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The Microbiome Solution: A Radical New Way to Heal Your Body from the Inside Out
The author of Gutbliss and one of today’s preeminent gastroenterologists distills the latest research on the microbiome into a practical program for boosting overall health.
Michael Pollan’s widely discussed New York Times article, “Some of My Best Friends Are Germs,” was just the tip of the iceberg. The microbiome—the collective name for the trillions of bacteria that live in our gut—is today’s hottest medical news topic. Synthesizing the latest findings, Dr. Robynne Chutkan explains how the standard Western diet and lifestyle are starving our microbiome, depleting the “good bugs” that keep us healthy and encouraging overgrowth of exactly the wrong type of bacteria. The resulting imbalance makes us more prone to disease and obesity and negatively affects our metabolism, our hormones, our cravings, our immunity, and even our genes. But beyond the science, what sets this book apart is Dr. Chutkan’s powerful three-level program for optimizing your gut bacteria for good health.
Dr. Chutkan shares:
Why hand-sanitizing gels and antibiotics are stripping our bodies of their natural protective systems Essential prebiotics and probiotics Recipes with ingredients that replenish the microbiome for each rehab level Cutting-edge research on the connection between the microbiome and the brain An intro to the stool transplant, the superfix for a severely troubled microbiome
Dr. Chutkan is one of the most recognizable gastroenterologists working in America today, and this is the first book to distill the research into a practical, effective plan for replenishing our microbiomes. The Microbiome Solution will bring welcome relief to the millions who want to grow a good “gut garden”—and enjoy healthier, happier lives.
Michael Pollan’s widely discussed New York Times article, “Some of My Best Friends Are Germs,” was just the tip of the iceberg. The microbiome—the collective name for the trillions of bacteria that live in our gut—is today’s hottest medical news topic. Synthesizing the latest findings, Dr. Robynne Chutkan explains how the standard Western diet and lifestyle are starving our microbiome, depleting the “good bugs” that keep us healthy and encouraging overgrowth of exactly the wrong type of bacteria. The resulting imbalance makes us more prone to disease and obesity and negatively affects our metabolism, our hormones, our cravings, our immunity, and even our genes. But beyond the science, what sets this book apart is Dr. Chutkan’s powerful three-level program for optimizing your gut bacteria for good health.
Dr. Chutkan shares:
Why hand-sanitizing gels and antibiotics are stripping our bodies of their natural protective systems Essential prebiotics and probiotics Recipes with ingredients that replenish the microbiome for each rehab level Cutting-edge research on the connection between the microbiome and the brain An intro to the stool transplant, the superfix for a severely troubled microbiome
Dr. Chutkan is one of the most recognizable gastroenterologists working in America today, and this is the first book to distill the research into a practical, effective plan for replenishing our microbiomes. The Microbiome Solution will bring welcome relief to the millions who want to grow a good “gut garden”—and enjoy healthier, happier lives.
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First published August 25, 2015
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July 28, 2015
We live in a new age of weird diseases and symptoms -- many traveling under the "auto-immune" banner. People by the droves go to their primary care doctors and complain of stomach and digestive ailments (bloating, food allergies, abdominal pain), light-headedness, fatigue, skin rashes, eczema, rosacea, and worse. Their doctors, in turn, follow the protocols of their training and order up standard tests in search of something physical. The tests come back negative. Now doc is beginning to wonder if he has a hypochondriac on his hands, and the patients either persist or resign themselves to pain and misery, becoming depressed as symptoms continue to plague them. Sometimes more tests are ordered, but seldom is a solution found. It's a bad scene all around. Welcome to the world of microbes, the artful dodgers (at least when it comes to standard medical tests).
If you fit the description above, you should be reading Dr. Chutkan's latest book. She talks about "dysbiosis," a widely prevalent but seldom diagnosed condition where the microbial community in your body is way out of whack -- low on good bacteria and high on pathogens (bad bacteria) due to a host of modern-day causes: the accumulated ravages of antibiotic treatments, alcohol consumption, stress, diet (specifically lack of enough fiber, vegetables, fruits, fermented foods and too much sugar, carbs, processed "food," genetically-modified food), antacid use, NSAID use, birth-control pill regimes, chemotherapy, and artificial sweeteners.
As patients feel sicker, doctors unknowingly feed the flames by prescribing more pain medication, antibiotics, etc., to try to alleviate symptoms and show their patients that they are "doing something." Vicious, meet circle. The misery continues.
Well, if all politics are local, all health is in the gut. That's right. We are the microbial profile we feed on a daily basis. And while "feed" mostly means the mouth, it also includes the skin. Dr. Chutkan sees it as a twin mission: living dirty and eating clean. That means we do ourselves no favors by constantly cleaning our hands with hand sanitizers, applying skin products and soaps with anti-bacterial elements and good-bacteria killing chemicals (go ahead, read the ingredients, see if you have the slightest idea about what you are slathering to your skin and scalp on a daily basis... didn't think so).
The best part: Chutkan offers practical tips on turning it around -- what you should eat and what you should not eat. Watch out for corn, soy products, and sugar especially. They kill the Good Army and arm the Terrorist in your gut flora. They are almost all GMO-made monstrosities by now, thanks to companies like Monsanto, which have their profits (and yes, Big Pharma's, too, because sick people drive profits) to watch after. Certain bacteria (bad) thrive on sugar and artificial sweeteners and will hijack your body's eating preferences. What we call a "sweet tooth" is actually a type of bad bacteria clamoring from your gut for more of what they need to survive (that it makes you sick means little to them, they are out for themselves and haven't a clue that they will die with you).
Chutkan also offers some basic day-to-day living advice, too. A little dirt is a good thing, as is being outside (or opening windows and letting the outside in). Remember when you were a kid? Always outside, barefoot and dirty, exercising through play and interaction with others? Compare to the present, where we spend so much time in our antiseptic, air-conditioned houses, take showers every day, shellack our skin with mysterious products, clean our homes with even more mysterious, bacteria-killing products. Recipe, meet disaster. Patient, meet doctor (yet again): "Doc, I feel miserable and I don't know why." Doc and Conventional Medicine don't know why, either.
As to the book itself, yes, it is somewhat repetitive at times and not a narrative wonder or anything, but I 4-star it for its contents and importance. Chutkan even devotes a chapter to the hardcore cases. Here she discusses fecal transplants, the latest frontier for people who cannot turn around their severe conditions through diet and lifestyle changes alone. Feces from healthy patients with the correct microbial profiles are transplanted into the intestines of the sick patient with miraculous results (just look the other way and get over your aversion, I guess). It's been a life-changer for people with relentless conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, pouchitis, infectious diarrhea, etc. Animals don't eat other animals' feces for nothing. Nature is often instructive (and gross). It's squeamish patients who often choose not to heed such lessons.
