Book 179 - A Year of Magical Learning

Reflection Title: Follow Your Gut!

Book – The Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders

Book Description: With quirky charm, science star and medical doctor Giulia Enders explains the gut’s magic, answering questions like: What’s really up with gluten and lactose intolerance? How does the gut affect obesity? What's the connection between our microbiome and mental health? Why does acid reflux happen? In this revised edition of her beloved bestseller, Enders includes a new section on the brain-gut connection, and dives into groundbreaking discoveries of psychobiotics—microbes with psychological effects that can influence mental health conditions like depression and even stress.

For too long, the gut has been the body’s most ignored and least appreciated organ. But it does more than just dirty work; it’s at the core of who we are, and this beguiling book will make you finally listen to those butterflies in your stomach: they’re trying to tell you something important.

Reflection:

I Contain Multitudes! Remember this amazing book from a few months back? What a great book and one of my absolute favorites that I’ve read on this journey. The Gut was a fun, deeper dive into the crazy world of the symbiotic relationship we have with bacteria operating inside us to help us to survive and thrive.

We really do contain multitudes. You think you are doing this life alone, think again! There is so much life working inside of you that it is almost impossible to fathom. Once you’ve wrapped your brain around the billions of life forms that inhabit your body to make you work, then expand that thought to the universe!!! Is your mind blown yet? I know mine certainly is!

This world is truly a magical place! The universe is all about life forms coming together in harmony and balance to create something bigger than just the sum of its parts. When these life forms work together, anything is possible.

The universe rewards harmony!

When our world is in alignment, everything seems to be just a little bit better. We feel connected, empowered, and full of life. Conversations are more meaningful, work is more enjoyable, food tastes better, hearing the birds chirp in the morning feels soothing and relaxing, and the sunshine brings us energy. When our world is misaligned, everything sucks! We feel lost, alone, and miserable. We don’t want to talk to anyone, we look at our schedule for the day and get depressed seeing all we must do, we eat too much and never feel satisfied, those damn birds chirping outside my office window is preventing me from concentrating, and the sunshine is giving me a headache.

Many years ago, my gut and I were not on the same page and my life universe was suffering. I was constantly in severe pain and agony. I was physically exhausted, irritable, losing weight, having severe gastrointestinal issues, and dreaded mealtimes almost every single day. Seemingly everything I put in my mouth was sending my body into disarray. I was at war with my gut and the multitudes of other lifeforms within me. The worst part was that I had no idea what I was doing wrong, but I clearly wasn’t holding up my end of the bargain in this relationship and my multitudes were letting me know BIG TIME! Eventually I got the message, started listening, exploring, trying new things, and discovered that I was a Celiac (meaning I can’t eat Gluten). I’m so grateful that they let me know that something was wrong so I was able to do my part and help keep our relationship thriving. Almost overnight, we were realigned, and we’ve been living mostly in harmony again for the last 15 years!

Occasionally, these days, I’ll find myself feeling a little off but nowhere near the levels I felt 15 years ago. I’m hyperaware these days and I’m quicker to listen and act than I was when I was a young adult. When my multitudes let me know something is off, I’m fast to investigate, tinker, and try new things to get us back on track. So far, whenever we’ve veered a little of course, we’ve been able to immediately right the ship back and get back to a harmonious relationship.

My gut alignment is just one tiny part of the overall ecosystem of relationships that I must manage in order to thrive in this world. It is your job to be in tune with everything that surrounds your existence. Whether that be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual health. You aren’t alone in this world. If you find yourself feeling off balance, there is a reason for that. That is the universe’s way of doing its job and alerting you to let you know that you have some work to do. From there, it is up to you to figure it out. Listen to what this world is telling you, investigate, try new things, and then be open to make the changes necessary to continue living in harmony with all the other life that supports you in this world.

When we are aligned, we can do some amazing things together. When we aren’t, life is a nightmare.

Question: What is your gut telling you?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Coming Soon

YOML Bookstore - The Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders