Cover Image: Holistic Keto for Gut Health

Holistic Keto for Gut Health

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Member Reviews

I will not be leaving a review on this book.

Unfortunately, due to technical errors with downloading this book, I could not read it and therefore I am not in a position to provide feedback on this book at this time.
I look forward to reading or listening to a copy in the near future in order to provide a proper review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review as it is a book that I believe I would have enjoyed, I appreciate the opportunity to have received a copy.

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Recipes and overall book was just ok. I did enjoy the photos but some of the ingredients in this book were hist not for me. 3 stars only for idea and content ....

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Hmmm, Holistic Keto for Gut Health prescribes a keto-like diet for those with gut issues. It sounds much harder to follow than a regular Keto diet since all dairy, eggs and soy are no-no’s as well as most carbs. However, the book does allow a few limited carbs like potatoes and carrots in moderation. That might be enough for you if your stomach issues are severe enough to make the sacrifice worth it.

I’m not sure that it is enough for me. I’ve been gluten-free for a few years. Just cutting out gluten seems to work to remove most of my gut issues. However, sometimes it is very difficult to see what contains gluten because only wheat is called out on food labeling. So I was looking for another method to follow that might be easier. However, this is too extreme for me. I can’t see myself, or most people, following such a strict diet for a long period. It might be okay for a week or two.

If your gut issues are intense, you might find this book, Holistic Keto for Gut Health, useful. I don’t think it is good for most people who just want to lose weight quickly or who haven’t already tried a elimination diet first. 2 stars.

Thanks to Inner Traditions, Findhorn Health, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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I wanted to check out this book in search of recipes, but I never even made it to those (they start on page 152). The book immediately irritated me with its sweeping dismissal of "Western" MDs and fetishization of "Asian medicine." Every country in the West (however you choose to define it), and every local area for that matter, has different levels of quality in healthcare, and so does every country and region in Asia. Some have top-notch care and people live to a grand old age; others have the plague.

Anyway, it seemed like a good time to look at citations, whereupon I noticed:

+ The author cites a 2004 article from the journal Medical Hypotheses. Funny story, that was a non-peer-reviewed, self-regulated journal until they published some AIDS denialist articles that destroyed their credibility. So the parent company forced them to start doing better reviews in 2010. Anything before that is read-at-your-own-risk.

+ The author cites a book with LULU as the publisher. LULU is the self-publishing site where I used to have calendars printed.

+ The author repeatedly cites articles on the personal website of a chiropractor named Dr. Auer, who treats all kinds of non-chiropractic complaints through what is sometimes called "functional medicine" and other times "integrative medicine." Whatever it is, it costs $75 per 15 minutes and insurance doesn't pay for it. And he also sells supplements.

That is not to say the author doesn't cite reputable sources as well. But there's enough speculation and anecdata in the first hundred pages to be a dealbreaker for me. There are plenty of other keto/low-carb cookbooks out there.

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Holistic Keto For Gut Health
Kristin Grayce McGary
January 20, 2020

It is extremely difficult growing up with stomach issues. Here I am at 68 years old and up until March I have had the worst gut issues. As a kid I ate the food my mother cooked, some days I was uncomfortable, gassy, and I knew I had only eaten what was on the table. As a child I saw the family doctor and he reminded both my mother and I that not all people can digest food the same. All my life food was an issue. I gained weight easily, bloated up and became so gassy. It was ugly and embarrassing throughout most of my life. I always thought it was just me and I had to live with it. Two years ago I saw a specialist and he suggested that I was very sensitive to gluten. It helped to go off of it but then my son introduced me to the Keto Diet.
I have read a few books about Keto, then my husband and I started to live the diet. I was concerned how my stomach would react. After 2 weeks we had both started losing weight and my gut was behaving itself. We have stayed on it now for 6 months and are still losing weight. On occasion I have eaten broccoli or cooked cauliflower and yes I get gas but not to the extremes of before.
In reading Ms. McGary’s book I began to understand why my digestion is so much better. Why weight is not the issue it was before. After 6 months I have lost 55 pounds. It doesn’t come off as quickly as before but that is OK. If I find a food that bothers my digestive system, I don’t eat it again.
Much of her journal was technical and over my head but because I have stuck out the cravings and made it through. It is wonderful to not have digestive issues on a daily basis. Since I began the diet it is a rarity. For those of you who might wonder if your digestive system can deal with the Keto diet, give it a try. Holistic Keto for Gut Health by Kristin Grayce McGary will be published by find horn press on January 20, 2020.

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A great read! I will be utilizing a lot of tips and pointers it gave me and look forward to starting back on Keto again.

