Show Up, Move, Think Healthy, Eat Fiber

Categories: Mick Dodge, Blog, Dan John, Barefoot, Gut Health, Ellen Langer, Barefoot Sensei, Pressing RESET, Hippocrates Sep 17, 2023

Hello Friends,

Last week was a gooood week. I eventually got to rest from the four days of teaching, and I got to meet and make a new friend, Mick Dodge, The Barefoot Sensei. Mick is such a breath of fresh air. He has a no-nonsense approach to movement and aging, and he shares a common trait with another friend of mine, Dan John: Mick shows up often every day. 

And that’s THE secret to aging well with strength: Show up every day. 

When we show up, we are letting our body know we want to use it; we want to keep it. We honor our design for health and longevity with this one simple thing. Showing up says, “I value you.” When we show up, the brain and body recognize their value, and they create a supply of strength and health. 

It is that simple.

And Mick is living proof. He shows up every day, NINE times a day! He has three workouts in the morning, three in the midday, and three in the evening. In return, his body has blessed him with unlimited energy, creativity, stamina, and strength. He is constantly trying to find new and creative ways to challenge his body, and his body is constantly rewarding him with vigor. It was so much fun to get to see the light in Mick’s eyes and hear the joy in his voice. In his seventies, he has the energy of a twenty-year-old. The Barefoot Sensei is definitely onto something: 

Get grounded and show up. 

Also, this week I read an amazing book by Dr. Ellen Langer called The Mindful Body. Dr. Langer is the Mother of Mindfulness, and I find her latest book so inspiring and hopeful. This may be one of my favorite books of the year (and I’ve read quite a few). In line with the life that Mick Dodge is leading and living, Dr. Langer’s research shows that the body deteriorates with age because of the strong mindset and belief that it is supposed to. It’s our beliefs that age us, weaken us, and often sicken us. It’s also our thoughts and beliefs that help to heal us. Powerful…

If you’ve ever wanted to explore the powerful connection between your mind and your body, the unity between them, and the power your mind has to heal your body, you WANT to read this book. 

And lastly, I’m always researching and reading about nutrition. Over the last year or so, I’ve been fascinated by gut health and keeping a healthy, happy micro-biome. I am coming to believe that Hippocrates may have been right all along, and from so many centuries ago, “all disease begins in the gut.” Well, partially right. If you read Ellen Langer’s book I mentioned above, disease may begin in the mind. But the truth is you can’t separate the effects the mind has on the gut and the effects the gut has on the mind - every facet of our being is connected. 

ANYWAY, here is a cool research article I found in PubMed while researching fiber. It’s about Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum. Enjoy! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10017317/

Okay, that’s it for this week. I hope you guys have a great week, and may you practice showing up every day! 

 

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