Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign what's worthwhile healing Mind, body and spirit. I'm Ramsey Zimmerman. I choose peace of mind, vitality of body, and joy of spirit over stress, exhaustion, or overwhelm. Together, let's explore and pursue the many ways to build holistic health and wellness.
[00:00:32] Hey there. It's Ramsay here. I got some strawberry kefir at the store yesterday. I think I said that right. Kefir. I used to think it was kefir. Like Kefir Sutherland? No, but it's really good.
[00:00:44] Nothing like that fake strawberry milk bunny drink. No one ever chooses unless they're sold out of chocolate.
[00:00:49] This stuff is sour and tangy and a little bit sweet and fruity. And two seconds after swallowing it, a million little voices in my head were like, yeah, yum. You know those voices? It's the bugs. The bugs in your gut. Kefir is basically liquid yogurt. So there's live bugs in there too. I'm really making this appetizing, right? Really selling it well. It's important. So listen up. You've got an entire universe of tiny microbes living inside your gut. And they keep you happy and healthy if you keep them happy and healthy. So let's take a few minutes and talk about those amazing little guys and how to treat them. Well, our gut is like this bustling metropolis filled with bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microscopic creatures. These bugs are not just passengers. They're workers, partners, and sometimes troublemakers. And whether they are helping us or causing trouble, it turns out they have a say in how we feel physically and even mentally. It fascinates me how our gut bugs, our microbiome, can make or break our health. They take the fibrous bits of our food, the parts that our bodies cannot digest, and they turn them into something awesome. Short chain fatty acids. Those little acids then become the building blocks for neurotransmitters and hormones that help us feel calm, focused, and well. So in a very real way, keeping our bugs happy is part of keeping our minds and spirits balanced. Of course, there's the flip side. When our gut is overrun with the wrong bugs, it is like having a council of ill tempered advisors living in our gut, constantly steering us wrong. This imbalance can lead to fatigue, brain fog, and even depression. I felt it myself those days when my head feels heavy and my gut feels worse. And I've learned that one of the best ways to regain control is to nourish those good bugs. Feed them well and they will take care of you. Here's something I find remarkable. About 80% of the pathways between the gut and the brain go from the gut to the brain. So basically, your gut bugs are not listening to you. They're talking to you, telling you what to think, what to move toward, and what to stay away from. When you hear the phrase trust your gut, that's more than a metaphor. It is your gut talking to your brain, literally shaping your feelings, your thoughts, and your instincts. I like to imagine these bugs down there in the darkness of our gut. No light, no sunshine, just doing their thing, working tirelessly. Thank you, guys. I don't thank you often enough. So what can we do to keep our bugs happy? Well, first off, they need food. And not just any food. They need fiber. The kind found in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Think of it as the ultimate dinner party for your gut bugs. And they like to make new friends. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, and that kefir I got the other day are like VIP guests at the party. Bringing in live cultures that refresh and diversify the community and avoiding the processed foods and additives that feed the wrong kinds of bacteria is like keeping out the party crashers. Sorry, Kiefer. Jack Bauer was not invited. Movement helps, too. Regular exercise keeps your gut moving, literally and figuratively. Sleep and stress matter more than you might guess. When we're tense and sleep deprived, the balance of our gut bugs can tilt towards those troublemakers. So, really, keeping our bugs happy is about more than food. It is about how we live. I know all this can sound a bit out there, but I think of it this way. You have a whole ecosystem inside of you, one that you can cultivate and care for each. It is one of the simplest and most profound ways to support your health and your spirit. Because when your gut bugs are happy, your body and mind often feel more at peace. And if your friendly gut bugs aren't well cared for, a nastier lot might take up residence. And no one enjoys a bacterial infection that could lead to itching, burning, puking, or worse. I would love to hear what you think. What have you done to keep your bugs happy? Have you noticed any changes in how you feel when you pay attention to what you eat or how you move? Let me know. And for today, that is enough.
[00:04:41] Where to go from here? Visit whatsworthwhile.net to learn more about me, Ramsay Zimmerman, and please reach out to me and let me know what you think. I don't want this podcast to be some message in a bottle thrown out to sea. I want to hear back from you. Please send me a message or an email or hit me up on X, LinkedIn or Instagram. And please leave a rating and review for the what's Worthwhile podcast on Apple skills, Spotify, iHeart or Amazon. Thanks.