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This is a great book if you want to learn how to become healthy. It will give you a deep understanding of how your diet and blood chemistry really affects your well-being. It’s much more comprehensive compared to other Keto books I’ve read. I love what she wrote about gut repair and how the typical keto diet can cause inflammation and actually damage your gut. It's a comprehensive program so you can choose the correct foods, supplements, exercise, and journaling practices to best help yourself. And she provides delicious recipes and teaches that food is medicine to enjoy.

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The book describes what is essentially the Standard Keto Diet (SKD), which is generally comprised of 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbs, as what is needed to achieve the "natural state" (homeostasis) which evolved during the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras of human existence. Fat is stored when food sources are abundant from hunting and gathering, primarily fatty meats, and is burned when food is scarce. Bottom line, our digestive tracts have not had enough time to evolve so that we may properly digest in the agrarian world in which we live.

In order to repair our gut, addicted to refined carbs and sugar, and burdened by years of ingesting toxins, heavy metals, preservatives, pesticides, etc., the author recommends a 60-90 day adoption of the SKD, except that the gut repair diet also excludes all dairy, eggs and nuts. The book describes recommended supplements (vitamins minerals, etc.) and presents recipes that fit the proposed diet.

The book describes a dietary program which is generally available via search on the internet, with the additional information pertaining to why certain other foods should be removed from the diet, at least until the repair of our gut has occurred. A bit dry to read, but I suspect some would find the recipes to be helpful

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my unbiased review.

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This book was informative and comprehensive. I was skeptical of some of the science and conclusions but the book was well-researched. There were some editing issues with paragraphs that end in the middle of a sentence and a lot of repetition but overall there was a lot of good information. The section on supplements and the A to Z food guide were particularly helpful and there are a few recipes I'm interested in trying out. This program may be too aggressive for most people but there's plenty of useful information that anyone can use.

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This book came into my life just in time. I've been experimenting with keto and intermittent fasting, but would feel sick following some of the protocols suggested. The more I see keto hit the mainstream, the more I see it diluted into a gimmick used to sell products. I was feeling very confused and frustrated.

This book answered all of my questions around balancing a keto diet so it doesn't throw the rest of me off course. The science is solid and the guidance on HOW to actually eat (and how to determine what's best for you) was extremely helpful.

I love recipes and even more when they come with an explanation of how the ingredients are part of an overall health strategy. I highly recommend this book. I am definitely getting the hard copy when it comes out in January.

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Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this book had lots of useful information regarding autoimmune diseases and the importance of gut health. The author digs deep on possible causes of the rise in autoimmune illnesses, breaking down the systems of gut ailments and what we can do to improve it. The author suggest diets you can use but doesn't go over if the keto diet let's say, is appropriate for type 1 diabetes.
The author also provides recipes as the end.
Overall a very well thought out book with plenty of good information and ideas.

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I was interested in reviewing this book given some dietary/health issues I've had despite being an active and food-conscious person for years. Everything I'd done before (lifting, cardio, low-fat diet) to maintain a healthy lifestyle all of a sudden stopped working. I gained weight even though I was working out everyday and my diet hadn't changed. After going to multiple doctors, having gall-bladder surgery, I decided to try keto out of desperation. I haven't seen a significant change, however I began to feel so much better (sigh). Ms. McGary in her book describes so much of what I had gone through that it made me as if I'm on the right track. The book goes into a lot of detail and explanations that I'm not ready for at this point, some ingredients I'm unfamiliar with where to purchase (mesquite flour, psyllum husks, etc.), there aren't enough photos (color) for me to feel that this is a recipe book but it's full of so much information that I will be referring to the book over the course of my keto experiment.

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This was a really interesting book! If you do the keto diet this is a great addition! There is a lot of good information about your gut and how to keep it healthy while doing keto. I would definitely recommend!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

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I am a recent keto and pre diabetic cook. I have been going through dozens of cookbooks trying to find the right balance if not only healthy nutrition but food my family will enjoy as I cut sugar and bread our if the picture. This book is a wonderful choice as I merge a combination of family friendly foods that meet my desire to be keto with my husbands needs to address being prediabetic we have struggled to find what we both like or can eat. I love this cookbook it has been a gold mine if meals we can both eat. Delicious and easy. I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

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Inform your brain and look after your gut.

This book will help you understand to make better choices for a healthier life.

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Great book for anyone who is Keto. Really wonderful with a lot of helpful information! You will learn a lot by reading this book if you are on keto and are wanting to improve your gut health.

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This book was a very interesting read. There was a lot of background as to why the author was an expert. However, one of the issues, which still wasn't really explained very well, is how to make these recipes more accessible to picky eaters. I am not a fan of certain foods, fish, meat... so I am practically a vegetarian. This book has lots of good recipes, but I had trouble pinpointing ones I thought I could make and be happy with in this new lifestyle. I was happy for all the info though, and if Keto is a lifestyle this would be helpful for you.

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this book gave me some great ideas as I go through my kept diet. thank you kristin grace mcgary!!!!!!

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