Do you ever lie awake at night and wonder what’s going on inside your stomach? Do you examine your poo before you flush? Do you know what tonsil stones are?
Well, if you’re curious about any of the above, you should read Gut by Giulia Enders, because not only does she have answers, she also has a cheeky way of explaining how some parts of our bodies work that most of us just choose to ignore, because…. eeewwwwww.
I made a conscious decision to stop reading *diet* books about ten years ago, but Gut is something different; it’s about how our bodies function and how the foods we eat, the drugs we take, and the emotions we feel all contribute to our overall gut health, which in turn, has a massive effect on our overall mental and physical wellbeing.
Enders writes in a friendly style which makes reading about gastrointestinal functions much more entertaining than you might imagine. Within the first few chapters I realised why my son had chronic bad breath (tonsil stones) and, that having my tonsils out before I was seven (I was five), and routinely taking antibiotics as a child (like four or five times a year) may both have contributed to my losing battle to maintain a steady weight because of the damage these two things can cause to one’s microbiome.
Giulia’s sister Jill illustrated the book with a charming style which might make you laugh, rather than cringe at the thought “so that’s how a sphincter works.” Gut is a quick and informative read and is totally worth checking out, just for the section called “A few facts about faeces” alone. It’s not in my wheelhouse, but I loved it just the same.
I have a former friend who would loooove this book. She is obsessed with her own poop.