Book Recommendation
Gut. Giulia Enders, 2014
How I found it
Personal gut issues and curiosity brought me to this book. I bought this book at the start of 2020, when I kept getting a lot of bloating and was struggling to know what to do next. It had been persistent enough that I was exploring ways to learn more about what was going on behind the scenes and how to improve my gut health.
I read several other books about gut health and nutrition at the time, and more since, but this one has always been particularly memorable.
Plus, I thought it would make a great follow on to last month’s recommendation ‘State Change’ about functional medicine and the connection between mind and body health.
What it’s about
Giulia Enders takes us on a fascinating tour of how the gut works and the journey of food as it makes its way through our body. She discusses how the gut impacts our brain and how the universe that is our gut microbiome operates.
Her mission is to share all the science in a way that is seriously digestible. She doesn’t shy away from getting up close and personal to the detail of what happens to the food we eat and how we excrete it. That enthusiasm to go behind the scenes of what is really going on, and explain it in a way that is relatable and helpful, makes this book a valuable manual for understanding the gut and its powerful role in the body.
Alongside Giulia’s breezy and accessible writing style, an especially great feature of this book is the illustrations which were drawn by her graphic designer sister, Jill. They provide a light-hearted way to help us understand key points and a valuable complement to Giulia’s explanations.
Why I’m recommending it
First and foremost, because of the way in which this book makes sense of the science in such an approachable, easy to understand, and sometimes humorous way.
Much has been written and discussed about gut health since this book was first published in German back in 2014, but it remains a standout introduction to the wondrous world of the gut.
I had always been someone whose gut was sensitive to stress. Learning to understand more about how the gut operates and works with the rest of the body has been incredibly valuable for me personally but also for my counselling practice. Helping my clients gain a better awareness of how their body interacts with their mental health has become a key part of my work.
The media and influencers in the gut health space often put the focus on food. Whilst knowing how to eat a diversity of different foods and ‘put a rainbow on your plate’ is valuable, it doesn’t help you understand the mechanics of what’s going on behind the scenes.
For example, if you have low mood, it can be genuinely illuminating to better understand the mechanisms of gut health and how it can impact stress and depression. Knowing how things work can help provide you with different choices. This book is also valuable to understand the power of the gut in good health generally.
Who should read it
Anyone who is curious about their gut and how it impacts their physical and mental wellbeing. The term mind-gut connection is bandied around a lot, but do you really understand what it means?
It is also valuable for anyone who feels like they’re living too much in their mind and have lost touch with their gut instincts. The gut is often referred to as the second brain and this book provides the insights as to why.
A note
You can find Giulia on X @giulia_enders
If you would like to listen to Giulia as well, you can find her on an episode of the podcast, The Knowledge Project, from June this year, talking about how to repair and nourish the gut via the link below.
