“AutoImmune: The Cause & The Cure”
A Book Review & Giveaway
If you ever experience physical pain just in the very act of existing, if your fatigue makes standing up feel like a heroic mountain-climb, if you wade through life with a myriad of digestive problems, migraines, and sensitive pressure points, sleeplessness, severe menstrual bleeding, or strange rashes—then I want you to do this: Schedule 2 days off of work or shut yourself away for a weekend with this book—“Autoimmune: The Cause and the Cure”.
Here is where I am going to get personal. I was a sickly child. I had a series of surgeries to “fix” what could be found and times of hospital observation to discover what could not be found. I was so sick so often, that I have vivid memories of the days I did not have a headache because rare they were.
By the time I was in college, I had cysts removed from my throat in rapid succession; the only thing more frequent than the cysts were the (mis)diagnoses. Yes, that is plural. In fact, Wilson and I were engaged when a doctor said that my chance of surviving the next ten years was slim, but that if I could get through those I would probably live a full life span. Talk about taking the romance out of life—I had to approach my fiancé with an out, just in case he would rather NOT live the rest of his life with a disabled woman on a countdown to death. But here we are 15 years into marriage; three children and a vibrant lifestyle later, am I ever convinced that you can take your own health into your own hands.
But that is my story. You have your own. Maybe you are still at the confusion and pain part of it all. Maybe you are even on our Pantry Paratus website because you are discovering that the processed foods deemed “healthy” by our society are a slow poison for your system. Maybe you are at a place where you can even write a message at the end of this blog to encourage others to keep trying, because answers are out there.
So, fast forward 15 years from my multiple misdiagnoses. Over time, I discovered that certain foods made me feel worse, certain foods made me feel better. I have no idea why, but who cares? I could get out of bed in the morning. Homemade bread with home-milled flour is the singular turning point in the life of my whole family; yours might be different. So picking up this book, “Autoimmune: The Cause and the Cure” explained the why to me. For instance, the high thiamin and folate levels in my homemade bread probably made a difference, and cutting out bleached and processed foods removed a lot of poisons. I realize now that I do need to know which foods help and hurt, but that if I do not understand the why I am only “managing” it all. The mere reading of this book coincided with an object lesson to prove that point.
I took the book with me to visit my family for two weeks after the holidays. My mother is an amazing cook and I wish that I could cook like she does, truthfully. We ate out a lot, too. But the ingredients—not the flavor—is what hurts me. When it was all said and done, I was fully symptomatic. I have not been this sick in almost a decade. I forgot that I ever did feel this way and I will never allow myself to do it again.
The book starts by explaining, “What is autoimmune? Which illnesses fall into that category, and what are the common factors?” I learned some things that greatly concern me; I learned that that my pancreas has more to do with all of it than I ever imagined. Pairing that with the knowledge that my grandmother died of pancreatic cancer, I am now (and finally) empowered to improve my pancreatic health and to avoid the pitfalls of family lifestyle choices and to minimize the effects of my genetic makeup.
I must also say that I have read my share of “self-help” books on the subject, and that is not how I would classify this book in the least. Oh sure, the authors share a few yummy and inspiring recipes towards the end, but that is not the point. This book is a compilation of scientific research the world over. You can read (or skip if you wish) the abstracts of the studies, and then the conversational tone of the authors kick in to explain it in a way that you can fully understand—no medical degree required. They weave the discoveries of the studies together in a logical “if, then” way to allow you to ride along on this discovery. It is not spoon fed to you, but you will own it as your own by the time you have finished this read.
We are so personally affected by this book that we have contacted the authors, who have graciously agreed to interview for our podcast. You just have to hear from these ladies yourself, and you will come Friday’s blog! We are so convinced that this book can help a person desperately searching for a turning point in their health, that we have also requested a giveaway of the book.
Click here to listen to our not-to-miss podcast with these authors
Looking for the book? We do not sell it, but you can get it here.
If you would like to win a free copy of this book, please enter below.
Thanks for stopping by,
Chaya
Photo Credits:
Book & Sprouted Lentils were courtesy of NatureHadItFirst, where youc an go to buy a copy of “AutoImmune: The Cause & The Cure”
Sick Hall: postaletrice via photopin cc, http://www.flickr.com/photos/postaletrice/3747419260/
Self Help: funky_abstract via photopin cc, http://www.flickr.com/photos/hagner_james/2854880466/
Proviso:
Nothing in this blog constitutes medical advice. You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes. Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.