Alameda-based Terecita L. Dean, DDS, NMD, is a native of the Bahamas and a cross-disciplinary dentist and naturopath. In her book The Genesis of Whole Body Health, Dean extracts information from her childhood, exposure to bush medicine in the Bahamas, her practice and general knowledge to explore the connection between the oral environment and integrative health care.

The Genesis of Whole Body Health encompasses the oral environment, nutrition, detoxification and influences of electromagnetism on the brain. The integrity of the oral environment, along with the brain and sleep, has a multifunctional affect on health and wellness. Dean explains how sleep is interwoven with all the physiologic functions of the body, especially the immune system from the brain stem.

In her book, Dean delves into the importance of nutrition and detoxification. She shares her knowledge of whole foods, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory foods, silicon foods, and low-glycemic foods. She dedicates a chapter to “Getting Well and Staying Well,” which involves the integrative effects of good eating and sleeping habits, detoxification, exercise, positive thinking and feeling, and prayer.

In The Genesis of Whole Body Health, Dean communicates her belief in the interconnection between spirituality and whole-body health. Through the examination of scientific facts, she offers ideas and recommendations to stimulate health to the soul in order to achieve integrative health and wellness.