Hi I Keep Trying
Yes, I think Clever Gits would be an excellent collective name for us all! 😄
Well done you! You have gone for it! Really inspiring and impressive, especially the bike riding just after you’ve dislocated your shoulder. It’s always quite daunting and overwhelming starting a new way of eating, working out what to eat, and how to make the diet work for you, especially when you already have huge limits on what you are able to eat. I think it’s important to eat foods in this diet that you really enjoy as much as possible, so that you don’t feel deprived or denied, and to give yourself little treats along the way, to keep your spirits up. I treat myself to a nice cup of coffee in the bath, with a good book from the library, when I’m feeling a bit low, it really makes me feel good. Also, watching a good film is a pick me up. Whatever works to keep yourself positive. And I remind myself that this food is healing me, and nourishing me, so that I don’t feel resentful about missing out on junk food during the craving moments. You deserve to do well with this diet, and I really hope you get some fabulous results. I am making very small, tentative changes, taking my time, as I’m so afraid that any change might make my symptoms worse. But any change in the right direction is good progress. Keep up the good work!

I am a big fan of Tim (akaTom in the book) Spector and so I invested in citizen science and contributed a stool sample 18 months ago for analysis for the British Gut Project.

I now have a profile and list that I bearly understand but would love to discuss my results more.

Anyone else in the same position or know any good resources to help me?
Tara

Having tried to increase my intake of resistant starch by adding cold potatoes to my lunchtime salad I noticed that I felt seriously depressed later in the afternoon, whilst my initial presumption was that this was caused by a drop in seratonin during the climb down from the carb intake I wondered if this could actually be a symptom of a nightshade intolerance.

Interested to hear other opinions, especially from those undertaking the potato starch experiment.

Start slowly! Mix a teaspoon into a glass of water and drink it. I think you can build up to a couple of tablespoons a day but if you go in at the high end you risk gut trouble.

Amazon sell potato starch, or search for Bob’s Red Mill Potato Starch on google, there are various retailers.

In the FAQ it says that the study is being looked into and to sign up for the news letter to keep informed.

I’d also like to sign up for the study

Hello. Where does everyone source their food (apart from the usual supermarkets). I’m interested in good quality salmon and olive oil.

Thanks!

Hi. I would like to sign up for the potato starch study. How do I do this?

Maureen Milsom

Hi
There’s quite a few of us clever gutters here now – I accidentally typed clever grits and thought that was quite amusing we could name ourselves the clever gits
I’m wondering how everyone is doing so far. Im still trying to get my head round the whole programme. I got my delivery of VSL#3 this morning so will start that tomorrow Ive tried to work out a shopping list of things I’ll need and am heading off to my local a health food shop and supermarket tomorrow
I’m working on cutting out wheat and sugar and trying to follow a Mediterranean diet. I’ve also been on my bike which is progress as I dislocated my shoulder 2 months ago so was a little worried my ligaments weren’t strong enough to support my shoulder

Hi, I’m interested in taking part in the potato starch study

Hi, I believe the one that the Doc was using was bimuno.It looked like it anyway. I used to take it, but my chemist stopped selling it. It’s galactose oligosaccharides, the same sort of fibre that’s in beans if memory serves. I just looked at Amazon as you made me think I might order some, but the powder type that I used to use is out of stock at the moment. Possibly because everyone saw that programme! Hopefully it’ll be in stock again soon. Hope that helps.

hi i am due to have one in the next fortnight i am wondering if anyone has had one and offer advice

Thanks for the responses.

It looks like these are probiotic supplements. I was actually looking for prebiotics.
Thanks for the help.

Yes, VSL#3, that’s the one I use – one sachet a day mixed in water or in food – i.e. yoghurt.

I recommend buying direct from their website or from Lloyds Pharmacy (they keep it in the fridge so you might have to ask) just to make sure you’re getting the authentic product. It is despatched from VSL via next day delivery and in a chilled and insulated box.

I’m interested in signing up to the small study on potato starch mentioned in the book. Where to for that?

I’d be interested in green babana flour being tested too.

In his book Michael Mosley recommends VSL# 3
I believe the one he used on the BBC prog about sleep was biome or something similar sounding

That’s interesting, Midas and good that you’re sleeping better. I’m an insomniac and find when I’mve not slept well I lose all motivation for dieting or eating healthily.
Where do you buy potato starch from or how do you make it?

