Sun & Ssukgat

The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness & Longevity

De: Michelle Jungmin Bang

Narrado por: Jolene Kim

A charming, life-changing guide to living a longer, happier, healthier life, rooted in Korean self-care. From the country scientists predict will top longevity charts in 2030.

Ssukgat, or Chrysanthemum greens, are treasured in Korean culture for their healing abilities. You can coax its withered stalks to bloom again, with sun, water, soil, and care. It’s a fitting metaphor for eco-entrepreneur and CEO Michelle Jungmin Bang, who found herself in excruciating pain due to the constant sacrificing of her health and wellness for work—a trade many of us make daily.

Thus started her fascinating journey to overhaul her health and reconnect with her heritage in South Korea. She found answers in the mountains with Buddhist nuns and the keys to microbiome health, a seaside village with haenyeo (female free divers who forage for seafood) and their practice of healing with breath, centenarians with easily adoptable daily habits, and Korean bathhouse culture and its “wellness for everyone” approach to youthful skin. Natural, effective, and environmentally conscious, these ancient traditions have been passed down for centuries in Asia, like gifted heirlooms, and they quietly and radically shift our philosophies on well-being towards preventative care.

Informed by her travels, research, and East-West nutrition training, Michelle reflects on how we can eat for healing, live sustainably, reconnect with nature, form deeper relationships with the Korean concept of Jeong (the warm, invisible connection between loved ones and places), and more. Also included are simple and delicious healing recipes that can be used for recovery, like a mushroom broth the Buddhist nuns turn to for colds; her grandmother’s secret Myeolchi (anchovy) broth; Samgyetang (chicken and ginseng soup) for combatting fatigue; as well as Hoedeopbap (raw fish bibimbap), her most-requested dish that requires no cooking.

Sun & Ssukgat is on a mission to empower anyone stuck in the unhealthy whirlwind of modern life to transform our well-being in the little things we do every single day.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Michelle Jungmin Bang (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers

Fabulous book, all should read and or listen!

The author shares a poignant and beautiful story of her recovery from the toxicity of a Western diet by thoughtfully reconnecting with her ancestral ways of eating. Healing through food is a priceless lesson, and embracing a variety of fermented foods is something we can all benefit from. The book is filled with recipes and suggested ingredients that inspire a return to mindful nourishment.

Thank you, Michelle—brava!

A Captivating Masterpiece for Your Well-being

This is a book everyone should read. I found myself completely immersed in the narrative, captivated by its simultaneous simplicity and depth.

The author takes you on a journey through various recipes and provides straightforward explanations of food preparation and properties, making the information truly actionable in real life.

This book is essential for anyone interested in improving their health and well-being. It makes you fall in love with nature and all it offers.