Member Reviews
This is an interesting read, not my usual choice of book. I found I was more gripped at the beginning, the sort've book you could go back to (or even back and forth the the relevant chapters you're most interested in. It gives some useful information.
Written by Professor Barbara Ryan, M.D. (a gastroenterologist and Professor at Trinity College, Dublin) and her colleague Elaine McGowan, R.D., a clinical dietitian), What Every Woman Needs to Know About Her Gut is “...the go-to guide for women living with bloating, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other digestive problems who want step-by-step medical, dietary, and lifestyle solutions.”
Ten percent of the world’s population has symptoms of IBS and, of those, 65-75% are women. Dr. Ryan believes that too any women with “gut conditions” are following highly restrictive diets, trying to manage the symptoms – and Dr. Ryan thinks that doesn’t need to be the case.
As someone with WAY too much experience with digestive problems, this book sounded GREAT. And – IT IS! As soon as I saw that it included information about FODMAPs, I was optimistic that it would not be just a rehash of old advice. It does perhaps go a bit TMI on the gut itself (which I’m sure is of great interest to the authors), but the practical advice, diet planning tips and menu suggestions make it a terrific book for anyone interested in this problem. Four stars, only because of the TMI, I confess I skimmed a bit to get to the “good stuff.” Thanks to Sheldon Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.
This is an excellent resource that I feel will help a great number of women, some of whom will have had lengthy struggles with digestive problems.
The problems covered in depth are IBS and Functional dyspepsia, the later I hadn't heard of, but have since learnt that it is very common, but not always diagnosed.
Throughout this book knowledge is interspersed with real life case stories, that are both informative and interesting, really making the book come alive.
I love how practical this book is, and the final sections, which address the gut diet in detail, are fantastic, enabling each woman to build up her tolerances to different food at a pace at which she can tolerate. I was not expecting recipes, but some lovely dishes feature including (to my utter delight!) chocolate brownies!
This is a book I would highly recommend and offer my thanks to Netgalley, authors and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.
I notice, as I get older, that I have more gut issues than I used to. I used to be able to eat or drink anything without issues, but that has started to change over the last few years. So, now, when I see books on gut health, I am always interested in reading them to find out any tips I can use to make my gut healthier as I get older.
I love that this book is written for women by women doctors and is specific to a women’s gut health which is very different from a man’s gut health.
The discussions throughout the book helped me to better understand how the digestive process works.
The book includes easy-to-implement ideas/tips along with medications that can be prescribed by your doctor to assist in gut health, if needed.
Very detailed oriented and will be a book that you will go back to and reference over and over again.
Easy-to-follow gut-friendly recipes that are good for you and also taste good!
The book mainly focuses on IBS and Functional Dyspepsia. I didn’t know what the latter was until after reading this book and realized that this might actually be what is causing my discomfort. It is manageable and 20% of the female population will suffer from this at some point in their lives.
I very much appreciated the fact that the doctors didn’t promise a cure-all in the book. A permanent lifestyle change is what is required to alleviate symptoms.
Definitely recommend to anybody suffering from any gut issues and who wants to learn more about how the body works and ways to reduce symptoms.
What Every Woman Needs to Know About Her Gut quickly caught my eye as I am someone who struggles with many of the issues discussed within these pages.
This book is packed full of great information. Lots of scientific and medical terminology. Over the course of the six sections it feels as if IBS, irritable bowel syndrome, is discussed throughout and is definitely a main topic, but there are many aspects covered overall.
Pregnancy, hormones, and pelvic floor issues are all discussed. Diet, foods and drinks you should consume and those which you should avoid are all covered. I found it particularly interesting to learn that red wine could be a culprit behind diarrhea. & rum and cider can cause IBS flare ups as well.
There are sample daily menus and full lists of foods to break it down and make following these guidelines super easy!! & also a diary to kept track of bathroom habits and food. This is a great way to get to the root of any issues and learn how to fix them.
Personally, the formatting was a bit hard to follow and the book felt especially long, but I did learn so much from it!
Thank you to Sheldon Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book has a LOT of information in it. I think any woman with gut problems will find it valuable. It is, however, very British. This isn’t a problem, but deciphering some of the recipe ingredients may prove problematic to those of us in the US. For example, what type of oats are “porridge oats?”
Thank you to NetGalley and Sheldon Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Excellent book, explains the function of the gut and what happens when you eat. What the different foods you eat contain and affects on the gut and organs. The mind and how you think about or worry about your gut & well being. Fascinating and makes perfect sense. Some real life scenarios and the treatments given after the GP has labelled a condition irritable bowel syndrome. Great read for anyone, whether or not you have a condition or not, understand more about the science of the female digestive system and body. Thank you #NetGalley for the e-book to read.
What an Informative useful book at last! I have regular flare ups of diverticulitis which are really debilitating. Thus book provides a lot of answers and suggestions as to what to est/ avoid etc and the links to your hormones. Superb.