Great book, exactly what I have been talking about to my dietician (who also agrees) and my gastro consultant (who is a sceptic, and of the “anxiety” causes gut problems thinking, which is not helpful!).
Apologies for next bit; don’t like to moan on about my ailments, but just in case anybody recognises themselves or someone they know with the same symptoms, it just might be helpful!
Am 49 year old woman, who has had food sensitivities since my early 20’s, of what I didn’t know at the time but now understand to be “oxalates”. I used to become profoundly ill after ingesting food containing high levels of oxalates, e.g. Curry, ground coffee, chilli, strawberries, spinach and beetroot. I have just avoided all these foods most of my adult life.
When I was pregnant at 40, suddenly became extremely ill with debilitating headaches, agonising sinus pain, and general severe pain throughout my body, prolonged vomiting and days of exhaustion. This went on for the next 5 years; I was so ill, I barely left the house, could not socialise and could not work. I never realised all these symptoms could be related to food, until I read an article from the Daily Mail my friend passed to me, written by Dr Clare Morrison, about oxalates. When I cut out oxalates from my diet, my symptoms disappeared, to my absolute joy! Coincidentally, my acute asthma also disappeared at this exact time, which was the cause for all the antibiotics over the years, ironically. (Is it possible that oxalates contributed to my asthma?!?!)
However, my intolerance to oxalate has slowly become worse, and I can now only ingest very small amounts of apple, broccoli, courgette, peas and melon without becoming profoundly ill for several days. I have recently had a perforated bowel, but luckily managed to avoid surgery (after iv antibiotics, and a further 2 weeks of antibiotics!!)!
I believe the root of my intolerances stems from having a leaky gut, caused by extensive antibiotic use, and will be using this book and the advice within to try and heal my gut.
Agree with some comments above that some advice, e.g. recommended brand of probiotics to use, is not available on this website as directed in the book.
But so happy and so relieved that research and information about gut microbiome is finally being researched in depth, and fantastic books like this are being written. Am having my poo analysed in the near future, via Human Food Project. The work and research being done by Jeff Leach is very interesting, and I urge you to read of his work and research with the diet of the Hazda tribe in Tanzania.
Really think Michael Mosley is onto something here. Good luck everyone with your future endeavours to heal your guts; it won’t be easy, but will be most definitely worthwhile.

I’d love to have the poo analyis done ( never thought I’d see myself typing that message to people I’ve never met before ! ) but likewise , just discovere that Ubiome don’t do this for the UK. Tried looking elseweher and saw a Kings College crowd funded research programme offering similar. Had anyone tried that ? Expensive as you have to ‘donate’ and then you get something called ‘perks ( which is apparently how these crowd funded things work ) dependent on the level of your ‘donation’. Don’t want to part with hard eearned case before finding out a little more so just wondered if anyone else has participated.

Someone mentioned this in a topic somewhere, but I cannot find it again…….. I do find the website a bit tricky to navigate but the book is great! Anyway, since watching one of the programmes about Kefir, I have been making it for myself. I bought my first lot of course but since then, it has grown enormously and I have been able to pass some on to friends and my local Physiotherapist too.

It is so easy, just so long as you remember it must be organic milk and plastic used when straining or stirring it. It is really tasty and hopefully, is helping my Old Friends to prosper. Plus, maybe adding a few more? I am going to incorporate more of the things mentioned in Michael’s book too, as no point in putting good bacteria in the gut if one doesn’t then feed it properly!

So, don’t hesitate, buy some and get making for your family too. I have six dogs and they all get a small drink of Kefir milk every other day. They all line up in great anticipation – I’m sure they know it is doing them good.

In his recent BBC programme on sleep, Dr Mosley used a prebiotic supplement. I wanted to try one of these. Is there a dose or brand that anyone could recommend?
Thanks

Thank you IKeeptrying ( I keep trying too ! ) . I’ve been absolutely facinated by the book and I’m re-reading it all over again. The scince is quite daunting ( for a non-scientist ) but so well written and in layman’s terms that I can still get my head around it – just don’t think I’ll ever be able to remember pronounce let alone remember half of the names. Thanks for your post – off to download that now.

Good morning. I finished the book last night and do see the point of this approach. A lot of the foods for “The Old Friends”- fermented foods and live yoghurt- were a staple for the generation of my grandparents, but of course we have now forgotten about them.
I’ve had various stomach issues for years, so have decided to start the 4-week re-booting phase. I will cut out:
– added sugar
– gluten
– milk (but not cheese, sorry)
– alcohol (I may have one glass per week, if needed socially)

Cutting pulses is not a problem as I hardly ever eat them (my stomach reacts really badly to them). Broccoli does not affect me, so will not cut out. I will not cut out coffee completely, but will stick to one cup or two cups a day, without milk.

