Acid-Reflux Books

This book helped me immensely. Now that I follow the advice written in this book to stop my symptons of GERD, I am pain free and feel so much better. I know I am doing the right thing for my health.

Here we have a detailed explanation of the workings of the human digestive tract, how most of us can expect it to deteriorate with age, and what we can do as self help.

I can't comment on the "cures" in this book, but the whole thing about why one shouldn't live on the purple pill indefinitely was an eye opener. The authors present a compelling argument and supporting studies that leave you shocked that doctors are so quick to write those prescriptions.

The theory in this book is that most people have too little stomach acid and that antacids not only do not help you but they make the problem much worse. So here is a simple test to try if you want to see if you have too little stomach acid. The next time you feel the need for an antacid mix 2 parts standard vinegar with 1 part honey. Then take two tablespoons. If you have too little acid the vinegar will help and you will feel better. If you get worse than you probably have too much acid and you can go ahead and take your antacids. I now keep a bottle of this vile mix in my fridge and I no longer take antacids. It is nasty to take but it works like a charm, every time! If you find out you have too little acid then you should buy this book immediately and read it cover to cover. They suggest using lemon juice at meal times to help replace the acid you need. Much better than taking vinegar too! There is so much good information in here that you do not want to miss it.

I was lucky and found out about this book from doing research about acid reflux. I immediately ordered the book and read it in one night. I told my husband that this has been my problem all along. I have too little stomach acid! I have been plagued with acid reflux for the last 17 years(I am now 38 yrs old). When I would wake up in the morning, I would have a burning feeling in my esophagus even while taking the well known proton pump inhibitors. I had no energy and I really felt like I wasn't going to live much longer. I immediately flew to Dr. Wright's clinic and was tested there when they confirmed moderate hypochlorhydria. With everything they have recommended, I can't believe that I am no longer plagued with acid reflux. In addition to the low stomach acid, I was very ill with severe yeast overgrowth throughout my body and I wasn't assimilating any vitamins or nutrients. I thank God for Dr. Wright. I will be on his treatment plan for a year (currently it's been 6 months)and then will get re-tested to see if I am finally producing enough stomach acid on my own to help digest my food. Over the past 17 years, I have had many tests run on me by the Gastroenterologists. I never could get an answer as to why I had acid reflux. I was simply told to keep taking the proton pump inhibitors. If you are suffering from acid reflux,
do yourself a favor and get this book!

This is undoubtly one of the most important issues facing the medical community today. The impact of this book is already far reaching and I am confident we will soon see a real turn-around in the ENT community in regards to these issue.
Point of fact: I just spoke to an Australian ENT, returned from training with the ex-president of the US Facial and Cosmetic Surgery Association who now agrees with the basic principals behind this book and "would not perform a partial inferior turbinate resection on a member of my family." And I was about to let my regular ENT perfom an 80% resection!... until I saw this book.
Get that. There's no denying this. It's real, and I pray for all the poor souls who will be inadvertantly butchered between now and when the new standard finally filters down into the offices of ENTs the world over.
Good luck Chris, and keep up the good work. Don't worry, by 2030 you'll probably have a bionic nose that can shoot lasers so you can go around zapping irresponsible ENTs.
They will call you: The Turbinator.
Bard
B )

If you are considering any sort of nasal/sinus surgery, you owe it to yourself to read this book first. I don't think there is much general awareness on turbinates and the important functions they provide, which is why many (including myself) get talked into over-aggressive turbinate reductions.

In this book, Chris does an excellent job of covering what your turbinates do, the problems he has experienced, ways to cope, surgical techniques to consider, home remedies and more. I think it should be required reading for all ENT's and Plastic Surgeons that perform turbinectomies.

Aside from the medical information, the book is also well written, and Chris's story is inspirational. Again, I would highly recommend reading this book before considering any nasal surgeries.

Dear Chris and Family,
Thank you for this most telling account of your journey through the maze of ENS; your efforts in providing comprehensive information about ENS and your personal account of the roads that have lead to finding hope is inspiring. It has been a companion when I have felt alone and has been the platform through which I find the strength to advocate strongly for informed consent and knowledge of ENS for any person who is entering into nasal surgery.
Warmest wishes to you.
Jackie G.
Patient of Reconstructive Nasal Surgery

This is a must read for anyone that has had or is considering sinus surgery!
If it has been suggested to you that sinus surgery can correct your problems you absolutely need to read this book and do your research! Complications to sinus surgery can be life-altering and the damage permanent. As a victim of aggressive sinus surgery I can attest that these symptoms are very much real and can alter your reality in ways that I never imagined. I believe a great many ENT's do not fully understand the extreme importance the nose and sinuses play in the quality of life. With good intentions they can often remove too much tissue and bone in effect leaving the nose with the inability to function normally with regards to nasal cycles,moisture control,airflow and the health of the lungs. Chris does a wonderful job in explaining the importance of a healthy nose and sinus and the roles each structure plays in nasal health. If you do not know what a Turbinate is or what it does READ THIS BOOK!

