The Healing Self: Supercharge your immune system and stay well for life

by Dr Deepak Chopra, Rudolph E. Tanzi

Heal yourself from the inside outOur immune systems can no longer be taken for granted. Current trends in public healthcare are our increased air travel allows newly mutated bacteria and viruses to spread across the globe, antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria outstrip the new drugs that are meant to fight them, deaths due to hospital-acquired infections are increasing, and the childhood vaccinations of our aging population are losing their effectiveness. Now more than ever, our well-being is at a dangerous crossroad. But there is hope, and the solution lies within ourselves. The Healing Self is the new breakthrough book in self-care by bestselling author and leader in integrative medicine Deepak Chopra and Harvard neuroscientist Rudolph E Tanzi. They argue that the brain possesses its own lymphatic system, meaning it is also tied into the body’s general immune system. Based on this brand new discovery, they offer new ways of increasing the body’s immune system by stimulating the brain and our genes, and through this they help us fight off illness and disease. Combined with new facts about the gut microbiome and lifestyle changes, diet and stress reduction, there is no doubt that this ground-breaking work will have an important effect on your immune system.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2018

Reviews

[KK · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite a disappointment. There is absolutely nothing new in this book. The authors write about the effects of stress on the body and how poor food choices contribute to disease. The title is misleading as the book doesn’t teach how to heal but what causes disease. Eat right, exercise, and meditate. That was the basis of the book. They also included a Do and Don’t list which I found both elementary and condescending. For example, one Don’t list stated that one should never challenge one’s Dr. or appear to know more than them. I found this laughable. We should be able to advocate for ourselves. If I did not challenge doctors, my daughter would not be alive today. Also in the Don’t list, in the event of a hospitalization, don’t call the nurse if it’s not urgent as she gets burned out from your anxiety. Sadly, it seems the authors are disconnected from frontline medicine and current hospital culture. The authors did say that the title would leave many disappointed because what they were seeking would not be found in this book and I agree with them. I was disappointed. I’ve long loved Deepak Chopra‘s books and feel he missed the mark on this one. A read for those who are in the beginnings of their journey towards healthy living. Great directives on food choices and effects of stress on the body.

[Yasmeen Jabri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m in two minds about this.

On one hand, I really appreciated the copious amounts of scientific evidence in the book, broken down into easily digestible pieces. I especially enjoyed the initial reference to Ellen Langer’s youth experiments.

On the other hand, I do believe I was the wrong audience for this. Many of the chapters seemed tedious and repetitive, but I do believe that has to do with my amassed learnings within the field. Despite this, I did find some sections extremely insightful, and will recommend the book to people who I believe will gain further benefit.

I do have to note that I disagreed with some claims in the “Anti-Inflammation Diet”, but it’s generally not a terrible standardized diet for beginners to follow.

[Divyen Mistry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting to read some interesting new methods and ideas, but instead seemed more of a thesis on what he has found brought his studies and experiments. The outcome being quite the obvious.
There is also quite a lot of scaremongering which for a positive outlook it book seemed a little OTT.

[Shirley Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abandoned after 1 chapter. Just could not get in to it.

[Amanda Revell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book.

[Bernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Simply wonderful. A must read. I love this book.