Many people find
that they can lose or maintain healthy weight on the diet, and
people with chronic fatigue or chronic muscle pain (fibromyal-
gia syndrome) have also noticed better digestion, increased energy,
and less pain.
41
Chapter Five
Digestive Recipes
Notes About the Recipes
B roth is the crucial ingredient in many of the following

recipes. If at all possible, make your own, following the
recipes in this chapter. Keep a supply in the refrigerator or freezer.
Canned low-sodium, low-fat chicken or beef broth is acceptable,
if it does not have additives, but it is neither as flavorful nor as
pure as the broth you make yourself. Do not use bouillon.
Salt and pepper are always optional. Herbs will add interest
to bland foods. Experiment freely to determine which herbs and
combinations of herbs are especially pleasing to you. We gener-
ally recommend dried herbs. If you would like to add fresh herbs,
use three times as much as indicated. We recommend sea salt
whenever possible.
With a few exceptions, olive oil is the only fat you will use
during these two weeks. Use it sparingly. Extra virgin, cold-
pressed olive oil is highly recommended. When a recipe says to
oil something lightly with olive oil, use this technique: First fold
a paper towel in half three or four times to make a small, squarish
42
Digestive Recipes
pad. Moisten the paper towel pad with olive oil and then rub the
surface to be oiled with the paper towel, coating the surface thinly.
Remoisten the paper towel with more oil as necessary. For any
recipe in this book that uses olive oil to moisten a surface, you
can use olive oil spray instead.
Plan ahead. Since many meats and vegetables can be reheated
successfully, you may want to prepare for two or three meals at a
time. For example, the Celebration Roaster is good when
reheated. Generally you will probably want to serve one meat-
and-vegetable meal and one soup meal every day, so think soup
while you are preparing meat and vegetables.
You don’t have to eat alone. You can easily adapt any of the
meal suggestions for nondieters. Simply add a salad, bread, fruit,
or a sauce for your family or friends.
Celebration Roaster
I would celebrate the first day of my discovery diet with a roast

chicken or turkey dinner. Although I might share that first meal
with family or friends, I’d make sure the bird was big enough to
provide leftovers to serve to myself later in the week, and I’d make
several quarts of broth from the carcass.
4 to 8 pound whole roasting chicken, turkey, or turkey
breast (Read the label to make sure that the bird is just a
bird and contains no injections of oil, butter, seasonings,
or anything else.)
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
Several stems of rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or
tarragon (optional)
Olive oil (1 teaspoon per 3 pounds of meat)
43
Preheat oven to 425°. Remove giblets and discard them, and wash
bird inside and out with cold water. Dry with paper towels. Sprin-
kle cavity with salt, and put rosemary or tarragon in cavity. Rub
skin with olive oil and place bird on a rack in a shallow pan. If
you desire, loosen the skin completely and rub underneath the
skin with salt and herbs. Place in oven and reduce heat to 350°.
Bake until juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork or
a meat thermometer registers 190°. Allow 20 to 25 minutes roast-
ing time per pound. When bird is done, remove from oven and
let sit for at least 10 minutes. Cut away thighs and wings, and
slice breast. Save skin for making broth.
Serve with baked yams and steamed spinach. If you are din-
ing with others, you could add cranberry sauce and cooked cau-
liflower sprinkled with cheddar cheese.
After dinner, remove remaining large pieces of meat from the
bones and wrap in meal-size packages. Refrigerate any packages
that you expect to eat within the next day or two; freeze the rest.
Proceed to the recipe for chicken broth.
Poached Chicken
Instead of baking your chicken, you can poach it.

3 to 4 pound chicken (whole or cut into pieces)
1 carrot, cut into small pieces
1 onion (optional), diced
1 stalk celery cut into small pieces
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
water
Rinse the chicken. Put in a large pot and cover with water. Add
carrot, onion (optional), and celery. Add enough water to cover
44
Digestive Recipes
chicken, at least 1 quart. Bring to a boil. Skim off foam and sim-
mer for 1 hour.
Lift out chicken and vegetables. When cool enough to han-
dle, remove large pieces of meat and return bones and skin to
pot. Continue with recipe for chicken broth.
Serve poached chicken with rice and beets.
Chicken Breasts or Turkey Breasts
Olive oil
Chicken breast halves, boneless (1 half-breast per serving)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sprinkle with dried rosemary, thyme, or tarragon (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly rub a shallow pan or pie plate with
olive oil. Remove any skin from chicken breasts and lay them in
pan with a bit of space between pieces. Oil tops of breasts and
sprinkle with salt and tarragon, pepper, thyme, or rosemary. Place
in oven and bake until the juices run clear when the breasts are
pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.
You might consider cooking enough chicken breasts for sev-
eral meals, as they are good hot or cold and freeze well.
Serve with wild rice mixture and asparagus.
Beef
Rare beef is a no-no for those of us with stomach disorders. Be
sure to trim fat off beef. Usually, I recommend smaller portions
(3 ounces) for people with digestive disorders.
45
Salisbury Steak (aka Hamburger)
Makes 4 servings
1 pound leanest (90% fat free or greater) ground beef
Olive oil
Rosemary (optional), 1⁄2 teaspoon dried
Shape beef into a thin patty. Lightly rub a nonstick skillet with
olive oil and place over medium heat. Add patty. Sprinkle with
salt and pepper and rosemary, if desired. Turn several times and
cook until well done. If hamburger begins to stick, add a few
tablespoons of hot water and continue to cook until the water
has evaporated.
Serve with stir-fried vegetables.
Pot Roast
This is a family or company dish which will serve 4 to 6 and

reheats easily. Begin preparation 8 or more hours before you wish
to serve it, or the previous day.
Step 1:
2 to 3 pound boneless beef roast (chuck, rump, or top or
bottom round)
1 onion, chopped (optional)
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk of celery, sliced
1 bay leaf, crumbled
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon herbs—rosemary, thyme, cumin, or basil, or a
combination of several herbs
Hot water
46
Digestive Recipes
Preheat the oven to 450°. Trim as much fat as possible from the
roast. Lightly coat the bottom of a Dutch oven or flameproof cas-
serole with olive oil. Add the beef and place in the oven. Do not
cover. When the meat is lightly browned on one side, turn the
meat and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Lower the heat to 350°.
Continue to roast uncovered for 10 minutes. Add seasonings and
enough water to almost cover the meat. Cover with a tight-fitting
lid, and return to the oven. When the liquid is simmering, lower
the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the meat pierces
easily with a fork, about 21⁄2 hours. Add more water as the liquid
evaporates. Place a colander over a large bowl and drain the roast,
discarding the vegetables and bay leaf. Cut away any visible fat that
adheres to the meat. Refrigerate the meat in the liquid.
Step 2:
Cooked meat and liquid from Step 1
A selection of vegetables: carrots, turnips, potatoes, parsnips
and/or zucchini
An hour before serving time, remove the fat, which will have
hardened on top of the liquid. Return the liquid and the meat
to the Dutch oven. Heat to a simmer on top of the stove. Peel
the vegetables and cut into large pieces or chunks, all about the
same size. When the liquid is simmering, add carrots and/or
turnips. Simmer for 10 minutes, and then add the other vegeta-
bles. If the Dutch oven is not large enough to hold all of the veg-
etables, some may be cooked separately in beef liquid plus water.
Cook slowly until the vegetables are tender. (If you prefer, you
may roast the meat and vegetables in a 325° oven. Oven cook-
ing will take longer but needs less attention to prevent burning.)
Taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper as required. Cut
the meat into slices or chunks, and place with the vegetables in
47
a large bowl or platter. Serve the broth on the side. If you pre-
fer thickened gravy, put a cooked potato and a cooked carrot in
the blender with a little broth. Keep adding broth until the mix-
ture is the consistency of gravy.
Leftovers may be coated with broth and stored in the refrig-
erator or freezer. Save any extra broth for soups or pilaf.
Classic Steak
3 to 6 ounce New York steak