With a bit of planning, it should be doable. Good luck to everyone starting on this regime.

It would be good, when this forum develops, to have a thread where people share recipes, actually. I don’t eat meat, for example, which limits my options even further- and would be interested in quick and easy ideas for lunch/dinner.

Love the new book, but wondering about the suitability of the Clever Guts diet for my condition.

I have daily acid reflux (mostly a hoarse/sore throat) so wondered if the diet might help with this particular condition. Any other reflux sufferers out there? Also, the diet is not recommended for those underweight … and I’m about a stone under where I should be. Again, not sure how easy it is to adapt the diet, other than obviously adding extra portions.

Be great to know if anyone starts this diet and has any suggestions based on these topics.

Hello all! I have finished the book and am very excited about it. I am looking forward to the Day 2 custom diet as I have never been able to lose the weight I started to gain when I hit 35.
I have had a lot of success getting my IBS under control. Background- almost 60 yrs old, had emergency colon resection 14years ago for diverticulitis. I firmly believe this was brought on by popcorn ( just my own theory based on other people and my own experience). As a result I suffered with many gut troubles for years and the doctors just told me to deal with it.
I started making my own kombucha and water kefir a few years ago and all gut trouble has disappeared. They are easy to make and replaced soft drinks in our house. I have shared with friends suffering with gut issues and they too have been helped. We tried milk kefir but couldn’t get on with the taste.
I highly recommend as a first step to try these, they are easy to do and it isn’t expensive to get started. There are websites and Amazon that sell starter kits or a FaceBook group.
Now I just need a diet that works! The 5:2 has helped me drop 10lbs but I have been stuck for 4 weeks at the same weight. I am not giving up yet though.
Thank you Michael Mosley, I love this subject and firmly believe in the microbiome!

OK, I finished the book. Lovely to have the actual scientific truth rather than having to pick my way though the rubbish-or-not on-line. From my point of view the only slightly sad bit is that there isn’t a lot of advice I can take from here as apart from a couple of things (such as potato starch – but then I don’t sleep badly anyway) I already eat like this – I gave up all added sugar of all types including fruit juice and easily digested starches in 2011 when I was working on controlling my diabetes, I love fermented food of all kinds and I eat a lot of veg, quite a bit of fruit, oily fish etc. and like nothing more than to have as many different kinds of veg and so forth in my meals as possible.

I find the dry stuff all over the place – most large supermarkets for example, often with other things like dried onions and mushrooms, sometimes with supplies for making Japanese or other oriental food. If you have any shops near you which do oriental supplies, look there as you’ll find LOTS of different kinds, and some dried in very thin strips for snacking on – I’ve introduced the youngsters at work to this and they love it, it’s much better for them than crisps (but look out for some brands which have added sugar). Add the dried to all kinds of things, sprinkle on pasta or rice dishes, add to stews or soups, gives an umami sort of taste and you can leave out some or all of the salt as there is some in the seaweed itself.

Hi, for the last two nights I have taken a spoonful of potato starch mixed with a small glass of milk. Early days I know, but my quality of sleep has definitely improved. A promising start.

Potato starch is on its way and I have been unable to find the protocol for its use on the website can you please advise regards john

In April I had to return from Singapore on the way to a holiday in New Zealand because of diverticulitis. Ive downloaded the Good Gut diet book and I’m determined to eat more healthily ( ordered a kefir starter pack and just made some sauerkraut and kimchi- watch this space!). But…….it it possible to have too much of this probiotic stuff? I already make yoghurt. I certainly don’t want to do anything that starts off diverticulitis again

Hi, my copy of the Clever Guts Diet arrived today, Only had time to read the first chapter so far,but very interesting.

It’s not stupid at all, I’ve done that, too, many times!

🙂

Thanks Aquilega
I’ll give it a good try. The other thing that happened with me was that I overcompensated on non fast days by eating too much – almost like I felt I’d got to make up for the fast day – it’s stupid, I know. I’ll try not to do this time

Hi iKeeptrying, sounds like you’re on the right track.

