Reece Carter - The Garden Apothecary : The Happy Gut

The Happy Gut was an absolute joy to research and write. And thanks to an incredible team of creative, passionate people, my words were then transformed into this beautiful book. This little list is my way of saying thank you to everyone who contributed to the project and of course to my wonderful family and friends, who never fail to support me in everything I set out to do.

Simone Landes: Still the best manager and agent on the block. Im lucky to be working alongside you, Sim.

Jo Mackay: You understood exactly what I wanted this book to be, worked hard to make sure it came out just right, and made me laugh a few hundred times along the way. Thank you to yourself, Mark, Adam and the rest of the HQ crew for being so wonderful.

Megan Johnston: Your enthusiasm for the book and clear direction made the editing process a breeze, and thats no easy feat!

Stuart Scott: The dream photographer! Each new photo you took on this shoot immediately became my favouriteat least, that is, until you took the next one. Then that one would become my favourite.

Vanessa Austin and Bhavani Konings: Watching the two of you work your magic with ceramics, linens, herbies and everything in your super-styling toolkits was so much fun.

Peta Dent: Along with the styling dream team, you made my recipes look amazing! I really do wish they looked that perfect when I made them at home.

Emily O Neill: You used your design flair with great aplomb. I couldnt be happier with the way the book looks.

Heather Menzies: You took all the puzzle pieces and fitted them together beautifully, thank you.

Palisa Anderson: Thanks for letting us take over your beautiful garden for the shoot and especially for letting Frankie the dog be part of the fun.

Hamish Barratt: When the idea came to us to fill the book with my friends, I knew that my Sydney brother had to be in it. It meant the world to have you be part of the photoshoot.

Sally ONeil: Sal, theres not much I can say other than that you are a total legend. Thanks for being such a special friend and strong support for me here in Sydney. And, of course, for joining me for green juices and strolls along the pier.

Jordan Davies: It takes a good mate to be part of a photo shoot even though they dont like having their photo taken. Thanks for stepping in at the last minute to do me a huge favour.

Nikki Shah: Im so lucky to have called you a friend for ten years now. Whod have thought back on day one in London that today wed be sipping wine and sharing salads in a sunny Sydney backyard?

Lauren Tomasi: Loz, thanks for bringing your award-winning smile to the photoshoot. Your energy is infectious and it was such a joy to have you be part of it.

Cam Hinkley: From gym besties to real life ones, thanks for being a wonderful new mate.

Tim, Maggie and Amy: I still pinch myself at how lucky I am to have such a loving bunch of best friends. This book is for you. And Hamish, of course, who deserves a second mention because hes Hamish.

Jill and Ivan Rogers: The Tammin crew has been there from the start. Thanks for always believing in me.

Prue and Jake: The best brother and sister a guy could ask for. See you in sunny Dunsborough soon.

Mum and Martin: My marvellous parents, you have no idea how grateful I am for everything you have done and continue to do for me. I wouldnt be where I am right now without you.

There is a bamboozling amount of information on the gutbrain axis. Its enough to send your head into a spin, so Ive listed a few reliable resources that are my absolute favourites if you want to learn more.

The Mind-Gut Connection by Emeran Mayer, MD is a fantastic and detailed book that takes a look at the current research surrounding the gutbrain axis.

To learn more about the gut and its effects throughout the body, not just the mind, Gut by Giulia Enders is a playful book that sheds a lot of light on the (sometimes uncomfortable) topic. The Mystery Gut by Professor Kerryn Phelps AM, Dr Claudia Lee and Jaime Rose Chambers is a fantastic guide to common gut conditions and is another of my favourites.

If youve eaten your way through this book and are after more gut-friendly recipes, then look no further than Heal Your Gut by Lee Holmes. Lee is not only a wonderful healthy cook but also a good friend. Shes an absolute legend and this cookbook belongs on every health nuts bookshelf.

Weve touched on the low-FODMAP diet here in this book and if there is one take-home message, its that even among those avoiding FODMAP-containing foods there is a lot of variation. The Monash University Low-FODMAP Diet app is the best and most reliable source of information regarding which foods contain what sort of FODMAPs.

Perhaps this book was your first introduction to herbal medicine and youre interested in learning more about tinctures and tonics. Or maybe you still cant quite tell your bitters from your digestive herbs? My first book, The Garden Apothecary, takes a closer look at this topic and teaches you how to channel your inner herb nerd.

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Bouhnik, Y, Raskine, L, Simoneau, G, Paineau, D & Bornet, F 2006, The capacity of short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides to stimulate faecal bifidobacteria: a dose-response relationship study in healthy humans,