Heal Your Leaky Gut: The Hidden Cause of Many Chronic Diseases

by David Brownstein

Most illnesses start in the gut, including many you would not even think of!

And if your gut isn't functioning right, it sets the stage for illness and disease. The gut--the gastrointestinal system--is designed to absorb nutrients that support our bodies and help us make energy, and get rid of things that we don't need or are toxic. But what happens when the system breaks down? Leaky gut syndrome (LGS) occurs when the lining of the small intestine is damaged, allowing foreign compounds to escape into your bloodstream, which weakens your immune system and triggers autoimmune reactions.

Traditional physicians don't understand what LGS is--much less how to diagnose and treat it. In fact, it is estimated that more than 80 percent of people with chronic illnesses have leaky gut, an overgrowth of bad bacteria, or not enough good bacteria.

Here are some symptoms that may be caused by

Digestive complaints, acid reflux, IBS, Crohn's disease Joint and muscle pain, arthritis Obesity and food allergies Headaches, depression, anxiety, ADHD Itchy skin, rashes, eczema, acne, rosacea, psoriasis In Heal Your Leaky Gut, Dr. David Brownstein will explain how the gut--like the brain, heart, and liver--needs to be properly nourished in order for it to function correctly. Simply stated, if your gut is not healthy, your immune system is going to suffer.

Improving your gut health and taking fewer drugs will help you feel better and look younger, improve your brain function, and treat myriad medical conditions. This book will give you all the information you need to change what you are now doing so you can have optimal gut health and, as a result, overall health and well-being.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

254 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2017

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book if you want to improve your health!
Heal Your Leaky Gut by David Brownstein is a life changing book. The book contains a lot of good information and easy to understand explanations. It is so informative that I will read his other book.

Thank you Netgalley for this book

[Peter Adams]

I picked this book kind of randomly.

This guy knows what he's talking about. Nothing stood out to me as false.

Lots of interesting stuff, even if you're not dealing with a leaky gut.

[Maria Cancel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely helpful as the way Dr. Brownstein explains and shares his wisdom and clinical experience treating his patients and what can people do to alleviate ailments that can be treated by correcting the body’s deficiencies using natural and holistic approaches. Pharmaceutical approach is nothing but a “ greed based” “ pro profit” and anti health for humanity. Thank you Dr Brownstein for all you work , expertise and time you have dedicated to help us. I am reading other books by the doctor. Please follow up.

[Lindsay Nixon · Rating 1 out of 5]

You're better off reading a free article on Harvard or the Cleveland Clinic websites about LGS and overall gut health.

Supposed symptoms of LGS: acid reflux, anxiety, bloating, diarrhea, IBS, headache, joint pain, low energy, skin issues, weight gain.

However, most/all of these things are often attributed to dietary choices so if someone eats differently they feel better; this doesn't mean the person had a "leaky gut."

His "cure" diet:

- no dairy
- no gluten
- no lectins
- no refined sugars
- drink more water
- eat mindfully
- chew and take small bites
- exercise

plus food journaling to identify troublesome foods for you.

If you don't know what lectins are, rest assured neither does this author LOL. In one section he said lectins were wheat and soy and in another section he said lectins were nightshades, grains (including quinoa and rice), and legumes. Harvard Health Blog has a long post about lectins, if you want to read actual scientific information.

I was alarmed that he suggested rye bread and sourdough bread as gluten-free, wheat-free alternatives to wheat bread. WHAT

What I also found very odd was he suggests eating corn (instead of wheat) and to use sugar alcohols (instead of sugar). Corn and sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythierol can cause gas, bloating, explosive diarrhea, and other troublesome GI symptoms in adults with "Strong" GI tracts and no issues. They're a nightmare for people with sensitive systems or any kind of GI illness... Ditto for brussel sprouts--not sure why that vegetable would be suggested to someone who has gas LOL.

I could point out more problems but I'm not free labor.

Note: the ARC I received kept using the same stock images over and over and over and it was annoying; hopefully this was just a placeholder.

As for the recipes, there aren't many. However, most are minimal ingredients and prep/cook time but do often call upon expensive and hard-to-find things like coconut flour, almond flour, and coconut oil. Many seem to rely heavily on eggs and/or coconut milk.

On a positive, many of the recipes are vegan or can be made vegan. Vegan options include all of the dressings, a rice stir-fry, creamy coconut balsamic brussle sprout salad, sweet potato fries, pineapple salsa, guacamole, trail mix, smoothies, peach coconut milk ice cream, fruit cobbler, cashew cream.

