Author: Peggy White

Spoiler alert: This book is not worth your time.

When I went looking for a new gut health read this summer, this one popped up, so I borrowed it from the library. At first glance, it looked reputable: Steven Gundry is an MD and a New York Times bestselling author, the back cover is plastered with endorsements (including big names like Daniel Amen and Terry Wahls), and nearly a third of the book is the reference list. Promising, right? Wrong. The subtitle: “Improve your mood, clear brain fog, and reverse disease by healing your microbiome” sounded right up my alley, right?  Wrong again.

This book is riddled with pseudoscience, and one of the worst offenders is Gundry’s advice to avoid all foods containing lectins (beans, lentils, whole grains, bell peppers, soy, potatoes, etc.), foods that are staples in Blue Zone populations, some of the longest-lived people on Earth. But the real jaw-dropper came in the “Do: Get Your Fiber” section, where he writes: “Finally, don’t forget your animal fiber.”

Animal fiber?! Is that even a thing? According to Gundry, examples include “ligaments, tendons, bones, and cartilage of meat and fish” and contribute to gut health. He even cites a study so I checked it. The article, from the Journal of Animal Science, is titled: “Fermentation of animal components in strict carnivores: A comparative study with cheetah fecal inoculum.” Yes, you read that right. His recommendation for humans is based on cheetah poop.

At that point, I dug deeper. I found a scathing review by Drs. T. Colin Campbell, PhD, and Thomas Campbell, MD (T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies) of Gundry’s earlier book, The Plant Paradox. And Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org made a short video about that same book with the tagline: “A book purported to expose the ‘hidden dangers’ in healthy foods doesn’t even pass the whiff test.”

Now, to be fair, Gundry does offer some decent advice: eat fermented foods, polyphenols, vegetables, healthy fats, get vitamin D, avoid processed foods, and don’t overdo protein. But with all the pseudoscience, and his supplement and skincare lines, it’s hard not to call him a quack out to make a buck.

I’ll let the Campbells’ words about The Plant Paradox sum it up: “What a shame that this type of unscientific nonsense creates so much unnecessary confusion, with deadly consequences.”

My verdict: Give this one a wide pass.

This is a book I often recommend, and I regularly hear back that it’s made a real difference. If the author’s name sounds familiar, you might recall Wheat Belly, his bestselling book from over a decade ago.

Super Gut is an engaging, easy read that manages to entertain while explaining complex science. It’s divided into four parts with cheeky titles: Bowel Blues, Frankenbelly & Friends, Gut Reaction, and Build Your Own Super Gut: A Four-Week Program. Davis draws strong connections between gut health and a range of modern ailments, then outlines practical protocols for healing the gut.

In Part 2, Davis explains how modern inventions like antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, and processed diets have contributed to what he calls the “Frankenbelly”, a microbiome so disrupted it’s nearly unrecognizable as human. He discusses the importance of mucus in gut health, the role of prebiotic fibers in feeding beneficial bacteria, and how changes in the gut environment can lead to bacterial and fungal overgrowth.

Part 3 dives into SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and SIFO (Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth). Davis explains how these imbalances occur, the symptoms they produce (like food intolerances, skin rashes, and sugar cravings), and their connection to conditions such as obesity, IBS, Parkinson’s, and depression. While the information can be sobering, he offers hope by emphasizing that healing is possible and well worth the effort.

Finally, Part 4 outlines a four-week gut-healing protocol, including recipes for homemade probiotic-rich yogurt and other microbiome-friendly foods. Davis’ protocol requires readers to eliminate factors that can disrupt the microbiome. This list includes avoiding sugar, synthetic sweeteners, and emulsifiers, to name a few.

Although I don’t agree with all of his nutritional recommendations, if you’re curious about the gut microbiome and want actionable steps to improve your health, Super Gut is a fascinating and worthwhile read.

“Right now, there is quite likely to be a conversation you are trying to avoid. It is probably one that is important to you, but it has a quality of discomfort to it.”

This month, I took a break from my usual nutrition-focused reading and finally sat down with Listen: How to Find the Words for Tender Conversations by Kathryn Mannix. It’s been sitting in my to-read pile since it was published in 2021. (You may know Mannix from her bestselling book With the End in Mind.)

As I’ve mentioned before, lifestyle medicine is built on six foundational pillars: a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections. These pillars are deeply interconnected and form the basis for preventing, treating, and managing chronic diseases. Mannix’s Listen is a powerful resource for strengthening the pillar of positive social connection.

What a resource this book is! In the first part, Mannix breaks down the basic skills required to open up meaningful dialogue, especially what she calls “tender conversations.” The later chapters show how to apply these skills in particularly difficult or emotionally charged situations. While the book ends with a helpful “style guide” of useful phrases, the bulk of its power lies in storytelling. Mannix emphasizes that for a conversation to feel genuine, it must come from our own words. The stories she shares are incredibly moving, so many of them resonated with me on a deeply personal level. 

The chapter that stood out the most for me was titled Where Are the Listening Spaces? In it, Mannix discusses social prescribing, a practice in which healthcare providers refer patients to non-medical, community-based support systems to improve overall well-being. She writes:

“Social prescribing recognizes that we are social beings and that connection is good for us, boosts our mood, and keeps us healthy.“

She also introduces the concept of Compassionate Space—places where people can connect, share stories, listen, and co-create meaning together. 

This book has me thinking about how I can integrate the skills of tender conversation into my own life, both personally and professionally. Mannix leaves us with a guiding message, one that has stayed with me:

“Compassion shared transforms lives, and listening is a good place to start.”