Finally, and not least importantly, the book ends with 95 pages of "microbiome solution" recipes, mostly for dishes that will feed the good and suppress the bad bacteria that live within you.
Yep. Brave New World (which looks suspiciously like our grandparents' Brave OLD World, before the corporations and chemicals started to hijack our willingly sheep-like lives). Advice: Buy or check out of the library. Then fight back against bad bacteria and bad businesses that will shed no tears over your slow and protracted demise.
If you fit the description above, you should be reading Dr. Chutkan's latest book. She talks about "dysbiosis," a widely prevalent but seldom diagnosed condition where the microbial community in your body is way out of whack -- low on good bacteria and high on pathogens (bad bacteria) due to a host of modern-day causes: the accumulated ravages of antibiotic treatments, alcohol consumption, stress, diet (specifically lack of enough fiber, vegetables, fruits, fermented foods and too much sugar, carbs, processed "food," genetically-modified food), antacid use, NSAID use, birth-control pill regimes, chemotherapy, and artificial sweeteners.
As patients feel sicker, doctors unknowingly feed the flames by prescribing more pain medication, antibiotics, etc., to try to alleviate symptoms and show their patients that they are "doing something." Vicious, meet circle. The misery continues.
Well, if all politics are local, all health is in the gut. That's right. We are the microbial profile we feed on a daily basis. And while "feed" mostly means the mouth, it also includes the skin. Dr. Chutkan sees it as a twin mission: living dirty and eating clean. That means we do ourselves no favors by constantly cleaning our hands with hand sanitizers, applying skin products and soaps with anti-bacterial elements and good-bacteria killing chemicals (go ahead, read the ingredients, see if you have the slightest idea about what you are slathering to your skin and scalp on a daily basis... didn't think so).
The best part: Chutkan offers practical tips on turning it around -- what you should eat and what you should not eat. Watch out for corn, soy products, and sugar especially. They kill the Good Army and arm the Terrorist in your gut flora. They are almost all GMO-made monstrosities by now, thanks to companies like Monsanto, which have their profits (and yes, Big Pharma's, too, because sick people drive profits) to watch after. Certain bacteria (bad) thrive on sugar and artificial sweeteners and will hijack your body's eating preferences. What we call a "sweet tooth" is actually a type of bad bacteria clamoring from your gut for more of what they need to survive (that it makes you sick means little to them, they are out for themselves and haven't a clue that they will die with you).
Chutkan also offers some basic day-to-day living advice, too. A little dirt is a good thing, as is being outside (or opening windows and letting the outside in). Remember when you were a kid? Always outside, barefoot and dirty, exercising through play and interaction with others? Compare to the present, where we spend so much time in our antiseptic, air-conditioned houses, take showers every day, shellack our skin with mysterious products, clean our homes with even more mysterious, bacteria-killing products. Recipe, meet disaster. Patient, meet doctor (yet again): "Doc, I feel miserable and I don't know why." Doc and Conventional Medicine don't know why, either.
As to the book itself, yes, it is somewhat repetitive at times and not a narrative wonder or anything, but I 4-star it for its contents and importance. Chutkan even devotes a chapter to the hardcore cases. Here she discusses fecal transplants, the latest frontier for people who cannot turn around their severe conditions through diet and lifestyle changes alone. Feces from healthy patients with the correct microbial profiles are transplanted into the intestines of the sick patient with miraculous results (just look the other way and get over your aversion, I guess). It's been a life-changer for people with relentless conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, pouchitis, infectious diarrhea, etc. Animals don't eat other animals' feces for nothing. Nature is often instructive (and gross). It's squeamish patients who often choose not to heed such lessons.
Finally, and not least importantly, the book ends with 95 pages of "microbiome solution" recipes, mostly for dishes that will feed the good and suppress the bad bacteria that live within you.
Yep. Brave New World (which looks suspiciously like our grandparents' Brave OLD World, before the corporations and chemicals started to hijack our willingly sheep-like lives). Advice: Buy or check out of the library. Then fight back against bad bacteria and bad businesses that will shed no tears over your slow and protracted demise.
February 2, 2016
Excellent!
My View:
This is a very useful resource for those about to embark on the wonderful journey of reinvigorating their gut bacteria and is just as useful for those already in the process, seeking further ways to enhance their “live dirty eat clean” lifestyle and confirmation that they are on the right track. This book is written in very easy to understand language (but don’t expect me to be able to pronounce all the names of bacteria and pro biotics – they are mostly very tricky) Do expect to find some sound advice and lessons on how to change your life style and a simple 1, 2 3 rule to ensure you are getting enough dietary fibre (good digestion requires fibre); “Eat at least one vegetable at breakfast, two at lunch and three at dinner.” (p.134)
Do expect to find easy to follow microbiome recipes to enhance your “gut garden,” a how to guide to making beauty products (face scrubs, moisturisers, etc.) that are good for you and your microbes.
And last but not least a chapter on stool transplants. (I kid you not!) “Everything You Wanted to Know about Stool Transplants but Were Afraid to Ask (chapter 13) whilst delivering some interesting and appreciated scientific/medical based information that I probably would not ever ask about or give voice to question, this chapter say it all and is hilarious. (And I am sure I can hear the author laughing with me as I discuss this with you) Are you among the special few who love a good poo joke? Then this chapter is for you! I could not help myself – I solicitously read the entire book, nodding in agreement, absorbing new useful information…admiring the recipes and the simple guidelines for cultivating your microbiome but when it came to chapter 13 I was uncontrollably laughing out loud. My apologies I just couldn’t help myself! And when read out loud to my husband the supply list for “How to Perform FMT”( Faecal Microbiota Transplant) we both laughed so much we cried- his comment – “what do you need a plastic shower curtain for, seconds thoughts, no, don’t tell me.” But I did! We laughed so much we cried. (You had to be there)
I should not laugh, this is a serious subject, but I am very pleased I read this chapter, I am enlightened and have shared my new found knowledge around – a subject (stools) that can be somewhat embarrassing to bring into a conversation has become socially accessible. As the author explains “Most of us have an aversion to stool stemming from early childhood when we are discouraged from passing gas or making any references to our ‘poo.’ Bowel movements are viewed as something dirty and furtive, best flushed away quickly and not discussed in polite company despite the fact that every human being on the planet has them on a regular, if not daily, basis.” Aversion now cured.
In writing this book and sharing her knowledge, Robynne Chutkan has created a comfortable (and educational) environment where all things ‘poo’ can be discussed. Gaining a better understanding of how our body works is cause for all to celebrate! Thank you Robynne Chutkan.