I’ve been doing 5:2 for over 4 years and it’s so ingrained in my routine that I don’t think twice about it. I have always done 500 calories but I’m thinking I will up that now that Michael’s advice is to go up to 800.

When you’ve done it previously, have you cut out drinks/foods you would usually have? e.g. coffee, tea, etc? Could it be withdrawal that you’re experiencing?

I do 5:2 most weeks except for holidays, birthdays etc, and then there are some days that I just don’t feel like it if I’m not up to par. I go with what my body needs. I drink tea, coffee and herbal drinks while fasting and eat my normal foods except less of it and a lower number of calories. Although I am already implementing food ideas from the new book.

Some people spread their calories out over the whole day, while others have just one meal. Personally, I find two meals works for me – breakfast and dinner. You have to do what works for you.

Hope this helps.

Hi I’ve tried 5:2 several times and not managed to stick to it. So I’m wondering what advice you could give me to help myself get into it. My husband has been doing it for 3 years and he loves it and is maintaining now – so we could do fast days on the same day together. I’ve had trouble with headaches despite drinking loads of water, and on non fast days have felt nauseous and like I’ve been hit by a bus, so I stopped doing it. I’ve been to the doctor and had myself checked out as I was worried I might be pre diabetic but my blood glucose is fine although cholesterol was raised for the first time in my life.

I’m starting the clever gut diet and think this is just what I need for my Ibs and the after effects of antibiotics. I am thinking I’ll follow a Mediterranean diet – I love this type of food (and I can have a glass of red wine and dark chocolate 🤙😀) I’ll cut out those foods that don’t agree with me and my IBS and broaden the range of foods I eat and include fermented foods. I thought I’d ease into intermittent fasting after a week or so by trying 1 day fast of 800 calls rather than 500 then build up to two fast days. Oh, and I’m going to increase my exercise – get on my bike again . How does this sound??

What an incredible book!

What I’m finding really interesting is that some of what Dr Mosely is saying has been on internet sites for years, but I could never really trust what was true & what was made up. A good example being leaky gut, which was dismissed by the established medical community as nonsense. In this book it’s stated as fact. At last I feel vindicated.

I’ve had skin candida rashes for years, as well as IBS, slowly getting worse over the years. Never knew which diet to go for. Now I have a proper diet plan from a doctor I trust.

Hi chocolate the daily mail article is much the same thing as in the book – I googled clever guts diet and daily mail and it comes up with an online article you may find interesting based on his supplement in the paper.
I’ve found the diary its at- click the tab “get started” then go to reboot your biome from the drop down menu, then at the bottom of the page about rebooting there’s a link to the diary – let me know if you get stuck and I’ll try to link you to it

Hello everyone!

I have now read Michael’s new book ‘Clever Guts’. I had pre ordered it on Amazon but it was delayed and I couldn’t wait, so I bought the kindle version too! The hard copy is useful for the recipes though and Amazon have extended my prime membership for a month to say sorry, so all’s well.

As mentioned in my profile, I’m 56 – with predominant IBS-C (and sometimes IBS-D). I’ve been intermittent fasting since 2012, taking probiotics since 2016 and also following the slimming world eating plan as well. I have an underactive thyroid too, but have still managed to lose 2.5 stone with 5:2/slimming world and I’ve kept it off for 2 years on 3rd June!

Having read the book I can see how important prebiotics will be in my fight against IBS. My symptoms have already improved dramatically since following the above regime, but I’m still a bit of a way off living what I would call a ‘normal life’. I’m very much looking forward to introducing prebiotics into my daily routine and will be trying the ones Michael used in his recent documentary ‘The Truth About Sleep’ (which is where I first heard about them). For probiotics I use VSL#3 and it’s good to see Michael’s recommended them in his section on IBS. I buy them directly from the VSL#3 website though and wouldn’t trust getting them from Amazon etc, or I get them from Lloyds Pharmacy – although they’re £5 more expensive from Lloyds but useful if you’ve run out and need them in a hurry.

This is the book I’ve been waiting for. Read it in one sitting and can’t wait to get started. One quick question – The book mentions a food diary you can download and print from the resources section of the website but I can’t find it … where’s it lurking ?!
Also – I missed the Daily Mail magazine last weekend – did anyone manage to snag a copy ? Is there anywhere I can download or ask for a printed copy or is it worth the trouble – I’ve probably got everything I need in the book.

