Gut Driven: Jump-Start Digestive Health to Nourish Body, Mind, and Spirit

In this approachable guide, health coach Postolowski (It’s Just Personal) provides advice on how to improve gut health. For resolving digestive discomfort, she outlines a two-stage plan that begins with eliminating foods that commonly cause inflammation, followed by a “maintenance phase,” during which foods are reintroduced one-by-one to determine which are irritants. She recommends cutting out such foods as sugar, eggs, and gluten, and offers scientific background on why they might be bad for one’s health, noting that caffeine disturbs hormonal balances and that many people have “insufficient lactase enzymes” to digest dairy. Drawing on her background as a private chef, she serves up dozens of recipes to get readers through the elimination stage, including buckwheat pancakes, sweet potato fried rice, and spaghetti squash with vegan cheese sauce. Her advice extends beyond food, encompassing exhortations to keep a consistent sleep schedule, reduce stress, and maintain supportive relationships. While the guidance is sometimes short on specifics (readers are encouraged to “stress less” and exercise “not too much or too little”), the science enlightens and the recipes will make it easy to follow the dietary regimen. The result is a solid take on eating right. (Feb.)