Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher to review on The Lymphie Life. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions expressed here are my own honest impressions!
About a month ago, I received a copy of Lymphedema and Lipedema Nutrition Guide: Food, Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements from the great people over at Lymph Notes.
After spending weeks poring over the book, highlighter in hand, and adapting its guidelines to my own eating patterns, I feel I can confidently share my thoughts with you all: if you have lymphedema or lipedema, read this book.
If you are a caregiver or lymphedema therapist, read this book.
If you’re a friend or family member who’s looking to support your loved one—you guessed it!—read this book.
The Lymphedema and Lipedema Nutrition Guide is a helpful reference book for what to eat and what to avoid, but more than that, it’s a great education in nutrition and the body.
The book doesn’t present its guidelines blindly, but rather with comprehensive information on the why‘s of its suggestions, based on published medical research and presented by experts in lymphedema and lipedema treatment, nutrition research, and behavior change.
There’s a whole chapter on the physiology of food choices, specific to lymphedema and lipedema patients—I love that! It’s fascinating to learn about the inner workings of the digestive system, and knowing how certain foods affect your body gives great context for the food recommendations that follow.
The authors don’t use the word “diet” because short-term diets are not healthy or sustainable; it’s more about healthy eating patterns and proper nutrition, combined with your regular treatment plan. Like the title says, the book is a guide, so it’s meant to be adapted to your personal nutrition and medical needs along with your healthcare team. They don’t purport to “cure” your condition, but they do give you the tools to support your health and alleviate your symptoms, and the knowledge to know why.
One of the things that really impresses me about this book is the wide variety of backgrounds and experiences of the authors. Their multiple perspectives and collective expertise is what makes this book so well-rounded and thorough: it’s not just a nutritionist writing this, but three; it’s not just one author with professional experience in lymphedema, but five. One of the authors is even a clinical psychologist who specializes in health-related behavior changes, which means there’s a lot of much-needed attention given to the emotional and psychological factors of living with lymphedema and lipedema throughout the book.
This book is nothing if not thorough, with chapters covering everything from meal plan ideas and shopping guides to tips for when you’re eating out, not to mention the extensive list of recommended foods and vitamins. It also outlines a number of suggestions for making the transition to healthier eating in a realistic way, ensuring that you can successfully make these changes and stick with them, too. Changing your eating patterns is no easy feat, but the authors do a great job in helping you every step of the way!
I can’t stress enough how grateful I am for this book and how empowered it’s made me feel, and reading it has been incredibly enlightening. The Lymphedema and Lipedema Nutrition Guide has become my nutrition bible: I consult it while I make my grocery lists; I check it before heading out to eat with friends; I refer to it for meal ideas at home. Because I have digestive disorders, I haven’t been able to follow the book’s guidelines to a T, but there’s a lot of wiggle room for adapting their recommendations in a way that works for me, and I have noticed improvement in my lymphedema symptoms as a result.
This book has me feeling like I’ve finally found the missing piece to my lymphedema treatment: nutrition. If you’re looking to find that missing piece, too, then I definitely recommend you pick up a copy!
The Lymphedema and Lipedema Nutrition Guide is written by Chuck Ehrlich; Emily Iker, MD; Karen Louise Herbst, PhD, MD; Linda-Anne Kahn, CMT, CLT-LANA; Dorothy D. Sears, PhD; Mandy Kenyon, MS, RD, CSSD; Elizabeth McMahon, PhD; and foreword by Felicitie Daftuar. It is published by Lymph Notes.
This book is available for purchase online: Amazon.com; Amazon Canada; Amazon UK; Barnes and Noble (ISBN 978-0976480686). This book is available for purchase in eBook form from these sellers: Amazon.com; Amazon Australia; Amazon Canada; Amazon UK; Apple iBooks (ISBN 978-0976480693).
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