Pepper, lightly sprinkled on both sides
1
⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
1
⁄2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Preheat broiler.Trim fat from steak and cut into 3 to 4 ounce
pieces. Sprinkle with dried pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Broil
each side approximately 5 to 10 minutes or until done.
Veal Scallops
Veal scallops (thinly sliced cutlets) are expensive but quick and easy.
Olive oil
Veal scallops (1⁄4 pound per person)
Hot water
Rub a nonstick skillet with olive oil and put over high heat. Pat
scallops with a paper towel to dry them and add to skillet in a
single layer. Keep heat moderately high. Sauté 3 to 4 minutes on
each side. If meat begins to stick, add 1 or 2 tablespoons hot water.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
48
Digestive Recipes
Variations: (1) Add a bit of finely grated lemon peel to skil-

let during cooking; squeeze lemon juice over scallops when cook-
ing is completed. (2) Sprinkle raw scallops with dried or fresh
tarragon before cooking; when scallops have browned, remove
from skillet. Stir about 2 tablespoons water into skillet and stir,
then pour liquid from skillet over scallops.
Serve with spinach pilaf and beets.
Lamb
Lamb is a fine source of protein and easily digested by most peo-
ple. Any of the following herbs and spices enhance the flavor of
lamb: ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, mint, rosemary,
salt, and pepper.
Roast Lamb
Serves four.
11⁄2 to 2-pound boneless rolled shoulder or leg of lamb
1 teaspoon herbs and spices, in any combination (optional):
ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, mint, rosemary,
salt, pepper
Preheat oven to 450°. Remove any wrappings from lamb, rub
with herbs or spices (optional), and place on a rack over a shallow
pan. Place in oven. As soon as lamb is in oven, reduce heat to 325°
and roast 1 to 11⁄2 hours until well-done (165° on a meat ther-
mometer). Leftover roast may be served cold or reheated briefly
in a microwave.
Serve with baked acorn squash and celery or fennel.
49
Sautéed Lamb Chops or Patties
Makes 1 serving.
Olive oil
1 loin or shoulder lamb chop, or 1⁄4 to 1⁄3 pound ground
lamb shaped into a patty, 1⁄4 teaspoon herbs and spices, in
any combination (optional): ginger, cinnamon,
cardamom, coriander, mint, rosemary, salt, pepper.
Rub a nonstick skillet with olive oil and place over low-to-
medium heat. Add meat to skillet and sprinkle with herbs and
spices (optional). Sauté until meat at center is no longer pink,
pouring off grease as it accumulates in pan.
Serve with vegetable roast.
Lamb Kabobs†
Lamb shoulder cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cubes per

serving)
1
⁄4 teaspoon coriander (or other herbs suggested for roast
lamb) per serving
1 teaspoon olive oil per serving
Squares of onion
Remove all fat from lamb and toss with coriander and oil. Slide
onto skewers alternating with onion squares. Broil or grill until
meat is well-done.
Serve with potato chips and cooked greens.
†
You may substitute lean-but-tender beef for the lamb.
50
Digestive Recipes
Rabbit
Baked Rabbit
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
1 rabbit (about 2 pounds)
1 cup water
2 teaspoons dry sweet basil or 1 tablespoon finely chopped
fresh sweet basil
Salt to taste
1
⁄8 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 300°. Cut rabbit into serving-size pieces, and
place in a 9-inch or larger baking dish. Pour water over rabbit.
Sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Cover with glass lid and bake
for 1 hour. Uncover, and bake for 1⁄2 to 1 hour or longer until
rabbit is brown and liquid has evaporated.
Fish
Fish Fillets or Steaks
1
⁄4 to 1⁄2 pound fish fillets or steaks per person: salmon, cod,
halibut or other white fish
Dill
Lemon
Nothing could be more simple than cooking fish in the
microwave. Place fish in a glass pie plate. Top with a sprig of dill
or a pinch of dried dill and a slice of lemon. Cover with waxed
paper and microwave on high. The time depends on the
microwave and the thickness and number of pieces. If you are
doing only one piece, check after 2 minutes; four pieces will take
51
at least 4 minutes. The fish is done if it flakes when pierced in

the center and lifted with a fork.
If you don’t have a microwave, place fish and dill in about
1
⁄2 inch of water in a skillet. Cover and simmer over low-to-
medium heat until fish flakes. Lift to a plate and squeeze lemon
juice over it.
Serve with wild rice mixture and carrots.
Tuna
Select water-packed solid white tuna, allowing no more than 3

ounces per serving. Add to a baked potato or rice pilaf. Serve
with zucchini casserole.
Soup
Broth is the base ingredient in soup. The next recipe is for home-
made chicken broth.You can also buy canned broth as long as it
doesn’t have additives other than salt. The richness of homemade
broth depends on the proportion of meat and bones to the water
in which they are cooked and on the number of hours the broth
is simmered. If you’ve cooked the bones, skin, giblets, and a lit-
tle meat from a 4-pound chicken in 2 quarts of water for 3 hours,
you will probably have broth that is jelly-like when cooled. This
may be diluted with equal parts of water and still be heavy.
52
Digestive Recipes
Chicken Broth
Cooked or raw chicken or turkey giblets, skin, bones, and

meat that clings to the bones
1 carrot, cut into small pieces
1 celery stalk, with or without leaves, cut into small pieces
3 whole cloves, stuck into a large whole onion
1 teaspoon salt
2 quarts or more water
Place all ingredients in a large pot and cover completely with
water. Cover with a lid. Place over medium heat and bring to a
simmer. Lower heat to low. Skim off dark foam as it develops,
and simmer at least 2 hours (3 is better). Add water as it evapo-
rates. Let mixture cool for 20 minutes, then pour into a large
sieve or colander set over a large bowl. When broth has com-
pletely drained into bowl, discard what remains in colander.
Refrigerate broth in bowl or smaller containers. Skim off fat that
rises to the top and hardens. Tip: Broth freezes well, so you can
freeze small portions in freezer-safe containers.
All-Purpose Broth
Follow recipe for chicken broth, but substitute beef or veal bones
for chicken or turkey bones. For a browner, richer broth, begin
by roasting cooked or raw bones in a 425° oven for 30 minutes.
You can also include bits of cooked beef from steak or beef bones.
Do not use pork or lamb meat or bones. Marrow bones make a
particularly rich broth. Be sure to allow plenty of time for fat to
rise and harden on top of cooked broth; overnight is best.
53
Basic Soup
Makes 1 large serving.

2 cups meat broth (preceeding page)
1 cup diced vegetables, in any combination: onions, carrots,
celery, zucchini, turnips, parsnips, spinach
1
⁄2 cup uncooked rice
Herbs: rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, or others
1
⁄2 cup cooked meat (optional)
Leftover cooked vegetables and cooking liquid (optional)
Bring broth to boil. Add diced vegetables, rice, and seasonings to
taste. Add water as broth evaporates. When vegetables and rice
are tender, add meat and leftover cooked vegetables. This recipe
makes one large or two small servings, but you can easily increase
the amounts to make more servings.You can also change the pro-
portions, but be sure that you have at least four times as much
liquid as raw rice. If you use brown rice, simmer it about 20 min-
utes before you add the raw vegetables.
The following are some soup variations that may appeal to you:
Chicken Soup
Use chicken broth, carrots, celery, spinach, and white rice sea-
soned with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add pieces of cooked
chicken.
54
Digestive Recipes
Spanish Soup
Use chicken broth, rice, onion, and a few strands of saffron or 1⁄2
teaspoon cumin. Add cooked chicken.
Winter Vegetable Soup
Use all-purpose broth, carrots, turnips, parsnips, and zucchini sea-

soned with a bay leaf, rosemary, or thyme. Discard bay leaf before
serving. Sprinkle with parsley. Meat pieces are optional.
Carrot Soup
Peel and slice or dice 1 cup carrots. Simmer in 1 cup rich chicken
broth. Add salt, pepper, and a dash of ginger and/or nutmeg. Cool
slightly and puree in blender or food processor. Reheat, adding
more broth if mixture is too thick, more seasoning if it is too
bland.
Winter Squash or Pumpkin Soup
Substitute peeled and diced squash or pumpkin for carrots in car-

rot soup, above.
Creamless Soup
Simmer 1 chopped onion or leek, 1 chopped potato, salt to taste,

and pepper to flavor in just enough broth to cover. (Your own
rich chicken broth may overwhelm the potato flavor, so you might
55
want to dilute it with water or use canned broth.) When veg-

