The Hidden Kingdom Within

 

Guts Get No Respect!

But they ought to. There is a lot going on down there. Our guts deserve respect. We have a whole internal eco-system inside. And, as it turns out, that wild assortment of tiny beings has a profound effect on a person’s health and state of mind.

At this point I would like to recommend a book.

Gut, by Giulia Enders. It has become a very famous book, and she speaks in many videos. Here is a good Ted talk by Dr. Enders, just to whet your appetite. 

So, the video is fun, but the book packs a wallop of information. We have it here. I have not read the whole thing, but it is vastly detailed.

What we are finally dealing with is our internal microbiome. As we already know, the microbiome is that eco-system within our gut.

Each person has an entirely unique network of microbiota that is originally determined by one’s DNA. A person is first exposed to microorganisms as an infant, during delivery in the birth canal and through the mother’s breast milk. [1] Exactly which microorganisms the infant is exposed to depends solely on the species found in the mother. Later on, environmental exposures and diet can change one’s microbiome to be either beneficial to health or place one at greater risk for disease.

What it comes down to really is that you get more of the type of micro-organisms that you feed. Proper food, with nutrients intact, not covered in spray or raised on chemical fertilizers feeds the kind of bacteria that you want. It’s almost like that story where the wolf who survives is the one you fed.

The idea that a person can be well on factory food, raised on impoverished soil, processed to death, and prepared to be shelf-stable, is an advertiser’s lie. It feeds bacteria that contribute to the breakdown of health, both physical and mental. These foods contribute to inflammation and leaky gut.

This video by Dr. Zach Bush details some of the ways this feeding of our microbiome has gone wrong, and why it has been so devastating in recent years. According to Dr. Bush it even has bearing on our modern loss of our sense of self and purpose! Pretty scary stuff! 

I really hope you all take the time to watch it. 

And they should farm organically!

Pros and Cons. The practicalities. 

Pros:

💓Fermented foods. Sends in reinforcements. Suppresses bad bacteria. If it’s pasteurized it’s dead.

💓Fresh plant foods. Obviously. Good bacteria love them and their fiber.

💓Unprocessed fats. Butter, meat fats, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil.

💓Unprocessed protein. Lack of salt or preservatives augments good bacteria.

💓Clean water. Now we know that boiling the water disables those plastic particles in tap water. Boil, then chill. Or drink hot, or in tea or coffee.

💓If you tolerate grain foods, it’s best to make your own. Factory bread is factory food.

     💓Eat fish! 

     💓Eat Chocolate everyday! Good for the gut!

    💓Etc. We know this stuff, right?

Cons: 

     💥Lots of sugar, or artificial sweeteners. 

       The gut doesn't know what to do with fake sugar.  

💥Sweet drinks are their own category! Even a lot of fruit juice!

💥Is there such a thing as too much coffee? Maybe!

💥Lots of flour products. Won’t kill you, most likely, but it feeds the kind of bacteria that augment weight gain, etc. Plus, some people really can’t tolerate gluten, though we get tired of hearing about it.

💥Preserved meat products.

💥Seed oils, canola, soy, corn, those types. Hardened oils in margarine or shortening. These cause inflammation and also contribute to diabetes. Dr. Bush up there says that inflammation is the root of most disease.

💥Too much alcohol.

💥All that stuff that is called junk food. I call it toy food. Crispies, crunchies, human rat food.

💥Fluoride. Treated water in general is questionable.

💥Anti-biotics unless you must have them to save life.

We love you!  Please be healthy! These are crazy days!

 

Started in the 70's if I remember correctly.