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I was completely annoyed by this book, its lay out was less then intelligent, its content was mostly telling you how useful the diet, which was never laided out in an understandable way, was going to be, and the diagrams were pointless.
The only perk to this book was a large number of helpful recipies in the back, but all in all, I thought this book was useless mumbojumbo about 'inner ecology' that was no use to me. I have candida and have chosen to take Nystatin and change my diet, and this book gave no provisions for that or even seemed to consider there might be another way of controlling yeast.
What I was looking for was a comprehensive book about what can be done, what specifically to avoid, something that made me understand better what I needed to do to get healthy. Instead this book pushed its products and life style on me in an uncomfortable and obnoxious manner.
I would most certainly NOT recommend this book, I would recommend doing research online and deciding for yourself what will work, instead of taking this load of crap at face value.
2 Finally - A Book/Diet that Covers it ALL
For those of us who have suffered autoimmune disorders along with the accompanying chronic candida/parasites that go along with it - this book is a treasure.
After my own personal journey of 10+ years with CFS/FM, Lupus and MPS I can say that for me, this book was the final 'piece' to my health puzzle. I had been dealing with Chronic Candida problems for years - I had colon cleansed, liver cleansed, gotten off all prescription drugs but still "hit a wall" in my health, and was not able to completely get well.
In working with many people on candida support groups over the years, and in my own health I have discovered that most grains are detrimental to digestive problems and indeed can stop complete recovery. Most people suffering from auto-immune and Chronic Candida disorders are suffering from malabsorption - and have Leaky Gut syndrome. Eating Grains, dairy and most fruits - which are recommended by many book authors can make one sicker, and go into deeper distress. Donna is *right on the money here*, she knows and understands these complications and tells the reader "straight" - right from the beginning.
I have *never* found the Anti-Candida Diet popular amongst those seeking to reclaim their health. This book is no different - and the negative reviews are possibly because people are looking for a 'quick fix', or a magic pill to get well. Chronic health problems do not happen overnight - and one will not get better overnight either.
Donna covers some of the most important aspects to complete health recovery - an example is "Food Combining" rules. This is vitally important to recovery and as she says: "eating foods that are not compatible in the stomach causes fermentation. This fermentation produces alcohol and sugars and yeast feed off these sugars and multiply rapidly, creating more toxins in the body." and also - "People with candidiasis have weak digestive tracts. Improper food-combining further weakens the digestive tract by causing it to work inefficiently until it slowly breaks down."
Colon cleansing and liver cleansing are also important aspects of this book and this is also sound truth for recovery.
Though Donna does promote her own supplements/products - if one is truly interested in living the lifestyle recommended in the book - kefir, cultured vegetables, coconut(s) (their oil and meat) can ALL be found elsewhere - very inexpensively. We make our own cultured vegies, kefir and kombucha for pennies a day, without the promoted 'starters' in the book.
Too many people are sick because they don't want to get down to business and take responsibility for their own health - this book challenges the politically correct health folks out there and really gives answers for those who are SERIOUS about getting well - for good.
This book has helped change my life and I highly recommend it.
WendyJM1
3 Great content, poorly organized
This book needs a good editor.
For example, there is no clearly defined section on getting started with the diet. Instead, the authors force you to read the whole book and extract a sentence here and a paragraph to assemble your own list of "dos and don'ts" when first starting on the diet. If you are suffering symptoms, this "forced" research project can be torture, and cause you to make painful mistakes early on if you haven't read the entire book cover to cover, AND highlighted and underlined relevant passages, AND compiled those marked passages into an action plan for yourself first.
There is a lot of great information in the book, but it is organized so badly that it forces the reader to finish the editor's job and make their own outline for getting started. I'd pay [again] for this book if they would do that for me.
4 An amazing book
This is an extremely interesting if rather difficult to practice book. It's all the more amazing for the fact that Ms. Gates is not a doctor, not even really a health professional (or maybe that's exactly WHY she hit on such a brilliant streak!)
It incorporates some of the also very interesting strains of Natural Hygeine's Food Combining theories and Dr. D'Adamo's Eat Right For Your Type book. But we found her descriptions varied from what we knew of those other disciplines. For me personally, it also seemed to bring together the health guidelines in the Baha'i Faith our family follows.