etables are tender, cool slightly. Mash, blend, or process until mix-
ture is smooth, adding more broth until soup is the consistency
of thick cream.
You can also add other vegetables, such as carrots (season with
ginger or nutmeg), winter squash or pumpkin (season with
cinnamon and cloves), zucchini (season with basil, thyme, or
oregano), or spinach (season with nutmeg).
Rice
Rice is the staple of this diet. It is easy to digest and cook and is
also inexpensive. There are many different types of rice, good for
different purposes. The recipes in this book use just long-grain
white rice, brown rice, and a wild-and-brown rice mixture. Do
not use preflavored rice! Cook rice according to the package
directions. Add salt and/or herbs if you desire.
White rice is good for recuperating. Consider Basmati rice,
wild rice, and brown rice for their flavor.
2 to 21⁄2 cups water
1 cup uncooked rice
Pinch of salt
In a medium pot, boil water. Add rice and salt. Stir and bring
back to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.
Do not stir, but check water level occasionally and add more if
rice is dry.
Variations: (1) Wash a leek, discard green part, and cut remain-
der into 8 pieces. Cut a carrot into 8 pieces. Coarsely chop a
small bunch of parsley. Add leek, carrot, and parsley to rice before
covering. (2) To make porridge, use 6 to 8 cups of water per cup
of rice and simmer for 2 hours.
56
Digestive Recipes
Basic Pilaf
Makes 2 servings.
Olive oil
1 small onion (optional)
1 carrot (optional)
1 stalk celery (optional)
3
⁄4 cup uncooked brown or white rice
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
11⁄2 cups broth or water
1
⁄2 teaspoon thyme, rosemary, tarragon, or basil (optional)
Chop up vegetables. Rub a nonstick pan with olive oil, and heat
on medium heat. Add vegetables and stir to brown slightly, about
10 minutes. Add rice, salt, broth, and herbs. Cover tightly and
bring to a low boil. Continue to simmer on top of stove, or move
to a 350° oven, and cook until rice is tender, about 1 hour for
brown rice, 20 minutes for white. If necessary to prevent scorch-
ing, add more broth or water. You can easily increase the num-
ber of servings this recipes makes by adding more ingredients;
just make sure to use twice as much liquid as rice.
The following are some variations on the basic pilaf:
Main Dish Pilaf
After cooking, stir small pieces of meat or fish into the pilaf or
lay larger pieces of meat on top of pilaf. Serve with asparagus.
57
Spinach Pilaf
Double basic pilaf recipe, omitting carrot and celery. Chop con-
tents of a 10-ounce package of washed fresh spinach, removing
any tough stems. Sauté with onion—if your pan is large enough
to hold spinach, which will shrink as it cooks. If pan is not large
enough, steam spinach for a few minutes before adding it to other
ingredients. Alternatively, thaw a 10-ounce package of frozen
chopped spinach and add rice and broth. Season with nutmeg.
Onion Pilaf
Make basic pilaf, but omit chopped vegetables. Thickly slice one
large or two medium onions. Sauté until onions separate into
rings, adding olive oil if necessary. Stir in white rice and water.
Cover tightly and simmer 30 minutes or more.
Wild Rice and Herbs
Makes 4 servings.
1 cup uncooked wild rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1
⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1
⁄4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1⁄3 teaspoon dried
thyme
1 tablespoon olive or sesame oil
Black pepper to taste
58
Digestive Recipes
Rinse wild rice thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, bring rice,

chicken broth, and salt to a full boil. Then simmer for 45 to 50
minutes until rice is tender but not soft. Place rice in a bowl after
draining water. Add parsley, chives, thyme, and oil. Season with
black pepper. Hint:Try doubling this recipe so that you can eat
it all week.
Millet
1 cup millet
1 cup water
salt (pinch)
Rinse millet in cold water and strain. Bring water to boil and
then stir in the grain slowly. Add salt if desired. Let the water
come to a boil again, and turn down stove to simmer. Cover and
cook until the water has been absorbed. Option:To make millet
porridge, which is an easily digested breakfast, use 1 cup of mil-
let to 6 to 8 cups of water and simmer for 2 hours.
Buckwheat (Soba) Noodles
3 quarts water
4 ounces dried buckwheat noodles
Salt and pepper (optional)
Bring water to a boil and add buckwheat noodles. Reduce heat
slightly and boil uncovered for about 10 minutes or cook accord-
ing to package instructions. Serve with stir-fried vegetables or
by themselves for breakfast. Add salt and pepper if desired.
59
Buckwheat (Soba) Noodles with Ginger
3 quarts water
6 ounce dried buckwheat noodles
Salt (pinch)
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger root
2 teaspoons sesame oil (or less to taste)
Bring water to a boil and add buckwheat noodles and salt. Cook
noodles 2 to 4 minutes until al dente, then drain in a colander.
To make dressing, mix grated ginger and sesame oil. Add noo-
dles to dressing and toss well. Serve warm.
Quinoa
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked quinoa
Bring water to a boil. Rinse quinoa thoroughly and add to water.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until all water is absorbed (10
to 15 minutes). Quinoa is done when all grains have turned from
opaque to translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from
heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
As an alternative, you can toast quinoa before boiling it by
placing it in a wok or skillet and stirring continuously for about
10 minutes until quinoa has a slight fragrance and turns a deeper
color. Then add toasted quinoa to boiling water, cover, and sim-
mer until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit
for 10 minutes before serving.
60
Digestive Recipes
Vegetables
Although some popular vegetables and all fruits are off-limits
during weeks three and four, you can still enjoy the benefits
offered by a variety of vegetables. The following are hints for
preparation of the usually acceptable vegetables. Ignore any you
think may not work for you. Those most likely to cause diges-
tive difficulty are marked with an asterisk (*). Following the
recipes for individual vegetables are recipes for combination veg-
etable dishes. Most vegetables can be steamed, sautéed in olive
oil, or broiled.
Steam vegetables in a pan with a slotted or pierced insert. Put
1 to 2 inches of water in the pan, making sure that the insert is
above the water level. Place the vegetables in the insert and cover
the pan tightly. Bring the water to a slow boil, and continue to
boil until the vegetables are tender. You can also steam vegeta-
bles in a microwave. Place the vegetables in a microwave-proof
container with 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid. Cover and microwave
on high; 3 to 5 minutes on high will cook a small quantity of
most diced vegetables. Beware the steam! Lift the cover slowly,
tilting it so that it acts as a barrier between you and the escaping
steam.
Sauté vegetables in a good-quality nonstick pan. Rub the pan
lightly with olive oil. When the vegetables have begun to brown,
you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm water to prevent stick-
ing. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender.
Boil vegetables in just enough water to prevent burning. As
soon as the water boils, reduce the heat and simmer the vegeta-
bles until tender. Save the cooking liquid to add to soups.
Salt and pepper are the basic seasonings for all of the follow-
ing vegetable recipes; other seasoning suggestions are included to
add interest to specific vegetables.
61
Artichokes
Artichokes are wonderful for the digestive system. They are best
steamed whole. Wash the artichokes with cold running water and
then steam them. Most large artichokes take 40 to 60 minutes.
They do not refrigerate well.
Asparagus*
Fresh spears have tight tips and unblemished stalks. Wash well,
snapping off white lower part and removing larger scales. If any
stalks are especially fat, slit lengthwise so that they will cook as
quickly as slender stalks. Sauté in olive oil for a few minutes in a
single layer. Add about 1⁄2 inch of water to the pan and cover
tightly, cooking until stalks are crisp yet tender. Alternatively, you
can steam asparagus, about 7 minutes for 1 pound. Drain and sea-
son with pepper and/or nutmeg.
Beets
Select small to medium beets. Scrub and cut off the stems. Sim-
mer in enough water to prevent scorching. When beets can be
pierced with a fork (after 20 to 40 minutes, depending on size),
drain and cool. Slip off skins. Slice, quarter, or serve whole.
Beet Greens
See Greens. Good served with cooked beets.
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Digestive Recipes
Carrots
Peel and cut full-size carrots into rounds, in strips, or diagonally,

or use whole baby carrots. Simmer until tender and drain. Sea-
son with oregano.
Celery
Wash and remove strings. Cut into pieces 1⁄2- to 1-inch long.
Sauté or steam for approximately 10 minutes. Season with dill
or combine with carrots.
Eggplant*
Select a small, smooth-skinned eggplant that is heavy in relation

to its size. Remove skin and cut into small cubes. Allow about 1
cup of cubes and 1 tablespoon water per serving. Steam for 4 to
8 minutes, drain, and add 1 teaspoon olive oil per serving. Sea-
son with basil, oregano, or fresh lemon juice.
Fennel
Remove tops from fennel, and cut the bulbs into quarters or slice
crosswise. Steam until tender. Fennel has a nice licorice flavor
and needs no seasoning other than salt.
Greens (Chard, Kale, Spinach, and so On)
Fresh greens are young, bright, unblemished, and crisp—not limp.

