It's always interesting to get another culture's viewpoints on health and happiness.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I look forward to referring to it in the future.

Sun and Ssukgat is all about the wellness principles author Michelle Jungmin Bang discovered after a health crisis that inspired her to reconnect with her Korean heritage.

The book serves as a heartfelt primer, covering everything the author found useful from her travels, conversations, and other learning. Inside, you’ll read about the food and other lifestyle habits Michelle found key to her health journey. It's an ambitious book, and Michelle sprinkles anecdotes and research throughout to back up her claims. As a health and science writer, I appreciated that the sources of most or all of the research she mentions is included in the back of the book .

Recommended for readers who want to learn (or need a reminder of) the building blocks of a healthy life, those interested in complementary medicine, and folks fascinated by Korean culture.

Full recommendation coming soon on my blog: https://emilypgerickson.com/blog/

Sun and Ssukgat by Michelle Jungmin Bang is a treasure to read. It delved into rich history of Korean wellness (as well as other Asian traditions, history, and recipes) and I felt brighter just reading a chapter or two per day. I love that in contrast to many "cookbooks" or wellness books, it talked about the reason behind each ingredient working in tandem with the others. I've also been trying to learn more about how gut health connects to brain and overall body health, and I appreciated this perspective. It's rich in cultural wisdom and packed with recipes I can't wait to try. I loved reading this on my Kindle Colorsoft so the formatting could shine, but I can't wait to get a physical copy once it's released. I'm also going to be gifting this to a few friends (a few from Korea looking to connect with culture from their grandparents or parents) so they can enjoy it as well!

I liked perhaps most of all that it included lifestyle ideas - one of my favorite chapters talked about fresh air, sunshine, water, rest, exercise, and diet. In a world that is go-go-go and values us *not* resting, this was very refreshing, and reminded me how important self-care is.

It was very well written and presented by the author - 5 stars!

This book is packed with great insights. Also need a physical copy of this book to have in my kitchen to constantly flip through and use the recipes in there. Microbiome was used in this books and the importance of having a healthy microbiome. Achieving it through eating fermented foods and an array of vegetables. The book stressed how trying a variety of different vegetables we never would think to even try is crucial in keeping us healthy and eating it on a daily basis.