My View:
This is a very useful resource for those about to embark on the wonderful journey of reinvigorating their gut bacteria and is just as useful for those already in the process, seeking further ways to enhance their “live dirty eat clean” lifestyle and confirmation that they are on the right track. This book is written in very easy to understand language (but don’t expect me to be able to pronounce all the names of bacteria and pro biotics – they are mostly very tricky) Do expect to find some sound advice and lessons on how to change your life style and a simple 1, 2 3 rule to ensure you are getting enough dietary fibre (good digestion requires fibre); “Eat at least one vegetable at breakfast, two at lunch and three at dinner.” (p.134)
Do expect to find easy to follow microbiome recipes to enhance your “gut garden,” a how to guide to making beauty products (face scrubs, moisturisers, etc.) that are good for you and your microbes.
And last but not least a chapter on stool transplants. (I kid you not!) “Everything You Wanted to Know about Stool Transplants but Were Afraid to Ask (chapter 13) whilst delivering some interesting and appreciated scientific/medical based information that I probably would not ever ask about or give voice to question, this chapter say it all and is hilarious. (And I am sure I can hear the author laughing with me as I discuss this with you) Are you among the special few who love a good poo joke? Then this chapter is for you! I could not help myself – I solicitously read the entire book, nodding in agreement, absorbing new useful information…admiring the recipes and the simple guidelines for cultivating your microbiome but when it came to chapter 13 I was uncontrollably laughing out loud. My apologies I just couldn’t help myself! And when read out loud to my husband the supply list for “How to Perform FMT”( Faecal Microbiota Transplant) we both laughed so much we cried- his comment – “what do you need a plastic shower curtain for, seconds thoughts, no, don’t tell me.” But I did! We laughed so much we cried. (You had to be there)
I should not laugh, this is a serious subject, but I am very pleased I read this chapter, I am enlightened and have shared my new found knowledge around – a subject (stools) that can be somewhat embarrassing to bring into a conversation has become socially accessible. As the author explains “Most of us have an aversion to stool stemming from early childhood when we are discouraged from passing gas or making any references to our ‘poo.’ Bowel movements are viewed as something dirty and furtive, best flushed away quickly and not discussed in polite company despite the fact that every human being on the planet has them on a regular, if not daily, basis.” Aversion now cured.
In writing this book and sharing her knowledge, Robynne Chutkan has created a comfortable (and educational) environment where all things ‘poo’ can be discussed. Gaining a better understanding of how our body works is cause for all to celebrate! Thank you Robynne Chutkan.
October 24, 2015
I'm generally skeptical about books that purport to "solve human health." There are so few things that work for everyone, full stop.
And I find it generally rather bothersome that the way that the issue of the microbiome is shaking out in modern day medicine practice is isolated physicians holding $1000 conferences to teach you more about your bacterial microbes...insurance doesn't care about covering it, though indeed, insurance has never cared about covering food as a treatment for diseases. (if you want to get me angry, get me started on that).
And yet...she is careful to say that we can't hack the microbiome, that we don't know near enough to know exactly what we're doing. But we do know that living a bit dirtier and eating more vegetables for the microbiome to eat will most likely be to our benefit.
On the other hand, the very scary picture painted about frequent antibiotic use in pregnancy or in early childhood just decimating populations of bacteria and potentially causing both the tremendous rises in obesity AND immune-related diseases...yikes. These are not fully substantiated claims yet, but they're close. There is likely going to be a day in the future when antibiotics are prescribed at much lower levels than they are today to preserve the microbiome.
And I find it generally rather bothersome that the way that the issue of the microbiome is shaking out in modern day medicine practice is isolated physicians holding $1000 conferences to teach you more about your bacterial microbes...insurance doesn't care about covering it, though indeed, insurance has never cared about covering food as a treatment for diseases. (if you want to get me angry, get me started on that).
And yet...she is careful to say that we can't hack the microbiome, that we don't know near enough to know exactly what we're doing. But we do know that living a bit dirtier and eating more vegetables for the microbiome to eat will most likely be to our benefit.
On the other hand, the very scary picture painted about frequent antibiotic use in pregnancy or in early childhood just decimating populations of bacteria and potentially causing both the tremendous rises in obesity AND immune-related diseases...yikes. These are not fully substantiated claims yet, but they're close. There is likely going to be a day in the future when antibiotics are prescribed at much lower levels than they are today to preserve the microbiome.
March 30, 2018
These books are killing me.... There is not enough content to warrant a book here. This is a pamphlet repeated over and over and over again. And somebody please explain to me why these Doctors all feel the need to add a recipe section (other than the fact that they don't have enough content to fill a book)? They should save the paper and reference a website if they feel they must share their culinary brilliance (add heavy sarcasm here). The message here is a good one and I agree with a lot of what the author said, just got sick of hearing her say the same exact thing in just a slightly different way. Save your time and money, read a few articles on line and give this one a pass.
January 11, 2016
Robynne Chutkan is a gastroenterologist whose own experience in her practice (and in her pregnancy) has led her to write about and research how the microbiomes in our bodies affect our health. She explains how different bacteria and other organisms can be beneficial in digestion and disease prevention and how the overuse of antibiotics and poor nutrition can throw our delicate balance of organisms out of whack and open us up to all kinds of maladies. A fascinating read with a whole chapter on recipes to help you feed your existing microbiome (as well as suggestions for how to boost it). This is a hot topic right now, and although Chutkan is a proponent of encouraging a healthy microbiome, she readily admits that much more research is necessary to understand better what organisms are most beneficial to us and how.
June 6, 2018
Lately I can't get enough of the Rich Roll podcast ("RRP"), and the detailed interviews (often two hours-long) are sending me to seek out the health-related, lifestyle-, and medical books of his podcast guests.
November 27, 2022
if you need a quick summary of what this is about:
- antibiotics = BAD
- eat your greens
- if you take antibiotics you are KILLING YOUR BODY
- but sometimes you need to!
tldr: incredibly repetitive to the point of failing to deliver a simple message
- antibiotics = BAD
- eat your greens
- if you take antibiotics you are KILLING YOUR BODY
- but sometimes you need to!
tldr: incredibly repetitive to the point of failing to deliver a simple message
December 17, 2019
This book is a good primer for understanding the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut, how the gut can get out of balance, and how it can be brought back into balance. Also she presents the connection between the use of antibiotics and autoimmune conditions which is currently under a great deal of study.
As a healthcare provider, I'm an acupuncturist, I frequently spend a great deal of time convincing patients of the connection of their guts to their overall health. I picked this book up to see if it could be a good resource to use with patients.
I believe this book contains good information and is easy to read and understand. My one complaint is the constant references to the information that she'll be sharing in future chapters. Despite this flaw, I think I will be able to use this book with several of my patients to help heal their gut issues.
As a healthcare provider, I'm an acupuncturist, I frequently spend a great deal of time convincing patients of the connection of their guts to their overall health. I picked this book up to see if it could be a good resource to use with patients.
I believe this book contains good information and is easy to read and understand. My one complaint is the constant references to the information that she'll be sharing in future chapters. Despite this flaw, I think I will be able to use this book with several of my patients to help heal their gut issues.