Unless you buy greens in a package that says they’re prewashed,
63
you must wash them very well to remove all sand and grit. Dis-
card any leaves that do not seem fresh enough. Cut away tough
parts of stems. Stack leaves and cut cross-wise into smallish pieces.
Sauté for a few minutes until limp and tender. If you like, add 1
teaspoon of minced ginger, or sprinkle with juice from one lemon.
One pound makes 3 to 4 servings.
Leeks*
Washing is the most difficult part of leek preparation. Begin by

cutting away tops, leaving just a bit of bright green. Smooth off
the root end but leave enough to hold leaves together. Then split
lengthwise. Hold leeks cut side up under faucet and run cold
water in the leaves until all grit has disappeared.
Select a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold leek
halves in a single layer. Rub dish with olive oil. Arrange leeks cut
side up in dish, and drizzle leeks with olive oil. Add about 1 table-
spoon water or broth to dish, and cover tightly with a lid. Bake
at 350° for about 20 minutes.
Onion*
Remove brown outer layer. If you leave onions whole, be sure

to cut crossed slits in root ends, using the point of a sharp paring
knife. More likely, you will slice or chop onions. Simmer chopped
onions in broth or water for 15 minutes and medium-size whole
onions for 1 hour. Drain and season. Combine with almost any
other vegetable.
If you are baking meat, you may want to bake onions at the
same time. Place whole or sliced onions in a shallow nonstick
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Digestive Recipes
baking dish. Rub tops with olive oil, and bake for 30 minutes to
1 hour or more, depending on oven temperature and onion size.
Parsnips*
Peel, leaving small ones whole and cutting larger ones into halves
or quarters lengthwise. Simmer for 15 to 30 minutes. When eas-
ily pierced with a fork, drain and flavor with nutmeg.
Potatoes*
Even if you are not sensitive to white potatoes, limit your intake
during these two weeks to no more than one medium-size potato
a day. If you use potato to thicken your soup, that’s it for that day.
However, if you are beginning to long for something crunchy, try
making potato chips. To make potato chips, slice one potato as
thinly as possible. Soak slices in very cold water for 10 minutes or
more. In the meantime, preheat oven to 425°. Select a shallow
baking pan large enough to hold slices in a single layer. Rub lightly
with olive oil. Drain slices and dry them with paper towels. Spread
in pan and place in oven. Turn after 10 minutes, and continue to
bake for a total of about 20 minutes, until the slices are browned.
To bake potatoes, preheat oven to 400°. While oven is heat-
ing, wash potatoes and prick with a fork. Place in a shallow bak-
ing dish in oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until done. Remove
potatoes and cut open. During the clearing phase of your diet,
you can add a small amount of olive oil or flax oil, avocado, or
sardines or tuna packed in water. Later you can add butter or
homemade yogurt if you are not intolerant. Hint: Refrigerate
baked potatoes overnight and reheat; they are actually more fla-
vorful when reheated and don’t need topping.
65
Sweet Potatoes and Yams
Sweet potatoes and yams are excellent for the digestive system.
Peel, cut into quarters, and simmer. When they can be easily
pierced with a fork, drain, saving a little cooking liquid. Mash,
adding liquid until they are “creamy.” Season with nutmeg or gin-
ger. Alternatively, you can bake them (discard the skin).You can
also make chips following the recipe for white potato chips.
Summer Squash
Use zucchini or yellow squash. If squash is large, cut in quarters

lengthwise and remove seeds. If squash is small, leave seeds in.
Cut into chunks or rounds, and steam or sauté for 5 to 10 min-
utes.You can add flavor by cooking with a chopped onion. Sea-
son with salt, pepper, oregano, basil, or dill.
Winter Squash
Use acorn or butternut squash. One way to cope with the hard,
thick skin on winter squash is to put it in a baking dish and
microwave at full power for 5 minutes or longer. This softens the
skin so that you can cut through it when the squash is cool enough
to handle. You can then cut it in half and remove the seeds and
membrane.
To bake squash halves, put them cut side down in a pan with
about 1⁄2 inch of water. Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes. Turn
squash so cut side is up, and continue to bake until it is easily
pierced with a fork.You can fill the hollow with cooked onions
or spinach. Alternatively, when you have removed seeds and mem-
brane, you can peel the squash, cut it into chunks, and steam it
for 15 to 25 minutes. Or you can pierce the skin with a fork and
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Digestive Recipes
cook the whole squash in a microwave until you can easily thrust
a fork deeply into it. This will take 10 to 15 minutes, depending
on squash size and microwave power. Let squash stand until cool
enough to handle, then cut in half and remove seeds and mem-
brane. Squash halves may be served in the skin, or squash can be
removed and cut into chunks or mashed. Season with salt, pep-
per, and a sprinkling of ginger or cinnamon.
Turnips and Rutabagas*
Peel, dice, and steam or boil turnips or rutabagas until they are
soft and easily pierced with a fork. They have a flavor of their
own and need no addition beyond salt and pepper.
Combination Vegetable Recipes

Stir-Fried Vegetables
Cut any of the following vegetables to approximately uniform

size: carrots, celery, onions, and green or yellow squash. Sauté in
olive oil, keeping vegetables moving in pan until they are tender,
approximately 10 minutes. Add a small amount of water if the
pan gets too dry. Season with your choice of herbs.
Summer Vegetables Medley
Peel and cut a medium-size eggplant into chunks. Cut a zucchini

into thick slices and an onion into thin slices. Sauté all vegeta-
bles until tender, adding basil, oregano, and cumin to taste, for 10
minutes.
67
Vegetable Roast
Rub a large cookie sheet with olive oil, and cover sheet with a
single layer of any or all of these vegetables, thinly sliced: carrots,
beets, potatoes, zucchini, and onions. Rub vegetable tops with
olive oil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until all vegetables are eas-
ily pierced with a fork. You can add oregano, basil, or thyme.
Winter Vegetable Medley
Peel and cut any or all of the following vegetables into large pieces
of nearly equal size: onions, potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, carrots,
and parsnips. Steam with 1⁄2 teaspoon caraway seeds.
Squash with Wild Rice
Makes 4 servings.
1
⁄2 cup uncooked wild rice
2 cups water
1
⁄2 cup uncooked brown or long-grain rice
1 butternut squash or 2 acorn squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1
⁄2 cup sliced scallion
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried,
crushed oregano
salt (optional to taste)
pepper (optional to taste)
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Digestive Recipes
Preheat oven to 350°. Rinse uncooked wild rice. In a medium

saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in wild rice and brown rice.
(If using white rice, add it after wild rice cooks for 20 minutes.)
Return to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 40 min-
utes or until water is absorbed.
Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Place squash
cut side down on a baking sheet and place in oven. Bake 30 min-
utes. Remove and turn squash cut side up.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over high heat. Cook green
onion for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in parsley, oregano,
salt, and pepper.
Drain cooked rice if necessary, and add to skillet and mix.
Spoon mixture into squash. Cover, return to oven, and bake for
20 to 25 minutes or more, until squash is tender and filling is hot.
Sweet Potato and Carrot Purée
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1⁄4-inch cubes

3 large carrots, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil or flax
1
⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon minced ginger (optional)
In a medium saucepan, cover sweet potatoes and carrots with
cold water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium
heat until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Put vegetables in
blender, add oil and ginger, and purée until smooth.
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Vegetable Purée
2 medium onions, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
2 potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 carrot, thickly sliced
1 cup fresh spinach
1 teaspoon celery seed
In a large pot, sauté the onion in olive oil until transparent. Add
broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Add celery, carrots, spinach,
and celery seed. Purée in blender. Serve warm.
Zucchini Casserole
3 zucchini
1 small onion
Olive oil (1 tablespoon per 4 cups of vegetables
Oregano, salt, pepper, marjoram to taste
Slice vegetables and layer in casserole. Pour olive oil over veg-
etables. Sprinkle with oregano, salt, pepper, and marjoram. Add
1
⁄2-inch of water. Place in oven and bake, uncovered, until veg-
etables are tender. Stir occasionally, so that top vegetables do not
get too brown.
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Digestive Recipes
Meal Plans
In the following food list, an asterisk indicates items of which
you should not have more than one serving per day:
Breakfast Ideas
Chicken or beef soup

Buckwheat (soba) noodles
Yam
Rice or millet porridge
Baked potatoes*
Quinoa
Lunch/Snack
Anchovies, mackerel, tuna, sardines (packed in water only)

Beef, lamb, or turkey burger
Yam or sweet potato
Rice cakes
Buckwheat (soba)
Chicken, beef, or vegetable soup
Steamed or stir-fried vegetables or vegetable puree
Baked potatoes*
Slice of home-cooked chicken or turkey
Artichoke
71
Beverages
Water with mint, cucumber, or slice of lemon or lime

Herbal tea, especially ginger or cinnamon (use if you often feel
cold or chilled), peppermint, chamomile, or green or black tea
(one cup per day)
Carbonated water (natural flavoring okay)
Dinner
Steak, quinoa, and zucchini casserole

