UC Summer Reading: Colitis & Me by Raman Prasad

This summer do yourself a favor and read a couple of good books. You can read outside while you're taking my suggestion and grilling some great meat, drinking some soda water, grilling some asparagus and having some sugar-free ice cream for dessert. Reading is a great way to relieve stress, learn and convince yourself you have a legitimate reason for not exercising.

First, read your Bible or your Torah or your Koran or whatever your spiritual support writings happen to be. If you don't believe in a higher power then read good poetry. In any event reading a little something on a daily basis that relaxes you and feeds your mind and soul is a great way to keep your ulcerative colitis under control.

Once you have fed the inner person, then, I have a great book for you to work on this summer.

The book "Colitis & Me" is a book by Raman Prasad, who came across Elaine Gottschall's book "Breaking the Vicious Cycle". This book by Gottschall outlines the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) that Prasad followed in this epic journey that he outlines in "Colitis & Me".

Why read this book instead of the hundreds of others that are available?

Considering the length of time I have had ulcerative colitis and the amount of writing and research I have done with respect to the illness, there were points made that made me wonder why I didn't think of them myself.

For example, when a person has open heart surgery, they can go to work and brag about their surgery and even show their scar; they are heroes. However, their problem occurred above the waist. Ulcerative colitis occurs below the waist causing humiliation and constant fear of social events.

Sufferers of ulcerative colitis lose hope because they feel their illness is not curable. However, based on Raman Prasad's journey, it would seem that it may be curable and certainly controllable.

"Colitis & Me" is Raman Prasad's journey from diagnosis at age 17 to deterioration and back to health by using the cutting edge Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

With this book not only do you get a great and heroic account of an ulcerative colitis battle, you get introduced to an idea that seems to work; you get introduced to concepts of comparison that will make you feel like you deserve applause, not humiliation.

This summer do yourself a favor and read "Colitis & Me" (and your spiritual book). You will learn and, the future will look brighter, no matter where you are in your journey. You can get the book anywhere but I've included a reference just in case you're feeling particularly lazed today.

Reference:

scdiet.com