Please read the following testimonials; which are most recent clients:

Exciting Results with a variety of Digestive System Problems:


Jessica’s Story: Extreme Gas and Bloating, and Constipation

I was diagnosed a few years ago with IBS by a gastro-enterologist. I took Zelnorm and Miralax for over a year and they didn’t help at all. My condition was that I was severely constipated and extremely gassy. I had to take prescription laxatives to get any move-ment from my bowels, but nothing I ever did was really very effective and it felt like I was just playing games, and my intestines were always losing. I got extremely bloated with intestinal gas every single day. It would start right after breakfast. By the time I would get to work I would be so swollen and uncomfortable that I would have to unbut-ton my pants. After lunch it only got worse. I felt like my stomach was swollen as big as a basketball. I had to run to the restroom every twenty minutes just to sit down on the toilet and let out the gas. I was so uncomfortable all the time. I couldn’t wait to get out of work and get home and put on my sweatpants. This was my daily routine for years.

I started working with Russell Mariani in September, 2004 , after much encouragement from my gynegologist, Maxine Costa. She knew about my problems for years, and she had worked with Russell directly on some digestive problems of her own. After much procrastination, I finally called. I was so miserable and uncomfortable, and nothing else was working. I had to try something different.

Russell walked me through my first official colon cleanse. Actually he talked me through it over the phone. He taught me about proper daily hydration and introduced me to probiotics and what to eat for breakfast and what not to eat for breakfast. He taught me the importance of eating more slowly and deliberately and really chewing my food.

Within a few short weeks all the gas and bloating were gone. No more basketball size belly. No more running to the restroom at work every twenty minutes. No more unbear-able pain and discomfort. I started having regular daily bowel movements for the first time in years. I know exactly what to do to maintain my great intestinal condition and how to prevent problems from happening again in the future. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have finally solved these problems. And I know at least one other person who is excited too…my fiance. I will be getting married in the spring of 2005!

I want to encourage everyone to try Russell’s Intestinal Regeneration Program. It’s simple. It’s easy. It’s inexpensive, compared to the cost of seemingly endless pain and suffering. Most importantly, it works. I am so glad that I don’t have to spend the rest of my life in such pain and discomfort. It feels so good to have a normal, quiet, happy belly!


Jessica (last name withheld by request.)




Brittany’s Story: Extreme Constipation

I had been dealing with constipation for about a year. I was constantly uncomfortable and very irritable. I would go through phases where I didn't eat for 3 or 4 days, but when I wouldn't eat I had no strength and I couldn't concentrate. Stool softeners and laxatives worked in the beginning but eventually had no effect on me. I had a colonoscopy and they couldn't find anything. I soon relied on enemas to solve the problem. I never had a bowel movement without the help of an enema. Soon they stopped helping too. I went to the gastrointestinal doctor. He had me swallow a pill with tiny rings in it and every three days I'd go to the hospital for x-rays. They wanted to see if the rings moved through my system. Two weeks later they told me the rings had not moved. At this point I had not had a bowel movement in four weeks. The doctor told me my colon was not working AT ALL. He told me that if I wanted to get it moving again I'd have to have two feet of my colon removed. I agreed with the idea. That night my mom didn't go to bed. She did a google search about constipation. She found Russell Mariani's web site. She noticed that Russell had been successful with people with constipation problems. I had tried so many things with no success so I was very doubtful, but Russell said it would work. About a week into Russell’s program I had my first bowel movement. I can't tell you how excited I was. It’s been over six months now and I just can’t believe how normal everything is. I'm so glad my mom found Russell Mariani. If she didn't I'd now have part of my colon out and who knows if it would have helped. I doubt it. I am 19 years old.

Brittany (last name witheld by request)



Mike’s Story: Crohn’s Disease

I was first diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 1986. I had severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, no energy, no appetite, and an overall feeling of impending doom: like I would never feel well again. I’ve been on all the standard medications and have had two surgeries to remove about six inches of my small intestine. I experienced occasional relief, but it never made up for all the adverse reactions: pain, nausea, a swollen-puffy-blown-up looking face, the shakes, mood swings, ravenous hunger one day, no appetite the next. It was clear to me that standard medicine wasn’t working. I was open to trying something new. I met Russell Mariani and started following his suggestions in April, 2003. Gradual improvement turned into dramatic improvement. Three months later I was symptom-free! Nine months later, following extensive tests, my doctor said that my Crohn’s “was no longer detectable” in one area, and in the other area: “smaller and no longer active and inflamed.” Russell’s suggestions about the right foods to eat and the right habits to practice have been the key ingredients in my healing program.

