I don’t know about you, but I’ve been finding this nutrition book club really therapeutic.
I’ve mentioned it before, but I love reading. The problem is, I just haven’t had time outside of my work. More like, I haven’t made the time.
But at the beginning of this year, I decided I was going to focus more on a balanced reading perspective.
I committed to reading 20 books in 2020. Ten of them will be a nutrition book, and ten will be for pure joy and self-care. So far I’ve read nine books and it’s definitely filling my bucket.
There’s something about escaping into a good book – whether a nutrition book for learning or one just for fun.
That’s why I started this book club. So you and I could come together for some self-care, learning, and discussion.
So, let’s keep it going by breaking down last month’s book, and then I’ll announce this months book.
10% HUMAN – MY THOUGHTS
The research, data, and stats in this book had me eagerly turning the pages. I’ve been studying the impact of nutrition and microbes for awhile, and it still gets me excited!
While the data was impressive and there was a lot of food for thought, I didn’t always agree with her perspective. Evolution being the primary distinction in our differing views.
Even still, the studies were fascinating. They had some important facts and evidence worth pondering and taking seriously.
I appreciated how she balanced out the importance of medicine and microbes. It’s all about that fine balance. Take care of your microbes and they’ll keep you healthy, but sometimes medicine is needed. An important distinction to remember, especially in the holistic health care world. Medicine isn’t bad, it’s just often abused.
Here are my answers to the discussion points:
- What’s your initial reaction to this book? Are you excited to read it, nervous, or not interested? Why or why not? Anything that talks about the gut and microbes gets me excited.
- What was your favourite quote or passage? “It’s easy to think of the skin as the barrier between us and the outside world, but for every square centimeter of skin, you have two square meters of gut.”
- What’s one new thing you learned? That it’s possible that up to 70 percent of America’s antibiotics are used in livestock. That’s the very food you may be eating!
- Name one thing you already knew that came as no surprise. The human gut has more immune cells than the rest of the body put together. Around 60% of the immune systems tissues are located around the intestines. Also, a plant-rich diet makes for a “lean” set of gut microbes – helping maintain a healthy body weight.
- What’s one major takeaway you got from this book that you’re going to apply to your life? That I need to grow more of my own food because it seems there are antibiotics in way more place than I cared to admit. So my kids planted a huge garden this year!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this book and discuss it with you. You can email me your answers to the discussion questions and we’ll chat!
Molecules of Emotions
By Candace B. Pert, Ph.D.
About this book
A little different from my usual choices on health and the gut, this one teaches how your emotions work. This book dives in to the chemicals inside your body and their role in your emotions. It also looks at how your emotions impact your health.
Why I’m reading it
I focus heavily on how gut microbes affect emotion in my practice. I chose this book because I wanted to look deeper into how the body chemicals and emotions are connected. Holistic health is about understanding that every part of the body works together. It will provide another perspective on how your body impacts your emotions.
Discussion points
- What’s your initial reaction to this book? Are you excited to read it, nervous, or not interested? Why or why not?
- What was your favourite quote or passage?
- What’s one new thing you learned?
- Name one thing you already knew that came as no surprise.
- What’s one major takeaway you got from this book that you’re going to apply to your life?
Disclaimer
The books I recommend may not reflect my beliefs or the way I practice nutrition. This is simply a way for us to open up conversation about what’s out there to discuss it’s validity and truth.
This is not sponsored or promoted and I have no affiliation with the author. Any opinions expressed are my own.
Stay tuned
Next month I’ll be bringing you a whole new book, with a full review of Molecules of Emotion. I’d love to hear your thoughts too!