July 24, 2016
Nothing new here. This is a rewrite of the author's previous books, same recommendations as before, only now with the hot new word "microbiome" added to everything. There are no references, no examples where microbiome testing changes anything clinically, just lots of buzzwords.
On the other hand, it is succinctly written, so If you suffer from gut issues you may find her style easy-to-read without being repetitious, a common fault with many similar diet books.
If you want to know about microbiome solutions, you're much better off reading Sonnenberg's book, which is written by an actual practicing scientist.
On the other hand, it is succinctly written, so If you suffer from gut issues you may find her style easy-to-read without being repetitious, a common fault with many similar diet books.
If you want to know about microbiome solutions, you're much better off reading Sonnenberg's book, which is written by an actual practicing scientist.
December 3, 2018
Жаль, что я ничего подобного не читала пока меня 7 лет подряд пичкали антибиотиками от гайморита. Момент видимо упущен, но, надеюсь, не все так драматично. Полезная книга задуматься о том, как кишечник управляет нашими жизнями)
April 19, 2018
This book is a new way of looking at the possible causes of why you feel so lousy. It is also possible if you follow this revolutionary diet plan to reverse an autoimmune disease. Sounds good? Yes, if you are a sufferer, this book could be just what you have been searching for.
In this day and age, the majority of our medical doctors follow the same protocols to treat digestive issues; prescribing antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors and other medications that can help you feel better temporarily; but in the long run, destroy the lining of your digestive tract and cause all kinds of other symptoms to appear such as chronic fatigue, returning digestive issues, food intolerances, frequent infections, and feeling "off".
Dr. Robynne Chutkan, a preeminent gastroenterologist, discusses the Western diet and explains how we could unknowingly be destroying the "good bugs" that keep our digestive systems in top running condition. She cites many patient cases in her book which prove that a change in the way we eat could help heal and prevent these problems. The diet itself (mainly plant based) seems very sensible and not that difficult to follow. For those that are desperate and haven't been helped by the current medical system, this may be a godsend for you and definitely worth a try.
In this day and age, the majority of our medical doctors follow the same protocols to treat digestive issues; prescribing antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors and other medications that can help you feel better temporarily; but in the long run, destroy the lining of your digestive tract and cause all kinds of other symptoms to appear such as chronic fatigue, returning digestive issues, food intolerances, frequent infections, and feeling "off".
Dr. Robynne Chutkan, a preeminent gastroenterologist, discusses the Western diet and explains how we could unknowingly be destroying the "good bugs" that keep our digestive systems in top running condition. She cites many patient cases in her book which prove that a change in the way we eat could help heal and prevent these problems. The diet itself (mainly plant based) seems very sensible and not that difficult to follow. For those that are desperate and haven't been helped by the current medical system, this may be a godsend for you and definitely worth a try.
February 25, 2023
I discovered Dr Chutkan this year when trying to heal my husband’s digestive issues. I think she’s amazing. This is my second book of hers - we couldn’t find help from any doctors locally but have experienced great success with her tips.
We found that high stress, trauma, anxiety and a bad dose of the sickness we shall not name, gave all of us some gut issues - my husband the worst.
We used her plan in Gutbliss and it definitely turned us around. This book looks more at living dirty - how to rewild ourselves and get back to baseline.
It’s easy to read and has great steps. She tells you how to implement things and includes lists and recipes.
Excited to switch to manuka honey to wash my face! 😊
We found that high stress, trauma, anxiety and a bad dose of the sickness we shall not name, gave all of us some gut issues - my husband the worst.
We used her plan in Gutbliss and it definitely turned us around. This book looks more at living dirty - how to rewild ourselves and get back to baseline.
It’s easy to read and has great steps. She tells you how to implement things and includes lists and recipes.
Excited to switch to manuka honey to wash my face! 😊
April 21, 2021
Read Dr Chutkan’s bio. It’s impressive. I mention this bc several gut-related issues she discusses in this book are not yet embraced by the western doc community. It’s hard to believe some of the solutions she suggests because there haven’t been rigorous studies behind them. But she’s a western doc and has been working with patients on microbiome fixes for decades.
We know money rules everything, so if there isn’t money in researching something it’s not going to get attention. That’s my assumption of why there aren’t more microbiome studies. If you’re intrigued by the microbiome this is a great starting point.
We know money rules everything, so if there isn’t money in researching something it’s not going to get attention. That’s my assumption of why there aren’t more microbiome studies. If you’re intrigued by the microbiome this is a great starting point.
March 19, 2024
First half of book 10/10, well researched and claims are all based on research. Really fantastic and modern perspective on the microbiome and health that needs to be public knowledge. Second half of the book- the solution- was a bit underwhelming. The recommendations are good for someone with a a poor diet that needs to change but what about those who eat a healthy diet and exercise but have things like SIBO? I was looking to go deeper on that part of the book but it’s more surface level. Also as someone who has tried no shampoo, homemade shampoo and shampoo bars, a lot of the advice of not using store bought products doesn’t feel realistic or practical for everyone. Still so worth the read, I think this perspective can be mind-set shifting for so many
June 28, 2018
The recipes provided in the accompanying PDF to the Audible version of 'The Microbiome Solution' is highly useful for me.
I've never found so many good recipes, in one place, that I can tolerate, as I have in that PDF.
I've never found so many good recipes, in one place, that I can tolerate, as I have in that PDF.
September 5, 2015
This is a new field for exploration but I think there's enough evidence to link gut bacteria problems to various diseases and that anti-bacterial soap and excess antibiotic use is harmful to our internal and external microbiomes.
There's too much anecdotal evidence here but real results (good or bad) should be available in the next few years as clinical trials wrap up.
Nothing wrong with the diet recommended by this book but all the restrictions aren't necessary for healthy people though they don't hurt.
I wouldn't recommend a fecal transplant at this time since there are too many unknowns and not enough proven benefits.
I look forward to seeing how this area of knowledge matures.
There's too much anecdotal evidence here but real results (good or bad) should be available in the next few years as clinical trials wrap up.
Nothing wrong with the diet recommended by this book but all the restrictions aren't necessary for healthy people though they don't hurt.
I wouldn't recommend a fecal transplant at this time since there are too many unknowns and not enough proven benefits.
I look forward to seeing how this area of knowledge matures.
September 1, 2017
It's encouraging to hear a first-hand review of Dr. Chutkan's assessment of the unhealthy approach and attitude of doctors: Listen to me, I know better, take this pill 'just to be safe'.
For a lot of people her book may be preaching to the choir. It was for me. My health was compromised by antibiotics, steroids, and statins. It wasn't until I followed the advice of a functional medicine doctor — and avoided doctors like the plague — that I was able to restore my health. How? I ate vegetables and followed much of the advice in this book. You can see my health journey on Twitter @50Fitty.
