Week 8: White choc chip cranberry oatmeal cookies & "Gut the story of the most underrated organ"

WHY THIS BOOK:

Years ago I read the Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal & Protect Your Brain for Life and ever since then I have been fascinated by gut health. Did you know scientists think that 90% of diseases can be traced back to gut health and microbiome.

This book is broken into 4 parts: Gut Feelings, The Nervous System of The Gut, The World of Microbiome & an updated section on the Brain-Gut Connection.

There were so many cool facts about our body. Note: it was written in 2018 & I am sure there has been more research done on this.

Here are a few:

- Tooth enamel is the hardest substance produced by our body and each molar can take up to 180lbs of pressure.

- By the age of 7 our immune system is fully formed. For those of you who grew up on Kraft macaroni and cheese along with the cheese and cracker packages like myself I hope you are now investing in a good probiotic.

- An adult swallows somewhere between 600 to 2000 times a day and swallowing involves more than 20 muscles.

- The most important phase of our digestion takes place in the small intestine. This is where the decisions are made. Are you lactose intolerant? Or do you have other allergies? All decided by the small intestine.

- Who showers every day? It wasn't until the 1950’s the weekly yes I said weekly bath routine was a thing. And large companies built bathhouses providing free towels and soap to encourage their employees to bathe.

The book finishes with the benefits of probiotics and experiments on how your mood and gut bacteria are connected. It is always interesting to learn about your body & your gut. Another highly recommended book.