Research is proving that "listening to your gut" is more than just a metaphorical saying. The combination of our gut biome and its interaction with the rest of our body creates a second brain, or perhaps a second half of a brain system. The two-way communication works through the vagus nerve, hormones and directly through molecules that make it into our blood stream. Our gut-brain connections are imprinted pre-birth and in our early years. This process includes both brain patterns and the default ecosystem of microbiota. Stress, antibiotics and food influence our gut health and in turn our immune and stress responses. Anxiety, depression and other mental issues can all be influenced by gut health. The balance of microbes reach stabilization points that can be dramatically affected by negative events and also cultivated by healthy behaviors, especially by consuming natural foods low in animal fats and with regular additions of pre and pro-biotic foods ( )

The best part of this book was the last chapter which described what optimal health is and recommended ways to achieve it. And the next best was the section about gut feelings, how the gut's signals to the brain are stored and later accessed when making decisions. The rest focused on the digestive system biome and how it affects the nervous system as a whole. Although the case histories and anecdotes in this were interesting, overall it seemed a little repetitious and based more on opinion than fact. Maybe I was underwhelmed because I’d just finished I Contain Multitudes, an excellent book on the same subject and a hard act to follow. ( )

Great theories about the gut microbi9me that has to be proofed in the future, but if this gut brain connection is true, we have to rethink our anxiety and depression, and change our diet, first of all.. ( )

Combining cutting-edge neuroscience with the latest discoveries on the human microbiome, a practical guide in the tradition of Wheat Belly and Grain Brain that conclusively demonstrates the inextricable, biological link between mind and body.

We have all experienced the connection between our mind and our gut—the decision we made because it “felt right”; the butterflies in our stomach before a big meeting; the anxious stomach rumbling when we’re stressed out. While the dialogue between the gut and the brain has been recognized by ancient healing traditions, including Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, Western medicine has failed to appreciate the complexity of how the brain, gut, and more recently, the microbiome—the microorganisms that live inside us—communicate with one another. In The Mind-Gut Connection, Dr. Emeran Mayer, executive director of the UCLA Center for Neurobiology of Stress, offers a revolutionary look at this developing science, teaching us how to harness the power of the mind-gut connection to take charge of our health.

The Mind-Gut Connection shows how to keep the brain-gut communication clear and balanced to:

• heal the gut by focusing on a plant-based diet

• balance the microbiome by consuming fermented foods and probiotics, fasting, and cutting out sugar and processed foods

• promote weight loss by detoxifying and creating healthy digestion and maximum nutrient absorption

• boost immunity and prevent the onset of neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and

Alzheimer’s

• generate a happier mindset and reduce fatigue, moodiness, anxiety, and depression

• prevent and heal GI disorders such as leaky gut syndrome, food sensitivities and allergies, and IBS, as well as digestive discomfort such as heartburn and bloating

• and much more.

Some really interesting connections between the health of the brain and the health of the belly. The science is accessible and not too intense. ( )