Rethinking the idea of “Mind over body”

This book’s original Japanese name is: 腸(the gut) 脳(the brain ) 力(power). From the order of the characters, you can tell that the gut is key here. In fact, it is the core of this book. Through understanding the relationship between the gut and the brain, readers will hopefully be able to change their lifestyles as well as some of their values.  

Though some of the themes in this book may seem a bit too philosophical, they are there to aid readers to further understand what the gut is really about. 

Eating is the fundamental activity in our lives which enable our existence. As such, the digestive system needs to be acknowledged as a fundamental part of our body. Unfortunately, we appear to have “over-evolved” ourselves by relying constantly on our brain, hence the oft-used phrase “mind over body”. In modern society, intellect and knowledge are valued above everything else. But in turn, this way of thinking has made living more difficult for us.

In this book, we will reexamine what it means to live (as biological beings) and learn to acknowledge our body’s natural needs and processes. 

Recently, discussions have emerged about the gut being our “second brain”. But if you pursue this subject further, you will discover that it is in fact our first brain. Thinking is the province of the brain and feeling is the province of our gut. For humans, as with any other animal, our feelings and instincts come more naturally and occur before our thoughts and opinions set in. Thus, by encouraging the use of our body’s innate capacity to feel and intuit, it is possible to live truer to ourselves, and overcome many of life’s obstacles.

Contents

Introduction - Rethinking the idea of “Mind Over Body”

Chapter 1 - A healthy gut is a healthy body is a healthy mind.

a.     You are what you eat, and nothing else

b.     Why our intestines get “clogged”

c.     Is what you’re eating compatible with your body?

d.     Intertwined: the gut and the mind

e.     The importance of cleansing our gut

f.      The importance of not eating

Chapter 2 - Staple foods and the gut: a lifelong relationship

a.     Why Japanese people are no longer genki

b.     What the legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi ate

c.     White rice and meat: dietary revolution across Japan

d.     Why is the Japanese diet considered so “healthy”?

e.     The energy value of the food we eat

f.      Column : A short history of why wheat changed the Japanese diet

Chapter 3 - The immune system and our gut

a.     How to prevent food poisoning and improve our immune systems

b.     Making the most of our innate immune system

c.     Our intestines and the immune system

d.     The importance of a regular morning toilet trip

e.     White blood cells working overtime

Chapter 4 - Back to cell basics: Introducing mitochondria

a.     Why do we respire and consume?

b.     Sustaining our cells though respiration and digestion

c.     Eating is living

d.     Nutrients over calories: the key to our mitochondria

e.     Vegetables and fruits as the staple dish, proteins as the side dish

Chapter 5 - Coexistence in the gut: unseen microbes

a.     The key to creating a good intestinal environment

b.     Gut flora: the good, the bad, and the ones that are neither:

c.     The 2 : 8 gut flora ratio

d.     How can we keep the bad bacteria at bay?

e.     Does eating yogurt increase the level of good bacteria in the gut?

f.      How lifestyle affects our gut flora

Chapter 6 - The gut as the source of the mind

a.     Do our hearts and lungs also have a “mind”?

b.     The gut as the source of the mind;

c.     Why did ancient Japanese warriors practise disembowelment?

d.     What we eat influences our mental health

e.     Serotonin and the gut

f.      Column : Glycolytic and mitochondrial metabolism: understanding the two energy pathways

Chapter 7 - Connecting to the world by mastering intuition

a.     What is the difference between “feeling” and “intuition”?

b.     But wait, I thought intuition happened in the brain…

c.     Intuition precedes feeling

d.     Intuition from the tailbone

e.     Revelation: You are a biological entity

f.      Connecting to the world around us

g.     The three cornerstones of our intuition

h.     Column : Where is Japan heading next? Hazardous radiation and how it has affected our outlook on lifestyle and health

Conclusion