Hello,
What's On My Mind is a weekly newsletter where I share some of my thoughts, stories, and ideas to raise awareness; enable personal growth; nourish an open mind; encourage self-discovery; and empowering myself and others with individual responsibility.
"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity" - Martin Luther King, Jr.
I hope you find them of any use.
Microbiome
In any human body there are around 30 trillion human cells, but our microbiome is an estimated 39 trillion microbial cells including bacteria, viruses and fungi that live on and in us. Due to their small size, these organisms make up only about 1-3 per cent of our body mass, but this gives a false impression of the microbiome’s tremendous power and potential.
We have around 20-25,000 genes in each of our cells, but the human microbiome potentially holds 500 times more. Moreover, the ability of microbes to evolve quickly, swap genes, multiply and adapt to changing circumstances give them – and us, their hosts – remarkable abilities that we’re only now beginning to fathom.
The human body provides a broad range of environments, and microbes are capable of living in all of them. Each part of the body is a different type of ecosystem, like a planet with different continents and climates, the inhabitants of which have adapted to the characteristics of each location.
Three-quarters of your microbiome can be traced back to your mother. The womb is a sterile place, free of microbes (at least we think so at the moment). But when we exit via the birth canal, we’re bathed in vaginal microbes. This literal baptism of bacteria may be vital to a healthy start in life – babies who are born through caesarean section are more likely to develop allergies, asthma, coeliac disease and obesity later in life. We also ingest around a million microbes in every gram of food, and our diet has a direct impact on which species thrive in our gut microbiome. If we change diets, from meat-eater to vegetarian, for example, the gut bacteria changes accordingly. Similarly, as we go through life, moving from one environment to another, we’re exposed to microbes from different people and places. Every home has a distinctive microbiome that comes from the people who live in it. Just 24 hours after moving into a new home we’ve colonised it with our microbes.
What does our microbiome do?
Lots. The gut microbiome controls the storage of fat and assists in activating the genes in human cells involved with absorbing nutrients, breaking down toxins and creating blood vessels. These helpful microorganisms replenish the linings of the gut and skin, replacing damaged and dying cells with new ones. Equally vital is their role in preventing illness. Our native microbes compete with invading ones, preventing them from getting a foothold. We’re born with an immune defence system only partially formed. It’s the interaction with microbes that shapes it, influencing the classes of immune cells that are generated and the development of the organs that make and store them. The human microbiome even affects how we smell. Different microbe species might convert sweat into the smell of onions, or testosterone into the stink of urine, which act as strong signals for our friends and foes. These smells are highly personal: studies have found people can be identified just from their sweaty T-shirts.
The change in sleep patterns puts the rhythm of our gut bacteria out of sync with our own behaviour, so different species are active at the wrong times. In fact, sleep is just one of the many ways through which microbes might affect our mood and behaviour. Finally, our microbiome helps dispose of us in what has been dubbed the ‘thanatomicrobiome’. After we die, the immune system stops working, leaving our microbes to spread freely. Our gut bacteria start digesting the intestines, and the surrounding tissues, from the inside out. Eventually, they invade the capillaries and lymph nodes, spreading to the liver, spleen, heart and brain as they feed on the chemical cocktail that leaks out of damaged cells.
How do you know if a microbiome is in disarray? Is a gut without a particular species unhealthy? And in comparison to what? Defining what is ‘normal’ or ‘healthy’ for a human microbiome is important, and this may differ widely between countries, regions, communities, cities, and whether someone is young or old, rich or poor, outgoing or solitary. This is a further challenge to the dream of personalised health advise for everyone, but in the meantime here are some tips to improve your gut microbiome.
Increase your fibre intake.
Eat as many types of fruit and veg as possible, and try to eat seasonally.
Choose food and drinks with high levels of polyphenols. Polyphenols are antioxidants that act as fuel for microbes. Examples are nuts, seeds, berries, olive oil, brassicas, coffee and tea – especially green tea.
Avoid snacking. Also, try to increase intervals between meals to give your microbes a rest. Occasionally skip meals or have an extended fast.
Eat plenty of fermented foods containing live microbes.
Steer clear of artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and saccharine. These disrupt the metabolism of microbes and reduce gut diversity.
Spend more time outdoor. Gardening and other outdoor activities are good for your microbiome.
Avoid antibiotics and non-essential medicines Even common medications like paracetamol and antacids can interfere with microbes.
Teachings & Insights
The art of peace - page 95
In the art of peace we never attack. An attack is proof that one is out of control. Never run away from any kind of challenge, but do not try to suppress or control an opponent unnaturally. Let attackers come any way they like and then blend with them. Never chase after opponents. Redirect each attack and get firmly behind it.
Video - 400 MPH
In the Bonneville salt flats, a chimpanzee named Icarus tries to reach the ultimate limit of 400 mph. He goes through cars and cars to go beyond that incredible frontier. But will this be enough to satisfy his hunger for speed?
Quote
"Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel." - Eleanor Brown
Fundamentals - curiousity, thought, breath, water, nutrition, nature, rest, movement, relationships.
Silence.
Rush. We have to move on, we think. Work, children, sports, friends, shopping. Therefore conversations can also be conducted quickly. As a result, we want to respond quickly. Reactions pop up in our heads that we want to announce quickly. The danger is that we no longer really listen to what the other has to say. By giving silence you create space. You show respect for the other by giving them this space. You get respect back because you give space. Trust is born from respect. Trust creates a relationship in which communication becomes pleasant and enjoyable. You can also take a moment of silence yourself. If your opinion or reaction is asked and you take the space to formulate an answer, this comes across as very powerful and thoughtful.
Podcast - There is no 'one size fits all' solution when it comes to nutrition
In today’s Free Fatty Friday, Geoff breaks down the levels that people go through in their nutrition and diet journey. The whole point is to learn, understand, and master the rules, so you can ultimately make your diet work for you. Topics: (0) Born defaults (1) People who passively consume mainstream media about nutrition (2) People who start going into food tribes (3) Knowing and understanding the rules and principles so you can make diet work for you.
Did you know...
Overall, the planet is 5% greener than it was in the early 2000s. For nearly 20 years NASA has been monitoring the Earth’s foliage using two satellites and the high-resolution data has revealed changes in the world’s vegetation in impressive detail, taking four images every day of every area of the planet. At first, NASA believed it was as a result of climate change but with the new data, they’ve concluded that humans are behind a large part of this trend. Rama Nemani, a research scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center, explained in a statement: "Once people realize there’s a problem, they tend to fix it,” he said. “In the 70s and 80s in India and China, the situation around vegetation loss wasn’t good; in the 90s, people realized it; and today things have improved. Humans are incredibly resilient. That’s what we see in the satellite data.”
Thank you for your spending your valuable time on reading this newsletter. Your support is much appreciated.
Joey van Tilburg
