Cultivating Your Microbiome

“Finally! A book demonstrating how the ancient traditional medical systems of both China and India understood the importance of the gut microbiome. The ancients, along with Hippocrates, declared that all diseases begin in the gut. As part of both the digestive and immune systems, numerous health problems result once these delicate flora are disturbed: autoimmune diseases, food allergies, and cancer, to name a few. Reestablishing intestinal health should be the starting point for the treatment of any disease. The research cited throughout this book corroborates over and over what these ancient doctors described in their texts thousands of years ago. A must-read for anyone interested in getting to the root cause of all diseases.” * Marianne Teitelbaum, D.C., author of Healing the Thyroid with Ayurveda *“As a practitioner of Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, I loved how Bridgette wove these amazing systems of healing with our modern understanding of the microbiome. Cultivating Your Microbiome is a wealth of information and practices that will absolutely serve the seasoned health practitioner. Remarkably, it is also a book that can be read by anyone interested in improving their health and understanding the underlying principles of real well-being. Cultivating Your Microbiome is a must-read for all health practitioners and enthusiasts alike.” * Jonathan Glass, M.Ac, author of Total Life Cleanse *“A fascinating book on the microbiome! Cultivating Your Microbiome combines the recent Western scientific knowledge and the teaching of the several millennia-old Eastern medicines.” * Christopher Vasey, N.D., author of The Acid–Alkaline Diet for Optimum Health *“Cultivating Your Microbiome is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library Holistic Medicine collections and supplemental curriculum studies.” * Midwest Book Review *“Asian healing methods have always focused on the vital importance of the digestion system to overall health. This is an easy-to-understand book which stills feels challenging and cutting-edge.” * Adam Gordon, Kindred Spirit Magazine *“Blending Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine concepts is never a simple task, but this book does a good job of presenting them mostly individually and adding a healthy dose of nutritional science as it explores the workings of digestive health. The author explains how the digestive tract and its microbiome are the seat of health or disease that influences the body-mind connection. Included are details on how digestion, assimilation, and elimination influence the immune system, hormonal function, brain, and inflammation from both scientific and traditional perspectives. It looks at not only what to eat, but how to eat, suggesting relaxing while eating and carefully chewing food with breakfast as the largest meal and dinner early.” * Kathi Keville, American Herb Association Quarterly *

Bridgette Shea, L.Ac., MAcOM, is a licensed acupuncturist and wellness educator who has been practicing traditional healing modalities for more than 20 years. Her private practice is an integration of Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, and she enjoys teaching workshops on Eastern wisdom. The author of Handbook of Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, she lives in Saratoga Springs, New York.