The Lose Your Belly Diet: Change Your Gut, Change Your Life Hardcover – December 27, 2016

I bought this book because I saw an article plugging it that showed a picture from one of the recipes, but didn't include the recipe itself, and quite frankly, the picture made it look pretty stinking yummy. And as the mom of two amazing kiddos, one with considerable specialized needs, my life has been pared down in a lot of ways from what I would otherwise be out and about doing, and trying new healthy recipes is one of the things that currently brings me joy and helps me feel like I'm still soaking up life. Or, as Dr. Stork says, putting an exclamation point at the end of every sentence/day. I totally loved that thought, btw! So, I generally already eat a diet that would be considered by many to be quite healthy and I don't have any weight I need to loose. But I did used to work in health care before I became the fabulous stay at home mom I am today (but never with anybody who had any involvement with this book) so that informs my thoughts for this review. Typically I try more recipes from a book that includes them before I comment unless I come across something I think either the manufacturer needs to fix or that you need to be aware of, and that is the case for this book.So I'm going to sum up the most important recommendations in case you don't have the time or patience to sit through this entire review: I definitely recommend this book, but if you can, go with the print one at this time instead of the kindle version. I got the kindle version, and there are some things I think that could definitely make this more user friendly when it comes to the recipe section. First up, there's not any links to the individual recipes themselves at the front of the section that contains them nor under the heading for that section under the title page. That is standard in many kindle books with recipes, and it is super, super helpful and makes kindle cook books liveable to work with. This book does have a seperate recipe index further down on the contents page, but the spots it links you to are imprecise. Meaning, sometimes it links you to a spot only 1 recipe before the one you actually want, sometimes 2 or 3, so you still have to do some virtual page flipping to get the one you want. The inclusion of the recipe index saved the kindle version for me, because I'm crazy busy and don't have time to flip through page after page, so it's still something that I think if cleaned up for accuracy would make the kindle edition much more user friendly. And adding the other links? Even better!One of the most common negative remarks I saw on this book before I purchased it was from customers who really had a strong negative reaction to Dr. Stork referring to gut microbes as “little buddies” for most of the book. He does do that, but I didn't see a problem with it. First up, do you really want to spend your time reading an entire book that's not required for schooling that sounds like the author spit out a text book and whacked you upside the head with it? Text books can be boring as heck to read, and I think he wants you to stay awake reading this long enough to get his message...and this just makes him come across like a real person. I also think it's clever to constantly drum home the message that these are helpful microbes by labeling them as friendly. In our society, microbes have come to equal pathogens (disease causing organisms) in many people's minds, when many microbes are not harmful, and in fact, as this book points out, can be beneficial for your health. Regardless of how you feel about him doing this, the information in this book is accurate and useful and I think beneficial for anyone who is not familiar with the important role of the gut microflora to read, so my advice would be if you think that would drive you crazy, try to ignore that phrase and focus on the rest of the content.So from this book, most of it is information on ways of eating that will provide support to your good gut microbes and reasons why you should do it, and specifically how this can benefit your health and weight management goals. If your reasons for being interested in this book is to loose weight, I believe this can get you there, and I find his approach sensible, though I will have to note, that if you have any medical reason for needing to be on a lower fat diet, you may need to modify some of his recipes or guidelines to adapt this to whatever guidelines your physician has given you. I personally did that with the recipes that I have tried from this book. And I also think that for many people, there are emotional/psychological reasons for the way they eat, and if you've taken a good look at yourself and feel that may apply, in order for you to find long term success with this or any eating plan, you will need to find support in addressing that part of the puzzle, and this book doesn't go there, the focus is solely on the nutritional side.For me, I've tried three recipes. Now, when it comes to recipes, I tend to follow the “Pirates of the Caribbean” rule per se, and I tend to think of them more as “guidelines” then actual “rules,” and for me personally that meant I reduced nut and oil amounts a bit to be in line with the guidelines I personally need to follow. I liked all three, but the Cinnamon Apple Salad with Pecans was my favorite...totally could see myself daydreaming about that one, but I also really liked the Broccoli Asparagus Quinoa salad also. Now, Dr. Stork mentions in here that it's best for your gut flora if you eat veggies raw when you can, and I agree, but I must confess to steaming the asparagus and broccoli for this recipe because I didn't think two of the other members of my household would eat it otherwise. So I think the “guidelines” approach can make these work for most dietary regimens, preferences, and lifestyles.I would also say, start small if you need to. Four years ago I was put on a medication to prevent me from getting more growths in my uterus, and that medication damaged my liver (which is why I personally need to eat a lower fat diet). I had to make dramatic changes very rapidly because of what was happening to me personally, and I was told to get all of my extra weight off to help the process, and making all of those changes at once was hard and sometimes felt very overwhelming. It paid off for me (I have experienced reversal in my case, which is why I firmly agree with Dr. Stork that food and lifestyle choices can be powerful and effective), but unless you are experiencing a more dramatic health crisis or are trying to reverse a chronic health condition, I think making one or two small changes every few weeks and then slowly tightening down on improving your lifestyle can be the easiest and best way to make sure you are able to maintain and stick with those changes. And sometimes, I'm going to have to say that, it may mean finding some new people to add to your circle of friends. I don't ever recommend cutting people out, and I want to make sure you understand that's not what I'm saying, but sometimes people who are used to you eating a certain way will really encourage you to keep eating that way, even if you are experiencing a health crisis, and you may have to do a lot of sticking to your guns. And sometimes, people may think that doesn't make you fun to hang around with socially any more, and you end up being the one who gets cut out from time to time. It's hard, and it hurts, but I'm going to tell you right now, your health is more important, and friends who are really worth it will stick by you no matter what you are or aren't eating any more.Also, I can not emphasize enough that it may take time for your taste buds to adjust to these foods and find them delicious if you are used to the typical American diet, no matter what the good Dr. says about how yummy you will find them. It's that way with any healthier eating regimen, and the bad news is while you can splurge occasionally, and I do mean only occasionally, going back to eating the typical western diet once you've hit your goals will put you right back where you were, because that's what got you there in the first place, right? But if you stick it out, your life will feel more bountiful in so many other ways that the exchange is more then worth it. So overall, I think this is a great book that provides a lot of excellent insight in ways that are easily understood, I find the dietary recommendations to be solid, and the recipes I've tried so far are really good. I just think the print book may actually be less frustrating for most people at the time of this review.

