Here are 75 books that The Mind-Gut Connection fans have personally recommended if you like
The Mind-Gut Connection.
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I have always been enamored with the natural world and how it works. This trait, among others, led me into the fields of biology, natural history, and environmental planning. Even as I witness our species chiseling away at the planet, I find hope and solace. Working alongside the tenacity and resiliency of plants, animals, and soil microbes, I've helped landscapes as large as a river basin and as small as a garden come to life and flourish. Give nature half a chance and she can do wonders.
This book unfolds a long and brilliant argument drawn from Provenza's decades of academic research and experience with domesticated ruminantsâcows, sheep, and goats. Turns out these animals are not dumb.Â
In healthy pastures and rangelands Provenza illustrates their ability to select a diet of plants that provide sufficient calories, balanced nutrients, and perhaps most important, a mix of plant-made compounds that underpin normal immunity. Provenza calls this "body wisdom."Â
Like ruminants, we too have body wisdom. But, the steady infiltration of ultra-processed foods into the human diet challenges body wisdom with mixed messages. While our brains get high, our cells remain malnourished. This book is a rich and extensive immersion that will transform your thinking. It's eye-opening and mind-expanding in all the best ways. Â
"Nourishment will change the way you eat and the way you think."-Mark Schatzker, author of The Dorito Effect
"[Provenza is] a wise observer of the land and the animals [and] becomes transformed to learn the meaning of life."-Temple Grandin
Reflections on feeding body and spirit in a world of change
Animal scientists have long considered domestic livestock to be too dumb to know how to eat right, but the lifetime research of animal behaviorist Fred Provenza and his colleagues has debunked this myth. Their work shows that when given a choice of natural foods, livestock have an astoundingly refined palate,âŠ
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to runâŠ
I have always been enamored with the natural world and how it works. This trait, among others, led me into the fields of biology, natural history, and environmental planning. Even as I witness our species chiseling away at the planet, I find hope and solace. Working alongside the tenacity and resiliency of plants, animals, and soil microbes, I've helped landscapes as large as a river basin and as small as a garden come to life and flourish. Give nature half a chance and she can do wonders.
Blaser's was among the initial books I read on the human microbiome and it has remained a favorite. You receive the gift of another person's deep knowledge that unveils a new and significant perspective.
Blaser uses stories of his research and experiences to share the full ramificationsâgood and badâof modern medicine with a focus on antibiotics. Against this backdrop he unpacks how altering the human microbiome, especially in childhood, is a likely factor contributing to chronic diseases later in life, from asthma and allergies to gut and metabolic dysfunctions. It's sobering. But, Blaser also lays out some key immediate actions to take in medical research and clinical practice.
âIn Missing Microbes, Martin Blaser sounds [an] alarm. He patiently and thoroughly builds a compelling case that the threat of antibiotic overuse goes far beyond resistant infections.ââNature
Renowned microbiologist Dr. Martin J. Blaser invites us into the wilds of the human microbiome, where for hundreds of thousands of years bacterial and human cells have existed in a peaceful symbiosis that is responsible for the equilibrium and health of our bodies. Now this invisible Eden is under assault from our overreliance on medical advances including antibiotics and caesarian sections, threatening the extinction of our irreplaceable microbes and leading to severe healthâŠ
I have always been enamored with the natural world and how it works. This trait, among others, led me into the fields of biology, natural history, and environmental planning. Even as I witness our species chiseling away at the planet, I find hope and solace. Working alongside the tenacity and resiliency of plants, animals, and soil microbes, I've helped landscapes as large as a river basin and as small as a garden come to life and flourish. Give nature half a chance and she can do wonders.
Ravella, a gastroenterologist, takes readers deep into the human immune system and its go-to processâinflammation.Â
She provides illuminating details about macrophages (a type of immune cell) and how dietary patterns can shift their normally helpful activities to harmful ones. And only recently was it learned that immune cells need certain fats (omega-3s) to make the compounds that end an inflammatory event. Where do we get Omega-3s?
In the foods we eat, among them fatty fish like salmon, grass-fed meat and dairy, and certain nuts and seeds. I also love the history of science and Ravella provides generous sprinkles of various characters and their ideas throughout the book to share how intertwined inflammation is with human biology.Â
Inflammation is the body's ancestral response to its greatest threats: injury and foreign microbes. But as the threats we face have evolved, new science reveals simmering inflammation underneath the surface of everything from heart disease and cancer to mysterious autoimmune conditions.
In A Silent Fire, gastroenterologist Shilpa Ravella takes us on a lyrical quest across time, around the world and into the body to reveal hidden inflammation at the root of modern disease-and how we can control it. We meet an eccentric Russian zoologist, the passionate yet flawed inventor of Kellogg's Cornflakes, and dedicated researchers working on the frontiers ofâŠ
A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.
Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother hadâŠ
I have always been enamored with the natural world and how it works. This trait, among others, led me into the fields of biology, natural history, and environmental planning. Even as I witness our species chiseling away at the planet, I find hope and solace. Working alongside the tenacity and resiliency of plants, animals, and soil microbes, I've helped landscapes as large as a river basin and as small as a garden come to life and flourish. Give nature half a chance and she can do wonders.
I would be remiss if I didn't have a "food" book from my list. While I have read and liked many such books, Adler's is the top gem.Â
As I read her book, I pictured us in my kitchen conversing about how we had modified a recipe to save time, money, or both. We compared notes on the lost art of thrift in the kitchen; how to turn bread heels, beans, and bones into tasty components of a meal.Â
Adler shows us that we can be cooks on our terms, in our own kitchens, delightfully free of pretense and convention. May this book free your mind and inspire you to get creative in the kitchen to discover what's possible!
'The most beautifully written description of what cooking is all about, and what it actually is, with recipes' Nigella Lawson
Through the insightful essays in An Everlasting Meal, Tamar Adler issues a rallying cry to home cooks.
In chapters about boiling water, cooking eggs and beans, and summoning respectable meals from empty cupboards, Tamar weaves philosophy and instruction into approachable lessons on instinctive cooking. Tamar shows how to make the most of everything you buy, demonstrating what the world's great chefs know: that great meals rely on the bones and peels and ends of meals before them.
I have been fascinated with the impact of gut health since becoming diagnosed with coeliac disease and IBS myself. As a registered dietitian, I was able to translate the complex science of gut health into a step-by-step format, which improved my symptoms, and I then went on to dedicate my career to this space and become a Consultant IBS Dietitian. I now run The IBS Dietitian, which is an online platform for people with IBS and includes online courses, a free podcast, and a book. One of the most important things you need to do to stay up to date with research in this area is to read.
I love this book as it cleverly explains how we can optimize our gut by consuming 30 different plant sources per week, which research has shown to provide the optimal environment for our gut. I find this especially refreshing as often books focus on restriction in gut health, which is not what the research shows.
'The ultimate guide and go-to book for all things gut health, written by an expert' Rhiannon Lambert, BSc MSc RNutr, founder of Rhitrition
Revolutionise your gut health with this simple plan from an expert dietitian
Get on board with the 30 plant challenge! Gut health goes far beyond the stomach - it is linked to how your metabolism, brain and body functions, and even to your mental wellbeing. As much as 70 per cent of your immune system lives in your gut too, so getting it into optimal condition has never been more important.
Iâve spent my career with my students exploring microbes in all kinds of worlds, from cosmetics on our skin to the glaciers of Antarctica. In Antarctica, I discovered bizarre bacteria that form giant red blobs; we call them the âred noseâ life form. In our lab at Kenyon College, we isolated new microbes from a studentâs beauty blenders. These experiences, and those of the books I list here, inspire the microbial adventures of my science fiction. If microbes could talk, how would they deal with us? Find out in my novel, Brain Plague. And I hope you enjoy all the microbial tales on this list!
The old saying that you can âfeel it in your gutâ is true. Our gut microbiome (community of microbes) is part of our brain!
Our own bacteria tell us to eat sugar so they can digest it. Bacteria in our intestines make our neurotransmitters that prevent depression and Parkinsonism. They make short-chain fatty acids that strengthen our immune system and endocrine organs.
Now, doctors are developing âpsychobioticâ microbes like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus to treat anxiety and other disorders. This research inspired my science fiction about microbial aliens in the brain.
"A friendly, interesting, and up-to-date read on the science of the microbiome and the brain" - Psychology Today
"Compelling, engaging, and informative, this book teaches us why microbes may affect all of our decisions" - Jack Gilbert Ph.D., co-author of Dirt Is Good
MEET YOUR MICROBES
Written by the leading researchers in the field, this information-rich guide to improving your mood explains how gut health drives psychological well-being, and how depression and anxiety can be relieved by adjusting your intestinal bacteria. This groundbreaking book explains the revolutionary new science of psychobiotics and the discovery that your brain health and stateâŠ
The Duke's Christmas Redemption
by
Arietta Richmond,
A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.
Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man sheâŠ
I have been fascinated with the impact of gut health since becoming diagnosed with coeliac disease and IBS myself. As a registered dietitian, I was able to translate the complex science of gut health into a step-by-step format, which improved my symptoms, and I then went on to dedicate my career to this space and become a Consultant IBS Dietitian. I now run The IBS Dietitian, which is an online platform for people with IBS and includes online courses, a free podcast, and a book. One of the most important things you need to do to stay up to date with research in this area is to read.
I have used this book as a reference to explain gut anatomy for the past 12 years; it is amazing for anyone wanting to understand how our gut works. It cleverly explains the complex anatomy and science behind each part but in an easy-to-understand format that does not require qualifications in this area.
