My publishing story is not unique: I wanted to buy a book that would help me as a lifestyle guide for the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) I suffered from. I searched for a book that would incorporate both the knowledge that comes from Western medicine (i.e., high-tech, science based), along with a naturopathic approach that could readily be integrated into a healthy, active life.
This kind of book didn’t exist in 2006, so I set out to write my first book,
Living with Crohn’s & Colitis: A Comprehensive Naturopathic Guide for Complete Digestive Wellness. What sets my first book apart, I think, is that it explains the disease, and attempts to help sufferers live with the disease, both by understanding it better and also, more practically, by providing lifestyle strategies (such as yoga, recipes, etc.).
By the spring of 2010,
Living with Crohn’s & Colitis was released and began to stimulate very positive reactions. A writer for
Prevention magazine’s story “4 Screening Tests Women Fear” interviewed me and the article was reprinted widely; another article about my struggle to overcome Crohn’s disease appeared in MORE magazine, and my co-author Dr. Jessica Black, and I have since been on numerous radio shows. I built a website, started a blog, and began Twitter and Facebook pages, which have increased exposure, and book sales are growing with the book now helping many patients, medical professionals, and caregivers alike.
Ultimately, for me, although the book that emerged is mainly about disease and recovery, it is also about confronting pain courageously and living life to celebrate it.
This book is my story, but it is also a way for me to aid others who are either newly diagnosed with these lonely and debilitating diseases of the bowel or who have a loved one who is living with inflammatory bowel disease. The book is also a wellness guide and I am grateful to my co-author, Dr. Jessica Black, who offered the perfect balance to my patient story by offering a comprehensive naturopathic approach to achieving and maintaining health and longevity.
In the spirit of hope, espoused by Jerome Groopman, M.D., in his groundbreaking book,
Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness I offer this companion cookbook to our readers, as a way to lend more support and compassion, and yes, hope. It is hope, I also believe, that a patient truly needs in order to survive and even to thrive.
I hope this cookbook becomes a vital and inspirational addition to everyone’s kitchen bookshelf!
—Excerpt from the Author's Note by Dede Cummings
Copyright © 2014 by Hatherleigh Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
