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The Gut Stuff: An Empowering Guide to Your Gut and Its Microbes
Demystifying the buzz words of gut health and microbiome, this book explains clearly the importance of fiber in our diets.
Most people now know just how important the gut is to our health and wellbeing, including its impact on our digestive and immune systems and on diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and even mental health, but so much of the information out there is hard to understand or doesn't offer realistic solutions. Alana and Lisa Macfarlane have spent the past few years interviewing top-notch gut pros: scientists, academics, chefs and foodies to get the real scoop and science behind what we eat.
The book offers practical and achievable advice in a fun and accessible way and explains what gut health is and why it is so relevant today. The science behind mind and body and how they are linked, including the gut's effect on sleep, anxiety, immunity, and skin are covered, along with practical advice on what can be done to improve gut health.
Most people now know just how important the gut is to our health and wellbeing, including its impact on our digestive and immune systems and on diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and even mental health, but so much of the information out there is hard to understand or doesn't offer realistic solutions. Alana and Lisa Macfarlane have spent the past few years interviewing top-notch gut pros: scientists, academics, chefs and foodies to get the real scoop and science behind what we eat.
The book offers practical and achievable advice in a fun and accessible way and explains what gut health is and why it is so relevant today. The science behind mind and body and how they are linked, including the gut's effect on sleep, anxiety, immunity, and skin are covered, along with practical advice on what can be done to improve gut health.
176 pages, Hardcover
Published February 2, 2021
32 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 12, 2021
I hate books that assume the reader has either the attention span of a gnat or is uneducated to the extent that they won't be able to understand if things aren't presented as a cartoon. I did finish this book; it took me all of 20 minutes to read. Most of the pages only have a couple of sentences on them. If people want a children's eye view of a subject then they read children's books. This dumbing down of science does nobody any favours.
Did I learn anything from this book? No. It doesn't contain anything you can't pick up in minutes from Google
Did I learn anything from this book? No. It doesn't contain anything you can't pick up in minutes from Google
April 13, 2021
Lovely basic guide to Gut Stuff; filled with helpful diagrams and easy to understand science. I enjoyed reading about the ongoing research!
Practical tips include food swaps and how the gut is affected by different things, including alcohol, stress and sleep.
Overall, an enjoyable overview of gut health that isn't a heavy read.
[I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]
Practical tips include food swaps and how the gut is affected by different things, including alcohol, stress and sleep.
Overall, an enjoyable overview of gut health that isn't a heavy read.
[I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]
November 29, 2020
ARC provided by the publisher—via NetGalley—in exchange for an honest review.
The Gut Stuff by the Macfarlane twins was a very easy and enjoyable read. They break down complex information with easy-to-understand diagrams and metaphors for the layman. They make the science relatable and accessible. However, I find that this book is directed to an audience who are absolute beginners in this topic – which did not affect my rating, but it is important to note if you, like me, are more well read on these topics (perhaps due to existing health conditions), as this book will not be suitable for you.
Hereunder are the pros of the book:
- The following quotes (very insightful, and I hadn't read these points anywhere else):
“Bacteria educate our immune system from the moment we are born.
We know how important bacteria are for maintaining a normal immune
system from experiments with germ-free laboratory mice born without
any bacteria at all The roots of this relationship lie in how you are born
and nourished during the first five or so years of life. This is a key period
of immune education that sets up your immune system for your long-
term health.”
“The beautiful, wandering vagus nerve is a real multi-tasker. Going from
along the way, the vagus nerve is the major structural component
your brain to your gut and connecting through all of your major organs
of the gut-brain axis. But it doesn't stop there - the vagus nerve is also
the main structural feature of the parasympathetic nervous system
(PSNS). The PSNS is the flip-side of your fight or flight response, aka
your sympathetic nervous system (SNS). While the SNS s responsible
for preparing your body for action- increasing blood pressure and
breathing rate, shutting down digestion to make more oxygen carried
in your blood available to your arms and legs etc. - the PSNS returns
the body to a state of calm and rest. This is the reason that IBS
symptoms are so often triggered by stress and why you should avoid
trying to eat when you are agitated or in a rush: you won't be able to
digest your food properly."
