The author's sage advice about various fiber supplements and their individual characteristics would be worth the purchase price. (Reviewers who complained that her diet doesn't work for IBS with constipation must not be following her advice about incorporating fiber supplements; I don't see how they could possibly remain blocked up under the regime she outlines.) On top of that, the recipes are great. I love food and cooking and had despaired of ever having fun in the kitchen again -- always worried that what I was putting in my mouth was going to cause great suffering an hour or two later. Playing around with Heather's recipes has brought back the old thrill, and it's stuff the whole family can eat without suspecting it's some kind of special diet. The book is also packed with many interesting and tasty items you'd enjoy serving to guests.
If you're wondering about whether all these reviews can possibly be "for real," or if this is just some stupid and possibly dangerous fad diet -- take the chance and buy this book. The recommendations are healthful, the diet's not going to hurt you, and you have nothing to lose except the hours of suffering currently caused by your IBS.
This book is full of gourmet-style recipes. The recipes call for ingredients that are no longer exotic, since they can be found in larger grocery stores (even in places like Alaska), but are still fairly expensive.
Also, while this book claims to cater to IBD as well as IBS sufferers, don't be fooled. The recipes in this book contain far too much fat, spices and insoluable fiber to be appropriate for IBD sufferers.
Still, these recipes are lower in fat compared to traditional recipes. While many are gourmet-style recipes that look like they will take every bowl and pot in your kitchen to create, they do look tasty. So, if you have IBS, and are looking for variety without aggravating your condition... and you really like your kitchen, I have no reservations recommending this book.
But, if you have IBD, be cautious about this book. You will most likely find that there are unacceptable ingredients and preparation methods in the recipes, unless you have a very mild form of the disease or are in remission.