Turkey breast, squash, and wild rice
Halibut, sweet potatoes, and vegetable soup
Stir-fried turkey with vegetables, yams, and artichokes
Pot roast, potatoes, and carrots
Lamb roast, wild rice and herbs, butternut squash
Cod, rice, and greens
Chicken breasts, quinoa, and roasted vegetables
Salmon, wild rice, and vegetable soup
Beef with buckwheat (soba) noodles and beets
Rabbit, potatoes, and carrots
Lamb chops, millet, and vegetable soup
Veal medallions, vegetable puree
Roast turkey, rice, and beets
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Chapter Seven
S
Frequently Asked
Questions
I was doing really well then things stopped working. Now I’m dis-
couraged. What should I do?
First I would look at any recent changes. These could be ways in
which your diet or stress load has changed. Weather changes and
biorhythms (circadian rhythms) can contribute to changes in
digestive health. Some clients notice that things can go downhill
after several days of rain or if they are in indoor environments
that are excessively cold or damp. You may need to try to get
more exercise and take herbs such as ginger that help fight the
cold and dampness. Digestive Harmony also helps. It is impor-
tant to realize this is a temporary setback; things are not going
downhill.
I got this book for a loved one. Unfortunately, that person seems more
interested in telling me why this won’t work than in trying the program.
What can I do?
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This is very common. There is not a lot of support in our cul-

ture for people who have successfully treated themselves for
chronic digestive disorders. The medical community shrugs and
doesn’t encourage these people to be more vocal. All most doc-
tors know about are drugs and surgery. That is not the purpose
of this book, which is promoting digestive health and encourag-
ing changes.
I seem to be supersensitive. Some food allergy books even suggest rotat-

ing cooking oils. Do you recommend this?
Supersensitive people may benefit from rotating cooking oils.
This book focuses on the special needs of people with digestive
disorders. My research has led to the conclusion that olive oil is
the best all-around oil for most people for cooking and dressings.
Sesame oil and flax oil are also good.
If you need a more specialized book, I recommend Allergy
Cooking with Ease by Nicolette Dumke and The Whole Way to
Allergy Relief and Prevention by Jacqueline Krohn, M.D.
What if I am already underweight?

If you are underweight, it is very important that you eat adequate
protein.You may consider meat soups in the morning if possible
during the clearing phase. If you can get pure rice protein with-
out added sweeteners, this would make an easy-to-digest break-
fast. After the two-week clearing phase, you might want to test
soy earlier than most people, as soy can be a good source of veg-
etable protein. Traditionally, corn is used to help people gain
weight, so this may be another food you could consider testing
earlier than most people. However, keep in mind that many peo-
ple with digestive symptoms react to both soy and corn.
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Frequently Asked Questions
I’m allergic to beef and pork.What should I do?

You might try to get hormone-free variations of these meats and
see if you notice any difference. Rather than just eating white
meat and fish, to get a side spectrum of nutrients try various pro-
tein sources listed as rare foods in Appendix D.
I’m a vegetarian.What can I do?

I would urge you to look at the reasons why you are a vegetar-
ian. Vegetarianism is great for people who live in hot climates
and who do not do much physical or mental work; otherwise it
may be difficult. It is always good to rotate one’s diet, and most
of us need to eat more vegetables. Vegetarians in the West often
rely too much on dairy products, grains, and beans. The only way
you can follow the digestive clearing program is by trying to find
rice protein without additives, otherwise it is simply not possi-
ble to get adequate protein, as beans are out. You may find that
your body is able to tolerate meat better than you think, partic-
ularly if you stick to soups and stews and fish. Many of our clients
who switch from a vegetarian diet to the Digestive Clearing Pro-
gram with fish and meat in the form of soups and stews a few
days a week do quite well. Other options would be to see an
herbalist so that you can take herbs to give you ample energy, or
to take amino acid supplements that contain all the basic amino
acids. Note that amino acids should be taken under professional
supervision. If you have been a vegetarian for a long period, I
suggest that you get tested for anemia andVitamin B12 deficiency.
I did exactly what was recommended, but I still have symptoms.What

is wrong?
Our experience is that this program will work for 80 to 90 per-
cent of the people who follow it exactly. If you are one of the
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people for whom it does not work, read or reread the section on
tough responders (Chapter Six).You may need to do a more strin-
gent elimination diet administered by a health professional (such
programs usually involve hypoallergenic protein supplements and
a pared-down diet such as lamb, rice, millet, and pears), or you
could try some rare foods (see Appendix D). This entails eating
foods you probably never normally eat.
What if I don’t have an appetite?

Eat more soups and stews. Try pureeing and heating all vegeta-
bles. It is often better to eat smaller portions throughout the day
rather than the standard two or three large meals. Enzyme for-
mulas such as Enzyme Harmony and Digestive Harmony will
help pick up appetite for many people.
What if I fall off the program and my symptoms return?

You may have a hunch as to what is causing your symptoms. Is
it a sudden increase in stress or could it be a change in diet? I
would suggest that you reread the relevant sections of this book
and get back on the program.
What if the program doesn’t work?

You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve given your
best. This is why following the program exactly is so important.
Unless you follow it exactly, you will never have a chance to see
the program in action.
Does this mean that I can’t go out for a drink with my friends?
During the four weeks, alcohol is prohibited.You might want to
make other suggestions while you are on the program. As long
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as you are careful to bring food ahead of time, there are hundreds
of activities you can share with friends.
I tried the anti-candida diet once, and it didn’t work that well.Why not?
The anti-candida diet works for many people. For others, it is
not balanced enough. Some of the products that are recom-
mended with the anti-candida diet (for example, caprylic acid)
are hard on the digestive system. Finally, many people have prob-
lems with candida because their digestive systems are weak. Our
program is designed to strengthen the digestive system. Consti-
tutional herbal therapy is also very helpful, but you need to see
an herbalist to pursue this route.
I often travel for work. Can I do the program while traveling?

The two-week clearing phase needs to be done at home. While
theoretically the first two weeks and the reintroduction could be
done while traveling, it’s very difficult to do so. Sometimes you
have to choose between health and a career. I suggest that you
make every effort to at least pick a three-week period when you
can do the program at home. This would be the two-week clear-
ing phase and a week of rotating foods. If you truly get stuck, go
to a restaurant and have meat, poultry, or fish with nothing added.
Baked and boiled potatoes or steamed vegetables are usually safe.
Does it take a long time to cook all these foods?

It may take longer than going to delis. However, not only will
your gut thank you, your heart will thank you also. There are
strategies that help make cooking less time-consuming. For
example, you can cook the majority of the week’s food on Sun-
day, or at the same time that you roast vegetables you can bake a
roast and cook soup. Like many parts of the program, it’s essential
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that you keep remembering the benefits, not the difficulties, if

you want to succeed in healing your digestive system.
Will I be on this diet the rest of my life?

No. It is meant to be a starting point. The goal is to find out
which foods seem to be aggravating your digestive system. Hope-
fully you will be learning about new foods that you can incor-
porate into your diet so that your diet is more varied than before
reading Digestive Health Now. Also, in time, you will learn which
foods your body absolutely does not tolerate, and which foods
can be incorporated every three days instead of every day.
I live in an area where there are no natural food stores. How can I get
some of the foods that you mention?
You can get many of the foods mentioned in this book via mail
order. Some of my clients who live in rural areas need to stock
up on some of the staples during trips to the city. They are lucky
because they can grow much healthier produce than can be found
in stores.
Will people make fun of the way I’m eating? Truck drivers can’t eat rice
cakes!
First of all, you don’t need to eat with other people, especially if
they are going to be insulting. Announce to everybody that you
are eating differently on “doctor’s orders.” Other people don’t
have to know that you are referring to your inner doctor.
I eat only chicken and fish, yet I see that your meal plan includes a lot
of red meat.Why?
Chicken and fish are good, but you may be missing nutrients only
found in red meat and game. I am trying to emphasize the point
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of eating a more varied diet. It is also possible that by limiting

your diet, you may develop sensitivities to chicken and fish.
What if I’m cured during the preparation phase?

Great. If you have no digestive problems while preparing to go
onto the digestive clearing phase, you don’t need to continue.
Certainly many of the treatment principles (stress-reduction and
exercise; reducing coffee, alcohol, and processed foods) help a sig-
nificant number of people with digestive problems. I would sug-
gest that you keep this up and eat with great variety.
What if I just can’t complete the program?

If you have noticed some benefits without finishing the program,
please acknowledge yourself for trying and make a conscious note
of the changes that seemed to help. If you have not yet tried
Digestive Harmony, I urge you to try it. If you feel that you still
have a long way to go, I suggest locating a holistic health profes-
sional who may be able to suggest vitamins or herbs that can help.
For some people, it is much easier working with a practitioner.
My book Healing Digestive Disorders lists hundreds of natural ther-
apies that should help. If you feel that you have received no ben-
efit, you probably found yourself at a stressful period of your life
in which making changes was just not a possibility. If this is the
case, I again urge you to visit a holistic health professional. If you
are unable to make any diet changes at this time, at least main-
tain the stress-reduction and exercise part of the program.
What if I’m taking pharmaceutical drugs? Can I still do the program?

If you are stable, that is, if you have been taking the medication
for several weeks, yes. If you have recently begun taking a med-
ication, you should wait until you have been on it for several
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weeks. You should always discuss reducing or eliminating med-

ication with your health professional.
My doctor says there’s no science behind this.Who’s right?