“We think most foods have the power to be 'superfoods. Whether they
provide you with gut-loving fibre or polyphenols, or the taste of a
cinnamon bun takes you back to being a carefree 10-year-old,
the physical and mental benefits food can provide means there
are no true superfoods. Save your cash, avoid expensive powders and
exotic ingredients and instead eat as many plant foods and colours
as possible and you won't go far wrong.”
- The section on how to make sauerkraut is absolute gold, and precisely why I picked up a book like this – for the practical, beneficial tips that you can use in your day to day life and cooking. I would give the full 3 stars just for this section alone. I was previously very worried about making sauerkraut for probiotic supplementation but that worry has completely dissipated.
The cons, in my estimation, were:
- There was not enough information on probiotics – and as a sufferer of IBS, I really hoped to learn more about the process and ‘how’s and ‘why’s behind it. To quote the book: 'we recommend researching types of probiotics...' I wish the different types were elaborated on in the book! It would have been extremely beneficial.
- Likewise, there was nothing about prebiotics - just the history of prebiotics and the first research paper written on it, but nothing practical. For a book whose strength is in its practicality, I was disappointed to not see much practical information on prebiotics.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I completed it in a very short time because it did not feel like a research paper – but rather, a friendly, well-meaning, knowledgeable friend who was sitting to have a chat with me over a cuppa. I do recommend.
The Gut Stuff by the Macfarlane twins was a very easy and enjoyable read. They break down complex information with easy-to-understand diagrams and metaphors for the layman. They make the science relatable and accessible. However, I find that this book is directed to an audience who are absolute beginners in this topic – which did not affect my rating, but it is important to note if you, like me, are more well read on these topics (perhaps due to existing health conditions), as this book will not be suitable for you.
Hereunder are the pros of the book:
- The following quotes (very insightful, and I hadn't read these points anywhere else):
“Bacteria educate our immune system from the moment we are born.
We know how important bacteria are for maintaining a normal immune
system from experiments with germ-free laboratory mice born without
any bacteria at all The roots of this relationship lie in how you are born
and nourished during the first five or so years of life. This is a key period
of immune education that sets up your immune system for your long-
term health.”
“The beautiful, wandering vagus nerve is a real multi-tasker. Going from
along the way, the vagus nerve is the major structural component
your brain to your gut and connecting through all of your major organs
of the gut-brain axis. But it doesn't stop there - the vagus nerve is also
the main structural feature of the parasympathetic nervous system
(PSNS). The PSNS is the flip-side of your fight or flight response, aka
your sympathetic nervous system (SNS). While the SNS s responsible
for preparing your body for action- increasing blood pressure and
breathing rate, shutting down digestion to make more oxygen carried
in your blood available to your arms and legs etc. - the PSNS returns
the body to a state of calm and rest. This is the reason that IBS
symptoms are so often triggered by stress and why you should avoid
trying to eat when you are agitated or in a rush: you won't be able to
digest your food properly."
“We think most foods have the power to be 'superfoods. Whether they
provide you with gut-loving fibre or polyphenols, or the taste of a
cinnamon bun takes you back to being a carefree 10-year-old,
the physical and mental benefits food can provide means there
are no true superfoods. Save your cash, avoid expensive powders and
exotic ingredients and instead eat as many plant foods and colours
as possible and you won't go far wrong.”
- The section on how to make sauerkraut is absolute gold, and precisely why I picked up a book like this – for the practical, beneficial tips that you can use in your day to day life and cooking. I would give the full 3 stars just for this section alone. I was previously very worried about making sauerkraut for probiotic supplementation but that worry has completely dissipated.
The cons, in my estimation, were:
- There was not enough information on probiotics – and as a sufferer of IBS, I really hoped to learn more about the process and ‘how’s and ‘why’s behind it. To quote the book: 'we recommend researching types of probiotics...' I wish the different types were elaborated on in the book! It would have been extremely beneficial.
- Likewise, there was nothing about prebiotics - just the history of prebiotics and the first research paper written on it, but nothing practical. For a book whose strength is in its practicality, I was disappointed to not see much practical information on prebiotics.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I completed it in a very short time because it did not feel like a research paper – but rather, a friendly, well-meaning, knowledgeable friend who was sitting to have a chat with me over a cuppa. I do recommend.
