Hand sanitizer. Social distancing. Antibiotics. Fending off germs has long been considered one of the cornerstones of good health. But what if better health and more graceful aging actually went hand-in-hand with embracing the invisible microbes living on, in, and all around us?

Our bodies are teeming with microbes-in the gut, yes, but also living on our skin, in our lungs, and beyond. They impact everything from our sleep, cognition, mood, heart health, and energy to our likelihood of developing dementia, diabetes, and some cancers. As groundbreaking new studies are showing, taking care of your microbiome-inside and out-can help you improve your day-to-day health and even help prevent or reverse some of the most common age-related diseases.

In this eye-opening book, father-daughter team Dr. Brett Finlay (a microbiologist) and Dr. Jessica Finlay (an expert on aging) break down what the latest research says about how the microbiome affects all aspects of physical and mental health-and what you can do about it. Among scores of insights and highly practical tips, you'll discover:

• How your diet, hygiene, exercise habits, stress, environment, and even your social life all influence the microbiome and, in turn, your health.
• How microbe-friendly diets have been clinically shown to delay the onset of Parkinson's disease and lower the risk of developing dementia.
• Why women should be especially wary of being overprescribed antibiotics.
• How to pick a good probiotic-and why many simply don't work.
• How COVID underscored the need for healthy exposure to microbes, what that means in reality, and how to re-embrace microbes in the wake of the pandemic.

By taking simple steps to harness the power of your microbiome, you-and your microbes-can live longer, healthier lives.

The Microbiome Master Key is an updated and expanded new edition of The Whole-Body Microbiome.