For a lot of people her book may be preaching to the choir. It was for me. My health was compromised by antibiotics, steroids, and statins. It wasn't until I followed the advice of a functional medicine doctor — and avoided doctors like the plague — that I was able to restore my health. How? I ate vegetables and followed much of the advice in this book. You can see my health journey on Twitter @50Fitty.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2017
3 stars = I liked it!
Short, to the point reminder that plant based diet is the way to go, just now in the context of your gut microbes. Nothing life changing for me, but it was a good reminder. I don’t have any of the bowel issues that she describes so perhaps those who do will feel more ‘helped’ by the ideas. There are several easy and good recipes at the end.
Short, to the point reminder that plant based diet is the way to go, just now in the context of your gut microbes. Nothing life changing for me, but it was a good reminder. I don’t have any of the bowel issues that she describes so perhaps those who do will feel more ‘helped’ by the ideas. There are several easy and good recipes at the end.
March 16, 2022
I really enjoyed Dr. Chutkan’s comprehensive analysis of health and longevity from a wholly unique perspective seldom covered in health type books out there. I think often times health and nutrition authors focus on what can be changed or added to one’s lifestyle vs. digging deeper into why problems occur with health in the first place. The microbiome is a new frontier in diet researching imho as science and technology evolves to understanding it better. If one hasn’t considered their gut health as a key role to total health, one hasn’t looked far enough.
Summary of what I liked about the book:
* Extensive review of how the microbiome is affected by diet and lifestyle choices
* Challenges to rethink what you put on and in your body
* Comprehensive review of dybiosis as a disease
* Cautions of supplements as well as probiotics even though a fair amount was promoted on the latter
* A diet regimen that allows for meat as a condiment vs. ousting it altogether
* First legitimate book that explained why eggs and other animal protein might be bad for health (L-carnitine)
* Similarly with alcohol and dairy
* Connections made on how bloating, bad gas, and skin conditions can be related to food choices
* Not just impugning sugar, starch and fat as bad but explaining that it may be more that not enough fiber is the actual problem
* The fact that she makes recommendations on eating and living better but doesn’t actually sell any products at end of book
Summary of my Key Takeaways:
What Do Your Gut Bacteria Do?
* Convert sugars to short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) for energy
* Crowd out pathogens
* Digest food
* Help your body absorb nutrients such as calcium and iron
* Keep pH balanced
* Maintain the integrity of the gut lining
* Metabolize drugs
* Modulate genes
* Neutralize cancer-causing compounds
* Produce digestive enzymes
* Synthesize B-complex vitamins (thiamine, folate, pyridoxine) Synthesize fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin K)
* Synthesize hormones
* Train the immune system to distinguish friend from foe
Most of the bacteria in your gut are anaerobic, meaning that they thrive in areas with little or no oxygen. As you travel from the top to the bottom of the intestines, the amount of bacteria increases, so the stomach and small intestine have a lot less than the colon. Some bacterial species set up shop in the intestinal lining, while others just pass through, sometimes reproducing while in transit before being excreted in the stool.
We have about twenty-three thousand human genes and eight million microbial ones.
* Bacteria also help determine which diseases are expressed, turning various human genes on and off in response to the body’s internal milieu, which can influence whether or not a disease that you’re genetically predisposed to actually develops.
* They provide instructions for essential functions like carbohydrate metabolism and enzymatic detoxification—instructions that are missing from our own human genome.
* Modulation of our genes by bacteria may explain why inherited diseases don’t always afflict family members equally—even in identical twins, who have the same genes but different microbes.
Dysbiosis is an alteration of the microbial community that diminishes a person’s essential population of good bacteria and allows pathogenic (bad) bacteria that are normally present in low amounts to flourish—in essence, it is a microbial imbalance in or on your body.
Causes of dysbiosis:
- PPIs (proton pump inhibitors)/antacids
- NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
- BCP (birth control pills)/hormones
- Steroids
- Chemotherapy
- Artificial sweeteners
- Too much sugar and fat
- Not enough fiber
- Alcohol
- Stress
- Infections
Eliminating my SAD GAS foods (soy, artificial sweeteners, dairy, gluten, alcohol, and sugar) is helpful, but some forms of bloating require serious dietary changes as well as repopulation with healthy microbes.
What I’ve just described is the way many health-conscious people eat without having a specific name to describe it, although some have called it a modified Paleo diet, or a “flexetarian” way of eating. Mark Hyman, MD, calls this cross between Paleo and vegan a “Pegan” diet,
- I prefer the term Veleo, to emphasize the vegetable-based philosophy. Because a limited amount of animal products is allowed but not required, it’s completely compatible with being a strict vegan, and Paleo followers are welcome to exclude grains or legumes if they feel better without them.
It’s not that meat is necessarily bad for the microbiome; it’s that dietary fiber is good for it, and eating too much of the former can lead to not eating enough of the latter.
- when gut bacteria ingest L-carnitine, a compound found in red meat, they can convert it into a chemical called TMAO associated with artery-clogging plaque formation.
- Other foods such as poultry, eggs, seafood, pork, and dairy also contain L-carnitine, but red meat has the highest amount.
- Interestingly, when vegans and vegetarians consume L-carnitine, they don’t produce nearly as much TMAO, likely because of differences in gut bacteria from eating a plant-based diet.
- you should think of the veggies as the main course and meat as a condiment. Make sure you’re eating the best-quality, grass-fed meat available,
Summary of what I liked about the book:
* Extensive review of how the microbiome is affected by diet and lifestyle choices
* Challenges to rethink what you put on and in your body
* Comprehensive review of dybiosis as a disease
* Cautions of supplements as well as probiotics even though a fair amount was promoted on the latter
* A diet regimen that allows for meat as a condiment vs. ousting it altogether
* First legitimate book that explained why eggs and other animal protein might be bad for health (L-carnitine)
* Similarly with alcohol and dairy
* Connections made on how bloating, bad gas, and skin conditions can be related to food choices
* Not just impugning sugar, starch and fat as bad but explaining that it may be more that not enough fiber is the actual problem
* The fact that she makes recommendations on eating and living better but doesn’t actually sell any products at end of book
Summary of my Key Takeaways:
What Do Your Gut Bacteria Do?
* Convert sugars to short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) for energy
* Crowd out pathogens
* Digest food
* Help your body absorb nutrients such as calcium and iron
* Keep pH balanced
* Maintain the integrity of the gut lining
* Metabolize drugs
* Modulate genes
* Neutralize cancer-causing compounds
* Produce digestive enzymes
* Synthesize B-complex vitamins (thiamine, folate, pyridoxine) Synthesize fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin K)
* Synthesize hormones
* Train the immune system to distinguish friend from foe
Most of the bacteria in your gut are anaerobic, meaning that they thrive in areas with little or no oxygen. As you travel from the top to the bottom of the intestines, the amount of bacteria increases, so the stomach and small intestine have a lot less than the colon. Some bacterial species set up shop in the intestinal lining, while others just pass through, sometimes reproducing while in transit before being excreted in the stool.