January 31, 2023
I loved how informational, engaging, and serious but lighthearted this book is!
January 30, 2021
A good start on an introduction to your gut health, very informative and some good diagrams that help people flow through the gut learning what happens as food is pushed through the body, a good introduction for beginners and plenty of tips to help aid you to the toilet if you are struggling or suffer with stress etc.
A lot of this, I already knew, but I thought the book might have been a bit longer and more in depth than it was, I did also think it might cover some aspects I personally am interested in, however, it stated that there was still on going research into that topic, so I didn't manage to learn any more.
The book could have also done with a little bit more information, if it had been a tad more informative, I could have stretched to another star. The book itself would be better as paper or hard back copy as via tablet, I struggled with it and it wasn't easy to read format wise, not a problem but perhaps something to bare in mind
With thanks to Netgalley, the publishers, and Lisa macfarlane and Alana Macfarlane for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
January 16, 2021
Thanks to Netgalley and Pavilion Books for an advance copy of The Gut Stuff.
The Gut Stuff is a great little introduction to your gut and its health. I liked its small size as an easy beginner introduction to the topic. However, it probably isn't suitable for someone with prior knowledge of this subject.
The part I was most hoping for information about - probiotics, is unfortunately pretty bare. There was a general description about what they are, but the authors didn't go into anymore depth, citing that research was still on going.
The book also really did not format well to Kindle, and regularly jumped and missed out entire paragraphs. I know this won't be an issue on the printed one but it did impact my overall read of the book.
Overall though, this was a short and interesting introduction to gut health and I would recommend it to someone with an interest in this topic.
The Gut Stuff is a great little introduction to your gut and its health. I liked its small size as an easy beginner introduction to the topic. However, it probably isn't suitable for someone with prior knowledge of this subject.
The part I was most hoping for information about - probiotics, is unfortunately pretty bare. There was a general description about what they are, but the authors didn't go into anymore depth, citing that research was still on going.
The book also really did not format well to Kindle, and regularly jumped and missed out entire paragraphs. I know this won't be an issue on the printed one but it did impact my overall read of the book.
Overall though, this was a short and interesting introduction to gut health and I would recommend it to someone with an interest in this topic.
February 15, 2021
‘The Gut Stuff’ is a highly readable and fun take on the current knowledge base around gut health.
The author have clearly worked hard to make the book as accessible and enjoyable as possible and I feel they have acheived this.
It covers the topic area well, offering information and practical advice. Gratifyingly all the advice seems sensible and fads are shunned.
It is a visually pleasing book, beautifully presented, and would be a aesthetically welcome addition to book shelves an coffee tables alike!
Each chapter introduces a scientist, medic or researcher who specialises on the topic of the chapter, adding real credibility to the book.
I felt this book to appeal to younger adults particularly, with lots of contemporary cultural references made throughout.
My thanks to Net Galley, authors and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.
The author have clearly worked hard to make the book as accessible and enjoyable as possible and I feel they have acheived this.
It covers the topic area well, offering information and practical advice. Gratifyingly all the advice seems sensible and fads are shunned.
It is a visually pleasing book, beautifully presented, and would be a aesthetically welcome addition to book shelves an coffee tables alike!
Each chapter introduces a scientist, medic or researcher who specialises on the topic of the chapter, adding real credibility to the book.
I felt this book to appeal to younger adults particularly, with lots of contemporary cultural references made throughout.
My thanks to Net Galley, authors and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.
November 14, 2024
I'll save you 5 hours you would spend reading this book: eating healthy is better for your entire body, gut microbiome affects your brain and body a lot, to improve the quality of your gut bacteria you need to eat both probiotics and probiotics as well as 30g of dietary fibers per day.
If you are a teenager maybe this book is nice, however if you are even remotely aware of the fact that eating healthy is good for your health then this book will be useless for you. All information on it is very vague and broad, nothing specific and no indeep explanations for anything. All the information is literally surface level knowledge, you can learn more from a random TikTok than from this book.
If you are a teenager maybe this book is nice, however if you are even remotely aware of the fact that eating healthy is good for your health then this book will be useless for you. All information on it is very vague and broad, nothing specific and no indeep explanations for anything. All the information is literally surface level knowledge, you can learn more from a random TikTok than from this book.