There was, I don't know if there still is, an interesting web site for it that I used for a while.
The basic theory is that if you eat this way, you'll be clearing out mainly yeast but it can also take care of lots of other problems.
The only thing is that it is a very, very difficult diet to practice in total if you do anything but stay home and deal with food all the time.
However, as much as you can do it, that's how much benefit you might be able to gain from it.
I will say I suspect the cultured cabbage made me a little depressed; I finally stopped it. I do keep with some of the general guidelines. My family got some benefit from relief of AD/HD, allergies and some other things; when we get overloaded we go back more strictly on the diet till things get better.
I'm sure there are some people who won't get any benefit from it or might even be harmed by it, as with anything we try on ourselves. So as usual, decide based on your own situation if it might help, or try on a trial basis and see what happens.
5 Good idea but could be better executed
This book is typical of its type. It's written and produced by a well-meaning individual who has good information not available from mainstream health professionals, but has no formal scientific or medical background to lend credibility to the effort.
This would not matter as much if the book were written or edited by a professional. There's also the matter of the related products the author promotes liberally throughout the book and the high cover price. For me, these factors along with poor organization throughout hurts the book's potential and author credibility.
Fifteen years ago, I was introduced to another version of this diet. Having fallen off the wagon and experiencing the same debilitating symptoms, I initially was very glad to have stumbled across the book. Unfortunately, I find this book well intentioned but complicates instead of streamlining the process of getting well.
For instance, there's a warning against eating nightshade vegetables (peppers and tomatoes are mentioned) but there are recipes for "new potatoes" (another nightshade vegetable), which I take to mean red potatoes, but I'm not sure because there is no distinction made as to exactly what kind of potato you can eat. Also, the author says she's against sesame seeds, but offers no explanation as to why they should be avoided.
She also extols the virtues of kefir and claims it's superior to yogurt but doesn't offer a full explanation as to why she believes it. Yogurt has been a first-line defense against yeast infections for years. True, both yogurt and kefir contain beneficial bacteria. But kefir, she says, also features yeast but there's no information on why kefir works better than yogurt or even why this yeast is safe to consume. This is important because the people who need this diet have digestive tracts overrun with yeast. Her explanation is simple yet incomplete: kefir offers "more nutritive value" than yogurt. There's more information about kefir on her website, but it's pretty skimpy, too.
I also take exception to the recipes that call for cauliflower and cabbage. These vegetables are known gas producers (whether raw or cooked) and for people with sensitive digestive tracts, I can't help but wonder at the logic at work here. Ditto for carrots. Most diets to combat yeast steer away from them.
I'd love to make "Baked Eggs" but can't find the recipe. Overall, the recipe section could be better organized and include more recipes.
As a reader looking to implement the diet correctly, there are too many instances where crucial information is placed too far out in the section or chapter. This is particularly true when it comes to caveats or usage instructions. This information needs to be mentioned up front or in a sidebar at or near the beginning of the topic. For example: For seven pages we hear how wonderful kefir is, but author's first mention on when to introduce the stuff doesn't show up until the eighth page. If you get too caught up in the enthusiasm of kefir's healing benefits and rush off to make some, you'll miss the warning to not start it until 2 to 3 months into the diet. Advice about juicing follows a similar and confusing path. It was frustrating to find additional information about certain principles mentioned later, far from the their original introductions.
The Shopping List in the appendix is a good idea and nicely done. It's condensed and easy to follow. The index, however, doesn't fare as well. It needs to be more complete and in some versions, according to the author's website, the index has been left out entirely! There are also too many typos for a seventh edition [at this price].
Because so much information flows through the book's nearly 300 pages, you have to be really dedicated to slog through it and extract a workable program for yourself. In addition, the author's own experiences intermingled throughout get in the way because aren't especially meaningful to the reader or go on too long.
It's too bad because the diet offers hope and real potential to people with chronic immune and/or digestive problems. I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to produce a book on a difficult subject and I hope the author will take my gripes in the spirit they are meant: to take a fundamentally good thing and make it better.
6 Good idea, but poorly executed
This book is typical of its type. It's written and produced by a well-meaning individual (who, by the way, also has a slew of products to sell) who has good information not available in the mainstream, has no formal scientific or medical background and is not a professional writer.