Despite the best science in the world, many digestive problems
are considered incurable. Medical science is particularly good at
diagnosing conditions. It is not particularly good at creating health,
which is the purpose of this book.
I followed the program as best as I could, but I saw little benefit.Why?

Either you follow the program, or you don’t. If you did the best
you could, you need to redo weeks three and four of the pro-
gram. Every day that you cheat means you are only fourteen days
from completing the program.
What about cooking for my spouse?

I suggest that you put all cookies, crackers, and so on on a shelf
that you can’t reach. I’m sure that your spouse would like most
of the delicious and nutritious foods you will be serving.
How about taking vitamins?

I usually recommend high-quality, hypoallergenic supplements.
If you have been taking a product and still have digestive prob-
lems, it makes sense to stop what you are taking and then rein-
troduce a different supplement during the reintroduction phase.
Can I use soy milk?

During the clearing phase (weeks 3 and 4) beans and bean prod-
ucts such as soy milk are excluded. While beneficial for many
82
075-083(07).DHN:075-083(07).DHN 2/14/08 5:48 PM Page 83
people, especially menopausal women, and less allergenic than

milk, many people with digestive disorders are intolerant to beans.
As it is highly concentrated, soy milk may present an additional
problem. If you enjoy soy products,you may consider testing them
earlier than is indicated during the reintroduction phase.
83
084-110(APDX).DHN:084-110(APDX).DHN 2/14/08 5:49 PM Page 84
Appendix A
Obstacles to Health
T he following thoughts and beliefs may be interfering with

your own healing mechanisms. Becoming aware of health
obstacles and having a more optimistic attitude coupled with tak-
ing the right action will insure that you will feel your best.
Catastrophizing
You tend to see any discomforts as proof that you have a serious,
intractable health problem. For example, if you get a headache,
you automatically assume that you are dying of brain cancer.
When Shirley got a rash on part of her leg, she immediately
assumed that it was going to spread over her whole body like last
time, discounting the many times it had stayed localized on a tiny
area that no one could see.
It is important to see health professionals when your
health changes and for regular checkups. As long as it’s not an
84
Appendices
emergency, make the appointment and then concentrate on some-

thing else. Ask yourself, Is there anything more I can do?
Ignoring the positive
It would be nice not to have a digestive condition; however, what

in your health and overall life is working well? Clients often
neglect to consider how far they have come and what areas of
the body are perfectly healthy. When Marjorie first came in, she
had psoriasis, insomnia, poor digestion, and frequent headaches.
After taking herbs and supplements for two months, she wanted
to stop because the psoriasis had not fully healed. She was no
longer having insomnia or headaches, and her digestion was much
better. Instead Marjorie was focused on the fact that she still had
psoriasis, even though the plaques were 50 percent reduced.
Half-trying
Frequently, clients who come to our clinic may have tried sev-
eral standard, as well as complementary methods. However, they
have done all halfheartedly. In other words, when the practitioner
said to take some tablets four times per day, the person only took
the pills twice per day. When the acupuncturist says they will
need at least ten sessions, they quit after a few sessions. How well
have you followed your health professional’s advice? Have you
given up too soon? Is there a reason you can’t fully heal? What
would it take to really clear up your digestion?
85
Giving up too soon
Steve had twenty years of constipation. At first, this was relieved

by over-the-counter remedies. Eventually, these remedies stopped
working. Steve went to an herbalist who made dietary sugges-
tions. The herbalist pointed out that it was important to be patient
with diet changes, as they took time. He was counseled that he
should see gradual improvement over the next few months. After
one week, because he was not having normal bowel movements,
Steve cancelled his next appointment.
My health should be different
“Should statements” (should’s, ought to’s, have to’s) can lead to anger
and frustration.
It would be nice if your health were better, but look further.
Make a list of all the people you know. What are some of the
health challenges that they have and their loved ones have had?
Say, It would be nice if . . . instead of “shoulding” yourself.
Been there, done that
Many of the most profound natural treatments are very simple.

For example, taking herbs. Yet for some clients, this is not mys-
tical enough or high-tech enough. Some patients like getting
treated so much that their whole life revolves around exploring
treatment options, rather than just choosing one method and
sticking with it before trying something new. I asked one of my
clients a few questions about the alternatives she had tried and
the response was “been there, done that.”What she wanted was
someone to feel sorry for her or acknowledge her great knowledge
86
Appendices
of alternative medicine, both of which are serious obstacles for

successful treatment.
Needing attention
Probably we have all at one time or another made it seem like

our symptoms were worse than they were in order to get more
attention from loved ones or health professionals. The problem
is most people grow bored very quickly, and, like the boy who
cried wolf, they even stop coming altogether if our cries are fre-
quent enough. Is there another way besides having symptoms to
persuade people to give you what you so desperately want? Is
there a way you could give yourself what you want?
Randy was an ex-cop who worked in a drug task force in a
rough neighborhood. After twenty years on the force, he devel-
oped depression, muscle aches, and IBS. He was diagnosed with
fibromyalgia and was put on disability. My sense is that Randy
needed a break from life, but as he was not of retirement age, his
body created a way of taking a few years off.
Blaming others or self-blame (personalization)
Many patients blame their health professionals for all their health
problems. Lynn was a nurse who came to us for digestive prob-
lems, and hives, as well as depression and anxiety. Her whole life
had been turned upside down by a court case involving an HMO
that was determined to avoid paying her. Had she been able to
walk away from the court case rather than needing someone to
blame, she would have had much less anxiety and probably fewer
digestive problems. Other people blame themselves for events
not fully under their control. Connie was a health fanatic who
87
was angry with herself for having lupus. She felt that if she hadn’t
smoked when she was a teenager, or eaten all that junk food, or
drunk all that coffee, this wouldn’t have happened. She believed
it was all her fault. Often we need to practice acceptance before
we can heal.
Needing an explanation
Frankly, much of health and sickness is mystery. Frequently, when

treating digestive concerns, it is not clear why there is a problem.
Sometimes little is known about the condition or the treatment.
Getting an explanation is something that will only help your
mind, but it will not help your body improve. This is why stress
reduction and gentle exercise are so important to healing. Con-
centrate on healthy things, and you will heal.
88
Appendix B
S
How to Reduce
Fat Intake
M any digestive clients are intolerant to excessive fats. That

is why the Digestive Clearing Program is low to mod-
erate in fat and emphasizes lean sources of protein and olive oil,
which many nutritionists consider to be a healthy fat.
1. Choose fresh fish, meat, and poultry with all the fat and skin
trimmed off. The amount of protein you consume with each
meal should be no more than the size of a playing card, or
about 3 ounces. You can eat slightly more fresh fish, as it is
considered to have healthy fats.
2. During the program, and if possible before and after the pro-
gram, break the habit of adding butter, margarine, or may-
onnaise to your food. During the program you may squeeze
some fresh lemon onto your foods. If absolutely necessary,
you can add a small amount of olive oil to vegetables, or if
you are constipated, use up to 3 tablespoons of flax oil per
day. Single herbs may also be sprinkled on foods to help them
89
taste better. The moderate use of black pepper and sea salt is
also allowed.
3. During the program, baked goods are eliminated because
wheat often contributes to digestive disorders, and many prod-
ucts such as muffins, danishes, pastries, and cookies contain
excessive amounts of sugar and fat.
90
Appendix C
S
Digestion Friendly
Grains
O ur ancestors were hunter-gatherers. Until relatively

recently, our diet consisted of meat, fish, nuts, seeds, veg-
etables, and fruit in season. In other words, no grain. People with
digestive disorders may do better either without grains or by dras-
tically reducing the amount of grain they eat. In other words, the
same person may experience much less gas and bloating if one
serving of grains is eaten every three days, unlike most Ameri-
cans, who consume grains with each meal. A quick tip is to cook
grains for several hours over low flame; adding more water will
help break them down so that they are more easily digested.You
may also find that some of the less common grains are more eas-
ily digested than wheat.
Amaranth
Amaranth is an ancient grain from South America. Amaranth

flour is gluten free. It can be cooked into cereal or batter, or added
91
to another grain so that it comprises 20 percent of the dish. At

health food stores it is found in cereal and crackers.
Arrowroot
Traditionally treated as a vegetable, arrowroot is a starch used in
the Caribbean. It is best used as a cornstarch substitute.
Barley
Barley can be ground to make gravies and whole grain breads.
It contains gluten. Pearl barley benefits digestion.
Buckwheat (Soba)
Buckwheat is a relative of rhubarb. It is not actually a grain but
makes an excellent grain substitute for people who cannot tol-
erate wheat. Buckwheat has a strong flavor, but you can com-
bine it with rice or millet to dilute it (if you don’t like it).
Buckwheat is most commonly used in buckwheat pancakes, soba
noodles, and kasha.
Chestnut Flour
Chestnut flour is useful for people who want to be on a totally
grain-free diet. Chestnut flour is very crumbly, so use bananas or
arrowroot as a binding ingredient.
Jerusalem Artichoke Flower