May 17, 2021
This is a great introductory guide to understanding how your gut works. It's written humorously and I loved the puns! It talks about what's known and unknown and the direction this area of biology is taking. I found the explanations from experts interesting and I thought it was great that Lisa and Alana didn't set themselves up as the experts themselves. I would've liked a diagram of the digestive system included (from mouth to large intestine/bottom). This book gives good gut advice for moving forwards ie. the types of food to eat (and avoid). Highly recommended.
January 12, 2021
This was an interesting book on how the gut works.
It contains lots of information from different specialist doctors, how food is digested, how it's best to poo(!) and what you can do to aid yourself, be it what you eat, exercise, de-stressing and more.
I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
It contains lots of information from different specialist doctors, how food is digested, how it's best to poo(!) and what you can do to aid yourself, be it what you eat, exercise, de-stressing and more.
I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
February 15, 2021
This isn’t a deep dive into gut health by any means, but for anyone wanting to understand the basics and improve their health with practical tips, this is a great “gut health starter pack!” I love the humor and the emphasis on bioindividuality - especially coming from identical twins whose gut microbiome was so vastly different.
December 30, 2022
Bedazzled by its unique presentation of information on gut and its microbes. Might need time to adapt to the presentation format. Informative and inclusive discussion that few takes on of the same subject.
Alana and Lisa MacFarlane divulge the greatest secret to healthy living if you are open-minded and receptive to new health information.
Alana and Lisa MacFarlane divulge the greatest secret to healthy living if you are open-minded and receptive to new health information.
January 7, 2024
Sadly this book wasn’t it for me. Although gut health (and the relation to the food you eat) is some weird side interest of mine, this book didn’t do it for me. It was quite shallow, especially compared to for instance other books on this topic (e.g. from Giulia Enders). Also the set up of the book with all the experts talking their talk didn’t impress me.
January 26, 2021
A really interesting book and so informative. I learnt lots about the gut that I never knew!
My only issue was that the formatting was all over the place.
Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.
My only issue was that the formatting was all over the place.
Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.
June 20, 2021
A good book that explains basic stuff about the gut. The things are explained in simple terms so I would recommend it to anyone especially if it's for the first time when they read something about the gut and how it works. It can be a good book to start on this journey about how gut works.
January 25, 2021
I understand that I am probably not the target audience for this book, but I found the book a bit too simple. the highly informal language was also a bit jarring.
February 21, 2021
Insightful overview (deffo not a deep dive into gut health) and surprisingly entertaining for a biology book 👌🥦
June 13, 2022
Learned a ton! Great way to spread good information to the masses. Very simple like magazine-reading, but valued the content.
April 3, 2023
good quick and efficient
July 22, 2023
A good book, a little too ‘cute’ for me but lots of interesting information that I think almost everyone could learn something from 😊
August 29, 2023
*3.5 stars. Quick and easy read - good if you want to learn the basics of gut health
October 7, 2023
A very interesting read. I want to learn more!
My only criticism would be the overly girly pink theme of the book. Some pages and diagrams are pink and white - not the easiest to read.
My only criticism would be the overly girly pink theme of the book. Some pages and diagrams are pink and white - not the easiest to read.
December 29, 2023
A basic guide to gut health, not sure I learnt anything new but a worthy recap involving several respected scientists.
January 21, 2024
I enjoyed this! It’s basic and would be a good intro to gut health/problems etc etc. There’s practical information in it and I like how it covers different aspects not just diet. As almost a decade long ibs girly I didn’t learn anything knew but glad I read and would recommend if it’s something you’re interested in learning a bit more about in a nice and not too information overloady way!
June 17, 2021
This was a very useful book and easy to read. Over the last year I have wanted to explore more clean living recipes and ideas and this has helped.
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own
July 3, 2021
The book cover is very nice, it's colourful, original and I love the picture chosen which I imagine and picture to be an intestine in knots due to maybe bowel problems. I felt drawn to this book straight away.
The title was appealing, light and fun and not so serious.
I was happy to be chosen to give my review on this book and I was really looking forward to this.
Unfortunately, the inside didn't equal the front cover and title.