We have about twenty-three thousand human genes and eight million microbial ones.
* Bacteria also help determine which diseases are expressed, turning various human genes on and off in response to the body’s internal milieu, which can influence whether or not a disease that you’re genetically predisposed to actually develops.
* They provide instructions for essential functions like carbohydrate metabolism and enzymatic detoxification—instructions that are missing from our own human genome.
* Modulation of our genes by bacteria may explain why inherited diseases don’t always afflict family members equally—even in identical twins, who have the same genes but different microbes.
Dysbiosis is an alteration of the microbial community that diminishes a person’s essential population of good bacteria and allows pathogenic (bad) bacteria that are normally present in low amounts to flourish—in essence, it is a microbial imbalance in or on your body.
Causes of dysbiosis:
- PPIs (proton pump inhibitors)/antacids
- NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
- BCP (birth control pills)/hormones
- Steroids
- Chemotherapy
- Artificial sweeteners
- Too much sugar and fat
- Not enough fiber
- Alcohol
- Stress
- Infections
Eliminating my SAD GAS foods (soy, artificial sweeteners, dairy, gluten, alcohol, and sugar) is helpful, but some forms of bloating require serious dietary changes as well as repopulation with healthy microbes.
What I’ve just described is the way many health-conscious people eat without having a specific name to describe it, although some have called it a modified Paleo diet, or a “flexetarian” way of eating. Mark Hyman, MD, calls this cross between Paleo and vegan a “Pegan” diet,
- I prefer the term Veleo, to emphasize the vegetable-based philosophy. Because a limited amount of animal products is allowed but not required, it’s completely compatible with being a strict vegan, and Paleo followers are welcome to exclude grains or legumes if they feel better without them.
It’s not that meat is necessarily bad for the microbiome; it’s that dietary fiber is good for it, and eating too much of the former can lead to not eating enough of the latter.
- when gut bacteria ingest L-carnitine, a compound found in red meat, they can convert it into a chemical called TMAO associated with artery-clogging plaque formation.
- Other foods such as poultry, eggs, seafood, pork, and dairy also contain L-carnitine, but red meat has the highest amount.
- Interestingly, when vegans and vegetarians consume L-carnitine, they don’t produce nearly as much TMAO, likely because of differences in gut bacteria from eating a plant-based diet.
- you should think of the veggies as the main course and meat as a condiment. Make sure you’re eating the best-quality, grass-fed meat available,
December 14, 2017
It's all unsubstantiated claims. No validation whatsoever. On the other hand, if you look up her claims in peer-reviewed literature, they're not all bunk. Worth considering if you have gut issues or an autoimmune disease.
November 4, 2020
Live dirty, eat clean. I read Chutkan's Gut Bliss last year and this is even better. But be prepared to say goodbye to soap, sugar, and gluten.
September 9, 2025
This book talks about the functions of your biome (the bacteria, yeast, fungi, helminths, and parasites that live on or in us),it’s various functions, how it can become damaged, the possible consequences of said damage, and how you may, to a somewhat limited extent, rehabilitate it. I did appreciate that she was candid about what dietary changes might or might not achieve.
Firstly, this book desperately needs footnotes. There are a lot of scientific-sounding claims in here and I’m going to need to know where they come from to accept some of them. Second, there is a lot of stretching of the material that isn’t necessary. And, some of the prescriptions in her plan are just never going to work for most people absent life-threatening issues. Give up deodorant and washing with soap and shampoo? Ummm, no. Eating kale and quinoa? Pass. Does she have any idea what apple cider vinegar would do to my dye job? Def no.
One of the items I found most useful was a set of questions to ask your doc when they suggest antibiotics (which apparently/unfoot-notedly) wipes out the good with the bad and the good may never bounce back.
Sadly for me personally as someone who suffers from GERD, the book mentions repeatedly that PPIs suppress your good bugs and that we all should get off them, but offers no specific biome restoring advice that would support actually doing that without just living with the symptoms. There is more helpful information and advice for Crohn’s disease, CIBO, IBS and others, just not GERD.
There are also detailed instructions for a DIY (!) fecal transplant which, well, I’m not sure is a good idea. The risks are clearly listed which is why, if I were in the market for that, I’d be having a doctor handle the proceedings. Guess I’m not the daredevil I thought I was.
Overall, this is a quick read if you want to know more about the gut biome than you get from a Tik Tok, but it would have been a lot better if she brought the receipts.
Firstly, this book desperately needs footnotes. There are a lot of scientific-sounding claims in here and I’m going to need to know where they come from to accept some of them. Second, there is a lot of stretching of the material that isn’t necessary. And, some of the prescriptions in her plan are just never going to work for most people absent life-threatening issues. Give up deodorant and washing with soap and shampoo? Ummm, no. Eating kale and quinoa? Pass. Does she have any idea what apple cider vinegar would do to my dye job? Def no.
One of the items I found most useful was a set of questions to ask your doc when they suggest antibiotics (which apparently/unfoot-notedly) wipes out the good with the bad and the good may never bounce back.
Sadly for me personally as someone who suffers from GERD, the book mentions repeatedly that PPIs suppress your good bugs and that we all should get off them, but offers no specific biome restoring advice that would support actually doing that without just living with the symptoms. There is more helpful information and advice for Crohn’s disease, CIBO, IBS and others, just not GERD.
There are also detailed instructions for a DIY (!) fecal transplant which, well, I’m not sure is a good idea. The risks are clearly listed which is why, if I were in the market for that, I’d be having a doctor handle the proceedings. Guess I’m not the daredevil I thought I was.
Overall, this is a quick read if you want to know more about the gut biome than you get from a Tik Tok, but it would have been a lot better if she brought the receipts.
January 28, 2021
This book was very interesting and a lot of fun to read. Robynne Chutkan has an easy, pleasant writing style and it makes this book quite a page turner.
She presents bacteria in a new light, offering up the notion that bacteria can be a friend rather than a foe. Indeed, bacteria is not the enemy that we may have perceived it to be. In some ways, this book is the comeback story of bacteria. Good bacteria--or probiotics--are so necessary for digestion, skin health, and even mental health, that in the future we will look back on our interest in the eradication of all bacteria with horror.
Chutkan schools us in her book about various health conditions that are the direct result of the destruction of a persons microbiome. IBS.....Celiac disease....Crohn's disease....
They are all linked to a damaged microbiome. Usually, a poor diet and lots of antibiotic use is what causes the various conditions that arise when the good bacteria in (and on) a human body is destroyed.
It's not just antibiotics and a bad diet that kill off our precious microbes. Too much cleaning with not enough exposure to bacteria causes us to have a weakened immune system and a lack of microbe diversity.
