We're accustomed to thinking of bacteria as bad -- and some are -- but most of the bacteria and microbes in our guts do amazing things, like working with our immune system to fight disease and helping our bodies digest food. Not only can't we live without them, but as their numbers and diversity increase, so too does our health. In this book, we look at all of the ways you can improve your own gut health, starting with the food you eat. My diet recommendations,...

"Investigative journalist Barry Estabrook was often on the receiving end of his doctor's scowl. Realizing he had two options--take more medication or lose weight--Estabrook chose the latter, but was paralyzed by the options. Which diet would keep the weight off? What program could he maintain over time? What diet works best--or even at all? Over the course of three years, Estabrook tried the regimens behind the most popular diets of the past forty...