As the Holiday eating season gets underway, Zach Bush, a great explorer of the microbiome, reaches out to remind us that well-being involves every aspect of our person. In the video linked below, he reminds us that nourishment is not merely a matter of consuming the necessary vitamins and minerals; it requires full engagement of our senses — sight, smell, touch, and taste. Each of those sensory systems processes information in ways that make our bodies more ready and able to use the food we eat, and those systems are most engaged when food is close to its own life source: the soil it grows in. Dr. Bush explains that as soon as a food item is detached from the mother plant, its nourishing properties begin to degenerate. The best way to eat a tomato, he suggests, is to take it off the vine with your teeth. And the best way to eat a meal is to sit at a table suffused with the spirit of gratitude toward the source of all nourishment, in the company of people you love, for the disposition of your body cannot be separated from the disposition of your soul.
Enjoy this holiday invitation to wellness.