Chutkan has a plan for how a person can reseed their microbiome through diet, careful probiotic supplementation, a willingness to stop sanitizing all surfaces, and time spent in nature.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I am attempting to implement Chutkan's advice into my own daily living. Hopefully I will do better and feel better once my microbiome is thriving.
She presents bacteria in a new light, offering up the notion that bacteria can be a friend rather than a foe. Indeed, bacteria is not the enemy that we may have perceived it to be. In some ways, this book is the comeback story of bacteria. Good bacteria--or probiotics--are so necessary for digestion, skin health, and even mental health, that in the future we will look back on our interest in the eradication of all bacteria with horror.
Chutkan schools us in her book about various health conditions that are the direct result of the destruction of a persons microbiome. IBS.....Celiac disease....Crohn's disease....
They are all linked to a damaged microbiome. Usually, a poor diet and lots of antibiotic use is what causes the various conditions that arise when the good bacteria in (and on) a human body is destroyed.
It's not just antibiotics and a bad diet that kill off our precious microbes. Too much cleaning with not enough exposure to bacteria causes us to have a weakened immune system and a lack of microbe diversity.
Chutkan has a plan for how a person can reseed their microbiome through diet, careful probiotic supplementation, a willingness to stop sanitizing all surfaces, and time spent in nature.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I am attempting to implement Chutkan's advice into my own daily living. Hopefully I will do better and feel better once my microbiome is thriving.
June 15, 2018
This book was an okay read.
I am not sure I can get into getting a little dirty such as bathing/showering or wash up only every other day. She did touch on sweaty smell is okay, not the musty or body odor is strong due to stress and the wrong foods in your body setting it off. I do not doubt that part since I have been going through odor issue in my youth thru teens due to hormones, not so sure about food and or stress. But after so much research on foods, I have been eating wrong most of my life. I just engaged in eating better since 2010, better in 2012, and willing to try recipes and diets since these dates (earliest is 2000). I know in 1996 I found a diet that helped lose nearly 65 pounds. Now 22 yrs later, obese and gut issues (digestive diagnosis of GERD/acid reflux since I was 18/19 years old). Now facing a more life-threatening issue, feminine related, and have to make a real change.
Took a couple recipes from this book. I tried the salad dressing, and will do the cabbage salad since I have both green and red cabbage in the house. I will add red onions and green onions for sure. At least you can still eat meat, if you are a meat eater, but I believe dairies, sweets, and certain foods are not recommended.
Not sure this one is for me, but now reading her first book GUTBLISS and seems a lighter read and user-friendly. I will review the 10-day plan too and see if it is a go in GUTBLISS!
Leisure read 2018
I am not sure I can get into getting a little dirty such as bathing/showering or wash up only every other day. She did touch on sweaty smell is okay, not the musty or body odor is strong due to stress and the wrong foods in your body setting it off. I do not doubt that part since I have been going through odor issue in my youth thru teens due to hormones, not so sure about food and or stress. But after so much research on foods, I have been eating wrong most of my life. I just engaged in eating better since 2010, better in 2012, and willing to try recipes and diets since these dates (earliest is 2000). I know in 1996 I found a diet that helped lose nearly 65 pounds. Now 22 yrs later, obese and gut issues (digestive diagnosis of GERD/acid reflux since I was 18/19 years old). Now facing a more life-threatening issue, feminine related, and have to make a real change.
Took a couple recipes from this book. I tried the salad dressing, and will do the cabbage salad since I have both green and red cabbage in the house. I will add red onions and green onions for sure. At least you can still eat meat, if you are a meat eater, but I believe dairies, sweets, and certain foods are not recommended.
Not sure this one is for me, but now reading her first book GUTBLISS and seems a lighter read and user-friendly. I will review the 10-day plan too and see if it is a go in GUTBLISS!
Leisure read 2018
October 27, 2019
That ain't it fam.
Someone in the comments said that this is a pamphlet. Aside from 2-3 chapters, every single following chapter ends with "and more you'll find out in my live dirty, eat clean plan". Some mentions of her other book are sprinkled along the way under the umbrella of "but you wouldn't know if you didn't read gutbliss(her other book".
This book is basically an ad with basic information of the microbiome in the gut. Most of it is easily accessible for people that know how to use Google and have 1-2 hours of spare time.
I really don't wanna be an ass - she put various tables in the book that consist of diluted information of the topic, of which I especially appreciated the table of pre- and probiotic foods and remedies for beauty stuff.
My guess is that she always put her signature line of "look at my plan!" at the end of the chapters because she probably knows that she excels at condensing complicated information (the author's a gastroenterologist after all). Maybe it's even supposed to read as a step for step guide.
I wouldn't recommend reading this as an source on the topic. Ofc, if you wanna have an in-depth analysis you gotta spend more money or read actual/factual papers, but as an easy-to-follow read for beginners I much more would suggest Gut from Giulia Enders as it has the perfect balance of facts/anecdotes/humour.
Someone in the comments said that this is a pamphlet. Aside from 2-3 chapters, every single following chapter ends with "and more you'll find out in my live dirty, eat clean plan". Some mentions of her other book are sprinkled along the way under the umbrella of "but you wouldn't know if you didn't read gutbliss(her other book".
This book is basically an ad with basic information of the microbiome in the gut. Most of it is easily accessible for people that know how to use Google and have 1-2 hours of spare time.
I really don't wanna be an ass - she put various tables in the book that consist of diluted information of the topic, of which I especially appreciated the table of pre- and probiotic foods and remedies for beauty stuff.
My guess is that she always put her signature line of "look at my plan!" at the end of the chapters because she probably knows that she excels at condensing complicated information (the author's a gastroenterologist after all). Maybe it's even supposed to read as a step for step guide.
I wouldn't recommend reading this as an source on the topic. Ofc, if you wanna have an in-depth analysis you gotta spend more money or read actual/factual papers, but as an easy-to-follow read for beginners I much more would suggest Gut from Giulia Enders as it has the perfect balance of facts/anecdotes/humour.
June 19, 2024
I’m giving this book 5 stars because there’s not a 4.5 option. I’ll preface by explaining my stance, I am not by any means anti medication when it’s needed but I do avoid medicines when I can. I’ve been a vegan for 6 years. Before that I was a vegetarian 20 years prior meaning I only ate meat while on Earth for 11 years of my life.
What is wonderful is the fact that we all have been exposed to the things that mess up our gut health and we are all in this together and no one needs to feel like they’re suffering alone (wonderful in a sense of community not the issue), what’s bad is that it happened and happens so frequently that it’s normalized and we fix the problem with synthetic stuff to fix the problems caused but synthetic stuff and then we add in other chemicals and well it all just goes awry.