Chris has put alot of time and effort in detailing everything a sinus suffer should consider before having surgery. Thankfully the ENT field is slowly beginning to understand that a very conservative approach should be applied when doing surgery. Chris explains each option a patient should discuss with the doctor performing the surgery. Each method is reviewed and rated for the possible outcomes and the conservation of important nasal tissue and structures.

If you have had sinus surgery done and are having problems Chris has outlined things you can do to help relieve some of the symptoms. For those having ENS type symptoms there are things you can do to help improve your sinus health. Chris describes things that he has personally tried that work and what others have used to find relief. Those that suffer from ENS type symptoms can find some comfort in the new methods Chris discusses in his book, to help rebuild important turbinate structures that have been removed in previous surgeries. Chris has first hand knowledge of how Alloderm implants may help improve the quality of life of ENS patients. With research into stem cell therapy and tissue regeneration the future is brighter. The important point that Chris makes is that ENS can be prevented if a conservative approach is used. Once removed, turbinates do not grow back. Conservation of nasal tissue is essential!

I can't recommend this book enough. I think it should be required reading for all those practicing ENT's that perform sinus surgery. Anyone suffering from sinus problems can find solutions that may make surgery unnecessary. Those that have had surgery and find their problems even worse than before surgery can also benefit from therapies and techniques Chris has outlined in the book. If you are considering having sinus surgery and have spoken to others around you that have had surgery it's important that you ask what was actually performed. Chances are they can't go any further than to say hey had a deviated septum corrected. It's of utmost importance that you go into surgery knowing EXACTLY what will be preformed and by what method. I went in for deviated septum and came out with an EMPTY NOSE!

Bravo to Christopher Martin for bringing the devastating problem upfront for discussion and sharing his personal story so that we can learn and hopefully prevent this devastating problem.

Tom

I truly wish that this book had been available prior to my nasal surgeries. I did research, but nothing that would have prepared and informed me like Chris Martin's book. It is very detailed and heartfelt. For those who have already rolled the dice and lost with a nasal surgery, this book offers hope, support and many helpful suggestions. ENS is real! Even with a "conservative" surgery, it is still possible to experience a myriad of debilitating symptoms. Doctors are often dismissive and unhelpful. Hopefully this book will begin to turn that tide.

I thought this might be more simple and straight forward, but it's a very detailed diet, supplement, and lifestyle change that I thought was very time consuming. Also, it subscribes to the "more acid, not less" theory that I think would be damaging to some people. I was looking for some dietary/lifestyle changes, but this is a process that requires a lot of money and time. Not for me, but there was some information that lead me to more investigation.

Truly a blessing! Now I finally understand why I have heartburn - it isn't a deficiency of Prilosec that's for sure. Had I known sooner, I could have solved the real problem and spared myself not only a lot of expense but also have avoided the side effects of the drug. Contains lots of helpful health and nutrition advice too. Easy read. Because it lists so many scientific studies, I'm giving this book to my doctor who was as frustrated as I was.

I've been listening to Martie's radio show for years and years. Her style and wit really come through in this book. She's got a keen ability to translate what can be complicated subjects into a readable and easy-to-understand format. Thanks Martie, this book will help a lot of people. I'm giving one to my neighbor and my father!

I wish I'd had this book years ago. It was easy to understand and was backed up with scientific studies. Why didn't my doctor tell me about this. No more Tums for me.

Easy to read with understandable and practical cost effective ways to relieve heartburn and acid reflux.

This is an excellent medicinal reference on the workings of the
gastrointestinal system. The book is written from the perspective
of conventional medicine. It discusses classic gastrointestinal
issues; such as, difficulty in swallowing, gas, non-cardiac
discomfort, chest pain, nausea, abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss and constipation. Abdominal pain on the left side is associated with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Pain on the right
side of the abdomen may be Crohns related. Diarrhea and rectal
bleeding are the classic symptoms of Crohns disease. The CT scan,
MRI, endoscopy and colorectal examinations are the classic
invasive techniques for detection. Non-invasive tests involve
analysis of the breath, blood tests, stool and fecal occult exams. Duodenal ulcers are caused by H-pylori. Standard treatments are H2 blockers, pepcid AC and proton pump inhibitors.
Prilosec is a classic proton inhibitor.

