We’ve all heard about the microbiome. What about that new weight loss drug that people are clamoring for? Well, according to this book we’re reviewing, if you get your gut microbiome in order, your weight loss will be permanent. Here’s how this book came about:

 The author, Raphael Kellman, MD, had a patient who couldn’t lose weight no matter what. He tried every diet imaginable. Then he ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, and he and the doctor thought for sure it meant weight gain. The doctor put him on probiotics (because he was taking antibiotics) and prebiotics, and guess what? He lost 7 pounds. This led the doctor on a journey to understand why, and the book The Microbiome Diet: The Scientifically Proven Way to Restore Your Gut Health and Achieve Permanent Weight was the result. And we can be the benefactors!

Improving the microbiome can do what?

Did you know that taking antibiotics kills the bacteria that’s making you sick? Did you also know it kills the healthy bacteria that live throughout our bodies, especially in our intestinal tract? It’s important to replenish and restore our gut not only for our gut but for our whole body- The author believes the microbiome diet is the royal road to health. When you balance your microbiome, your skin will glow, your hair will become healthier, and you’ll have boatloads of energy. Your mood will improve- your healthy microbiome combats anxiety and depression. Your brain will feel focused and laser-sharp: a healthy microbiome clears away brain fog. Pg 49

The book’s premise contains four main points

These points all begin with the letter R.

• Remove the unhealthy bacteria and foods that unbalance the microbiome
• Replace the digestive enzymes that you need for optimal digestion
• Re-inoculate with probiotics (intestinal bacteria) and prebiotics (foods and supplements that nourish this bacteria and keep it healthy)
• Repair the lining of your intestinal walls, which have likely become permeable and are releasing partially digested food into your bloodstream with disastrous results 2

In a nutshell: remove foods that cause inflammation and are allergenic or reactive, such as gluten, soy, eggs, dairy, sugar, unhealthy fats, and artificial sweeteners 3 To replace, the author suggests adding enzymes and hydrochloric acid. To reinoculate, add probiotics found in supplements or fermented foods and yogurts and prebiotics in supplement form or by eating asparagus, jicama, onions, or garlic, and other veggies. 4

 I like this book overall. There are recipes because if you’re used to eating bread and tofu, and all of a sudden you find you can’t eat them, the food ideas in this book are helpful. What’s encouraging is that while you have to eliminate some foods, it’s temporary. Once you discover if your body likes that particular food, you can add it back in, maybe not go the whole hog, so to speak, but you’re not depriving yourself. There are references and ideas about where to buy certain foods, what supplements to take, how much and how many per day, and more. When over half of Americans are overweight, isn’t it time to look at something that can improve our overall health and well-being instead of just popping a pill to reduce our size?

1 The Microbiome Diet: The Scientifically Proven Way to Restore Your Gut Health and Achieve Permanent Weight, Raphael Kellman, MD (2014 First edition Da Capo Press Boston, MA) pg 49

2 The Microbiome Diet: The Scientifically Proven Way to Restore Your Gut Health and Achieve Permanent Weight, Raphael Kellman, MD pg 50

3 The Microbiome Diet: The Scientifically Proven Way to Restore Your Gut Health and Achieve Permanent Weight Raphael Kellman, MD pg 55

4 The Microbiome Diet: The Scientifically Proven Way to Restore Your Gut Health and Achieve Permanent Weight Raphael Kellman, MD pg 79