This book offers a lot of common sense that was once instinct built into the now medical more medicine outlook and the research to back the proof of what our ancestors used to live. We are what we eat and what we eat is the outcome of our health. And because of modernization we are able to treat illnesses and live longer but we also turn back our health in other issues. Finding balance is not a one stop shop, not a one size fits all.
This book provides a look into what to do next on your journey to gut health and repairing what you can if your biome to feel better.
What is wonderful is the fact that we all have been exposed to the things that mess up our gut health and we are all in this together and no one needs to feel like they’re suffering alone (wonderful in a sense of community not the issue), what’s bad is that it happened and happens so frequently that it’s normalized and we fix the problem with synthetic stuff to fix the problems caused but synthetic stuff and then we add in other chemicals and well it all just goes awry.
This book offers a lot of common sense that was once instinct built into the now medical more medicine outlook and the research to back the proof of what our ancestors used to live. We are what we eat and what we eat is the outcome of our health. And because of modernization we are able to treat illnesses and live longer but we also turn back our health in other issues. Finding balance is not a one stop shop, not a one size fits all.
This book provides a look into what to do next on your journey to gut health and repairing what you can if your biome to feel better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2020
Much of the book's content is good and useful. I've certainly heard before that the microbiome can be important for health, and that vaginal birth is better than C-section. And in a few cases the author cites studies or otherwise sounds like a rational, critically thinking person. And unlike a lot of advice-dispensing authors, she is actually a degreed and practicing professional. So that's all good.
But dang, she gets extreme and faddish with some of her recommendations. I got concerned in a number of instances, such as when she says that all GMO food is bad for you (there is nothing intrinsically bad about GMOs. They aren't "frankenfoods", and humans have been modifying plants for thousands of years via agricultural techniques).
I suspect that there's a significant amount of material that may not be justified by science. Unfortunately, there's so much content here that it could be hard to sift through and separate the good from the bad, so it's hard for me to recommend this wholeheartedly. I feel that there must be better introductions to managing gut flora. If you do listen to this, I strongly suggest that you do some research of your own (reputable sources only, please!) to double check any given recommendation before you actually try it out.
But dang, she gets extreme and faddish with some of her recommendations. I got concerned in a number of instances, such as when she says that all GMO food is bad for you (there is nothing intrinsically bad about GMOs. They aren't "frankenfoods", and humans have been modifying plants for thousands of years via agricultural techniques).
I suspect that there's a significant amount of material that may not be justified by science. Unfortunately, there's so much content here that it could be hard to sift through and separate the good from the bad, so it's hard for me to recommend this wholeheartedly. I feel that there must be better introductions to managing gut flora. If you do listen to this, I strongly suggest that you do some research of your own (reputable sources only, please!) to double check any given recommendation before you actually try it out.
April 11, 2019
Good introduction to microbiome (gut bacteria) and how it affects our health. One very important lesson I learned here is to stop using soaps with triclosan or triclocarban as those kill off beneficial bacteria. I've already had an idea of what the microbiome is and beneficial bacteria but this book really goes into detail into the latest research on the health effects of these gut bacteria.
After reading this book I am always on the lookout now on foods to feed my microbiome and I talk to my "guests" to help me maintain good health. It may sound crazy but the science says that these "guests" actually nudge you into eating foods that can sustain them. So you want to have a microbiome that will help you lose weight, maintain it and maintain good heatlh.
I also like the recipes included with this book. I hope Robynne does a followup to this book in a few years incorporating new research into this field. Maybe discuss companies that offer testing for a fee to find out what microbiome you have and recommendations on what food to eat to feed beneficial bacteria. Discuss the research and make recommendations on testing protocols.
After reading this book I am always on the lookout now on foods to feed my microbiome and I talk to my "guests" to help me maintain good health. It may sound crazy but the science says that these "guests" actually nudge you into eating foods that can sustain them. So you want to have a microbiome that will help you lose weight, maintain it and maintain good heatlh.
I also like the recipes included with this book. I hope Robynne does a followup to this book in a few years incorporating new research into this field. Maybe discuss companies that offer testing for a fee to find out what microbiome you have and recommendations on what food to eat to feed beneficial bacteria. Discuss the research and make recommendations on testing protocols.
August 14, 2022
How is it with so many diseases seemingly being created over the last hundred years, scientists don’t really know how or why? With the rise of cleanliness , how is it that we are getting more diseases, and diseases that are harder and harder to categorized? Could our super-sanitized lifestyles be a part of why we have so many new and strange diseases? And how does all of this affect our microbiome?
As science finally focuses on the health of our gut and how it relates to our overall well-being, there are some doctors and specialists who have learned this for themselves over their careers. The Microbiome Solution is a book that focuses on what one specialist has found in her years of working with patients on their gut health. With new science backing up old beliefs, the author explores the health of our gut and the microorganisms that compose our inner world and how there is both good and bad bacteria. Wiping out all bacteria has been the focus of so much of modern medicine, and it’s not necessarily a good thing.
If you want to explore different options for health as related to your gut, this book is for you. With lots of exploration of food, drugs, and modern sterilization and it’s affects on the general health of a person, this book offers a unique insight into why we seem to be getting more and more unhealthy. Including recipes and an outline of a plan that will improve health with a bit of dirt and a lot of good foods, this book is an interesting read that will really make you think.
As science finally focuses on the health of our gut and how it relates to our overall well-being, there are some doctors and specialists who have learned this for themselves over their careers. The Microbiome Solution is a book that focuses on what one specialist has found in her years of working with patients on their gut health. With new science backing up old beliefs, the author explores the health of our gut and the microorganisms that compose our inner world and how there is both good and bad bacteria. Wiping out all bacteria has been the focus of so much of modern medicine, and it’s not necessarily a good thing.
If you want to explore different options for health as related to your gut, this book is for you. With lots of exploration of food, drugs, and modern sterilization and it’s affects on the general health of a person, this book offers a unique insight into why we seem to be getting more and more unhealthy. Including recipes and an outline of a plan that will improve health with a bit of dirt and a lot of good foods, this book is an interesting read that will really make you think.
December 19, 2017
Written by a gastroenterologist, this book is a practical guide to gut bacteria and bacteria in general, its effects on widespread ailments, and what you can do optimize the diversity of your bacteria and immunity. I always get horrible dizziness and stomachaches when I take antibiotics, even for a several weeks after I'm finished taking them. The author talks about how antibiotics wreak havoc on the gut bacteria that can contribute to issues like these. She goes on to also talk about the effect of antibiotics on newborns and the effects of the overall overuse of antibiotics, as well as possible solutions such as a diet high in fiber, vegetables, and perhaps some probiotics. I'm glad to have picked up this audiobook, available at some libraries with Hoopla. The book goes a bit far when it states to ideally stop using soap and learn to accept a bit more body odor. Overall, I would have rather seen more research studies as she tended to use many anecdotes from her own personal practice. The recipes were not included with the audiobook so I did not get to peruse them unfortunately.
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