The work is a must for any health enthusiast. The problems
described are classic middle-age conditions encountered by
large portions of the population for a variety of reasons
ranging from genetics to junk food consumption. The work is
a solid investment for the price charged. Acquiring this volume will help you to discuss any of the symptomatology intelligently
with your primary care physician or medical specialist.

Answers key questions about preventing and treating Acid Reflus and other gastrointestional problems.

My only complaint about the book is it should show some diagrams of the organs involved explanations.

I recommend this book to book to EVERYONE!!! Very much information.. I am still reading it.. Although I am ill... the book is fantastic.. Any questions or concerns, this book has answers.. You will love the book as well.. I enjoyed this very much.

This book is so basic that (at least to me) it was virtually useless. There was not one shred of new information. Anyone who has had heartburn for some time and has done any investigative work will get nothing new from this book. How about some innovative, new, or experimental heartburn management strategies?

For decades I suffered from severe bouts of acid reflux and heartburn several times each week. A few years ago I began taking a daily supplement of 1,000 mg of chelated magnesium for another seemingly-unrelated ailment. To my pleasant surprise the supplemental magnesium not only cured the ailment for which I was taking it, it also completely stopped my episodes of acid reflux and heartburn. I have since learned that acid reflux is caused by stomach spasms which cause acid (which healthy stomachs are designed by nature to tolerate and utilize) to be ejected into the esophagus which is not designed to be exposed to stomach acid and burns when it is so exposed. Magnesium is a natural relaxant -- as well as a natural antacid -- and, therefore, it helps prevent the stomach spasms which are the root cause of acid reflux and accompanying heartburn. I am a research chemist, not a physician, so I cannot tell you to take chelated magnesium as I did. I can, however, report to you the beneficial effects which I experienced from daily supplementation with chelated magnesium. Those interested in learning of the many other benefits of magnesium -- including prevention and mitigation of heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure, asthma, osteoporosis, and diabetes -- should acquire and read Dr. Carolyn Dean's excellent book The Miracle of Magnesium.

This isn't a bad book, but you can get all the same information going on line and keywording GERD or heartburn. I am sceptical of the many anecdotal patients in the book, used entirely to support her topic of the moment. I felt spoken down to in the book. Still, if you MUST have a book about this topic, this one will give you all the basics, but don't expect any revolutionary new ideas to conquer this bothersome syndrome.

I have read this book three times and each time I have gotten benefit from it. It continue to be by my bedside. This says it all cos the other book is my bible !

The causes and relief of heartburn are explained better than any other book I've read. I am in the minority of patients with severe heartburn that needed a Nisan Operation. I wish my doctor had looked at this book it would have kept my doctor and hospital bills down. I give it my highest recommendation.

... I have never seen as biased and unfair a report ! It is apparently more easy to be critical than correct, Folks !

My own personal review of this book is in agreement with the majority and that includes some recognized top reviewers. It is simply great. Accurate information given in a succint manner from well researched material....The approach adopted in this book is current, well-balanced and readable. I recommend this to my clients most of whom are actively seeking alternate medicines to common medical problems such as heartburn

When I bought this book I was in the bottom of a deep, dark hole
physically. My health had totally fallen apart. I had lost 20 lbs.
and no doctor could seem to give me any explanation as to why.
I felt miserable and couldn't eat much of anything without a lot
of pain, cramping, etc. I couldn't sleep at night and my muscles
were so tight. It turned out I had fibromyalgia. I got multiple
tests done and everything came up negative, until I was hanging
out at a fibromyalgia website one night (in desperation) and most
everyone was comparing their prescription drugs and discussing
disability payments, but one gal said she wasn't on any meds and
was using alternative treatment. She told me about Dr. Stoll's
website, and from there I found a helping hand that reached down
into that dark hole I was in and showed me how to climb out of it.
Dr. Stoll didn't do it for me; he taught me how to do it. Ten
years later I still have FMS, but my weight is normal and as long
as I work Dr. Stoll's program for wellness as decribed in the book,
I feel like I have no limitations.

Basically, he uses what he calls a three-legged stool approach to
treatment -- diet, exercise and skilled relaxation techniques.
He told me in a phone coaching session that the relaxation
techniques would be the most difficult thing for me to master,
because it would seem too simplistic to help, but that it would
give me about 25% improvement, more than anything else I would do. That really made me set my mind to mastering it. Today,
I still spend about an hour each morning doing relaxation/meditation
exercises to relax my muscles. Dr.Stoll, thank you for your
generous contribution to health from this book and your healing
philosophy. Your book was so valuable that I have probably given
about 20 copies to other folks through the past ten years!