Admittedly the pineapple salsa intrigued me; I've never thought to add green apple to my pineapple salsa and I plan to make a version of this for July 4th. This might make up for my time lost reading LOL. All the other recipes didn't excite me, mostly because I've made these types of meals hundreds of times. I would really like to see fresh ideas publishers!!!

Things that could be adapted somewhat easily: curried soup (omit chicken, use veg broth, coconut aminos for fish sauce), lemon tahini kale salad (omit anchovie paste), coconut bites (contains honey),

Thanks netgalley for my ARC

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very impressed with the advice dispensed in this book. While focusing on non-pharmaceutical methods, there is NO mention of lavender oils and incenses that will work miracle cures. And medications are still discussed and encouraged as a good avenue - just not the first one. The focus is nutritional and diet-based. I like that this book doesn't focus on the negatives of Leaky Gut, but the factual information involved. There are many things that could lead to Leaky Gut, and there are just as many issues that can come from having untreated Leaky Gut. All of them are discussed in a simple way that anyone can understand while giving suggestions on how to address them. I particularly appreciate the "other" therapies mentioned, because I firmly believe America is over-medicated without a true understanding of the problem at hand. But I DO believe in medication, and I take a few myself. I tried other therapies for those first too. I personally DO NOT believe in essential oils, aromatherapy, and the like. But getting nutrients from food before seeking supplements before seeking prescriptions just makes sense to me. I am also very grateful to know what possible conditions can feed into Leaky Gut or come in tandem with Leaky Gut or be caused by Leaky Gut. The information here is invaluable, and must be taken with a grain of salt as applied to your specific case. For me personally, there's a lot of information that is good to know that doesn't apply to me. There's a lot of information that's good to know in case is comes later down the line. I really like that a lot of the information is good to know for any general person's diet, much less someone with Leaky Gut or some other digestive issue.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book to read to get easy-to-digest (ha!) information about Leaky Gut Syndrome but I found some of the information contradictory and would have loved some recipes or lists of foods to help heal your leaky gut rather than just saying at the end to follow the paleo diet. The book focuses too much on what you CAN'T have rather than what you CAN have, which was definitely a turnoff to someone like me who lives to eat instead of eats to live.

[Xanthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would have gotten a higher rating if it were a bit longer, with more detail and practical application suggestions. Also, if it didn't contradict itself a few times, and it didn't harp on 'humane' meat, which is a myth created to make people feel okay with murder. Oh, and touting paleo bunk - could have done without that too.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The underlying cause of chronic illness and inflammation lies in poor gut health. Doctor Brownstein has a simple and direct way of explaining the cause of many chronic illnesses we face today, and how to bolster gut health. His other books are great too.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is really not that helpful. He contradicts himself on multiple occasions which leaves the reader wondering ok which way is it then? I appreciate all of Dr Brownstein’s work on iodine and salt but this book seemed to have missed the mark.

[Karen Cockerill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read and great testimonies. Inspired to get back to healthy eating patterns and loads of water

[Richard Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERY valuable book... but in different ways than expected.

The author describes many diseases from arthritis to acne, and their relationship to your gut. More specifically, he goes into the detail about what you intake, and how it influences these diseases.

I was expecting to see some good information on bowel diseases. However, less than 2 pages were spent discussing Crohn's disease (a very serious inflammatory bowel disease), with no dietary recommendations. However, there are 11 pages exploring Asthma, and the relationship with the gut. Including treatment techniques and dietary suggestions. Very informative nonetheless, just different than what I was expecting.

Throughout the book, the author explains different dietary recommendations for treating these diseases, and promoting a healthy gut.

The big VALUE I pulled from the book, was the description of these dietary recommendations, and why they are good for us. Inadvertently, the recommendations align closely with a paleo diet. In fact, the author mentions at the end of the book, that he recommends a paleo diet for the healthiest gut and disease treatment.

[Tracey · Rating 1 out of 5]

nonfiction/health-diet.
I agree with the general ideas in this book, but they are just that, general ideas not necessarily backed up by a lot of science (yet) or even especially very thorough content. There are better books out there on this topic--this one reads exactly like a book written by a man who makes money peddling health cures to desperate people (i.e., "For more on this topic, read my other bestselling book, ____.")

There isn't much to take away but if you do suffer from chronic disease, know that you aren't alone and you aren't imagining your symptoms. Also, it's probably a good idea to (a) drink more water (divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces per day) and (b) eliminate gluten if you have chronic inflammation and also dairy if you suspect you are sensitive to it, and (c) cut back on sugar and processed/refined foods.

[Sydney Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written a bit robotically, but some good info. I’d round out your research with some other great books on leaky gut, but this one should definitely be included.

[The Twins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting but quite US based for the practical tips. There wasn't enough info for me personally and my medical problems but definitely an interesting read.