A holistic guide to improving your gut flora for better physical and emotional health
• Explores the influence of the gut microbiome and the mesentery on all other bodily systems, especially the brain and immune system
• Explains the central role of the digestive system in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine and how these systems treat the microbiome
• Presents herbal remedies, acupuncture and acupressure techniques, and dietary methods to restore balance to your gut flora, including a microbiome reset
In traditional medicine, such as Indian Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, the digestive system and microbiome are recognized as the foundation for good health. Our internal flora influences our immune system, brain function, hormonal balance, cravings, sleep, mood, inflammatory response, digestion, nutrient assimilation, and elimination.
In this holistic guide to cultivating a healthy microbiome and managing gut health naturally, Bridgette Shea explores digestive functioning from the perspectives of both Western science and traditional medicine. She examines Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine principles on digestion and constitution types. She reveals how, in addition to describing what we now call the microbiome, traditional Chinese medicine also has long recognized the importance of an abdominal organ that modern science has only recently acknowledged: the mesentery, the tissues that connect and support the internal organs.
Going beyond probiotics and prebiotics, the author presents practices from Ayurveda and Chinese medicine to reestablish balance in your internal microbiome, support the mesentery, improve digestion and elimination, and restore a clear mind and strong immune system. She explains how to read your symptoms, from brain fog and fatigue to congestion and stool quality, and offers herbal remedies, acupuncture and acupressure techniques, and dietary methods to improve your internal health, including a microbiome dietary reset.
Revealing the diverse role that our inner microbial colonies play in keeping us happy and healthy, this book shows that by changing your microbiome, you can greatly improve your physical, emotional, and mental health. 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. From the Introduction
The human gut microbiome is likely the hottest scientific health topic right now. Even those who don't know the word "microbiome" are aware of what's called the gut-brain connection, or the second brain in the gut, and the existence of probiotics. What most people may not know is the extent to which scientists are discovering the diverse roles that our inner microbial colonies play in keeping us healthy and happy. Or how Eastern teachings are chock full of detailed information explaining the importance of the gut, the role of digestion on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health of the individual, and how to manage gut health naturally.
Indian doctors practicing Ayurveda have known for millennia that most disease starts in the gut. Like their Chinese medicine peers, they have elaborate formulas for regulating gut health, and highly evolved yet simple dietary guidelines that anyone can follow to reestablish healthy digestive functioning. Think the digestive system doesn't take precedence over other bodily systems? Then imagine how you'd feel if you were looking forward to an event but couldn't leave the house because you had diarrhea, or if you wanted to go have fun on your beach vacation but suffered with constipation, gas, and bloating the whole time. Then recognize that this is a daily reality for too many people. Not