This is not a laborious reference tome, but simply a great practical guide to living in harmony with your body to achieve wellness and stay there. Even if you were to read no other books on health, there's enough packed between the covers of Saving Yourself to keep most of us humming along and feeling great for the rest of our lives.

Dr. Stoll's tale of lab rats that were impervious to rabies literally made my jaw drop. His explanation for their power to stave off such a virulent disease set the stage for me to understand his approach to achieving long-term health and vigor by staying as far as possible from the edge of the cliff and falling into disease and suffering.

Likewise, a cure for the common cold is offered in which Dr. Stoll does not take credit for anything extraordinary, instead presenting his method as a simple, common-sense approach that costs little and has worked every time for his patients for decades.

Finally, an honest and open critique of the medical-pharmaceutical complex and the political nature of licensing boards is told from an insider's point of view. Even with decades of experience under his belt, Walt Stoll shows us how difficult it is for a doctor to publicly embrace alternative health philosophies which clearly threaten the profitability and power of established western medicine and the industries that support it.

As a health care professional (I'm a Certified Massage Therapist and a Holistic Practitioner), I would like to recommend this book to people who would like to feel better, especially if their health conditions have not been helped by the current system. In Saving Yourself, Dr. Stoll weaves several themes. He starts by telling the fascinating story of how he changed from following only his medical school training to learning about holistic methods and becoming a holistic practitioner. He describes how this transformed his own life and the lives of his patients. Dr. Stoll presents simple remedies for healing common conditions (including some major illnesses), offers useful information about the causes and resolution of illness, and gifts us with practical resources for self-help. Most people today know that the health care system in the U.S. is not working well, but Dr. Stoll gives a unique viewpoint -- a holistic doctor's perspective. Being a holistic practitioner myself, I already knew much about the crisis of health care in our country, but this book opened my eyes even further to understand what is really happening, and why, and where caution is needed.

In this book, Dr. Stoll speaks with candor and directness, revealing his open-minded, down-to-earth, and compassionate approach to practicing medicine with the patient's best interest at heart. I found this book to be helpful, insightful, and thought-provoking. It may bring the start of a new approach to health and healing for those with chronic conditions who are wise enough to take Dr. Stoll's words and use them to move beyond internal and external limitations. It did for me. By using this book and studying the material on his website, I incorporated his ideas as part of my life and made dramatic improvements in my own chronic condition of 20 years which I thought would never change. I am grateful for the help I have received from Dr. Stoll who has so generously shared his wisdom and experience.

Health care practitioners of all types may also benefit professionally from receiving Dr. Stoll's insight and practical experience in this book, gathered through more than 40 years of helping people heal themselves. I found his words inspirational and helpful in my own practice. I read a quote this morning that made me think of Dr. Stoll: "Genius is the capacity for productive reaction against one's training." -- Bernard Berenson. Kudos to Dr. Stoll for going beyond his training and the limitations of the health care system and bringing them to us.

Dr. Stoll has written a book that is years ahead of it's time. He introduces a fusion of conventional (allopathic) medicine and successful alternative therapies. It provides a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms that lead to chronic diseases of all kinds. More importantly, once you have read his book and understand the mechanisms you can proceed to implement therapies that will help you re-gain your health.

Walt Stoll is an M.D. who has devoted himself to the field of alternative medicine...a decision that has earned him the scorn of many of his colleagues. He is extremely knowledgeable and he will kindly answer any questions you might have at his website.

However, I found the book to be mediocre, though the arguments for megadoses of vitamin C are interesting. One good thing though is that Walt is open to many different approaches, and this non-sectarianism (refreshing indeed) is reflected in his book.

This book may be of interest to you if you are new to alternative medicine and want an introduction to some of the concepts. However, I cannot say enough about his website. Despite the fact that it is frequented by more than a handful of fanatical hypochondriacs (such obnoxious people cannot be avoided on any website devoted to health), you may post your questions and have them answered by Dr. Stoll..usually within a day or two. You may also read his responses to others questions, which are often intriguing. Of course, you'll have to put up with other people posting about their ding-bat esoteric diets...oh well, nothing is perfect.

I am open to supplements, but not ready to throw out traditional medicine just yet. And I'm overwhelmed by the 50-foot aisle of supplements at my grocery store. I see 37 different kinds of calcium alone and honestly, I give up. What's safe to take? Which manufacturers are trustworthy? Who knows?

