The Gut Revolution: Change Your Gut, Change Your Life

Bishara, a doctor of integrative medicine, debuts with a competent guide on the benefits of eating well. Explaining that the gut contains trillions of microbes, she contends that eating a varied diet of high-fiber, plant-based foods contributes to the flourishing of beneficial bacteria, which promote digestion and eliminate toxins, whereas eating unhealthy processed foods fuels harmful bacteria that can make individuals more likely to develop Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Gut bacteria also affect mood by producing neurotransmitters that cycle into the brain, Bishara writes, asserting that eating eggs, grains, and walnuts fosters production of the calming GABA neurotransmitter, while consuming apples, dark chocolate, and leafy vegetables boosts levels of the “excitatory” chemical compound dopamine. Elsewhere, Bishara extols the benefits of intermittent fasting, suggesting readers fast for 16 hours per day because going without food for that long prompts the body to burn fat for energy. There’s not much here that can’t be found in similar diet guides, but Bishara’s no-frills approach and encouraging tone (“Don’t jump off the bandwagon just because you have 1 or 2 bad days”) are a boon. This is worth checking out. (Self-published)