Be aware: this is only the goal of this diet, not necessarily its outcome. Results vary from person to person. Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any other) diet.
The Clever Gut diet was developed by Dr Michael Mosley and is aimed at people with bowel problems.
On the homepage you can compare this diet with other diets.
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The aim of the diet is to restore your microbiome. The microbiome is a collective name for all the micro-organisms in our body.
According to Mosley, the microbiome is involved in regulating body weight. It helps determine how much energy is taken up by food, how hungry you are and whether you crave certain foods. Additionally, it is states that it effects the regulation of your blood sugar levels.
The diet looks at whether symptoms of bowel problems can be reduced or eliminated by elimination certain food products.
Additionally, Mosley discusses how the diet could work for symptoms of autoimmune diseases, intestinal diseases, type 1 diabetes, anxiety and depression in his book.
In two distinct phases, food products are eliminated and reintroduced to the diet. If the symptoms disappear and return after reintroduction, it is possible that the symptoms are caused by the product.
In the first phase, you remove food products from your diet and monitor your symptoms. This phase lasts about 2-4 weeks.
The advice is to take your time, so you can properly test if symptoms decrease. It is also advisable not to remove too many products from your diet at once. At various stages, you can remove food products such as dairy products, legumes, vegetables that are high in fibre and products containing gluten or refined grains in turn.
At this stage, Mosley recommends eating more vegetable products (with little fibre), enough protein and healthy fats. Ideally, half of your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables. Additionally, it is advised to introduce much variant in your diet.
In the second phase, you will reintroduce the removed food products into your diet. The idea is that you do this slowly: you wait 3 days until you reintroduce a food product. If, after reintroducing a product, you start experiencing symptoms again (of bowel problems), you should remove the product from your diet again.
This phase also focuses on promoting diversity in your microbiome by eating prebiotics and probiotics.
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Probiotics are bacteria and yeasts that can positively contribute to reducing intestinal problems, according to the inventors. These organisms can be found in, among other products, yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso soup, kombucha and fermented cheeses.
Prebiotics is a term used for substances that promote the growth of certain bacteria Examples of prebiotics are insulin, fructo-oligosaccharides, pectins (from vegetables/fruit) and glucans (from cereal products).
Mosley's book describes which pro- and prebiotics should be consumed.
Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any) diet.
You can find more information about this diet in 'The clever guts diet' book.
Michael Mosley is also the inventor of the (5:2) fasting diet, the fast 800 and the 8-week blood sugar diet.
Other diets that focus on bowel problems include the FODMAP diet and the GAPS diet.
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As you see fit
With the professional help of a dietitian it should be easier to reach your goals. Please contact a dietician in your area or talk to a doctor before starting any diet.
Please take note that most diets do not have a scientific basis.
Consult your doctor or dietician before starting a diet, especially if you have a chronic condition like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease or kidney disease.
If you think you might have an eating disorder (like anorexia or bulimia), it is important to look for professional help. Contact your (house) doctor or find help elsewhere. Here you can find a list of several websites that can provide (online) help. These sites also provide information for people that know someone with an eating disorder.