Vicki Edgson & Adam Palmer (Allen & Unwin) 2015, 248pp, RRP $49.99
Gut Gastronomy promises a “life-changing strategy” of “improving your gut function in its entirety”. 
Coming from out of Grayshott Spa in England, the book provides a 14-day eating and fasting program, the theory being healthier gut, healthier overall. It’s an appealing idea… but despite their claims that it’s easy and sustainable, to do it properly, you’re going to need serious time, money and energy.
There’s lots of fussy prep even for typically basic fare – you must blanch all salads; you must activate nuts 24 hours in advance – while the ingredients are far from store cupboard staples: amaranth, maca, guinea fowl, anyone? Portion sizes seem skinny – and that’s when you’re not fasting.
The full scheme seems purist-verging-on-the-puritanical: even the writing is dry. And yet the droolsome photography whets your appetite and you can almost feel the healthy benefits glowing off the page. An alternative approach could be to adapt the recipes if you want to ‘cheat’ a bit or use them as some thinspiration.
If you’ve got the stomach to give it a go, your gut will thank you.
Jenny Thompson
This title is available through the Allen & Unwin website. Click HERE to purchase your copy.
