Revival of the Gut

Is your doctor someone who shares recipes and guides you in eating? Belmont-based integrative pediatrician Dr. Elisa Song goes beyond the usual pediatrics role by teaching patients how to eat. She has the knowledge and experience to understand how food can be medicine. Her objective is to raise awareness about the importance of gut health and how eating a diet abundant in a range of vibrant, fresh foods can help maintain a healthy gut microbiome, which she says aids in improved overall health and well-being.

Song recently published Healthy Kids, Happy Kids: An Integrative Pediatrician’s Guide to Whole Child Wellness, in which she shares a handful of recipes aimed at enhancing microbiome health, along with guidance to help parents raise resilient and well-balanced children. Her approaches and wealth of information can be beneficial to any age. Her goal is to help others learn to embrace these simple strategies and ways of eating to set the foundation for a healthier, happier life.

Included in the book is her “Gut Hero Shopping Guide,” which is helpful in choosing better store-bought brands. Song’s Gut Hero recipes can be adjusted and enjoyed across the seasons, such as her foundational recipes for fermented fruit, fermented vegetables and fermented condiments. Additionally, she offers ways to add healthy, colorful twists to family favorites with her Cauliflower–Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese, Gut Hero Chili and Gut Hero Lentil Lasagna recipes. Her tone in the book, just as in real life, is calm and supportive, encouraging readers to take actionable steps towards a healthier future for all.