Gutbliss: A 10-Day Plan to Ban Bloat, Flush Toxins, and Dump Your Digestive Baggage

I was blessed to attend a speaking event that Dr. Robynne spoke at last fall. I have had a lifetime (starting at the age of twelve, I am a month away from turning 50) of constipation (sometimes going three weeks without a bowel movement!). After reading the Antiviral Gut, which I loved, I purchased this book. I read it within a week and learned so much. Since reading this book I have purchased copies for several of my family members. This book has truly changed my life! I now follow Dr. Robynne on Instagram and never miss any of her open office hour videos! Thank you Dr. Robynne for your dedication and determination to educate so many on the importance of gut health!

As a Family Medicine physician and public health professional, I was intrigued by this book. I read an interview with the author and the premise seemed interesting. I wanted to check it out not only for potential information for my patients, but also for myself, since I have had various digestive issues over the years.First, the good: the book, while very basic info for me, will probably be a good resource for the average layperson. I like how she describes the function and importance of the GI tract, and the matter-of-fact way she talks about the health issues associated with the gut. I think it is a good resource for the average person. While her "program" is basically a brief food-avoidance regimen, I think probably some people who haven't read about such regimens before will get some interesting new information. For my part, I already avoid the majority of the items she mentions (alcohol, caffeine, soy, processed food, sugar, etc) but the book did inspire me to increase my veggie intake and perhaps try a trial of no dairy for a couple of weeks.Now, the bad: The chapter on hormones is very minimal and is so inaccurate and full of holes that I am amazed it was written by a medical professional. Here are some quotes:"Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy are also forms of xenoestrogens and a major cause of bloating." This is a gross oversimplification; there are tens of different formulations of oral contraceptives (OCPs) and how each woman responds to them is extremely individual. If your OCP is causing so much bloating that you are uncomfortable and noticing it, for heaven's sake talk to your OB/Gyn or other health professional to change it!Here's another quote: "Weight loss on a high-estrogen BCP may be extremely challenging due to fluid and salt retention and weight gain." This is either completely misleading or totally incorrect. First of all, it is unclear what she considers a high estrogen OCP. The old formulations (from the 60s and 70s) were indeed high-estrogen, but nobody is taking those anymore! Today's OCPs are half or less of the doses of those older pills. Furthermore, there have been many studies done with tens of thousands of women and NONE of them have shown any weight gain in OCP users that was not also present in non-OCP users in the same age bracket. The only hormonal birth control that has been shown to cause weight gain is DepoProvera, which is a progesterone-only form of birth control (contains no estrogen). There is absolutely no link between estrogen-containing OCPs and weight gain.She also seems to emphasize that estrogen is the culprit behind GI problems, but then goes on to recommend only non-hormonal birth control without making ANY mention of the four available forms of birth control available to women containing only progesterone (Depo-Provera, the progesterone-only pill, the implantable progesterone rod, and the progesterone-coated IUD), all of which are great options for women who do not like the side effects of estrogen.She likewise makes NO mention of endometriosis, which is a diagnosis that needs to be explored in EVERY woman who has GI symptoms which worsen during her menses. The primary treatment for endometriosis is--guess what?--combination birth control pills.She also recommends instead (because all hormones are BAD!) the copper IUD and condoms as your alternatives. Not only does this recommendation set women's birth control options back about 100 years, it is also based on a completely illogical premise. She recommends the copper IUD as better, but seemingly does not understand how it works: by creating inflammation inside the uterus (along with just mechanically blocking implantation). Thus, many women on the copper IUD experience heavy painful periods (and more bloating and GI symptoms with them). For my patients who have bloating, heavy periods, and the like, I recommend the progesterone-coated IUD as it frequently treats these symptoms very well and makes their periods lighter or nonexistent.Finally, she makes no mention of one of the huge advantages of combination OCPs: a very significant reduction in ovarian cancer risk; in some studies as high as 80% less ovarian cancers in OCP users over 10 years compared to never-users. Other studies put the numbers at about 40-60% depending on the length of use.I'm not going to get into the specifics of her comments on HRT because this review would get even more ridiculously long, but suffice it to say they are likewise not terribly accurate and certainly don't provide sufficient information to make an informed decision.Bottom line ladies: if you have GI symptoms which you think are related to your menstrual cycle or your hormones, go to a good Ob/Gyn or Nurse Practitioner specializing in Women's Health. This book does not provide you with nearly the depth or accuracy of information, nor educate you about your options.I give it 3 stars due to the above inaccuracies and false information; otherwise I would give it 4-5. Because it is only one chapter out of the book, I think 3 stars is fair, as the rest of the information seems pretty accurate (although fairly basic).

I am so grateful that I discovered this book! It changed my life and my daughter’s life. The information, wisdom, and experiences the author provided really motivated me during a time I was feeling very discouraged and mentally ill. The mental struggle I was battling was due to chronic unaddressed symptoms. Also due to multiple physicians regularly disregarding our struggles and concerns. Furthermore, due to physicians and family members making me often feel like my daughter and my medical issues were exaggerated and not that much of a concern. Fast forward 4 years later after my daughter finally had a Celiac Disease diagnosis and diet change intervention and after I had major surgeries on multiple organs. Since these changes my daughter and I rarely have to go to the doctors! We often even get our flue shot at CVS to avoid having to go back to the doctors. I am sure all the people that implied I was a hypochondriac for many years are scratching their heads now. I love this book for motivating me to keep advocating for my daughter and I. It implied that if you have an intuition something is wrong, then it probably is! Also I need to add that this book was great but it didn’t cure my medical issues completely. Most my symptoms have remained at bay after multiple surgeries, quality probiotics, and I live a Keto Diet lifestyle.

Really learned a lot from this. It did change my attitude towards food and the way I eat which is the kind of book i was looking for for a long time but could not find. Since reading this I am now very good at avoiding processed food and have dramatically increased the amount of my own cooking I do. This was a major stumbling block for me personally, previously. On the downside, it does say dairy in moderation but for some reason I have started loving it and eating it more. Bit of a shame, but hey. The book becomes very repetitive and goes into detail about the causes of many modern stomach ailments. The causes are all very similar with slight variations. The basic advice in the book is similar for everyone sick and healthy and will help people to improve their gut health. It makes you think a lot about modern lifestyles and the effects on the body which our ancestors did not have to deal with. It also shows that a lot of these mystery stomach problems people suffer from are actually self- inflicted but can be undone.

Read thus from cover to cover! Will be implementing mire lentils into my diet and moving ALOT more! Best way to detox and live well is from the standpoint of a healthy gut! Love it!

Really interesting read, not yet got round to starting the 10day plan ...but very pleased with purchase! Worth getting it!

Why just for women???

Fantastic bookRead parts over and over