It was Hippocrates who said, “Let food be thy medicine” and this idea is exemplified in the book written by Irene Spalvieri. As a neurologist, I have been trained to use various tools to investigate and treat a variety of conditions. However, in clinical practice, I realize the importance of food in addition to the prescribed treatments to help heal patients. This is greatly emphasized in our use of ketogenic diet therapies to treat patients with medically refractory epilepsy. This constitutes a very high fat, low carbohydrate diet plan which puts patients into ketosis and has been demonstrated to reduce seizures in children and adults. Irene’s unique way of distilling down the complex biochemistry and teaching the essence of nutrition is crucial to allow the reader to understand why the food they eat can impact their body and mind in various ways. The reader will use this book not just as an introduction but a guide they can return to continuously refresh themselves and apply these principles into their daily lives.

I have epilepsy and when I follow the diet Irene recommends, I get a lot better. Not only do my seizures get better but my mood swings lessen. I seem to have more control regarding my emotions when I follow a strict diet. In addition, I sleep much better.

A big shout out to Irene Spalvieri who has helped me for over 3 months to heal from major IBS issues. Over the last 4 years I saw 2 Gastroenterologists & a dietician. Their approaches were very generic & not very helpful. My symptoms actually became worse. After a free 1/2 hour consultation with Irene Spalvieri, Registered Nutritionist, she made a couple of initial suggestions & my gut started feeling better within a few days. My IBS symptoms have been improving since then & I’m sleeping better than ever! Irene offered a very personal approach & made suggestions dealing with my own personal health issues. Her Test Diet has helped me heal & isolate the foods causing my IBS symptoms. (Easy to follow steps are listed in her book) I highly recommend Irene Spalvieri’s expert advice to anyone having health issues. Her book ’The Test Diet’, as shown, is very helpful & easy to read & follow. There are also some delicious recipes- Irene is also a trained Gourmet Chef. The Test Diet can be purchased on her website. If you or anyone you know can benefit from Irene’s services go to her website at www.thetestdiet.com.

Working with Irene makes becoming well again easy. She guided me through the TEST Diet, teaching me how to find a diet suited to my chemistry and taste. I have tried many diets that didn’t work. I needed a personalized diet; the one size fits all diets weren’t helping. The personalized diet that Irene created for me helped me become well without having to eat food that doesn’t agree with my body. I love her personal touch and her capacity to make amazing recipes.

I want to thank Irene for giving me a diet that I can follow. I have been on many different diets but haven’t been able to stick with any of them. I needed a diet that includes recipes that I can follow and enjoy. Irene is not only a great nutritionist but she is also a gourmet chef. The diet she designed for me has allowed me to heal my gut. I have struggled with gut pain for many years.

Irene’s knowledge as a nutritionist is very good but her experience as someone with gut issues gives her a unique perspective. She has tried many diets but none of them worked. This situation caused her to develop a diet that can be altered to accommodate different illnesses, conditions, and taste. I feel so much better since working with Irene.

I like working with Irene. I tried following the ketogenic diet but I became very sick. Irene’s book describes why some people can’t handle eating a large amount of fat. Everyone is talking about high fat diets these days. Many believe that this is a healthier way to eat. Irene has told me that while she believes healthy fats are good, not everyone will be able to handle this type of diet. She told me that if the small intestine is damaged, a high fat diet can do more harm than good. She made a personalized diet and I feel better since eating this diet.

I love the TEST Diet. I was sick for many years and didn’t know what to do. I love her personal approach. The personalized diet I now follow has helped me become well again. I love her recipes and ability to give me a custom-made diet. It is nice to be able to sleep through the night again. Healing my gut not only gives me the option of adding more ingredients to my diet but it also helps me get a better night’s sleep.