There are over 100 million neurons in the gut forming what is called the enteric system – a sort of second brain. These neurons “communicate” with the microbiome which can affect your behaviour and feelings including eating habits, cravings, moods etc. Great foods for your gut: olive oil, oily fish, seaweed, cocoa, turmeric, garlic, shallots, leeks, white onions, eggplant, Jerusalem artichoke, asparagus, barley, flax seeds, yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar. This is the subtitle of the book and a more accurate description of its purpose. Mosley himself admits it's not really a "diet book" in his introduction, and one has to wonder if the publishing PR gurus won the title battle. Your gut is astonishingly clever. It contains millions of neurons—as many as you would find in the brain of a cat—and is home to the microbiome, an army of tiny organisms that influence your mood, your immune system, and even your appetite.

The reason I haven't afforded it 5 stars is largely due to editing issues which are something I detest of published books at the best of times but particularly in non-fiction. There is also some strange formatting with regards to the pictures of the recipes in the Australian Kindle version I read, but that's nothing major. I also sometimes find the examples used a bit thin/superficial even for an "entertaining" non-fiction book, such as references to Rebel Wilson's diet. I also wasn't a fan of the politicised comment regarding ISIS. It just didn't need to be used in a diet book.

Phase 2: RE-INTRODUCTIONS

De auteur beweert ook dat verzadigd vet niet per se nefaster voor de gezondheid is dan onverzadigd vet. Wat de wetenschap enorm tegenspreekt.

We also suggest general measures regarding foods to avoid and others to add which are known to reduce symptoms and improve gut health. These are detailed in the book. Phase 2: RE-INTRODUCTIONS There are a number of tests currently available that will analyse your gut microbiome. One such test detailed in the book is the stool sampling test and App, supplied by Day Two. Periodiek vasten wordt ook enorm geprezen in dit boek. Vooral dan de versie waarbij je 2 dagen slechts 600-800 kcal eet en dan 5 dagen normaal. Tijdens die 5 dagen raadt de auteur het mediterraans dieet aan. Please note: This approach isn’t suitable for everyone, and we don’t recommend embarking on this process if you are underweight, suspect you have a food allergy, have other significant medical problems, are suffering from unexplained weight loss or change in bowel habit, bleeding, or are frail or unwell. If you have any concerns, we recommend talking to your health professional first. See FAQs for exclusions. Phase 1: REMOVE AND REPAIRThis book didn't disappoint. It's a journey into your microbiome which is in your gut. It contains information on how to 'change' it, or make it more diverse. We are learning all the time in the science field that the gut could be the route of a lot of problems - including such things as depression and anxiety. It's a fascinating area and Dr. Mosley does a fantastic job at explaining it. He's not patronising, but at the same time he doesn't shy away from medical/scientific language. He explains everything very well and in the right amount of details. I also really liked that he says he can't shy away from chocolate no matter how much he tries - chocolate is my downfall too, made me feel a bit better about myself! Dr. Mosley also shares a simple two-phase healing program, an effective way to repair and replenish the microbiome and to ease intestinal distress. Discover how foods like chocolate, red wine, and cheese can be part of a gut-healthy diet; how fasting can strengthen the gut and boost “good” bacteria; how changing your microbiome can undo the damage of yo-yo dieting; and how opening a window (and other simple acts) can improve gut health. Many people will go straight to Phase 2, without needing to eliminate any foods. For those who have removed food substances and done the gut healing program in Phase 1, the Reintroduction program in Phase 2 involves gradually including the foods that you eliminated during the repair phase. Prebiotics are a type of plant fibre which your body can’t absorb, but which encourages the growth of “good” bacteria in your gut. They act as food for probiotics. They feed the ‘Old Friends’. Prebiotics and Probiotics work together to help maintain a healthy digestive system. If there is not enough fluid, even after a few hours, you can top up with brine made up of 1 tsp Maldon salt dissolved in 200ml filtered water. The water level should be 0.5-1cm above the veg and about 2.5cm below the top of the jar. Cover with a stone, ceramic or glass object to keep it submerged.

After presenting much interesting research, Mosley advises us that the more diverse our microbiome, i.e. the more different types of bacteria we have in our guts, the healthier we will be. The rest of Part 1 of the book is taken up with showing how we can effect a positive change on our microbiome. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that help keep your digestive system healthy by boosting the number and variety of ‘good’ gut microbes and reducing the growth of harmful microbes. As mentioned in The Clever Guts Diet book, these are the ‘Old Friends’, the good bugs, often passed on from generation to generation.

What foods are good sources of probiotics?

When signing up to DayTwo, you first fill out a questionnaire and send us a stool sample, using the provided kit. We then sequence your gut microbiome DNA – we use our cutting-edge science to profile the composition and diversity of your gut microbiome at the genetic level because your microbiome is directly associated with your health. We run the sample through our patent-pending predictor – samples are carefully analyzed through our patent-pending algorithm, producing a unique nutrition profile just for you. Finally, you receive your personalized nutrition recommendations app, providing you with specific food recommendations for normalizing blood sugar levels. High blood sugar is linked to energy dips, excessive hunger, weight gain and increased risk of obesity and diabetes. A good summary of what we know about gut health and a great collection of simple recipes. I was surprised to learn that the microbes in our gut don't just help regulate weight, they influence how much food is extracted from what we eat, control hunger signals, regulates our immune system, influence our cravings and even influence our mood. In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Mosley takes us on a revelatory journey through the gut, showing how junk food and overuse of antibiotics have wiped out many “good” gut bacteria leading to a modern plague of allergies, food intolerances, and obesity. Drawing from the latest cutting-edge research, Dr. Mosley provides scientifically proven ways to control your cravings, boost your mood, and lose weight by feeding the “good” bacteria that keep you healthy and lean, while staving off “bad” bacteria that contribute to weight gain and disease. It is great to see so many people embracing the age old tradition of fermenting food – now sought after for both improved health and better taste. And it is generally good value too! Mosley tells us that in addition to what we all know the gut does, i.e. transforms food into the nutrients and energy our bodies need, it also "... accounts for most of our immune system and produces more than two dozen hormones that influence everything from our appetite to our mood."

In de recepten wordt er rijkelijk gebruik gemaakt van kokosolie en - melk, maar in het boek bespreekt hij nergens waarom hij deze keuze maakt en wat het effect op je microbioom is. As well as helping people optimise their gut health, we would like to help people who currently have gut problems, such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and food intolerances. For those with gut problems there is a very well established two stage approach to repairing the gut, which involves first of all removing possible food irritants and then replacing foods gradually. It is really important that this is done gradually and systematically. In general, the Reintroduction Phase involves moving towards healthier ways of eating that will be good for you, your gut and your gut bacteria. This means introducing more prebiotic foods to feed the bacteria, such as onions, chicory and apples, along with probiotic foods such as fermented foods like live yoghurt or fermented vegetables, which top up the healthy bacteria in your gut.

If you do have gut symptoms it is important to keep a detailed food diary during this process and to record your symptoms. This will help you identify whether or not your symptoms are of dietary origin, and what foods (if any) are upsetting your gut. I love Michael Mosley. I think he's an absolute credit to his profession, and I love the way he goes above and beyond to prove/disprove theories just to help others, as well as himself. We are often told that regulating weight is a simple matter of matching Calories ingested with Calories expended in exercise. The Clever Guts Diet challenges this notion because research shows that the "bacteria in your gut can influence how many of the Calories that go in, stay in." What's more, each person's gut treats food differently. We all know someone who can eat cream cakes with impunity yet someone else only has to LOOK at a cream cake to put on kilos.