While the basic premise is sound (I was introduced to a version of this diet 15 years ago), the book falls short in many areas. For the price, there are too many loose ends, too many instances when a sufficient explanation for an assertion or diet recommendation is lacking.
For example, I can't find recipes for some dishes (Baked Eggs, for instance) mentioned in the text and also the menu. The recipe section appears haphazard.
Also, the author says she's against sesame seeds, but offers no explanation for avoiding them. There's a warning against eating nightshade vegetables (peppers and tomatoes are mentioned) but the author promotes eating "new potatoes" (another nightshade vegetable) which I take to mean red potatoes, but I'm not sure. She also extoles the virtues of kefir and claims it's superior to yogurt for people with candidias but doesn't really tell us why. Both contain beneficial bacteria. Kefir, she says, also features yeast but there's no information on why kefir works better or if this yeast is safe to eat. All she says provides is that kefir "more nutritive value" than yogurt.
Another suggestion I take exception to is the recommendation to eat califlower and cabbage. These vegetables are known gas producers (whether raw or cooked) and for people with sensitive digestive tracts, I can't help but wonder at the logic here.
There are too many instances where crucial information is placed further in the section or chapter when it needs to be stated right up front. For seven pages we hear how wonderful kefir is, but don't find instructions on when to introduce the stuff until the eighth page. Her attitude on juicing also follows a similar and confusing path.
Because there is so much information flowing through nearly 300 pages, uou have to be really dedicated to slog through this book and extract a workable program for yourself.
This method of healing has real merit, but the authors would do themselves and their readers a real service if they took the manuscript to a professional book consultant and went through the book page-by-page, edited, rewrote and clarified much of the text and beefed up the index.
I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to produce a book like this, but when a book -- no matter how many editions or revisions it's gone -- needs more work, it's time to put the ego aside, roll up the sleeves and get to the business of making it as good as it can be.
7 Worst Written Book on Digestion Ever
It's hard to even get to the content of this book because it is written so poorly. There is no index and no rhyme or reason to the order of the book. The ghost writer has advanced degrees from Stanford (or somesuch) and apparently has never written a book before this vanity effort.
The content is so so at best. The author has no formal education in biology or medicine and wants everyone to eat raw, rotten cabbage. Beyond that, she seems to buy into the blood type diet just to have a hook into modern bad science.
All in all, save your money and get a good nutrition book from the library.
8 the body ecology diet
From a non-professional view, I believe this type of research and thinking is a step ahead of where most AMA Medical professionals are at this point in the history of medicine! We need continuous public discloser of the reliable research that has been done in these areas of "NATURAL HEALTH" and support for continued unbiased research into these areas. Danny Hawkins
9 the body ecology diet
From a non-professional view, I believe this type of research and thinking is a step ahead of where most AMA Medical professionals are at this point in the history of medicine! We need continuous public discloser of the reliable research that has been done in these areas of "NATURAL HEALTH" and support for continued unbiased research into these areas. Danny Hawkins
10 Are you in perfect health?
If not, read this book. It is wonderful in the way it helps you understand what has been behind all those nagging symptoms and the general feeling of "unwell". This book opened my eyes and helped me get healthy again at a time when I was desperatly sick with (according to the doctors) "nothing". Everyone who lives and eats in the Western world should read this book.
11 Where's the Science?
I am an avid fan of health books but found this one lacking. Donna's use of expanding, contracting, hot, cold, just wasn't based in reality enough for me. Sorry.
There is a very good section on fermenting your own foods and on kefir, which is good. However, this is nothing that you couldn't read in Nourishing Traditions or other good nutrition books.
12 REBUILDING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM!
The crux of this book is in proposing a way for readers to create a brighter healthier future for themselves. It is written for people who have symptoms of a weak immune system and want to boost their immunity, as well as holistic health care practitioners and doctors. The authors cover chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, AIDS, food allergies, frequent digestive problems, headaches, muscle or joint pains,depression, memory loss,skin rashes, sensitivity to tobacco, perfume, chemical odors and a litany of other conditions which they relate to Candidiasis, an overgrowth of yeast in the body. A self-assessment medical history questionaire in the book is helpful. The authors believe that getting well is more dependent on healthy eating rather than massive doses of medicine or vitamin pills. A Body Ecology Diet plan and meal menus are included as well as tips on both "inner" and "outer" cleansing of the body. There are testimonies from people whose health improved after following the suggestions given in the book. Data is presented in a straight-forward, and clear manner. A plausible alternative.
