— by Emanuel Barling, Jr. Esq and Ashley F. Brooks R.N. – $19.95 (Paperback)
-Cranford L. Scott, M.D., Professor of Medicine, University of Southern California
As the incidents of arthritis, inflammation, gout, Crohn’s disease, IBD and IBS increase throughout our nation, it becomes clear that a significant number of Americans are suffering from symptoms earlier, because of a person’s genetic predisposition. Can you recognize these symptoms? If you do, do you know what to do about preventing and/or treating full-blown attacks of gout and arthritis? We offer information, solutions and hope for controlling the effects of illness and disease.
The authors cite more than 1,800 medical treatises, journals, surveys, tests and periodicals in the References section of this book in support of their facts, theories and opinions. The reader can look up every theory and opinion and read the source material for themselves.
“If the information in our book were available to me earlier in life, I would have avoided colon cancer, the removal of a significant portion of my colon and avoided the onset of arthritis, gout, Crohn’s Disease, IBD, and IBS.” — Mannie Barling, co-author
Reviews
I will be the first to agree that my choices in books are a little bizarre. Several months ago I was absorbed in a compendious tome on the subject of Patents, Trademarks, and Copyright. I do however have an excuse, when I was young I learned to read, these days I read to learn. There are few subjects that I will turn away from.
My father died in 1996, and in his latter years the word Gout was frequently used. As a young man I knew it only by the British slang term ‘Port Wine Disease’. The connotation was that rich food and wine were the prime motivators of this painful condition. It was also referred to as a disease of the rich. The mere working man could not afford to eat and drink the extravagant fare that caused the onslaught of pain.
My father was far from being a rich man, but he did indeed enjoy good food and drink.
This is the second book from Mannie Barling and his wife Ashley Brooks. The first one discussed how diet can assist in the management of a number of chronic problems including Arthritis, Gout, Crohn’s, IBD and IBS.
This second book is a companion volume and explores the world of the related health issues and the treatment options. I will not mislead you, this is not a book for light bedtime reading. It has been created as a reference work, and likely is the most in-depth book you can find on the subject while still being able to understand the text.
As with many subjects, to understand what is happening today, one has to delve into the past. Manny and Ashley do a wonderful job of explaining the history of Arthritis, a story that astounded me. It may well be the oldest malady on the planet, Dinosaur fossils have been found that show the classic joint inflammations.
An early pain killing remedy was found in Willow Bark, There seemed to be a substance within the bark that could ease the condition. This was the very beginning of we now call the drug Aspirin.
I will be the first to admit that this book and the companion book Mannie’s Diet and Enzyme Formula are not designed as light bedtime reading. They are the result of many years of diligent research into these medical conditions. Conditions that seem to be escalating in the modern world. It at first seems an anathema that with the wonderful medical advances that we read about almost daily, health of the population is declining.
Mannie Barling and Ashley Brooks do put forward a very convincing argument as to the reason for this seemingly contradictory situation. It is in part due to the foods we eat. As the world, and indeed our lives become increasingly busy, we spend less time seeking out real nourishment preferring to sate our appetite with fast foods and processed items from our local supermarket.
Just go to your stash of canned items in your kitchen, pick one at random and read the ingredients. Where did they all come from? What are all of these chemicals? Why do we need them?
I can not remember where I picked up this quote, but it sums it up so well:
Don’t eat anything you can’t pronounce!
But, do not despair, there are steps that everyone can take. There are few Arthritis, Gout, Crohn’s, and other related sufferers that do not seek a pain free life. It is possible, but it comes at a price. You will have to make some lifestyle changes. Manny Barling and Ashley Brooks are the people to give you that power.
I must reiterate, this is not a book titled “Pain Free For Dummies”, this is a very serious and well thought out work. If you suffer from Arthritis, Inflammation, Gout, Crohn’s, IBD, or IBS and want to improve your quality of life this is the book for you. It is not designed to replace modern drugs, rather a way that you can more effectively benefit from them.
