Ahoy there me mateys! Okay so this be a weird book to appear on me blog. A little background. I don’t talk much of me personal life on this blog very often because the focus is books and the point of this hobby is to bring me joy. So the bad things that happen tend to be dealt with on me own. However, life changes occurred in 2018 that made this book relevant and helpful and so figured I would share in case some other crew member may need it.
Beginning in March 2018 and taking until December 2018, I experienced intestinal pain of such intensity that I would be laid out in me bunk for days at a time. Thousands of dollars in medical tests later gave me negative results and no pain relief. Then I got a new primary doctor who suggested a low-FODMAP diet. Basically for reasons no one understands, my body suddenly stopped being able to digest certain types of sugars. Diabetes runs rampant in me family so I don’t know if there is a correlation but there is no denying that beloved foods now cause excruciating pain. And a lot of that pain shows up with anywhere from 4 to 10 pounds of stomach bloat.
This book showed up towards the end of journey into the FODMAP diet. I had already been (finally) diagnosed and was at the tail end of figuring out the list of many foods that cause me grief. But I saw this title on NetGalley, thought “well more information is always good”, and got a partial eArc from the publisher. I was mainly interested in the recipe recommendations and to see what other recommendations there were for combating bloat as all the doctors were disinclined or confused about how to actually treat the recurring systems that just wouldn’t go away. None of the standard medication worked for me.
So I ended up really liking this book as an additional resource. The particular sections that were invaluable dealt with supplements, fiber, and the research results of some of the recent studies. I do think this would be a great starting point into possibilities of bloating issues and wish I had this back in the beginning. There is even a quiz to that can help determine which conditions ye might have. So much suffering and useless medical tests could have been avoided. I do have to say that the recipes in this book were lackluster. Basically there are a couple of recipes for each type of diagnosis. So don’t buy this for the recipes. But if ye experience unusual painful bloating and are at a loss as to how to get rid of it then this book might be handy.
Goodreads’ website has this to say about the novel:
Bloating: ugh. About the most common complaint they get from patients, according to gastroenterologists. But Tamara Duker Freuman, a highly trained and sought-after nutritionist, knows something many doctors don’t: every unhappy belly is unhappy in its own way. That’s why Tamara’s clients call her “The Bloated Belly Whisperer,” and for good reason–for many years she’s successfully helped her clients accurately describe their symptoms, and find a course of treatment that delivers rapid and lasting relief.
In The Bloated Belly Whisperer, Tamara guides readers through the same steps she would use in a consultation, first with a quiz to help them hone in on their specific symptoms, and then by discussing the latest research and patient stories to offer dozens of solutions that will reduce abdominal bloating in a week or less by:
– Helping identify the specific cause of bloating
– Equipping readers with the right terminology and questions to take to their next doctor’s visit
– Teaching the most effective dietary remedies for each particular brand of bloating
– Laying out the tools and healthy practices to end abdominal distress and bloating once and for all
To visit the author’s website go to:
To buy the book go to:
the bloated belly whisperer – Book
To add to Goodreads go to:
Thank you for sharing your challenges, Captain. I know it cannot be easy! I hope that you’re on the mend not; there’s nothing worse than being confined to your bunk. I wish you a speedy recovery.
I see you received a “partial ARC”… what does this mean?!
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Aye, the challenges be annoying. I miss eating mushrooms and garlic. But the pain is not worth it. The biggest challenge is eating any food not cooked by the first mate since I never know what is in it. Chains tend to have hidden ingredients that cause grief.
The e-book version contained the whole book but they scrambled the letters around in about half of the book. I could decode it but it was annoying. So I only left a partial review on NetGalley and didn’t review the whole book until I had the whole book. And it was odd what they chose to leave out. The quiz made sense to leave out. But sometimes it was random paragraphs. It seemed like all the “good” parts with real answers were blocked. It was a weird choice by the publisher but I guess it worked because I bought it 🙂
x The Captain
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That’s super weird! Did you know picking this book up that the publisher was only sharing a partial ARC? It feels like a strange way to present an ARC… I’d love to learn more from the publisher why they selected what parts to omit and scramble.
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I did not know that it was a partial. I though I had gotten a corrupted file. Then I saw other reviews were talking about the scrambling and realized it was intentional. Such an odd choice. I wish I could ask the publisher too.
x The Captain
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I am very interested in this subject as my sister suffers from acute Crohns Disease. I am also wondering if the latest research on gut flora and how we can influence it could also be a factor. So sorry to hear you’ve been smitten, it is such a debilitating condition and also strongly affects mental health:(. Best of luck in finding a diet that agrees with you, Cap.x
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When I saw the title of the post, I thought “That’s a funny name for a fantasy novel.” I naturally assumed it was either fantasy or sci-fi.
Am glad it was helpful to you. I may need to read it too. I don’t have serious bloating, but the type of food I eat and when I eat them are affecting me in interesting ways these days. The info could help.
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It does totally sound like a weird sci-fi or fantasy title. Or maybe a creepy horror! As for the bloat, I know people say tastes change as ye age but I didn’t know that my silly body would just stop digesting certain foods as I got older. If ye do decide to read it, I hope it be helpful.
x The Captain
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Well, anything that helps you to understand whatever it is that you’re living with has to be good right? I hope you manage to come to terms okay with all your dietary restrictions especially if that’s what’s needed to combat the pain.
Lynn 😀
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It is a back and forth battle so I am keeping an open mind to all sources of information. Just learned that pretty much all processed foods want to hurt me. So baby steps in the right direction! Thanks for the comment and care 🙂
x The Captain
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