13 Overall Good Information on Diet/Other Useful Books
This book has a lot of good information and successfully combines several different theories of nutrition. One drawback is that they often reference products of their own and consistently use Stevia as a sweetener in their recipes. Lots of people use stevia, but I personally do not like it, therefore I'm back to no foods with a sweet taste. Gail Burton's book, Candida Control Cookbook, does mention a type of vegetable glycerine which may work for a sweetener.
Also,this book states that juicing can feed the candida yeast (carrots especially). I find that hard to believe, since they liberally use carrots in the B.E.D. recipes. Additionally it, like most yeast books, contradicts other writers. For instance, some books encourage the use of certain nuts, while others say not to eat them at all. After the fourth or fifth book, you feel like throwing up your hands in despair!
Having said that, other useful books on nutrition are: Complete Candida Yeast Guidebook (Martin), the book mentioned above by Burton, and The Cure for All Diseases (Dr. Clark), and lastly, Allergy and Candida Cooking Made Easy. Dr. Clark's book has really good information on parasites and how they can be related to yeast (that's what I got out of it anyway).
The bottom line for anyone thinking about implementing the changes outlined in any of these books: Go slow & don't overwhelm yourself with all this new information at one time! For me it was a HUGE lifestyle change, from never cooking to spending most of my free time restocking my kitchen & cooking/juicing. For anyone who works today's long hours, this is a big commitment. Also, it helps to cut out as many social obligations as you can while you making these changes, and get in touch with your spiritual side - asking God's help was the key for me in not giving in to old habits & cravings.
14 well written & informative
I give the book four stars because it is well written and provides valuable information not easily found elsewhere.
A few caveats though:
(1) You'd have to be VERY unwell to be willing to follow the diet 100%. It requires a lot of sacrifice and is a complete overhaul of the way most people eat. Many of the basic components of modern eating are forbidden: say goodbye to wheat oats rice dairy soy tomatoes fruits beans potatoes and all sweets. This means that following the diet 100% is sort of like "living in a plastic bubble" as far as food is concerned - you can't eat most of what's available at a restaurant, you can't share most food with family and friends, co-workers etc. I felt several times that the authors breezily sidestepped this truth, which can be quite a stumbling block for people even if they badly want to get well. It's very hard to stay with a diet system that differs radically from that of your family, your culture, your workplace, and your society.
(2) Also there are several highly recommended food items that you either have to make yourself -- and they sound time-consuming & labor-intensive -- or buy them specially from the authors or sources the authors recommend. All in all, the full and strict Body Ecology Diet is a way of life that would cost you quite a bit in time, energy, money, and the "plastic bubble" effect I mentioned above.
So again, if you are really in rough shape, you might be willing to undertake all this and stick with it -- but otherwise, it's more likely you'd not follow through.
But the book is excellent as a guide for understanding candidaisis and deciding how far you're willing to go to get better. I learned a lot from it and I am following some of the recommendations. Good luck.
15 Truly A Life Saver!
This book is awesome. I am currently recovering from candida & found this book incredibly helpful. The information is current, well written and easy to understand as well as being very specific to how food affects body function and performance. I have learned so much from this book that I'm currently on my second go round with it, having finished it in four days the first time. I would highly recommend this book for anyone with candida or varioos other illnesses described in the book or anyone just interestsed in the physiology of their body. Well worth the money.
16 LIFE SAVING BOOK
I've been ill all my life with asthma, sinusitis and eczema and five months ago quit my job because I was too sick to work. After 10 days on the diet my blood pressure has gone down, I'm losing weight and the 1st reason for reading it, I have lost 95% of my asthma and sinustis symptoms. I know I'm finally getting healthy and with far less money than I use to spend on doctors and perscriptions. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to get healthy again.