Mike Roscigno

Maxine’s Story: Acute Diverticulitis

As a woman’s health-care nurse-practitioner, I never realized the severity of my acute diverticulitis in August, 2003. Due to a high tolerance for pain I thought I had a simple UTI. (urinary tract infection) After that test proved negative, I ended up having a CTScan. In fact I ended up having three CTScans, at a cost of over $5,000 to assess the source of my pain. (Due to my high tolerance to pain, the only way to assess my condition/progress was by CTScan.) The doctors found that I had acute diverticulitis with fistulas extending from the sigmoid colon to the rectum. I was advised to go from the CTScan department via my surgeon to the operating room, at which time I was supposed to have six inches of my intestines removed (from the descending colon) and to get a colostomy bag. Instead of surgery, I found Russell Mariani, through a mutual friend, Joanne Dinnie. (head GI nurse at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts) Russell, in my opinion is a bowel health genius. After just five weeks following his program I felt almost fully recovered. A colonoscopy done in December, 2003 showed no inflammation at all. I have no doubt that as long as I continue to do the things I have learned from Russell, my intestinal condition will continue to improve and regenerate. It is now July, 2004, and I continue to consult with Russell on a regular basis. I have no pain and am symptom-free.

Maxine Costa, R.N. MSN/BSN/APRN


Grant’s Story: Proctitus and Ulcerative Colitis

I was diagnosed with proctitus in the fall of 2001 as I was entering my sophomore year in college. I was told that it wasn’t anything serious and that I needn’t worry about it. I was told to take some anti-inflammatory suppositories and to forget about it. Over the next few months I started to see blood in my stool and I got terrible cramps in my gut. In the fall of 2002 I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. I was told this was an auto-immune disease which had no cure. I asked whether diet was a possible cause and was told that diet had nothing to do with it. I decided to take matters into my own hands. I tried many diets and visited many alternative therapists to see if my condition would improve, but nothing worked and I just got worse. I was so sick by the end of my senior year that I missed my graduation ceremony because I couldn’t leave the toilet for more than half an hour at a time. I got very scared and so did my parents as we watched my body and emotions wither away. Through a family friend my mother contacted Russell Mariani. After just three weeks of working with Russell my pain was gone and I was symptom free. For a long time I was convinced that this ailment was a curse and would ruin my life. Seeing my strength and health return is an amazing feeling I can’t describe. I feel so lucky to have found Russell. Without his guidance and support I would still be feeling frustrated and miserable. I know there are thousands of other people in the same situation that I was in and I can only pray that they get the opportunity to get well as I have had.

Grant Mayer


Bob’s Story: IBS, Acid Reflux and much more!

I had been experiencing a number of health problems that seemed to be slowly getting worse over a period of several years. The most significant problems were in three categories: 1. Digestive Problems. I had heartburn, gas, indigestion, stomach cramps, and occasional diarrhea. 2. Skeletal-Muscular Problems. I had constant muscle soreness and stiffness. I developed arthritis in my back, neck and hip. 3. Immune System Problems
I would have frequent sinus infections, sore throats, coughing spells, and body aches.
I saw my physician on a regular basis for all these problems, but aside from confirming a diagnosis of arthritis, any blood tests taken always came back negative.

In addition to all of the above, I had been experiencing frequent headaches, fatigue, and shaking of my hands. When my hands started shaking and I experienced soreness in my kidney area and behind my neck, I made a decision to figure out what were the causes of all these problems. Conventional medicine was able to identify the onset of arthritis, and took note of my general body stiffness, but was unable to identify the cause of anything. This made less and less sense to me.

I went to my chiropractor to get his opinion about my physical problems related to the body stiffness, muscle soreness, and fatigue. He asked whether I had any digestive system problems. I told him that I did. At that point he recommended that I see Russell Mariani. The rest as they say is history. I started working with Russell in March, 2004.

All of the digestive problems I had were effectively eliminated within a very short period of time. I have not had a full-blown sinus infection or other significant illness since we started working together. My muscle soreness has been reduced. I continue to work to reduce my stiffness and arthritis. I have made a lot of progress in this area and I am eager to make even greater progress in the months ahead.

What I have learned by working with Russell is that there are certain complementary habits that when practiced, allow the body’s own natural processes to maintain optimal health. There are also insulting habits that when indulged on a regular basis will interfere with the body’s own natural processes and invite many problems and difficulties

I can just imagine what my life would be like today, if I had not placed that first phone call to Russell Mariani. All those years I suffered! I hope that many others will find out about the things that I have recently discovered to turn my own health around. I hope my story helps. I hope my story will encourage others to take action and find out the difference between complementary and insulting habits. I hope others will take the actions that are necessary to discover the things that nourish them best.

