I am interested in how gut flora affects the mind, and diet affects gut flora so it is entirely reasonable to assume your diet will have some mental ramifications. Having said that Human animals are able to adapt to a diet of almost whatever food is available so I am two minds about the absolute nature of what you are saying, as thinking beings it is very difficult to remove the influence of the mind from any action, but it is still very thought provoking.
Rose
10 January 2014
I started dabbling with Paleo about a year ago. I was surprised to learn how strong my addictions to some foods were, & how an emotional wrench could send me straight to them for comfort.
For me, because I’d run 1/2 marathons & been a bit of a gym-bunny I’d got a strong carb-loading habit going. & the comfort under stress tends to be muchly about how comforting a familiar habit can be. Bad day at work = big bowl of pasta, kind of thing.
Noticing triggers & creating new habits is still very much a work in progress. The 30-day starter project was easy; making it a lifestyle is harder. & yet, I too have noticed myself (& my body) becoming calmer & more responsive as I’ve brought a better balance to my ratio of fat:protein:carbohydrate. I have less pain in my joints & muscles, I can think more clearly & I’m gaining more freedom of choice as I develop better habits.
Steve – you might be interested in how the views on dementia/Alzheimer’s are changing as research is starting to lead people to reclassify these as Type III Diabetes i.e. our food choices can lead to an insulin-resistant brain. & our mind & ability to be mindful tends to stem from a combination of messages from our brain, our gut, & our heart as new research is showing that we have a brain about the size of a cat’s brain in our gut & a bird’s brain in our heart – based on scientists finding neurons, etc that were believed to be brain-specific in our hearts & guts.
Comments from original on judyrees.co.uk
Steve
10 January 2014
I am interested in how gut flora affects the mind, and diet affects gut flora so it is entirely reasonable to assume your diet will have some mental ramifications. Having said that Human animals are able to adapt to a diet of almost whatever food is available so I am two minds about the absolute nature of what you are saying, as thinking beings it is very difficult to remove the influence of the mind from any action, but it is still very thought provoking.
Rose
10 January 2014
I started dabbling with Paleo about a year ago. I was surprised to learn how strong my addictions to some foods were, & how an emotional wrench could send me straight to them for comfort.
For me, because I’d run 1/2 marathons & been a bit of a gym-bunny I’d got a strong carb-loading habit going. & the comfort under stress tends to be muchly about how comforting a familiar habit can be. Bad day at work = big bowl of pasta, kind of thing.
Noticing triggers & creating new habits is still very much a work in progress. The 30-day starter project was easy; making it a lifestyle is harder. & yet, I too have noticed myself (& my body) becoming calmer & more responsive as I’ve brought a better balance to my ratio of fat:protein:carbohydrate. I have less pain in my joints & muscles, I can think more clearly & I’m gaining more freedom of choice as I develop better habits.
Steve – you might be interested in how the views on dementia/Alzheimer’s are changing as research is starting to lead people to reclassify these as Type III Diabetes i.e. our food choices can lead to an insulin-resistant brain. & our mind & ability to be mindful tends to stem from a combination of messages from our brain, our gut, & our heart as new research is showing that we have a brain about the size of a cat’s brain in our gut & a bird’s brain in our heart – based on scientists finding neurons, etc that were believed to be brain-specific in our hearts & guts.