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According to the Digestive Disorders Foundation, one in ten people suffer pain and distress from illnesses involving the stomach and intestines. These conditions account for approximately one in sixteen deaths in the United Kingdom.

This book is about a remarkable, often misunderstood and frequently embarrassing part of the human body – the gut. The message is simple: eat to take care of your gut and it will take care of you.

While the gut, or digestive system, usually works so well we ignore and often abuse it, things can go terribly wrong. As sufferers of Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome know, a damaged gut can seriously reduce your quality of life. Fortunately, most digestive problems are minor and self-limiting, but even repeated bouts of these can interfere with normal good health and lead to more serious conditions.

Avoiding digestive disasters often requires little more than changing dietary habits. Here is one example of how a poor diet can lead to problems: failure to eat enough high-fibre fruits and vegetables each day can lead to constipation; repeated bouts of constipation may stretch the delicate walls of the lower bowel which, over time, encourages the formation of pockets – or diverticula. These pockets may be trouble-free for years. Then infection and inflammation suddenly develop and cause a serious condition known as diverticulitis. It might have been avoided. Instead of risking pain and illness, why not follow medical advice and change your diet? When it comes to fruit and vegetables, the ‘five-a-day’ slogan is a good one.

The Healthy Gut Cookbook aims to change attitudes about diet and the gut. Thanks to Marguerite Patten’s story in Chapter 1, concerning her work and her personal experience with irritable bowel syndrome, we have first-hand information about how food has been used over the decades to combat ailments of the digestive system. At the heart of this book are more than 60 recipes Marguerite has written to promote foods that help maintain a healthy gut – and restore one that is flagging.

Written by a nutritionist and health writer, the remainder of the text reflects modern research with contributions from nutritional therapy, traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda. (Look for more information about these approaches to healing in the Glossary.) Along with a brief tour of the digestive system and advice on how to maintain a healthy gut, there is a chapter on the special foods that heal and protect the digestive system. A major section describes 20 common and serious illnesses of the digestive system. For each, lists of healing foods and foods to be avoided are provided, along with the names of two or more of Marguerite Patten’s healthy-gut recipes.

Information on important related subjects is presented throughout. For example, you will read about how to enjoy eating, which medications affect your gut, tips on food hygiene, and why probiotics is finding wide acclaim. It may come as a surprise that no single diet for a healthy gut is recommended. This is because everyone’s needs are unique and change with the ever-shifting circumstances of living. Selecting foods that comfort and balance your digestive system today provides a foundation for a happier and healthier life tomorrow.

If you suffer from a gut disorder and are under a doctor’s care, always check with him or her before changing your diet.

So – here’s to good eating and a very healthy gut!

Jeannette V. Ewin Ph.D.