Review: What Every Woman Needs to Know about her Gut

WHAT EVERY WOMAN NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT HER GUT by Barbara Ryan, Elaine McGowan

Nonfiction, Self-help, Health, Diet

3***

Blurb: Digestive problems
* Bloating
* Diarrhea
* Constipation
* Pain
Do you identify with these symptoms? Does your digestive system feel like your enemy? Is your unpredictable gut a source of embarrassment, shame or fear? If you’re a woman who’s answered ‘yes‘ to any of the above, you’re not alone. Two-thirds of people with gut issues, including IBS, are female. And your needs are very specific.

YOU NEED: Clear, accessible information about and insight into what female hormones can do to gut health
YOU NEED:Expert guidance from a consultant gastroenterologist and a dietician and clinical nutritionist
YOU NEED: Stepped, manageable strategies to take control of your troublesome gut
YOU NEED: A diet plan that focuses on your specific requirements, which is flexible, achievableand sustainable
YOU NEED: Easy-to-follow recipes that are gut-friendly, delicious and restore your digestive health

Thoughts: As someone who has struggled with digestive issues all my life, I found this book interesting and informative—sometimes a little too informative. There is a lot of information here, some of it really technical and with anatomical pictures. It’s also a British book so Americans may have trouble deciphering spelling, definitions, and measurements. For instance what the heck is an aubergine? (It’s an eggplant) But, if there’s something you want to know about gut health, this is the place to look. They discuss IBS, Celiac, FODMAP, intolerances, allergies, and more. And the problems many have are not “all in your head” as we are so often told.

They include what they call a “FLAT Diet” with sample meal plans, shopping lists, etc. that you follow in order to help alleviate symptoms. But they stress, not everything works for everyone. The FLAT diet follows a point system making it adjustable to your circumstances and the authors stress multiple times that getting better has to be unique to each individual.

Recommendation: If you have been struggling with digestive issues, I suggest you pick this up as a place to start and discuss it with your GI. Maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones who finds relief.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in hopes of receiving a review. All opinions are my own and not solicited by anyone.

10/4/22