This can be used to make pasta. Typically it is combined with
grain.
Kamut
Kamut (kah-MOOT) is a relative of wheat; however, it is more
easily tolerated by people with wheat sensitivity, although it may
92
Appendices
be problematic for people with gluten intolerance. Kamut should

be soaked overnight. It is available in whole grain, bread, flakes,
and snacks.
Millet
Millet can be used in the same way as corn or rice. It is easily
digestible and cooks more quickly than many other grains. Mil-
let makes a good porridge.
Oat Flour
Although oat flour contains gluten, it may be more digestible to
some people than wheat flour.
Oats
Oats contain gluten; however, they are much more easily toler-
ated than wheat by many people. After the clearing phase is com-
pleted, a healthy breakfast is oatmeal porridge.
Quinoa
Quinoa (KEEN-wah), a fruit, comes to us from South America.
Quinoa is protein rich and easy to digest, despite the fact that it
contains gluten. It can be used in casseroles, soups, pastries, cakes,
and pancakes. It can be also used in place of rice.
Rice and Rice Flour

Rice is a staple for much of the world’s population. It is consid-
ered by many allergists one of the foods least likely to cause reac-
tions. Brown rice is considered the most nutritious, whereas white
rice is considered easiest to digest. Rice flour has a good taste
but may be gritty.
93
Rye
Rye is a grain that is low in gluten and is often tolerated by peo-
ple who are sensitive to wheat. Consider Cream of Rye cereal.
Spelt
Spelt is a relative of wheat and was mentioned in the Old Testa-
ment. Spelt flour can be used as a wheat flour substitute. It is eas-
ily digestible and can be used in pasta, pancake mixes, and
porridges. Spelt is tolerated by many wheat-sensitive people.
Tapioca Flour
Tapioca flour can be used as a substitute for cornstarch in pies,
gravies, or/and stir-frying.
Teff
Teff, the world’s tiniest grain, comes to us from Ethiopia. It can
be made into flour and can be substituted for seeds, nuts, or small
grains. It can be incorporated into breads, cookies, casseroles, and
stews.
Water Chestnut Starch

Water chestnut starch is useful for people who must avoid all
grains. It may be made into wafers and used as a thickener.
Wild Rice
Wild rice is actually a grass native to North America. It is deli-
cious to eat but can be expensive.
94
Appendix D
Food Families
T his section can be used especially during the reintroduc-

tion phase (weeks five and after). If you have allergies or
intolerance to one of the mentioned foods, you may have reac-
tions to foods in the same family. It also makes sense to investi-
gate different preparation methods or varieties. For example, red
apples/green apples, pesticide-free apples, or cooked apples, not
raw, may make a big difference in your health.
*Foods with an asterisk can be considered for the rare foods
diet.
PLANT CLASSIFICATION
APPLE Pear ARUM
Apple Quince Dasheen
Cider *Quince seed Malanga
Juice *Taro
Vinegar Poi
Apple pectin ARROWROOT Yautia
Arrowroot
95
BANANA CHINESE WATER Sunflower

Banana CHESTNUT Sagebrush
Plantain Chestnut, Chinese Wormwood
Tarragon
BEECH CITRUS
Beechnut Citron EBONY
*Chestnut Grapefruit *Persimmon
Kumquat
BIRCH Lemon FUNGI
Filbert Lime Mushroom
Hazelnut Orange Yeast
Oil of birch Tangerine
GINGER
BORAGE COMPOSITE Cardamom
Borage Absinthe Ginger
Comfrey Artichoke, Turmeric
common
BRAZIL NUT Celtuce GINSENG
Brazil nut Chamomile Ginseng
Chicory
BUCKWHEAT Dandelion GOOSEBERRY
Buckwheat Endive Currant
Rhubarb Escarole Gooseberry
Sorrel Goldenrod
Lettuce GOOSEFOOT
CACTUS Beet
Head
Prickly pear Leaf Beet sugar
Tequila *Jerusalem artichoke Chard
Oyster plant *Swiss chard
CAPER Lamb’s quarters
Salsify
Capers Spinach
Ragweed and
pyrethrum, and Thistle
CASHEW
Cashew other related
GOURD
Mango inhalants
Cantaloupe
Pistachio *Safflower
*Casaba
Sesame seed
96
Appendices
Christmas melon Glucose Huckleberry

Cucumber “Sweetose” Wintergreen
Gherkin Grits
Honeydew Hominy HOLLY
Muskmelon Whiskey/bourbon Bearberry
Persian melon *Millet *Maté (or yerba
*Pumpkin Oats maté)
Squash Popcorn Pokeberry
Summer Rice Yaupon tea
Winter *Sorghum
Romaine lettuce Kafir HONEYSUCKLE
Watermelon Molasses Elderberry

Zucchini Triticale
IRIS
Wheat
GRAINS (CEREAL, Saffron
Bran
GRASSES)
“Farina”
Barley KELP
Flour
Malt Algin
Graham
Maltose Gluten LAUREL
Bamboo shoots Semolina flour
Cane *Avocado
Wheat germ Bay leaf
Cane sugar *Wild rice
Turbinado Cinnamon
Molasses Sassafras
GRAPE
Rum Grape LEGUMES
Corn Brandy (grape) Alfalfa
Cornmeal Champagne Black-eyed pea
Cornstarch Cream of tartar Bush bean
Corn oil Raisin Carob
Corn sugar Grape wine Chick pea
“Cerelose” Vinegar (garbanzo)
Dextrose
Green bean
“Dyno” HEATH
Green pea
Corn syrup Blueberry
Jack bean
Cartose Cranberry
Kidney bean
97
Lentil MALLOW MULBERRY

Licorice Cotton seed Breadfruit
Lima bean Meal Fig
Mung bean Oil Hops
Navy bean *Okra Mulberry
Pea
Peanut MAPLE MUSTARD
Maple sugar (BRASSICA)
Peanut oil
Maple syrup Broccoli
Pinto bean
Brussels sprouts
Senna
MAY APPLE Cabbage
Soybean
May apple Cauliflower
Flour
Celery cabbage
Oil
MINT Collard
Lecithin
Artichoke, Chinese Colza shoot
String bean
Basil Horseradish
Tonka bean
Horehound Kale
Tragacanth gum
Lavender Kohlrabi
LILY
Marjoram Mustard
Aloe Mint Radish
Asparagus Oregano Rutabaga
Bermuda onion Peppermint Turnip
Chive Rosemary Watercress
Garlic Sage
Leek Savory MYRTLE
Spearmint Allspice
Onion
Thyme Cloves
Sarsaparilla
Guava
Scallion
MISCELLANEOUS Paprika
Yucca (cassava)
Honey Pimento
MACADAMIA
MORNING GLORY NIGHTSHADE
*Macadamia nut FAMILY Belladonna
Sweet potato Eggplant
MADDER
Coffee Ground cherry
98
Appendices
Peppers PAPAL PINEAPPLE

Chili *Papaya Pineapple
Cayenne Papain
Red PLUM
Green PARSLEY Almond
(CARROT) Apricot
Red sweet
Angelica Cherry
Paprika (yellow)
Anise Sour
Potato
Caraway Sweet
Tobacco
Carrot Wild
Tomato
Celeriac Nectarine
NUTMEG Celery Peach
Mace Celery seed Plum
Nutmeg Chervil Prune
Coriander
OAK Cumin POMEGRANATE
Chestnut Dill Pomegranate
Fennel
OLIVE Lovage POPPY
Black olive (ripe) Parsley Poppy seed
Olive oil Parsnip
Green olive Water celery PURSLANE
New Zealand
ORCHID PAWPAW spinach
Vanilla Pawpaw Purslane
PALM PEPPER ROSE

Coconut Black pepper Blackberry
Palm oil White pepper Boysenberry
Date Dewberry
Palm cabbage PINE Loganberry
Sago Juniper Raspberry
Pine nut Black
Red
Strawberry
Youngberry
99
SAPODILLA STERCULIA WALNUT

Chicle Cacao Butternut
Chocolate Hickory
SOAPBERRY Cocoa Pecan
Litchi nut Cola Walnut
Caffeine Black
SPURGE Karaya gum English
*Tapioca Kola bean
YAM
TEA Chinese potato
Tea Yam
ANIMAL CLASSIFICATION
AMPHIBIAN *Squab Bison