Think I’ll try the dry Steve I’m in the UK and have started using Ocado – it says they also sell kefir and fermented sauerkraut but seeing the price and we love sauerkraut I might start making our own👍

Fat rabbit – great name lol I love miso so will give marmite a try thanks

I just wonder if supplements are worth it or just a waste of money ?

I’ve just written a long post and the site decided to re-load itself and lost my post, so I’ll try to rewrite it from memory

That’s great news Fatrabbit, and motivation to people like me.

LCB I think I know where you mean – it’s a lovely town with some excellent individual shops. There’s a good art gallery (several) that has a restaurant run by the owners serving home cooked healthy meals – and.coffee and cakes – but you wouldn’t want them!
I also like beans and pulses and. Make a mixed bean salad with lemon and oil dressing, some garlic, coriander and basil with a handful of seeds thrown in – I can eat this instead of bread and carbs

Catananche I’m going to stick to a Mediterranean type diet and trying to cut out the foods that don’t agree with me at the same time as broadening the range of food I eat as I can get a bit stuck in a rut through laziness. I’ve tried 5:2 several times (my husband. Has been doing for 3 years and does maintenance now and it suits him) I always seem to get headaches despite drinking loads of water and also felt like if been hit by a bus on non fast days – I like the suggestion of michaels to eat 800 cals instead of 500 on fast days. – I might try easing into 5:2 after a week or so of repairing my mircrobiome
Keep posting everyone as it’s nice to read your posts about yourselves

I am a 52 year old vegetarian who has been doing intermittent fasting for 6 months and seen amazing improvements in many aspects of life from it, including reductions in my weight, anxiety levels, inflamation, pain from fibromyalgia and from the arthritis in my hands and asthma. My energy levels have gone up by miles too. I have lost all cravings for carbohydrates and everything tastes better. I am intrigued by the fact that my gut bacteria are behind much of this change. I want to learn more and be able to make further improvements to my biome.

I buy dried seaweed at Tesco and put it in hot water with a teaspoon of marmite to make an cheap version of miso soup. It is great for getting you through fast days without spiking insulin.

I’ve just made my first attempt of the purple sauerkraut (with carrot instead of beets) and had to make a big batch because I had a larger jar. I do like sauerkraut but haven’t been adventurous with it before, just had it with sausages so I’ll need to try it with a few other meals or it will go to waste.
I’m going to kefir a go too, can’t find it locally to buy.

I bought some yesterday in my local health food store. A fresh version from the fridge, plus dried seaweed (the kind of thing they use to wrap around Sushi). I can get it also from Sainsbury’s if you are in the UK.

Tokyo14 – I believe it’s common to have prophylactic antibiotics with major surgery (certainly is with obstetrics) so that itself could have had an impact and have you seen this: http://www.drperlmutter.com/chemotherapy-microbiome/? Best wishes in fixing your dodgy guts!

IKeepTrying – my plan is to go back to 5:2 and cram in lots of colourful veg. I love fruit but am lazy with veg. Then I need to do battle with my sugar cravings. And I’m about to start my first batch of sauerkraut and might have a go at kefir. I already have yoghurt daily, do HITT and garden but the bit in the book about having a repetitive diet struck a chord.

I love yogurt but had little success when I tried to make my own many years ago.

I have never tried sauerkraut, but as I hate the smell when my husband puts vinegar on tomatoes when he has a salad I would find it off-putting.

This is despite the fact that I use vinegar for cleaning and used acetic acid regularly when I was working.

I am determined to have a go at making some sauerkraut soon. Any tips for success welcome.

We are moving to Derbyshire at the beginning of August, to a small town west of Derby. I’m told they call it The Gateway to the Peak District. Lovely area, lots of fresh air for healthy bacteria? I’ve just asked my local hardware shop if they can get fermenting jars, don’t want three, just one will do. If they can’t then it will be the products link.
I am trying to replace the fibre from wheat with the fibre from vegetables and beans. Got the old Audrey Eyton F2 books (remember her and that duet?). She does done lovely salads with butter beans (my husband loves that one) or red kidney beans and sweet corn. All good fibre. As I am allergic to dairy I have goats milk products which seem to suit me and I will have another 3 weeks of kefir shortly. I am also taking Bio-kult probiotics – Boots do a 3 for 2. Also going sugar free, or at least 90%. I will also do some fasting. Maybe from lunch to breakfast. We will see.

i did the blood sugar diet so majority of my food is carb free but it does play havoc with my dodgy guts!!!!
i am hoping if i start this it may improve my poor dodgy guts!!!