To begin with I have to say that I was highly disappointed with the reading experience on my kindle as the fonts and paragraphs and the black colour tones were all over the place and made it very difficult to read and understand. It also felt like some pictures were missing. I truly feel that when you want someone to review your book then you should make an effort in the document you provide for them to read. I also have to say that I didn't seem to be the only one with this issue (see other reviews)
Let's talk about the book itself. I found that the information provided in this book and the different themes were mostly well chosen. But I am disappointed because the information given seemed to be all over the place, we went for example from talking about the small intestine then to the tongue and oesophagus and then back to the small intestine when we could have finished talking about the small intestine before talking about other parts of the body. This happened a few times throughout the book and I found it to be rather frustrating and annoying because it just seemed to be all muddled up with no real purpose.
The themes themselves weren't constructed well enough and could have been developed more. Almost everything I read about was short and not giving enough information and it seemed that some things were described too much, like for example the whole part when you give examples of what to do to sleep well. It didn't feel like it needed to be talked about for so long.
I found the writing style difficult to get along with, particularly when I kept seing "see page so and so" which half of the time wasn't needed if the book had been structured properly. There's a lot of confusion in this book for the reader and it just feels like the people who wrote it had not much knowledge apart from the huge amount of links and books they had fetched information from. It seemed like I was reading something written by a school aged kid not people who truly wanted to share knowledge.
The whole book was basically a load of chit-chat, too much failed humour and you speak about there being loads of musical references but there weren't that many in the end.
I felt like you barely described the interesting bit about the gut and stuff and just talked about un-needed themes like detox, what to eat whereas the book seemed to be focused more on the gut when you read the blurb and saw the front cover.
Overall I think that this book was a waste of time and I felt very disappointed as I was hoping to learn loads of new information and it didn't bring me much knowledge. It felt badly written, not at all engaging and more like an article you could find on the internet than an actual book i would buy.
The only positive point I can find is the glossary at the end, and maybe you could have kept that only instead of keep putting "See page so and so".
The title was appealing, light and fun and not so serious.
I was happy to be chosen to give my review on this book and I was really looking forward to this.
Unfortunately, the inside didn't equal the front cover and title.
To begin with I have to say that I was highly disappointed with the reading experience on my kindle as the fonts and paragraphs and the black colour tones were all over the place and made it very difficult to read and understand. It also felt like some pictures were missing. I truly feel that when you want someone to review your book then you should make an effort in the document you provide for them to read. I also have to say that I didn't seem to be the only one with this issue (see other reviews)
Let's talk about the book itself. I found that the information provided in this book and the different themes were mostly well chosen. But I am disappointed because the information given seemed to be all over the place, we went for example from talking about the small intestine then to the tongue and oesophagus and then back to the small intestine when we could have finished talking about the small intestine before talking about other parts of the body. This happened a few times throughout the book and I found it to be rather frustrating and annoying because it just seemed to be all muddled up with no real purpose.
The themes themselves weren't constructed well enough and could have been developed more. Almost everything I read about was short and not giving enough information and it seemed that some things were described too much, like for example the whole part when you give examples of what to do to sleep well. It didn't feel like it needed to be talked about for so long.
I found the writing style difficult to get along with, particularly when I kept seing "see page so and so" which half of the time wasn't needed if the book had been structured properly. There's a lot of confusion in this book for the reader and it just feels like the people who wrote it had not much knowledge apart from the huge amount of links and books they had fetched information from. It seemed like I was reading something written by a school aged kid not people who truly wanted to share knowledge.
The whole book was basically a load of chit-chat, too much failed humour and you speak about there being loads of musical references but there weren't that many in the end.
I felt like you barely described the interesting bit about the gut and stuff and just talked about un-needed themes like detox, what to eat whereas the book seemed to be focused more on the gut when you read the blurb and saw the front cover.
Overall I think that this book was a waste of time and I felt very disappointed as I was hoping to learn loads of new information and it didn't bring me much knowledge. It felt badly written, not at all engaging and more like an article you could find on the internet than an actual book i would buy.
The only positive point I can find is the glossary at the end, and maybe you could have kept that only instead of keep putting "See page so and so".
December 16, 2024
Discussing all things gut related. Serious stuff, portrayed in a simplified and humorous way. Could‘ve gone more into detail, but liked the illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews