I just recently finished the book, “Gut Instinct” by Carolyn O’Byrne. Carolyn is the wife of a trucker and a certified Colon Hydro-therapist. The book is definitely written with the challenging lifestyle of the trucker in mind, but the book is for anyone who eats food.
“Gut Instinct” starts wherever you are in your journey to health. Do you drive a nice studio sleeper truck with ample storage for food and prep items? Or do you drive a company truck with no refrigerator or way to prepare food while on the road? Either way, the author offers solutions to succeed. There are also questions to answer as you progress through the book. O’Byrne starts off by gauging your commitment to pursuing health. If you’re not totally committed, what’s holding you back? You must identify what this is and determine why.
O’Byrne offers more than enough knowledge for the reader to be successful. Unfortunately, possessing this knowledge isn’t enough to succeed. She directly addresses this challenge and presents different ways to motivate the reader into action. While reading her helpful suggestions
to motivate to action, I was reminded of what my doctor recently asked me: “Is that satisfaction you get when eating worth losing your health over?” O’Byrne rightly quotes Benjamin Franklin, “One should eat to live, not live to eat.”
The book goes on to explain the importance of the digestive system and how foods are processed as they pass through our gut. The digestive process is often overlooked in its importance, but imperative in achieving great health. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are also discussed in great detail and the case for avoiding them is strongly made.
Common stomach problems are addressed head-on with simple, over the counter solutions that O’Byrne has proven effective on herself and her family. Furthermore, there are many main course, dessert and smoothie recipes at the end of the book for the reader to begin their journey with. I’m no chef, but the recipes looked simple enough to figure out with a minimum of utensils and food preparation. The smoothie recipes will work well in a Nutribullet that I’ve written about before.
There’s enough health knowledge available to fill the world’s bookshelves. But effectively motivating the reader to act on it seems to be a tall order. However, this book prescribes the cure and strongly encourages the reader to act on it. O’Byrne’s genuine concern for the health of the reader can be sensed throughout. It’s written in a positive way; not telling the reader what to avoid, but what to pursue.