17 A MUST-READ BOOK!
The Body Ecology Diet certainly is a drastic change from what we usually eat. However, what we usually eat and how we combine our foods are deadly! So many people suffer from chronic illness, and it is scarey to think how many of us have compromised immune systems that can lead to deadly diseases.This book has finally enabled me to regain my health after battling a systemic yeast infection for almost two years now! After being on the diet for two weeks, I have seen a remarkable improvement in my energy and stabilization of symptoms. The authors are very thorough in educating the readers about the steps necessary in reclaiming one's natural balance of yeast within the body. It works...especially if you eat the cultured vegetables. What amazes me is all the different foods I never knew about until I read the book. Stevia, the natural sweetner, has greatly enhanced my diet; and it is actually good for me! Wow! How many of you know what Kefir is? Read the book and find out! Once you have read this book, your eating habits will never be the same. If you are suffering from a major illness, I urge you to read this book and follow the recommendations. It could save your life!
18 I wish I had known this years ago.
I can't even remember how long I've suffered what I thought were unrelated symptoms; allergies, asthma, chronic back pain, indigestion, inability to lose weight despite exercise and what I thought was healthy eating. I had gone to countless doctors, acupunturists, etc but finally found a chiropractor who also practices Chinese medicine who told me all of my ailments could be traced to one thing; Candidiasis. She had me buy the book and told me to adhere to the diet for 3 weeks to start, then see how I'm feeling and responding.
Well, it's been a week and I have to say within a couple of days I saw a tremendous difference in everything. I don't wake up sneezing like I used to, asthma is much less frequent, no belching or gas after eating and no bloated feeling even hours after eating like before. If this is just from one week, I am positively buzzing to see myself in 3 months or more.
Yes, it is a major change from the way I was eating and yes, it takes some time, organization and adjusting. But I can't express with words how much it is worth the efforts. Even after my symptoms are gone, I will definitely stick with a slightly less restrictive version, but still stay pretty close to this.
How validating to find that there was a good reason for all of these ailments and that they are indeed connected. I only hope Western doctors soon learn to embrace this type of diagnosis. Do yourself and your body a huge favor and buy this book. Then try the diet and see what I mean.
19 From stress victim to healthy, happy person!
Sound familiar? You think you have a reasonable diet, exercise a bit more than the next person, and generally try to take care of yourself, but you have no energy, become ill from every plane trip, fight constant weight gain, and suffer from chronic indigestion? I thought I was the usual stress victim, and NOONE could help me! Within six months of the B.E.D. diet I had lost all symptoms, regained energy, and shed 40 lbs. as a bonus. This book changed (and probably saved) my life. I hope others may find their dietary answers here as well.
20 Almost instant pain relief
After visiting several doctors (General Practice, Allergists, Chiropractors, Artheritis Specialist) asking for arthritis pain relief other than prescription drugs, I had a friend recommend this book. After two days of following this diet I experienced the beginning of pain relief. It is now three weeks later, I'm still on the diet, and can on longer predict rain 24hrs. before the storm. People with arthritis know what I mean! The diet is very challenging but I'm trying many new recipes, all of which are very delicious, and eating grains and sea plants I never thhought I'd like. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to be healthy and happy...
21 This book truly connects diet and health.
I will be forever grateful to the authors of this book for helping me to rid my body of persistant candida-related disorders. The diet is very challenging to adhere to that first week, but soon you realize that you have never felt so well in your whole life. Not only have all your little discomforts cleared up, but you achieve a sense of healthiness and happiness that you never realized was possible. I cannot recommend this book enough to people who suspect they have candida-related disorders, or even to those who simply don't feel as well as they'd like. This book has changed my life.
22 Great Book for Hypoglycemia
This is an excellent diet for those with hypoglycemia. The food restrictions for those with candidiasis and hypoglycemia are nearly identical - avoidance of all sugar and sugar-producing substances.
It is my belief that the principles in this book, if followed, will bring about the best health anyone with low blood sugar has ever experienced. Donna addresses internal healing and cleansing. The pancreas and liver are usually in really bad shape when a hypoglycemics' diet has not been under control. Following the diet will eliminate those powerful sugar cravings and keep the blood sugar in balance, while giving the body a rest so it can heal itself.
The principles may be new to some, but they are worth the effort of incorporating into your diet. The question is: How badly do you want to feel well?
23 Saved My life
Several months ago, I heard Donna Gates on the radio talking about her book, The Body Ecology Diet. I took her advice and bought the book. It saved my life. I am a new person today because of her diet. I have since learned that her diet is considered the best for fighting internal yeast infections. Her diet also helps to build up your immune system....A great book.