Books on Detox and Gut Healing

For today’s bit of writing, I thought I’d put together a list of the books that I’ve read this year that have impacted how I understand my health and how I am cooking in my kitchen. I’m writing about them in the order that I’ve read them, and have include some short notes that hopefully will let you decide if they are books that you’d like to read to. If any questions come to your mind while you’re reading this post, please do leave a comment. I’ll be writing more on some of these topics in the coming days and your questions will be very helpful in getting past those first few moments of writer’s block that often occur when you’re tackling a large topic for the first time.

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig

I started the year with Nourishing Traditions because I knew that I wanted to do more fermented foods and soaked grains in my kitchen.  From others comment on this book, I knew that that this  book would be a good starting place. And it is just that – a good starting place.

Nourishing Traditions is a textbook/cookbook that teaches why and how foods used to be prepared so that they were more healthful and more healing for our bodies. This book opened my mind to the possibilities of a kitchen that is truly the center of healing and wellness for my family. The author includes quotes and passages from older books, and my absolute favorites were quotes from older novels that show how foods like bone broth used to be a part of daily life.

I made my first batch of bone broth from the recipe in this book, and also cortido and sauerkraut. While this is no longer my go-to book for recipes, I still refer back the text to see what new healing foods I can add to my weekly routine.

Clean by Alejandro Junger, M.D.

During the summer a friend who knew about some of the health issues I was dealing with encouraged me to take a serious look at doing a detox. I was skeptical and she recommended that I read this book – Clean by Dr. Alejandro Junger. Let’s just say that after reading this book, I was no longer skeptical of the need for and value of doing detoxes.

Junger does a great job of explaining why detoxes are necessary, how the bodies detoxification system works and how you can help it do do more. I’ll be writing more on this over the next few days, but if you like to do that sort of research on your own, then this books is a good place to start.

Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D., Depression, Schizophrenia by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride

I’ve heard about this book for years and finally bought it. I’m so glad I did. This finally pulled together, in my mind at least, the connection between the gut, the immune system, and the brain. If you or anyone in your family has auto-immune diseases, gut issues, is on the autism spectrum, or has mental health problems you must read this book.

A gluten free diet has not solved all of our health problems and this book explains why.  It also gives practical advice on what you can do to further the healing process. The book is comprised of 3 parts: a medical explanation of the gut, brain, immune system connection, the details of the GAPS diet which is a gut healing protocol, and recipes and advice on implementation of the diet.

Interestingly, Dr. Campbell-McBride emphasizes that  detoxification has to be part of the healing process for GAPS patients, so it just gave that much more credence, in my mind, to everything that I’d read in Junger’s book.

Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome by James L. Wilson N.D., D.C., PhD

This final book is one that I picked up over Thanksgiving (and am still reading) and it deals with adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is what happens when you are adrenal glands have been overtaxed due to ongoing stress or illness, or a sudden severe shock, and can simply no longer produce hormones at the rate that your body requires.

If you’re suffering from fatigue, have trouble sleeping, but often stay up late because you get a second wind around 11:00, you should take this adrenal fatigue quiz (by the author of this book). You should also take the quiz if you have a stressful lifestyle, or stressful life events and know that you are just not operating at the capacity that you used to be capable of.

If the results of this quiz show that you are likely suffering from adrenal fatigue, then I definitely read this book. It has the most practical, detailed advice on the treatment of adrenal fatigue that I’ve read thus far.

 

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think of them? And what books should I add to my “to be read” list for 2015?