Book Review. “Clean Gut” by A. Junger   M.D

In the last couple of years I have read a ton of books on health, dieting, nutrition and lifestyle. 
I was looking for following information:

1. Which foods are good for me and which are not and WHY?
2. What is behind the “IT” diet of the year? What makes them work, what are benefits and risks?
3. I wanted to learn how to design my meals for optimum health and enjoyment.

All I want is to look forward to my meals, do not spent eons preparing them and know that I get the most nutrients I possibly can. That is it. I am not asking for too much.

As you probably know there are more books on the subject that we can read in a lifetime. In order to understand how our bodies work and how to look after ourselves in a best way, you really need to go through quite a few sources as you will find polar opposite opinions and statements. 
At some point I simply did not know what to make out of what I have read so I continued with my research. At the end I was able to discard some claims and make some sense out of what I have read. 
There are some ideas that I am not entertaining simply because I do not like them, not because they are harmful or unsubstantiated.  For instance eating for you blood type. Everything that I like is a big “no” for me according to that diet. I do eat most of what is allowed, and little of what is not, so in the end I am pretty close to the recommendations. It makes it hard to cook for the whole family though. 
I believe that I should listen to what my body is telling me. How I feel after eating certain way. We are all different and what sounds good on paper does not always work in real life.

One of the books that I have read that resonated with me was “Clean Gut” by  Alejandro Junger M.D. Dr. Junger is a cardiologist who was stressed, overweight and suffered from bouts of depression. You may think that as a doctor he should know better how to deal with those problems rather that suffer for years. Once he started looking for reasons why he was not feeling well, changed his diet, lost weight and became a whole new person Dr. Junger started sharing his personal experience and knowledge to help others.

In “Clean Gut” Dr. Junger explains how our digestive tract works and why it is health is paramount to our well being. Ailments like joint inflammation, weight gain or even depression may all be a result of infection and bacteria imbalance in intestines. So simple and yet even among doctors the association is not immediate.

He writes about being aware of what we eat and how those foods make us feel. That was the information that I was intuitively seeking.

We eat for nourishment but food is also a part of our emotional life. It plays a big role when we are happy, celebrating (birthdays or weddings) or in sad times (funerals). Dr. Junger explains how that plays a role in our eating habits, changing for the worse without us realizing it.

You will find a lot of information on proper food combination and supplementation along with meal ideas.

I wrote a post a while ago about yeast  overgrowth and how to promote healthy bacteria in the intestines. 

I hope you find value in both my posts and in the book if you read it.

Do you have a favorite book that you would like to share?

I have not received any compensation for recommending this book, it is my personal opinion that it is one of a better books on a subject of healthy eating.