*Frog Turkey Beef (cattle)
Turkey eggs Bovine
BIRD *Buffalo
Chicken CRUSTACEANS Butter
Chicken eggs Crab Caribou
Duck Crayfish Cheese
Duck eggs Decapods Cow’s milk
*Goose Lobster Deer
Goose eggs Prawn *Deer (venison)
Grouse Shrimp Dolphin
Guinea hen *Elk
*Partridge MAMMALS Gelatin (beef)
Peacock *Antelope *Goat
Pheasant Bacon Ham
*Pigeon Bear Lactose (milk
Quail Beaver sugar)
100
Appendices
*Lamb FISH (SALTWATER) Rosefish

Lard Amberjack (whitebait)
Milk Albacore Sailfish
*Moose American eel *Sea Bass
Mutton *Anchovy Sea herring
Pig (pork) Barracuda Sea trout
*Rabbit (cottontail, *Bluefish Scorpionfish
hare, jackrabbit) Bonito Shad
*Reindeer Butterfish Silver perch
Sheep *Codfish Skipjack
Squirrel Cod (scrod) Sole
Veal Croaker Spot
Whale Cusk Swordfish
Dab Tarpon
MOLLUSKS Dolphin Tilefish
Abalone Drum Tuna
Cephalopods Eel Turbot
Clam *Flounder Weakfish (spotted
Cockle *Grouper sea trout)
Gastropods Haddock Yellow jack
Mussel Hake
Octopus Halibut FISH
Oyster *Herring (FRESHWATER)
Pelecypods Jack *Bass
Quahog *Mackerel Black bass species
Scallop Marlin Buffalofish
Snail Menhaden Bullhead
Squid Mullet Carp
Mahi mahi *Catfish species
REPTILES Pilchard (sardine) Chub
*Alligator Plaice Crappie
Rattlesnake Pollack Croaker
*Turtle Pompano Freshwater drum
Porgy Minnow
Red snapper Muskellunge
101
Paddlefish Sauger Sunfish species

*Perch Shad (roe) Trout species
Pickerel Smelt Walleyed pike
Pike Sturgeon White perch
Pike, northern Sturgeon (caviar) *Whitefish
Salmon species Sucker Yellow perch
102
Appendix E
Resources
For further information, for the name of a practitioner in your

area who recommends herbs, or to contact the author for seminars
Andrew Gaeddert
c/o Get Well Clinic
8001 Capwell Dr.#A
Oakland, CA 94621
Telephone: 510-635-9778
Fax: 510-639-9140
Email: GWFclinic@aol.com
Wheat and Gluten-free Products
Gluten Intolerance Group

15110 10th Ave. SW #A
Seattle,WA 98166
Telephone: 206-246-6652
103
Fax: 206-246-6531
Email: gig@gluten.net
American Celiac Society
58 Mustano Court
West Orange, NJ 07052
Telephone: 973-325-8837
Seafood
Chuck’s Seafoods
P.O. Box 5488
Charleston, OR 97420
Telephone: 800-255-4370
Wild Game
Texas Wild Game Co-op

P.O. Box 530
Ingram TX 78025
Telephone: 800-962-4263
Czimer Enterprises
520 Executive Dr.
Willowbrook, IL 60521
Telephone: 708-789-6474
For Health Freedom Issues
Citizens for Health

5 Thomas Circle NW #500
Washington, DC 20005
Telephone: 202-483-1652
Fax: 202-483-7369
Web: www.citizens.org
104
Bibliography
Appleton, Nancy. HealYourself with Natural Foods. NewYork, NY:

Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1998.
Brostoff, Jonathan, and Linda Gamlin. The Complete Guide to Food
Allergy and Intolerance. NewYork, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc.
1989.
Chaitow, Leon, and Natasha Trenev. Probiotics. London:Thorsons,
1990.
Crook,William G. TheYeast Connection and the Woman. Jackson,
TN: Professional Books, 1995.
Dahlke, Rudiger, and Thorwald Dethlefsen. The Healing Power of
Illness. Rockport, MA: Element Books, Inc., 1995.
Devrais, Joanna, and Liz Reno. Allergy Free Eating. Berkeley, CA:
Celestial Arts Publishing, 1995.
Dumke, Nicolette M. Allergy Cooking with Ease. Lancaster, PA:
Starburst, 1992.
Frazier, Claude A. Coping with Food Allergy. NewYork, NY: Ran-
dom House, 1985.
105
Gaeddert,Andrew. Healing Digestive Disorders. Berkeley, CA: North

Atlantic Books, 1998.
Gustafson, Helen, and Maureen O’ Shea. The Candida Directory
& Cookbook. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts Publishing, 1994.
Jones, Marjorie Hurt. The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook. Emmaus,
PA: Rodale Press, 1984.
Kirschmann, Gayla J., and John D. Kirschmann. Nutrition Almanac,
Fourth Ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1996.
Krohn, Jacqueline, Frances A. Taylor, and Erla Mae Larson. The
WholeWay to Allergy Relief and Prevention. Point Roberts,WA:
Hartley & Marks, 1991.
Murray, Michael T., and Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr., eds. Textbook of
Natural Medicine,Vol. 1 and 2. London: Harcourt Publishers,
1999.
Oster, Eileen F. The Healing Mind. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publish-
ing, 1996.
Thom, Dick. Coping with Food Intolerances. Beaverton, OR: Jeld
Publications, 1995.
Trowbridge, John Parks, and Morton Walker. TheYeast Syndrome.
New York, NY: Bantam, 1986.
Yoder, Eileen Rhude. Allergy-Free Cooking. Reading, MA: Perseus
Books, 1987.
Zukin, Jane. Dairy-Free Cookbook. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publish-
ing, 1998.
106
About the Author
Andrew Gaeddert suffered from

Crohn’s disease and IBS. His search for
therapies to treat his own symptoms led
to the discovery of techniques that have
made it possible for him to help thou-
sands of other people. Mr. Gaeddert has
studied nutrition, herbology, and Chi-
nese medicine with masters from the
United States and China. He has been
on the protocol team of several scien-
tific studies sponsored by the NIH Office of Alternative Medi-
cine and the University of California. He has lectured at Columbia
University, University of San Francisco, Canadian College of Ori-
ental medicine, and other colleges across the United States. His
students have included medical doctors, acupuncturists, herbal-
ists, and other professionals. Mr. Gaeddert is the author of Heal-
ing Digestive Disorders and Chinese Herbs in the Western Clinic. He
is the president of Health Concerns in Oakland, California, whose
purpose is to help millions of Americans suffering from chronic,
stress-related, and immune-compromised conditions. He and his
wife live in the San Francisco Bay area.
Books Available
from Get Well Foundation

by Andrew Gaeddert ISBN 1-55643-426-X $12.95
Digestive Health Now is Andrew Gaeddert’s latest book. It explains a
four week program that can be completed in the comfort of your own
home.There is a meal plan,recipes, and stress relieving techniques.
Included are real life success stories of people who have been able to
reduce or eliminate medication,and anchieve an understanding of what
causes symtoms and how to prevent them.
Healing Digestive Disorders

by Andrew Gaeddert ISBN 1-55643-281-X $15.95
This book by herbalist Andrew Gaeddert lists self-help strategies, treat-
ment protocols, and case studies for all major digestive disorders.
Designed for the professional as well as the layperson, Healing Digestive
Disorders also contains the story of how the author conquered Crohn’s
disease, a recommended meal plan, workbook section, and acupunc-
ture points.
Chinese Herbs in the Western Clinic

by Andrew Gaeddert ISBN 0-96382-850-9 $15.95
Chinese Herbs in the Western Clinic recommends formulas by a variety
of manufacturers that have been successfully used with thousands of
American patients suffering from immune, digestive, gynecological, res-
piratory disorders, and other commonly seen complaints such as aller-
gies, anxiety, arthritis, back pain, headaches, injury, insomnia and stress.
Disorders are alphabetized by Western conditions and indexed by
traditional Chinese medical terminology for easy reference while patients
are in the office. This book is designed for practitioners.
SixtyYears in Search of Cures

by Dr. Fung Fung and John Fung ISBN 0-96382-851-7 $15.95
Sixty years in Search of Cures is the autobiography of one of the world’s
most experienced herbalists, Dr. Fung Fung, who routinely saw 100
to 150 patients per day working in a hospital clinic. This master prac-
titioner with experience in Canton, Hong Kong,Vietnam, and San
Francisco, reveals important dietary and lifestyle habits for the general
public and herbal prescriptions for the professional herbalist.
Send check or money order payable to Get Well. Include $2.00 per
book shipping and handling. California residents add $1.07 sales tax
for Digestive Health Now and $1.32 for each of the other books. Please
be sure to write your name and address clearly, and to specify the titles
and quantities of each book you want. Allow 4 weeks for delivery.
For trade, bookstore, and wholesale inquiries, contact North Atlantic

Books, P.O. Box 12327, Berkeley, CA 94701.
Get Well Foundation

8001 Capwell Drive, Suite A
Oakland, CA 94621

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