Fiber Fueled, by today's podcast guest Will Bulsiewicz, MD, presents an "eat more plants" argument that has the potential to convince omnivores of all stripes of the merits of a plant-based diet.
I get asked to read dozens of books by plant-based doctors and dietitians and pharmacists and researchers every year. Which is fine, as science progresses and I learn a new tidbit here and there.
But truth be told, I wasn't that excited to read another one.
Until I started Fiber Fueled.
First of all, it features new science. Stuff that literally didn't exist when The China Study was published, or even when Forks Over Knives hit the streaming services. Information about the interaction of our gut microbiome with literally every other system in our bodies.
Second, it explains mechanisms of action that resolve many of the holes in the “saturated fat clogs arteries” model that dominated our understanding since the work of Ancel Keys.
Third, Dr Will is a charming, funny, self-effacing yet confident, and caring human being, and all these qualities shine through the manuscript.
Fourth, Dr Will is a really good explainer. Using metaphors and stories and images, he makes the science accessible and memorable.
Fifth, the book is chock full of practical information. How to make sauerkraut. Who should avoid gluten, and who should consume it regularly. What to buy when you shop for groceries.
Sixth, it's not doctrinaire or preachy, which means it won't raise the defenses of those folks who still think that lots of meat is the ticket to health.
There's probably a seventh in there somewhere, but I'll leave it to you to read the book and find it for yourself.
In our conversation, Dr Will and I talked about the hyper-relevance of a healthy, fiber-fueled gut during the time of pandemic. We explored the most powerful molecules for health that nobody's heard of, the SCFAs, and philosophized about the link between lack of diversity in our guts and our gardens.