— Simon Barrett for Book Reviews (08/14/10)
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An excellent place to begin when looking to make positive, healthful changes in one’s lifestyle The authors of Arthritis, Inflammation, Gout, Crohn’s, IBD and IBS: How to Eliminate Pain and Extend Your Life wish to stress that they are not doctors – Emanuel Barling is a lawyer with extensive experience as in-house counsel to HMOs, and Ashley F. Brooks is a registered nurse. Their collaboration is emphatically not intended to be used as a diagnostic tool nor as a substitute for a visit to a doctor. Instead, Arthritis, Inflammation, Gout, Crohn’s, IBD and IBS is a solid resource for improving one’s health and dietary habits in order to help prevent and manage chronic pain disorders, packed with invaluable information about nutrition, the body’s defenses, and the strengths and weaknesses of readily available medicines. Chapters discuss pain management, specific drugs ranging from COX 2 Selective Enzymes Blockers to Uric Acid Blockers, how nutrition science has evolved our understanding of a balanced diet, and more. A user-friendly resource written for readers of all backgrounds, Arthritis, Inflammation, Gout, Crohn’s, IBD and IBS is an excellent place to begin when looking to make positive, healthful changes in one’s lifestyle.
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— Midwest Book Review (08/07/10)
Concise & Informative According to the authors “Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States. In 2009 an estimated fifty million people reported being told by their doctors they have the disease. Three million people now report suffering from gout in America alone. Another two million have Crohn’s disease, IBD, IBS and other digestive diseases. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States and nearly one hundred and fifty thousand new cases are diagnosed each year.” (Back of book.)
Looking at these figures is scary and what is scarier is all this could have been prevented if the people would take charge of their own lives. Understanding what these diseases are and how they progress as well as the steps for prevention is the ultimate goal.
Arthritis isn’t a new disease. In fact, archeological digs have shown that arthritis existed in our early ancestors as well as dinosaurs that existed 85,000,000 BC.
According to Barling and Brooks, for example, arthritis is quite often the primary illness with gout, Chrohn’s, IBD or IBS being the secondary illness. Or, it could be that Crohn’s is the primary and the others are the secondary. The importance of diagnosing the primary and treating it may cure the others. However, this isn’t the case on many occasions. It ends up each illness is treated separately thus causing further illness or the clash of medications causing a secondary disease itself.
Barling and Brooks further state “In dealing with arthritis and gout, it is important to understand allergies and intolerances because they result in inflammations that lead to pain and cause harm to your body.” They stress the importance of being aware what allergies and intolerances affect your body.
In whole this book is compacted with information for a better understanding of these diseases that permeate our society. As well, they give suggestions of what supplements are effective for cure and maintenance. Taking responsibility for our own health rather than turning it over to someone else is the beginning. Books like “Arthritis, Inflammation, Gout, Crohn’s, IBD and IBS” are important as they give us researched information to take that responsibility and I commend Barling and Brooks in exposing it to us.
— Irene Watson for Reader Views (08/05/10)
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The information contained in Arthritis, Inflammation, Gout, Crohn’s, IBD and IBS: How to Eliminate Pain and Extend Your Life has been eye-opening and life-changing. I, like most of us, have several loved ones who suffer from one of the listed conditions. So initially I introduced myself to the book with others in mind, hoping to help them. But what I quickly realized is that the authors’ information pertains to all of us…whether we have been diagnosed or not. I highly recommend it to everyone if you are interested in being informed about your own body, and improving your health.
This book is a masterwork of information about how our bodies were designed to work, how inflammation effects our bodies, various causes of this inflammation, and what we can do naturally in our lives to alleviate it. The authors have compiled an incredible amount of well-documented research, and graciously included personal experiences which make their conclusions even more impactful. I can testify to the fact that a family member of mine with gout has improved his health immeasurably after being exposed to the principles in this book. As I said, it is truly life-changing.
— Tracey Davis for Amazon.com (08/10)
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I read Arthritis, Inflammation, Gout, Crohn’s, IBD and IBS and started on natural enzyme supplements as a result. At the time, I had recently suffered a heart attack and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I was taking eight prescription drugs including Lipitor and diabetes medicine. I was told by my doctor that I would be on these medications for life. I stopped taking Lipitor almost immediately and my cholesterol dropped below 170 without taking a prescription statin drug. After a year, I was no longer a type 2 diabetic and only taking two prescription medicines. The natural enzyme formula and all of the other information in the book helped me recover and improve my health. I also lost 30 pounds along the way and am keeping it off without effort. My doctor is surprised at the improvement in my health. The natural enzyme formula worked for me. I hope it works for you.
— Gary R for Amazon.com (07/10)
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Great book for anyone interested in the various topics offered. Full of useful information and research. – MotherLodeBeth for Amazon.com (07/10)