Well, this book guides you through natural supplements that can improve or heal many conditions (big ones like high cholesterol, everyday ones like eczema or even anxiety). It discusses the studies - serious, peer-reviewed studies - proving the value of these supplements. It even tells you how your prescription medications may be working, and how supplements can assist or replace them. For some things, I've decided a supplement that can help me, and felt like I knew which bottle of pills was worth my money. For other things, I've come away understanding why my prescription drugs work. With the price of vitamins and supplements these days, avoiding just one wasted purchase would probably cover the cost of this book.

(I work for the publisher, and the editor gave me a copy of this book.)

all families should have this book and other from the Balch family. You always find a good tip fr any kind of health disorder, sickness etc.
Thank you Dr Balch and Young Dr Balch.

Dr. Balch, the main author, missed a great opportunity to write an exceptional book that could help tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people live a healthier, happier and more rewarding life.

The fact that he often leaves out his own advice given to readers of his newsletter is proof of this.

The best example is the section regarding cholesterol reduction / cardiovascular health.

He offers limited information on natural alternatives to prescription cholesterol-lowering drugs.

He COMPLETELY left out perhaps the best natural alternative of all - Pantethine (a special form of vitamin B5 known as Pantothenic Acid).

A while back, he talked about Pantethine in his newsletter, and how great and safe it is for lowering cholesterol / triglycerides.

Yet in his book, this information is NOWHERE to be found!!

I also found much information about newer, scientifically-advanced supplements was completely missing as well.

As someone who has been involved in the nutritional supplement industry for 15 years, I am greatly disturbed by how incomplete this "up-to-date" book is.

There are books published 10 years ago that are better than this "latest" work by Dr. Balch.

Instead of wasting your $$$ on this book, I highly recommend "Dr. Atkins' Vita-Nutrient Solution" (Nature's Answer to Drugs) by Dr. Robert C. Atkins (available here on Amazon, and in Barnes & Noble stores)

To the reviewer that said tomato paste is not good, I have two
books with recipes using canned tomatoes and tomato paste. I
am new to this problem, but using these books I have lost almost
5 pounds in 5 days. I only get mild attacks at bedtime but I
will conquer this. Incidentally, I have so far eliminated all
pills prescribed to me at the start of this problem which
aggravated the situation something awful.

Good luck in your quest - there are many books to choose from
at amazon.com, etc.

I love this book, it gives you everything you need to know about GERD, and the food in the cookbook is delicious!! I reccomend this book to all GERD suffers out there!!

Very helpful in understanding what acid reflux is and what I was able to eat

This book has good information and decent menu ideas. Not too much that I didn't already know.
Recommended to GERD sufferers.

Good information on acid reflux. Many of the recipes had ingredients that people with acid reflux can't use....like tomato paste with (as tolerated) in the recipe. I found only six recipes for my family.

I could have found a lot of the information online, but this book presents the information better. A lot of the internet research I did had the same information repeated on every web site, a list of foods you shouldn't eat. Although this book has fairly basic information about nutrition, it tells you to eat right instead of just staying away from certain foods.

The recipes are good too. I've made three things from there and none of them give me problems. They are also all very good.

For more in-depth information on acid reflux, though, I would recommend 'heartburn and reflux for dummies'

I really like this book. Some things are a little contradictory to other web sites such as eggs should be eaten with caution and then they suggest it for one of your meals. However, there are alot of recipes that I have found to be very soothing for my stomach. Especially the beta power soup. I was to the point to where medicine wasn't even working for me very well and this book helped me to get on the right track. I do feel better since following the diet and would recommend this book.

This book gives a good overview of the problem, with a lot of basic information with a good level of detail, but in not too technical terms.
The diet recommendations are great, and helped me put together the best diet plan for me. I especially appreciated the explanations of why different foods are bad for you, because there are about 4 different ways foods can contribute to the GERD problem. One or two of the meal plan suggestions might be questionable, such as eating strawberries when you have severe pain, but otherwise, it does a great job. The recipes are helpful, too.

Good book with good information and menu ideas. Not too much that I didn't already know.
Recommended to GERD sufferers.

I had high hopes for this book but they were not fulfilled.The information section would only be helpful to people who are totally new to the wonderless world of acid reflux it is also somewhat depressing.
The recipes are ok but they aren't that wonderful
This book is definently not the place to start if you need help with this problem
Good Luck to us all

Having a child born with reflux and all the Dr drama that comes along with it is so very frustrating. It was nice to read and relate, knowing that I am not crazy and alone.. that they are other people who are going through this too.

Some helpful notes in the book for sure.