Book Review: The Immune Mind
10 March 2025
The KOPI Book CLUB!
As an Osteopath, I specialise in the bio-mechanics of the beautiful human body. I am the eternal student of the body, an absolute privilege.
My book reviews are written to help you better understand and nurture your physical body. I hope you enjoy reading them, and if you have any books to suggest, I would be very interested to hear about them.
Book Review: The Immune Mind by Dr Monty Lyman
"Dr Lyman takes the time to explain the latest (mind-blowing) research to the reader with brilliant anecdotes that will leave you laughing and nodding."
Neuroimmunology and neuropsychiatry may be new words to you, and trust me, these fields are challenging areas of medicine to comprehend and explain.
Dr Monty Lyman, in The Immune Mind, does, however, explain these incredibly complex systems between seemingly independent regions in our body into an understandable explanation of the brain, immune system, and gut microbiome.
The Immune Mind is utterly fascinating, eye-opening, and potentially health-boosting if you choose to implement some/all of the advice on offer.
The microbiome has become an increasingly appreciated and researched system in our body, with more people becoming aware of the importance of our “gut bugs.”
But, do you know how to care for them so they care for you—and why this is so important? How can these tiny microbes affect our mental health and inflammation levels in the body?
Dr Lyman takes the time to explain the latest (mind-blowing) research to the reader with brilliant anecdotes that will leave you laughing and nodding. The knowledge you learn about your body is impactful and cannot be ignored.
This book will leave you wanting to help your microbiome and understand the importance of whole-body health.
Simple steps are offered that are broken down so there is no overwhelming or pressure. This is no lecture; this is gold in a book.
The science that has been researched and understood shows us that the immune system is in constant communication with the brain and can directly impact mental health and inflammation levels in the body.
More importantly, there is new research into how we can use this knowledge to offer a fresh approach when it comes to treating conditions such as depression and rheumatoid arthritis (to name only 2 of many illnesses mentioned).
It is no secret that in most mental health disorders there is a physical element, and most physical disorders will affect mental health – read that again and appreciate it.
The body is not a separate system that shares a house; when one system is in “dis-health,” it has a ripple effect on other systems in the house.
The Immune Mind encourages us to be proactive in caring for our many body systems (after all you get ONE – so why would you not want to take seriously good care of it?
I often tell patients that if you had one pair of shoes to last you your whole life, you’d take good care of them!
The tips are all explained, from eating a diverse plant- and fermented food-based diet to mindfulness, regular movement and exercise, and ensuring a good sleep cycle (did you know that even one night of 4 hours of sleep only will wipe out 70% of your natural killer cells?).
As Dr. Lyman discusses, it is about putting one good habit on top of another rather than trying to change everything overnight.
Give yourself time to read this book and consider the invaluable advice, research, and suggestions offered by Dr Lyman.
Starting at the beginning is challenging as you need to understand the immense complexity of the immune system, brain, and microbiome. But, trust me; you have an expert tour guide in Dr Lyman, so don’t let science put you off.
The Immune Mind has the potential to help you take expert care of your body, but with the bonus of you knowing why the advice is sound and solid – so creating lasting good habits.
I honestly could not put this book down, and I will be adding to the new habit of consuming fermented foods – bring on the SCOBYs and Kimchi!
Emily
Kibworth Osteopaths