âEverything you ever wanted to know about the gut (and then some).â âSELF
Discover the secrets of your digestive systemâand how to hone a healthy gutâplus new research on the mind-gut connection.
With quirky charm, science star and medical doctor Giulia Enders explains the gutâs magic, answering questions like: Whatâs really up with gluten and lactose intolerance? How does the gut affect obesity? What's the connection between our microbiome and mental health? Why does acid reflux happen? In this revised edition of her beloved bestseller, Enders includes a new section on the brain-gut connection,âŠ
I am a skin MD, family physician, and an adjunct professor at the Auckland University of Technology. My peers awarded me the Ko Awatea International Excellence Award for Leading Health on a Global Scale for âimproving management, education and patient-centered care internationally, across several countries.â I have often said, âOne cannot have bad health and good skinâ and therefore my interests are using skin, our only universal organ, to help us understand not only human health and wellness, but also issues that affect humanity such as the changing climate, pollution, aging, and skin color. I am a global citizen as I was born in England, grew up in India, and I now live in New Zealand.
This is the only âHow toâ book in this selection that literally spoon-feeds us.Love Your Gut has over 50 recipes: from banana and fig breakfast loaves to chickpea crĂȘpes, spinach pesto pasta to tofu satay skewersâthereâs something for everyone. However, at the guts of it, this book deals with how our gastrointestinal tract is also inherently linked to our immunity. Taking charge of what we place in our guts, Rossi feels, is one of the best ways we can take control of our health and wellbeing.
Support your immunity and fuel your metabolism with this revolutionary guide to gut health, including 50 fiber-packed recipes to nourish your microbiomeâfrom the award-winning Gut Health Doctor (@TheGutHealthDoctor) and author of the forthcoming How to Eat More Plants
Publisherâs Note: Love Your Gut was previously published in the UK under the title Eat Yourself Healthy.
The path to health and happiness is inside youâliterally. Itâs your gut! When you eat well, you feed the helpful gut microbes that nourish your metabolism, your immunity, and even your mood. But your microbiome is as unique as you are, so how to eatâŠ
I've been in love with biology since first playing with earthworms and marveling at the sprouting of radish seeds as a five-year-old. Further interest and curiosity led me to positions as nature counselor at summer camps and an eventual college degree in biology. Medical school was at times tedious, but the efficient, compact, durable mechanics of the musculoskeletal system totally engaged my interest. A residency in orthopedic surgery and a fellowship in hand surgery were natural follow-ons. My other passion is a love of teaching, taking a learner from where ever their understanding is presently and guiding them to what they need to know next. And they should have fun in the process.
Should bookstores shelve Gulp in the Humor section or the Science section? Both.
With her usual comedic and eclectic approach to her subject, Roach ranges and rages through our digestive system end to end. She mixes plenty of real science with quirky and unexpected diversions headlined by chapter titles such as "Dead Manâs Bloat and Other Tales from the History of Flatulence Research"; "Up Theirs, The Alimentary Canal as Criminal Accomplice"; and "Stuffed, The Science of Eating Yourself to Death".
Itâs informative. Itâs fun. Worthy of digestion.
"America's funniest science writer" (Washington Post) takes us down the hatch on an unforgettable tour. The alimentary canal is classic Mary Roach terrain: the questions explored in Gulp are as taboo, in their way, as the cadavers in Stiff and every bit as surreal as the universe of zero gravity explored in Packing for Mars. Why is crunchy food so appealing? Why is it so hard to find words for flavors and smells? Why doesn't the stomach digest itself? How much can you eat before your stomach bursts? Can constipation kill you? Did it kill Elvis? In Gulp we meetâŠ
This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the worldâs most famous heart surgeon.
In these and other intimate conversations, the bookâŠ
I have been fascinated with the impact of gut health since becoming diagnosed with coeliac disease and IBS myself. As a registered dietitian, I was able to translate the complex science of gut health into a step-by-step format, which improved my symptoms, and I then went on to dedicate my career to this space and become a Consultant IBS Dietitian. I now run The IBS Dietitian, which is an online platform for people with IBS and includes online courses, a free podcast, and a book. One of the most important things you need to do to stay up to date with research in this area is to read.
I have watched in awe as the authors Lisa and Alana come to the gut health space from a very different placeâthey were originally part of a twin study which sparked a personal interest in the area. But over the years they have worked with experts in the area and this book really outlines so many gut-loving recipes that are easy to incorporate into anyoneâs schedule.
'We became the 'chief guinea pigs' for the British Gut Project where we discovered that despite us having 100% the same DNA our guts have only 40% the same microbiota... Thus our 'gut journey' began.'
With practical advice throughout from gut experts, this is a fact-packed, achievable guide for better health.
With a foreword by Tim Spector. Alana and Lisa Macfarlane have spent the past few years interviewing tons of gut experts: scientists, academics, chefs and foodies to get the real scoop and science behind what we eat. We now know how important the gut is to our health andâŠ
