I found this book really interesting and easy to understand. It presents real-life stories of people suffering from diet-related diseases and teaches us how we can eliminate food additives from our diet which is better for our health. Reading this book also helped me understand just how prevalent food additives are in American processed foods.
There are recipes in the back
of the book that you can try as well as an example of a week’s worth of additive-free meals you could make
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

Very easy to read, but not that relevant for me, as it focused a lot on IBS syndrome - which does not pertain to me at all. Still, the science was interesting, even though it did feel at times like the author was purposefully ignoring other explanations for health problems that come from food, but not from additives.

Hmmmm…. While I think Dr. Sterling makes some good points, this is yet another book that finds one particular dietary culprit for all your health woes. In this case it’s additives, but mostly specific kinds like emulsifiers and gums. She focuses primarily on people with IBS symptoms (and to be sure, it’s an epidemic in this country) and blames additives like carrageenan, guar gum, polysorbate 80 and maltodextrin.

To be clear, I also think most of these ingredients are horrible for our health and don’t belong in food. But she focuses on 14 additives and ignores everything else that can cause problems. For instance, she is very concerned with how additives affect the gut microbiome but never once acknowledges that foods grown with glyphosate (roundup) have been shown to kill off healthy bacteria. She never once mentions studies showing that organic foods are better for our guts or talks about negative health effects of artificial flavors and colors, preservatives, unhealthy oils, etc. It’s that cliche that when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

She advises to avoid these additives:
Acacia Gum Agar-Agar Carob Bean Gum Carrageenan Cellulose Cellulose Gum (Carboxymethylcellulose) High-Fructose Corn Syrup Gellan Gum Glycerol Guar Gum Inulin (Chicory Root Extract) Locust Bean Gum (Carob Bean Gum) Maltodextrin Mannitol Modified (fill-in-the-blank) Starch Mono- and diglycerides, Polysorbate 60 and 80 Sorbitol Soy and Sunflower Lecithin Stevia Sucralose Titanium Dioxide Xanthan Gum Xylitol

In some cases she gives great reasons but in other cases she is vague and unconvincing, like with stevia. She says she’ll eat a processed food with high fructose corn syrup sometimes but avoids stevia, while never really pointing out a serious concern with it.

She also talks about people with celiac but she gives no advice at all about how to cook gluten free without using ingredients like xanthan gum that we have all learned to use for successful gluten free cooking. Should my kids just give up on breads and cakes forever? It’s simply not addressed. Likewise, her recipes at the end all contain wheat. Also, she doesn’t really address the privilege needed for her recommendations, in terms of money and time. This is very much written for the middle or upper class woman who can toss out the food in her cupboards, buy better, and cook from scratch. I have done that even as a busy mom on an extremely tight budget, but it is certainly a struggle to acknowledge.

I do think this is generally good advice, particularly for folks with IBS issues. And if you avoid these then you’re likely to accidentally avoid a lot of other foods that are probably harmful even if she doesn’t acknowledge them. Whether you go paleo or emulsifier free or whole food or Mediterranean, you generally will get healthier because you can’t eat 90% of the garbage marketed to us as food. And it is an educational read. Recommended even if I don’t entirely agree with all of her conclusions.

I read a digital review copy of this book via NetGalley.

Eat everything by Dawn Harris Sherling, M.D. is a book which encourages us to eat real, whole foods and to free ourselves from the harm that can be caused by food additives—especially emulsifiers, thickeners and modified starch which can affect our microbiome and increase inflammation.

I found this book interesting and easy to understand. It presents real-life stories of people suffering from diet-related diseases and teaches us how we can eliminate food additives from our diet which is better for our health. Reading this book also helped me understand just how prevalent food additives are in American processed foods.

There are recipes in the back
of the book that you can try as well as an example of a week’s worth of additive-free meals you could make.

Thanks to Netgalley and BenBella Books for providing me the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book.

An easy to read book filled with personal stories, patient observations, and detailed explanations of what could be making us sick. It's not what you think it is, and you might not have to endure fad diets, eliminate your favorite food, or live a restricted diet. I

Dr. Sherling has written a book that is easy to read, categorized, and includes charts. Detailed chapters outline areas to focus on with examples to help support her findings. Throughout the book she states that this book is not gospel to self diagnose. Rather, we the reader if experiencing symptoms should seek professional help in diagnosing from a doctor whom we trust to ensure a healthier life.

Again, if you want to add to your resource library in your quest for a better gut and healthier life, check out this book. Dr. Sherling helps break down why eating the foods we love might not be the reason we have inflammation, bowel discomfort and other symptoms. If the europeans can enjoy the same foods and no issues it's time to figure out what is in our food and why we don't feel great after eating it.

I challenge you not to go through your pantry and freezer once you are finished with this book. The realization of what is in our food may shock some. However, don't panic. Dr. Sherling also recognizes that many of us don't have options to totally eliminate and should we find ourselves unable to totally get rid of everything, make better choices with the information you have. We need to advocate for what we consume and even a few changes can make a big difference.

An added bonus at the back of the book are recipes for those looking to find something new to help in this new food endeavour. I only wish grapeseed oil was not included in one of the recipes as that too is something to avoid unless it is cold-pressed. A fact omitted in the recipe notes.

A very thorough and well explained book on nutrition and the foods we eat. Most of it went over my head but she did a good job explaining the effects of eating foods with additives. I think it's worth reading if you are all into food, nutrition and a good diet. I also like she used her own personal experience.

This is a must-read for anyone dealing with inexplicable health problems, digestive or otherwise.

Dr. Sherling provides extensive research, anecdotal evidence, and specific guidance in avoiding food additives and regaining health. Her explanations are clear and easy to follow, and I really appreciate her balanced approach. There’s no “all or nothing” here, but rather tips for label reading, navigating social eating situations, and doing your best rather than striving for obsessive perfectionism.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I struggle with food and dieting and so I'm always trying to heal my relationship with the two. This book was great and provided a lot of helpful information about eating to improve how you feel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.

I have IBS and this book was a revelation ! It makes such sense of the problems that I have and I will be studying it and following the suggestions and strategies to see how it helps. Good straightforward advice.