I admit it. I hesitated to review this book. It was a statement at the beginning of the book that stopped me in my tracks. But I eventually opened my mind, realizing that what helps one person doesn't necessarily help another, and vice versa.
I disagreed
When I read this statement by the author, Barbara Allan, I was troubled. Allan wrote that the book provides: "A way to bypass the current allopathic medical model, where patients with autoimmune disorders are unlikely to get well. Even those in the medical field are aware that, short of joint replacement, very few patients treated by rheumatologists can expect any lasting or substantial improvements". She proclaimed that her book is: "A new plan, one that cures by correcting the underlying problems, not just covers up symptoms or relies on drugs that perpetuate the problem". I disagreed with Allan's perspective, having myself been treated for nearly 30 years for rheumatoid arthritis with traditional medicine. I had always praised the approach of my rheumatologists and orthopedic surgeons, so how could I turn around and bash them, I asked myself.I reconsidered
Barbara Allan's approach clearly worked for her. I couldn't definitively suggest it would not work for others. At age 25, Allan developed Reactive Arthritis. About six weeks following a bout of bacterial dysentery caused by food tainted with the bacterium, Shigella, arthritis overwhelmed her body. Following over four years of failed conventional treatments, she devoted the next 11 years to researching and personally testing alternative therapies.The premise
Allan's years of investigating various alternative treatments lead her to these conclusions:- Certain foods can trigger arthritis.
- Elimination diets serve to identify the problem foods.
- There is a distinction between classical food allergy and food sensitivity.
- Four factors exacerbate food sensitivities (leaky gut syndrome, breakdown of oral tolerance, low levels of certain detoxification enzymes, and dietary lectins).
9 Secrets
Allan issues a disclaimer regarding her book, emphasizing that it is intended for communicating information and educating the reader about treatment options for arthritis and food sensitivities. It is not intended to replace medical diagnosis or treatment and she urges the reader to consult their physician. With that in mind, she offers 9 secrets which she discusses in detail in the book:- How food sensitivities can cause arthritis.
- How to test for food sensitivites.
- How to therapeutically fast and why this is such a powerful aid to healing.
- How to manage food sensitivities.
- How to rid yourself of food sensitivities.
- How to use superior nutrition to facilitate healing from arthritis.
- How to use meditation as a powerful aid in healing.
- How to gain maximum benefits from exercise even if you are still very sick.
- How to use myofascial trigger point release to clear up residual pain and stiffness.