As a recently diagnosed IBS sufferer I was really interested to read this book and get some expert guidance. It's a great source of information, both in terms of understanding symptoms and their triggers, but also how to manage your diet to alleviate them. There is an excellent meal plan with recipes that are very accessible and don't require lots of weird and wonderful ingredients!
This is a book that I will keep coming back to, to help me understand my health and give me inspiration for new recipes to try.
Fantastic resource for women to build a better foundation in understanding their gut and what factors influence their gut health. I like that this book focuses on a female's gut biome. Many differences exist between men and women and it's important to understand the female side of gut health. This is definitely a book to keep on hand and reference over and over again. It's incredibly detailed and I look forward to referring back to this book often. Thank you to NetGalley, Sheldon Press, and Drs. Ryan and McGowan for the advanced copy.
GREAT information everyone needs to hear! Super informative with specific action items I can implement for relief from my symptoms.
This book discusses common gut problems with a special emphasis on female health problems. For instance, women's livers weigh less than men's and produce less alcohol dehydrogenase, therefore women have difficulty processing alcohol. I found the take-home messages box at the end of each chapter quite useful.<br /><br />However, I was quite surprised that the authors are proponents of the Mediterranean diet which is characterized by a moderate to high intake of wheat and dairy, both of which should be avoided by autoimmune patients because of molecular mimicry and intestinal permeability (Source: <i>The Autoimmune Solution</i> by Dr Amy Myers). Casein in milk protein not only wreaks havoc in autoimmune patients but also promotes the proliferation of cancer cells^. Secondly, although intestinal permeability was discussed, the authors say that it is an end result and not the cause of IBS. Thirdly, the authors have said that glutamine supplementation has a "possible minor effect" in decreasing intestinal permeability. This is simply not true*. Lastly, the role of <i>Helicobacter Pylori</i> in causing Ulcerative Colitis and gut inflammation was not discussed**. Overall, I was fairly disappointed with certain elements of the FLAT diet suggested by the authors. <br /><br />Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy. <br /><br />^Park SW, Kim JY, Kim YS, Lee SJ, Lee SD, Chung MK. A milk protein, casein, as a proliferation promoting factor in prostate cancer cells. World J Mens Health. 2014 Aug;32(2):76-82. doi: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://10.5534/wjmh.2014.32.2.76">10.5534/wjmh.2014.32.2.76</a>. Epub 2014 Aug 26. PMID: 25237656; PMCID: PMC4166373.<br />*Hond ED, Peeters M, Hiele M, Bulteel V, Ghoos Y, Rutgeerts P. Effect of glutamine on the intestinal permeability changes induced by indomethacin in humans. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. <br />1999 May;13(5):679–685.<br />**Li Wang, et al.,Helicobacter Pylori and Autoimmune Diseases: Involving Multiple Systems,Front. Immunol., Sec. Microbial Immunology, 2022 February 10.
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This is an important book for anyone with IBS symptoms. First, it stresses that IBS symptoms don't necessarily mean IBS. If you're having digestive issues, see a doctor and get a diagnosis. Don't suffer in silence. The problem might be something as simple as too much fiber in your diet.
Second, the book provides food planning suggestions and strategies for dealing with IBS. While the authors recommend starting with a low-FODMAP diet, they also believe low-FODMAP can be too limiting. It's a matter of figuring out what you personally can eat, and in what quantities. That way you can eat a healthier, more varied diet.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I really enjoyed this book, it was super informative and exactly what I needed in order to get started with my gut journey. I always struggle with the vast amount of information that is available online, but this book has everything I needed in one place. Incredibly detailed and extremely relevant!
This book is incredibly informative, and packed full with new information which I hadn't read in any magazines. I really like that the authors are so well placed and qualified to write this book. It feels like with Instagram anyone thinks they can be an expert in health, but these two women have so much experience and that really shows in the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.
I was hoping this would help me understand some things I've been dealing with as I've gotten older. It was well written and easy to read.
As a sufferer of chronic reflux and Barretts Esophagus, I am always interested in gut related issues and how they may benefit me. I found this book to be informative with great advice that I will refer back to again and again.
What Every Woman Needs to Know About Her Gut is an important book for all women. The gut is central to our bodies and any disturbances can throw off our physical and mental health. I was diagnosed with IBS 30 years ago and have read everything on the subject. So there wasn't too much information that I didn't already know, including their diet recommendations (which is very similar to a low-FODMAP eating plan). But, I do recommend this book for any woman who wants to learn more about their gut and how to optimize their health.
I picked up this novel out of curiosity. I do not have digestive issues however I have recently had a baby and have been keeping fit ever since (as everyone should do because it is good for your body)
This novel was all research and it felt like a textbook however it was very informative. However it was a little too informative for the average reader who is not familiar with constant medical terms.
I really enjoyed the discussions throughout which helped me understand my body more and everything it goes through and how IMPORTANT it is to nourish your body instead of not maintaining it with proper care.
Interesting and informative. Easy to follow. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book