Happy Gut: The Cleansing Program to Help You Lose Weight, Gain Energy, and Eliminate Pain

332 Pages·2015·2.81 MB·English

by  Vincent Pedre

DEDICATION
To my mother—I know you would be so proud.
To my father—Thank you for giving me the opportunity to become a
doctor and help others.
And to my son, Ambrose—May you always have a happy gut.
CONTENTS
Dedication
Foreword by Leo Galland, MD
Introduction
PART I IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GUT
1 It’s All in Your Gut
2 The Happy Gut Diet: Phase I Explained
*The Happy Gut Shopping List
PART II THE GUT C.A.R.E. PROGRAM: TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS TO
A NEW YOU
3 Eliminate Symptoms and Maintain Your Health with the Gut C.A.R.E.
Program
*A Day on the Happy Gut Diet
4 Tips for Success: Creating a Happy Gut
*The Happy Gut Meal Plan
PART III REINTRODUCTION PHASE AND FURTHER TESTING
5 Reintroduction and Your Gut C.A.R.E. Plan for Life
6 Further Testing for Gut-Related Ailments
PART IV A HAPPY GUT, HAPPY LIFE
7 The Emotional Gut: The Mind-Gut Connection
8 The Physical Gut: The Body-Gut Connection
PART V FUN IN THE KITCHEN
9 Happy Gut Recipes
Smoothies
Matcha Energizer
Swiss Chard and Strawberry
Raspberry Recharge
Go Green
Spicy Avocado
Blue Ginger
Chocolate-Covered Almond
Homemade Nut Milks and Dairy-Free Kefir
Homemade Almond Milk
Coconut-Almond Milk Made from Real Coconut
Coconut-Almond Milk Made from Shredded Coconut
Coconut Water Kefir
Soups
Homemade Vegetable Broth
Immune-Boosting Vegetable Soup
Grass-Fed Beef-Bone Broth
Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Cream
Butternut Squash Bisque with Toasted Walnuts
Salads
Summer Fresh Citrus Salad with Sliced Almonds
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Avocado and Organic Heirloom Tomato Salad
Shredded Carrot Salad with Toasted Almonds and Berries
Mixed Greens with Sliced Strawberries
Chicken and Pistachio Lettuce Wraps
Veggie Slaw with Citrus Vinaigrette
Watercress and Jicama Salad
Quinoa Salad with Apples and Walnuts
Dr. Pedre’s Scallion Vinaigrette
Healthy Homemade Snacks
Flax Super-Seed Crackers
Nut and Seed Bars
Crispy Kale Chips
Seafood Entrées
Mahi-Mahi with Shallots, Lime, and Veggies in Parchment
Stir-Fried Veggies and Shrimp over Rice Noodles
Roasted Wild Salmon with Dill Sauce
Poultry Entrées
Roasted Chicken
Chicken Piccata
Stuffed Mexican Turkey Burger
Cilantro Pesto
Chicken Curry
Grass-Fed Beef and Lamb Entrées
Beef Kabobs
Bison Burger
Rosemary Lamb
Seared Steak with Dijon-Horseradish Sauce
Vegetarian Entrées and Sides
Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Coconut Brown Rice
Spaghetti Squash with Garlic-Infused Oil and Pine Nuts
Buckwheat Pasta and Vegetables in Homemade Vegetable Broth
Harvest Wild Rice Bowl
Roasted Cauliflower with Toasted Walnut Topping
Veggie-Stuffed Spring Rolls
Desserts
Coconut Macaroons
Almond-Hemp Chocolate Truffles
Fresh Berries with Whipped Coconut Cream
Appendix A: Pre-Program Four-Day Food/Symptom Journal
Appendix B: Twenty-Eight-Day Happy Gut Diet Food/Symptom Journal
Appendix C: Recommended Supplements and Brands
Appendix D: Resources
Appendix E: Gut-Related Medication Side Effects
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
About the Author
Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher
FOREWORD
Leo Galland, MD
Author of The Allergy Solution: The Surprising, Hidden Truth About Why You Are Sick and How
to Get Well
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
T
HE MAIN THING YOU want from your digestive tract is that it does its job
quietly, without talking back to you. You don’t want to know that it’s there.
As Dr. Vincent Pedre explains in Happy Gut, that job is actually much
bigger than you’ve ever imagined. Not only is the gastrointestinal system
responsible for digesting and absorbing nutrients from food and for excreting
waste, it is also the largest organ of your immune system. Over two-thirds of
your body’s lymphocytes (the captains of immune function) are found in the
lining of the small intestine. From this base they travel throughout your body,
sending signals that influence immunity in all other organs.
Your gastrointestinal tract has its own nervous system, technically called the
Enteric Nervous System (ENS) and affectionately dubbed “The Second Brain”
by aficionados. Your ENS has as many nerve cells as your spinal cord and is in
constant communication with your first brain, affecting your mood and mental
function.
Your alimentary canal is also home to about a hundred trillion microbes,
which include a thousand different species of bacteria, a few dozen types of
yeasts and fungi, an unknown number of viruses, and an occasional worm.
Collectively these are called the “gut microbiome.” Understanding how these
microbes influence human health and illness has been a major interest of mine
for over three decades. In the last decade, microbiome research has blossomed
into one of the most-discussed topics in applied science. It’s become clear that
gut microbes help us to be human. The implications of that relationship will be
at the cutting edge of clinical research for decades to come.
Finally, the gastrointestinal tract is an organ of detoxification. Much of this
responsibility rests with the liver, but the intestinal lining cells themselves are
rich in detoxifying enzymes. The gut and liver work together to remove noxious
substances derived from food, your environment, gut microbes, and even the
operation of your own metabolism and hormones.
These multiple functions of the digestive system interact with each other and
with the food you eat to regulate your nutritional state, your metabolic state,
your mental state, your weight, your pattern of sleep, your energy, and your
susceptibility to illness. Happy Gut is an engaging guide to your most complex
organ system, the GI tract, and a gold mine of practical information that allows
you to help this system work for you, instead of against you.
Dr. Pedre pays special attention to the practical details that allow you to
apply his Gut C.A.R.E. Program effectively. If you’re following his advice and
wonder, “How do I go about doing this?”, you’ll find that he’s anticipated your
question and provided the answer. Just keep reading.
Another outstanding feature of Happy Gut is the attention it pays to
important topics that don’t receive enough consideration in most self-help books
for digestive disorders. These include:
• The Gut-Brain Connection. Dr. Pedre explains how gut microbes and gut
toxins influence your brain and how your mind affects the function of your gut.
The detailed descriptions of mindful eating and yoga for G.I. health are
wonderful.
• The benefits of stomach acid. He emphasizes the importance of stomach acid
for normal digestion and describes the many dangers of acid-suppressing drugs,
the third largest-selling drug category in the world.
• Prebiotics. Prebiotics are food components that are not digested or absorbed in
your GI tract. They travel through your gut supporting the growth of beneficial
bacteria. Many people take prebiotic powders as dietary supplements. Dr. Pedre
tells you how you can get them from food.
• Laboratory testing. Throughout Happy Gut, you’ll find detailed information
about laboratory testing that can help you and your doctor identify factors that
are creating your symptoms. This knowledge can help you partner more
effectively with your personal health care provider.
• Food sensitivity. Dr. Pedre starts with a thoughtful discussion of specific foods
that should be avoided and why. He then shows you how to listen to the wisdom
of your body as you reintroduce foods you’ve removed. Understanding the
difference between food sensitivity and food allergy is essential for discovering
your optimal diet, which may be different from someone else’s optimal diet.
If you want to improve your digestive health, you should read every word in
this book.