Bob Dufresne, November 2004

Robert J. Dufresne, Ph.D.
CEO, Pioneer Valley Educational Press
Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-4525

Additional Testimonials from clients: (brief)

Since making dietary and lifestyle changes based upon my suggestions through regular counseling sessions, I am pleased to report the following results from some recent clients.

 An 80 year-old man in New Jersey suffering incontinence, constipation and elevated PSA levels was able to restore all these functions to normal levels and frequencies within a matter of a few weeks. After additional tests were conducted to rule out other medical problems; which all came back negative, he drove to Florida with his wife for a four-week vacation. He called me from the beach in Fort Lauderdale to say: “I feel like a young man again.”

 A 58 year-old female business owner experienced a burst transverse colon in the summer of 2003. She almost died from the infection. A temporary colostomy was reversed in September, 2003. Still suffering from abdominal pain, diverticulosis, constipation and a 360 cholesterol reading, she called for my advice. Inless than three months time, her bowels were functioning much better. She no longer experiences abdominal pain, and her cholesterol dropped to 260. “Over the years, I’ve tried everything. After being constipated most of my adult life, being regular is new to me. I love it. I never thought I would feel normal again. Thanks.”

 A 55 year-old college professor in New York City suffered from daily migraine-like headaches for over 30 years. He recently called to tell me that he has been headache free for the last three weeks; after following my suggestions about keeping properly hydrated throughout the day. After his initial euphoria and relief, he became angry as he realized he had been suffering needlessly for so many years. He could not understand how so simple a remedy had eluded the dozens of professional experts and therapists he had consulted with over the years. He remarked about the thousands of dollars he wasted on various pills and potions that simply did not work.

 A woman in Texas, in her 40's, with the worst IBS her doctors had ever seen. This woman visited the bathroom a minimum of 10 times a day, and sometimes 20 times a day. In her own words: "I'm being treated for IBS, depression, and hypoglycemia. The IBS has resisted all attempts to tame it and I'm practically living on Immodium. I feel chained by the neck to the bathroom. If I want to do anything outside my house, I have to completely fast (not eat any food) for several days to prevent trouble.” Here's what she says about six weeks into the program: "Things are so much better. I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever achieve what other people consider normal. The past week I have been pain free, and having regular bowel movements for the first time in over 20 years! I can't thank you enough!"

 A 48 year old business man in Connecticut had diarrhea three or four times a day for the past three months. Immodium did not work. Nothing worked. One week on the program, and he had a perfectly normal bowel movement. We are working together so that he fully understands the cause of his problem , and what he can change in his diet so that it will not happen again. He continues to have regular, daily, healthy, bowel movements.
 A 54 year old Rabbi from Michigan, suffered from terrible IBS. Cramping, bloating, flatulence, indigestion, headaches, chronic fatigue, insomnia. Three weeks on the program and he is fine, never felt better. He has lost 15 pounds. He started at 227, and is working towards 190. I’m sure he will make it easily.

Following are testimonials from the past few years.

“I want to thank you for your extremely helpful and lifesaving advice. After suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome for so many years without improvement I had almost given up hope. Prescribed medications were not working. In fact they were making it worse. After ten weeks following the dietary changes you recommended I am feeling great and basically am symptom free. Most importantly I now know what to do in the days ahead to prevent these symptoms from coming back. Simply amazing. Thanks!”
Tracie Ward, Sudbury, Massachusetts


“I called you that day under the worst of stressful circumstances. My little five-year-old Adam had been sick for days and finally the diagnosis was in: e coli infection. Because of possible side-effects and other potential complications, there was no available medical treatment. Your calm assurances about what to do and why were extremely helpful. Five days later, Adam was home from the hospital and acting like himself again. I believe your recommendations saved his life.”
Joni Jones, RN, CNC, Toms River, New Jersey


“I was a letter carrier for the US Postal Service for many years. Gradually my weight problem made it impossible to continue in that position. Now I work inside at a desk. Since working with you, I have lost eighty pounds without dieting. I know I still have a ways to go, but this time, I know I will keep it off for good. The changes I have made in my diet and lifestyle make sense to me like nothing ever did before. Many thanks.”
Pat Hanbury, Reno, Nevada


“I’ve been a professional in the wellness field for over seven years and still couldn’t find the answer to my most irritating and troubling health challenge: constipation. I saw many health care practitioners with no success. With your direction I have been able to take effective actions in a thoughtful, step-by-step process. My anxiety around whether I would ever solve this health challenge is gone. I know I am on the right path as I look and feel so much better. Thank you very much for your kind and gentle guidance.”
Barbara Rankin, MSW, LCSW, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts



Don’t suffer another day. Contact me about my Intestinal Regeneration Program and let’s start working on your success story right away. Russell Mariani, The Center for Functional Nutrition; 413-536-0275 maramor1@earthlink.net or please go to my website http://www.healthequest.com