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First Edition
Introduction
THE GUT FACTOR—WHAT STANDS BETWEEN YOU AND
YOUR SKINNY JEANS? ix
Chapter 1
A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY—GUESS WHO’S COMING
TO DINNER? 1
Chapter 2
GUT BACTERIA—THE SURPRISING WEIGHT-LOSS SOLUTION 14
Chapter 3
WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG? 32
Chapter 4
THE PROPER CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR OWN GUT BACTERIA 59
Chapter 5
YOUR GUT CONNECTION TO OBESITY AND OTHER COMMON
CONDITIONS 67
Chapter 6
THE GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION 84
Chapter 7
THE SKINNY ON FOOD 93
W hat would you say if I told you that you have an inner weight-
loss secret waiting to be revealed? What if you knew that you
are only partly responsible for being overweight, and that even
if you do everything you can to get healthy and lose your belly, you
won’t achieve lasting weight loss if you don’t address this one factor?
What if you knew that, by addressing this factor, not only would you
finally lose weight—and keep it off—but you would also experience
the side benefits of fewer digestive problems, a stronger immune sys-
tem, and even a better mood?
● Bifidobacterium
● Lactobacillus
Let me say that again: Your gut contains 100 trillion (with a capital
“T”) gut bacteria. It’s hard even to conceive of so many bacteria. We
1. Lose weight.
2. Keep weight off for good.
Pretty remarkable, I would say. Did you have any idea your gut
bacteria could do so much? The bacteria in your gut are hard at work,
day in and day out, keeping you healthy and protecting you against
disease.
If you are reading this book, you are likely facing the same strug-
gle with weight that I have faced—endless dieting, endless cheating,
and endless fluctuations of not only weight but the moods and other
health conditions along with it. It’s a vicious cycle of battles and tri-
umphs, ups and downs, successes and failures. I can tell you, it’s ex-
hausting. I’ve been there. I have ridden the same diet roller coaster as
you—until I decided to get off the ride.
I went on a search for the real answer to weight loss and good
health. What I found would surprise you. Through my research and
experience working with others, I found that the only way to truly
achieve lasting weight loss was by looking within and balancing the
gut—that is, increasing the beneficial bacteria and decreasing the
harmful bacteria. Without gut balance, you will only lose superficial
weight and you will only achieve superficial health. By balancing your
gut—and addressing your health at its true core—you will be able to
finally get to the heart of what ails you physically, mentally, and emo-
tionally, as you will see. Truly, your health begins in your gut.
When Eva began the Skinny Gut Diet, she was 52 years old and going
through menopause, which doesn’t make losing weight any easier. At 5
foot 4 inches and 185 pounds, she found herself 50 pounds away from
her ideal weight. Eva is a woman who you would say carries her weight
well. But if you asked her, she would tell you she didn’t want to carry
that weight anymore.
Eva had been challenged with bowel issues for years. Under stress, she
would experience loose stool, yet she also dealt with periods of constipa-
tion. She regularly felt foggy, with cloudy thinking, bloating, and fatigue.
Eva started out with the characteristic “obese gut type”—high
amounts of Firmicutes (Fat bacteria) and lower amounts of Bacte-
roidetes (Be Skinny bacteria). After just six weeks on the Skinny Gut
Diet, her gut resembled the “lean gut type”—her Fat bacteria went
down and her Be Skinny bacteria increased.
The participants tracked their daily food intake and did their
best to stay within 8 to 10 teaspoons of sugar daily (remember, that
Waistline
Eva Weight Inches Body Fat %
Before 189 40½˝ 43.6%
After 165 36˝ 39.6%
Lost 24 lbs 4½˝ 4.0%
The Skinny Gut Diet helps you balance your gut so that you
will:
➤ Absorb fewer extra calories from food.