For many centuries, ancient, ayurvedic, and traditional Chinese medicine have identified the gut as the center of health and wellness, but it has been largely downplayed by modern Western medicine. In The Inside Tract, Gerard E. Mullin, a leading internist, gastroenterologist, and nutritionist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Kathie Madonna Swift, a registered dietitian and culinary nutritionist, show that good digestive health is vital to overall wellness. Studies have shown that over half of the 90 million Americans suffering from digestive disorders such as IBS, GERD, celiac disease, and gluten sensitivity are actively looking for alternative ways to address these ailments. Advocating a regimen of dietary changes, supplements, detoxification, and a 7-step lifestyle modification program, Mullin and Swift show how food can be used as medicine to heal intestinal problems. Using the questionnaire provided, readers will be able to determine their own unique Gastrointestinal Point System (GPS) and design an individualized plan to get themselves on the right "tract" to digestive wellness and vibrant health.

Gerard E. Mullin, MD, is an associate professor of medicine and director of Integrative GI Nutrition Services at Johns Hopkins. He is internationally renowned for his work in integrative gastroenterology and nutrition. Visit him at www.docmullin.com. Kathie Madonna Swift, MS, RD, LDN, is an integrative and functional medicine dietitian and culinary nutrition leader for the Food As Medicine training program. She practices in the Berkshires, MA.