This is a fantastic book that actually gives some great information and advice. I work in healthcare and also am being treated with some endocrinological conditions that I have had since childhood so I was very pleased to see a large portion of this book in the language that I understand. Even laughed at some of the items brought up too...There is an opportunity that the reader can take to move forward to the base of the book learning more about the program, if you dont want to go through the medical dialogue. In my opinion, the medical dialogue was really lacking more expansion that it could have taken advantage of.There was a list a medical conditions that this book was referring to. I would have appreciated more in-depth information with regard to metabolic syndrome. Im sure there are other folks who fell in the category of "Ive got that condition" who may have wanted more information. Perhaps more medical study references than what they provided would have been a GREAT resource. I spend time researching cases relating to my conditions and regularly report to my treating providers on material... that is something this book didnt have enough of.. but I understand why it was written in the way of less medical jargon.Thankfully, about 90% of the foods that this book identifies as the target area, are already foods that I consume.... I think this could pair well with the guide that I also need to keep track of through my Endocrinologist.I would recommend this book because this is actually a very realistic approach. This is achievable. Where I have a very complicated Stein Leventhal case, Metabolic X Syndrome and knowing what food-sensitivities are for patients like myself, this book does truly target that any many other conditions... I just wish I could have found more in the book for case evidence reports..

I bought this book in January 2017, read it briefly and forgot all about it. I'm 68 years old now and recently I decided to pay more attention to it because I started feeling rundown, with generalized body aches and brain fog, and I needed to lose weight. Soon after starting on this diet and following it strictly, I noticed a great transformation. Within three days I was beginning to feel energetic, clear minded, hardly any body aches, infact I was able to sleep much better and spring out of bed first thing in the morning feeling like a new person (previously, I could spend the whole day in bed drained out of energy). I stopped following the diet for a week to see what would happen, and the dreary feeling returned. I'm back on the diet again, I'm feeling good, and losing weight too. No turning back again for me. Thank you Dr Stork.

As I said in the headline this is an excellent guide if you are having digestion problems or want to improve your general health. But I am afraid the marketing boys picked this title. True, if you switch to a good diet with proper portions you will lose belly fat. But this would be true with a 100 other diets or reasonable eating habits. It has been proven you cannot spot reduce, that is, target the belly for reduction. Only a general reduction in food and plenty of exercise will do that. I recently got a valuable tip on why most diets don't work, something Dr. Stork doesn't mention since he is fixated on fiber and digestion: (Though Dr. Stork would say if your stomach flora becomes healthy you will automatically begin to lose weight.) if you lose, let us say 20 pounds, and then start eating the number of calories proper for your reduced weight you will still feel constantly hungry. Problem is your body is still operating on old news and thinks you still need to feed those lost 20 pounds. What to do? Bite the bullet. Stay hungry for a few weeks or months. Eventually your body will re-calibrate and you will stop feeling hungry.