Description
This game-changing cookbook will make you rethink how you eat.
It turns out that gut health is the root of all health: A happy equilibrium in the body’s unique community of microbes promotes good health throughout the body, including a stronger immune system, better sleep, and lower stress.
Despite eating healthfully, author and recipe developer Lindsay Maitland Hunt was plagued by symptoms such as depression, fatigue, incessant itching, and joint pain—until a gut-friendly way of eating helped bring her back to a state of balance. In fact, she felt better than ever before. Out of Lindsay’s journey from sickness to health, and her extensive research, comes this practical and nourishing guide, with irresistibly delicious recipes that make you feel good too.
Dishes emphasize plant-based ingredients like vegetables, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, and whole grains, along with eggs, fish, and some meat and dairy, if you like. Lindsay also walks you through integrating fermented foods into your daily life and reducing added sugar and processed foods. It’s an approach you can tailor to your own lifestyle, whether you’re vegan, gluten free, or just love to eat! Recipes cover any time you eat, from quick weeknight dinners to party-worthy treats, including:
- Seeded Almond Flour Waffles with Raspberry-Flax Smash
- Garlicky Shrimp and Quinoa “Grits”
- Special-Occasion Short Ribs with Olive Oil and Kefir Mashed Potatoes
- Parsley, Kale, and Pumpkin Seed Pesto
- Brussels Sprouts and Peanut Butter Curry Bowl
- Peanut Butter–Banana “Nice” Cream
- Plus go-to essentials (roasted vegetables, simply cooked leafy greens, sprouted grains, and more) for building meals off the cuff
Beyond the recipes, Lindsay explains what you need to know about your gut microbiota and offers smart strategies and solutions to help you navigate real life, like a new food pyramid for gut health and tips for tracking (and rewarding) healthy-living habits.
Help Yourself isn’t a fad diet, a detox, or a cleanse. It’s a common-sense approach to food, backed by science. If you’ve been living with symptoms such as allergies, chronic pain, inflammation, bloating or weight gain, exhaustion or poor sleep, acne, irritability, if you’ve been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease—or if you just want to feel your best in your body—this book offers a pathway to wellness via the gut.
Read more
Ima Reader –
I adore the recipes in this cookbook. Being a home chef, I tweak things as needed to my palate, but her starting point recipes are so delicious. One of my friends who I gifted the cookbook to comes over and we make meals from it. I love the author’s education portion on food at the beginning of the book. Even though I consider myself very knowledgeable about nutrition, I still learned some things and enjoyed another perspective. Her score card system was so useful, I took a picture and texted it to my son. The pictures in the cookbook are exactly what the meals look like when you make them and they are delicious, nutritious, and fun. I have even recommended this book to others and shared the link to get it here. I’d love for the author to make another cookbook along the lines of this one.
Patty L –
Lindsay shares her journey to better health through food, and she does it in a way that doesn’t come off as preachy, or judgmental. She offers very practical advice and encourages baby steps to improve your overall health through food. I believe I have a pretty good grasp on healthy eating, but I love sweets and I’m not willing to give up meat. Plus growing with a scaricty mindset, I have a hard time embracing the organic and whole foods trend. But Lindsay’s non-judgmental style is not an all-or-nothing approach. By simply sharing her own story, as well as some of the simple science behind feeding your gut, I have been encouraged to introduce more plant-based foods into my diet. As a result, I’m less focused on eating low carb and more focused on eating a wide variety of foods to feed my gut – and ultimately my whole body – with what it needs. No more counting calories, or going hungry. And I’m still losing weight by incorporating the concepts I’m learning in this book. The recipes are terrific too. Even if you only get a few recipes out of it that you really use, you’ll benefit from the education you get on gut health and you’ll be able to incorporate changes into your lifestyle gently and gradually in a way that builds confidence and success, not guilt and failure.
B. Shane –
If you like to eat well and you want to feel good, just get a copy of this book. Lindsay Maitland Hunt has a knack for synthesizing the many scientific studies related to healthy eating and a healthy gut. And she does it in an easy to understand and friendly way, sharing many details of her own journey in knowledge and healthier eating. If you struggle with digestive issues, it is worth buying the book just for this information.
And, the food in her book is delicious — carrot/ginger soup and flatbreads with a choice of toppings, lamb meatballs and breakfast bowls. There is a lot of variety. The recipes all share Lindsay’s clear instructions. Everything I’ve made has turned out well. And there are a lot of tips throughout the book that are easy to incorporate into other recipes too so that even when I’m not cooking from her book, I am cooking in a way that is a little bit healthier. This book is proof that even with digestive challenges, you don’t have to live with food deprivation. Follow Lindsay’s lead and you can eat your way to better health.
Briana J. –
This is so much more than a cookbook! Of course the recipes look absolutely delicious, but it’s also packed with helpful, easy-to-read information about gut health for body and mind. This is a complicated topic, but Lindsay made it accessible and understandable. I like how she focuses on what you should eat rather than what you shouldn’t—it’s definitely more positive and encouraging.
I loved Lindsay’s personal story in the beginning, too…it was so relatable and inspiring. I’m really excited to have this book in my life and can’t wait to keep cooking from it! It seems I have found a new book to get me through the pandemic.
Annie –
I have only cooked a few things and they’ve been really good. I appreciate that some of the recipes are simple.
B. Shane –
The granola recipe, which is the first recipe I tried, turned out well. I loved it, and so did the friends I shared it with. I’m looking forward to trying some more recipes. I deducted a star for what I kept was an over-reliance on certain ingredients, including kimchi. If you hadn’t guessed, I’m not fond of kimchi.
Plum –
I read this from the library and then gifted a copy to my mom. It’s chock-full of useful information about gut health and the recipes all are very appealing to me. I learned a lot about dates as a healthy dessert option, too!
bsinkop –
Another great cooking book to add to my collection.