Written by Professor Barbara Ryan, M.D. (a gastroenterologist and Professor at Trinity College, Dublin) and her colleague Elaine McGowan, R.D., a clinical dietitian), What Every Woman Needs to Know About Her Gut is “…the go-to guide for women living with bloating, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other digestive problems who want step-by-step medical, dietary, and lifestyle solutions.”

Ten percent of the world’s population has symptoms of IBS and, of those, 65-75% are women. Dr. Ryan believes that too any women with “gut conditions” are following highly restrictive diets, trying to manage the symptoms – and Dr. Ryan thinks that doesn’t need to be the case. 

As someone with WAY too much experience with digestive problems, this book sounded GREAT. And – IT IS! As soon as I saw that it included information about FODMAPs, I was optimistic that it would not be just a rehash of old advice. It does perhaps go a bit TMI on the gut itself (which I’m sure is of great interest to the authors), but the practical advice, diet planning tips and menu suggestions make it a terrific book for anyone interested in this problem. Four stars, only because of the TMI, I confess I skimmed a bit to get to the “good stuff.”