This inviting, illuminating guide to gut health, the debut from physician Bishara, blends hard-won insight into the role that the gut and its ecosystem of “over a trillion organisms” plays in our overall health, plus clear-eyed advice for the impact of gut bacteria and neurotransmitters on weight loss, stress management, healthy skin, and more. Bishara brings a personal touch to the material by digging, with touching frankness, into her own history with diet, weight loss, and careful intermittent fasting. She also introduces new research and possible upcoming breakthroughs on the topic, including her own discovery of the relationship between the beneficial bacteria Bifidobacteria, common in children but less so in adults, and COVID. A clear, engaging writer, Bishara keeps the focus throughout on what, for readers, is likely the bottom line: a practical, up-to-date survey of what everyday people should know about the biome in their GI tract. Every surprising gut fact (“the actual surface area of the gut, if completely unfolded” is “as big as a standard-size tennis court”!) is presented in the service of illustrating how the microbes that live there, both beneficial and not, affect health, moods, and more. In short, to-the-point chapters that end with bulleted takeaways, she both examines the problems that a lack of bacterial diversity can lead to or exacerbate: leaky gut syndrome; IBS; skin conditions; cancer development; even the cortisol production that convinces the body it must store fat.
Bishara’s guidance is presented with equal clarity and power. She calls for “a varied diet with an abundance of plant-based, fiber-rich foods that support the growth of beneficial gut strains.” Later, she walks readers through targeted diets and approaches to eating, like controlled fasting, that promotes weight loss, gut health, and other concerns. “Be patient and consistent,” she advises, and a list of Do’s and Don’ts (“Don’t jump off the bandwagon just because you have 1 or 2 bad days”) is smart and encouraging.
Takeaway: Illuminating guide to gut health, packed with practical advice and insights.
Comparable Titles: Kate Scarlata and Megan Riehl’s Mind Your Gut, Ada J. Peters’s My Gut.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
