The Girl's Guide to Guts: Everything Your Doc Didn't Tell You (But Your Bestie Would) by Melas, Chloe

Two women who have been through it all with their own gut health issues offer groundbreaking honesty and advice to live a full life while navigating symptoms.

"Chloe Melas and Judy Batalion bring much-needed honesty, humor, and clarity to the conversation, connecting the dots between gut health and whole-body wellness."--Dr. Mark Hyman, New York Times bestselling author and co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Function Health

Bloating. Pain. Cramps. Gas. Food fear . . . Your doctor gives you medical advice. Your nutritionist suggests dietary changes. But who actually knows what you're going through? How do you work, date, travel, parent, dress, eat, and maintain relationships when your condition is with you every day?

In The Girl's Guide to Guts, Chloe Melas and Judy Batalion, who together share decades worth of experience living with ulcerative colitis, show up with remarkable openness and candor about everything from bleeding and bloating to sex and fertility, what to do after a diagnosis, the anxiety of living with a chronic illness, what to bring in your carry-on (and we're not talking heels!), and the countless lattes purchased in exchange for use of a bathroom. They also interview experts in their field to give you the inside scoop on what your doctor is actually thinking.

Here, you'll learn about figuring out how to survive a first date when your stomach is gurgling, navigating colonoscopies and chronic pain while raising kids and working high-pressure jobs, and advocating for yourself with your doctors.

The Girl's Guide to Guts takes bowel disease--our culture's final taboo--from being a topic many women hold inside or only discuss privately into a conversation we're ready to put center stage.

Author: Chloe Melas,Judy Batalion
Publisher: Dial Press
Published: 11/10/2026
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.46h x 5.79w x 1.17d
ISBN: 9780593979204

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 10/01/2026 pg. 115

About the Author
Judy Batalion is a New York Times bestselling author of award-winning nonfiction and fiction. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Vogue, among others. Judy has a BA in the History of Science from Harvard, a PhD from the University of London, and has worked as a museum curator and university lecturer. She lives in New York City with her husband and three children.

Chloe Melas is an entertainment correspondent at NBC News appearing on the Today show, Nightly News, and NBC News Now. She previously worked at CNN where she broke numerous high-profile stories during the Me Too era and co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve show alongside Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. In 2023, Chloe worked to publish her late grandfather's memoir, Luck of the Draw, which became a New York Times bestseller. Chloe is the co-founder of the gut health brand Bio.me. She lives in New York with her two sons, four pets, and husband.