Total Gut Balance: Fix Your Mycobiome Fast for Complete Digestive Wellness

by Mahmoud A. Ghannoum, Eve Adamson (With)

Most people understand the importance of a healthy gut microbiome for digestive health and overall wellbeing. But what about the mycobiome—the fungi that live inside our bodies? Here, Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum introduces this important component of the microbiome and explains how diet affects this population and how its balance or imbalance can cause you to feel—a poor balance of fungi can lead to weight gain, pain and bloating, and low energy, and can worsen symptoms for those with IBS or Crohn’s.
Good news: Gut fungi respond quickly and dramatically to dietary and lifestyle changes. Within 24 hours, you can remake your mycobiome, supporting a path to weight loss, better digestion, and more energy. Alongside this accessible gut science, Ghannoum outlines fast changes for fostering healthy fungi as well as 7- and 20-day diet plans, with more than 50 dietician-tested recipes, to cultivate a thriving mycobiome and methods for tweaking your lifestyle for long-term gut health.

Genres: Health, Nutrition, Nonfiction, Food

322 pages, Hardcover

First published December 24, 2019

Reviews

[Elizabeth Hays · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for scientifically-backed gut health information (and pretty recipes!) in this book.

I read this book to understand the microbiome & mycobiome better and it did not disappoint! Dr. Ghannoum breaks down complex biology in an interesting and understandable way.

I’m also walking away with some food recs to add to the mix.

Taking one star off because I wish weight loss wasn’t featured so prominently. Obviously that sells more books and is appealing to many, but for anyone with disordered eating or who just doesn’t want more diet culture & constant weight loss messages it’s not ideal.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

nonfiction (nutrition to balance mycobiome=fungal organisms alongside microbiome=bacterial communities)
written by Phd/professor of nutrition and dermatology, first 77 pages of book talks at length about various fungi and their impact (which I skimmed over). The middle 40 pages includes dietary guidelines (then 30 pages about lifestyle changes, e.g. reducing stress and exercising more, and finally 120 pages of recipes with photos). I read these more as general guidelines of beneficial foods to try to eat more of and those to avoid, and depending on your needs you may want to adjust his recommendations to suit. He also mentions probiotics and microbiome testing (full disclosure: he sells these on his website).
* aim for protein (including legumes and nuts and dairy/dairy substitutes) at each meal and snack
* aim for 1-2 tbs of healthy fats (including avocados and nuts) at each meal and snack
* cut out processed foods, sugars, and refined grains as much as possible (if not entirely), opting instead for whole grains and low-sugar "resistant starch foods"-- whole corn and whole potatoes are ok according to this plan, but not white rice or instant oats.
* eat more cruciferous veggies, aiming for 1 cup/day in addition to 2 cups of other non-cruciferous veggies.
* berries, fermented foods, green tea, and apple cider vinegar on a regular basis (frequency varies).

[Sh&ra · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much information in this book! I love all the science and facts he uses to back up his information. I feel like I took a short college course on bacteria and fungi and loved every minute of it.

(Despite what some people have said, it is NOT an ad for his testing kits. He simply mentions it and moves on.)

While I don't know my exact thoughts on the diet, the recipes that come in this book are very creative and look very good.

I do wish that there was a little more help specifically for people who have leaky gut and if there's anything special I should be doing as I heal, but there's already soooo much info in this book it's hard to complain about that.

I feel like the diet is a little complicated and confusing to grasp at first but he offers several plans to help you get the hang of it and those include vegetarian/vegan/gluten free options for those of us who need help transitioning.

Overall, if you have gut issues or just wish to learn more about your microbiome, this is definitely the best place to start. I highly recommend.

[Raymond Goss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book focuses more on fungi than bacteria, but outlines all the various types of microbes in our microbiome/mycobiome. He explains which ones we can change and which ones we can only keep in check. I found the details informative. Unlike a few other books, this book doesn't cover the impact on the brain. It does have a better diet model that I think is reasonable to follow compared to others that I've read. The recipes almost all look appealing.

[Nicole (coliolie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really knows his stuff on the microbiome, mycobiome, fungus, and bacteria. If you suffer from candida this is a must read. He has some good diet suggestions and great recipes but having I wouldn’t say his diet is a solution for everyone (ie cruciferous vegetables/legumes can be inflammatory for some)

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some parts a little unnecessarily detailed, but overall convincing. A few parts came off a smidge infomercial-y though I think the good doctor is just really committed to his work. Recipes in here actually sound good! Haven't given the plan a try yet so can't speak to results.

[Jason Boehle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to read to learn about the affects of fungi and bacteria. I enjoyed Dr. Ghannoum’s insight and research into what I believe to be on the cutting edge of health and wellness.

I also can appreciate the recipes and meal plans towards the end of the book.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not enjoy the approach the author took in writing this book as it comes across as preachy but I did appreciate the information. The first half of the book is informational and the second is recipes. I have tried a few recipes and enjoyed them.

[Anne K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perspective on how important plant fibers are to the Biome, including fungal biome.

[Aurora Shele]

Informative. I didn't finish it so I won't rate it.

[Mrs C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly accessible writing on how the mycobiome affects us in terms of gut health and wellness. Dieting is so blasé. Knowing more about what we eat and how it affects our bodies is paramount to a healthy body.

This is a great accompaniment to books like The Science of Skinny, The Good Gut, Brain Maker etc.

[Kimberley Sommerville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Simple read which balanced scientific and layman terms. It paralleled perfectly with my own nutritional studies and boosted my efforts to start the Mycobiome diet. I've noted less irritability and tiredness since starting the diet so I'll be continuing

[Rhonda Otaibi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about the latest on the microbiome connection between brain and gut. How to eat and balance. Fix your gut! Changes everything.