A Gut-Wrenching Story and a Life Lesson
by M.N.Curry
A long, long time ago, when I was younger and prone to stuffing my gut with things I had a taste for rather than eating healthy foods, I would, more often than not, end up with a condition the old folks called "All Stopped Up." It sounded better. But in effect, it was constipation. It was suggested that I would do well with a big ole glass of prune juice followed by a decent-sized bowl of bran flakes. Then there was always the drugstore standby: Ex-Lax, milk of magnesia, or magnesium citrate. Not as appealing to me as the prune juice, bran flakes combo, but you gotta do what you gotta do, whatever it is. The fact is, constipation can wreak more havoc on your internal system and the function of your brain than you may realize. Which leads me to this story.
Since the day man first started walking on this earth thousands of years ago, he has been, through trial and error, finding out what to eat and what not, what's harmful and what is not. His ability to discern lacked the foresight to anticipate cause and effect and the hindsight to analyze. At some time during the bicameral age of man, even before the wisdom of ancient doctors such as Herophilus, Hicesius, and Hippocrates, it was thought that all his actions were given by internal voices; he thought they were from the gods. He reacted to them without question, for who is man to question the wisdom of the gods?
Later in his development of independent thinking, the brain began to reason, and at some point during this transition, it started making independent choices, relying more on judgment informed by hindsight and foresight. At this point, the influence of the Greek gods' advice is beginning to diminish, and the brain now has the sole responsibility for man's survival, with no internal voices of the gods for guidance; therefore, all Internal situations must be addressed solely on one's own judgment.
Each part of their body has a role to play, and each part thought it was better than the other: the arms, which can grab and hold objects, have their limitations and abilities; without me, you cannot lift. and the legs, which can transport things from here to there, without me you cannot travel. They all argued with the brain about who should be in charge. But what wasn't considered is the fact that each has essential duties. and without proper nourishment, they become weak and painful. Still, there's one part of the body that is being ignored, yet it did its job without boasting. which will prove more important than all of them, and failure to recognize its presence could prove vital to man's existence.
Overlooking the importance of the other critical functions, like the liver, the kidneys, and a couple of other organs, which are just as crucial in keeping things in proper working order. But one of the most important of them is the intestine, yep, that's right, the intestines, whose job it is to digest food, absorb nutrients, and remove waste. It also produces hormones that transmit signals throughout the body, regulate water balance, and fight germs. So if the intestine decides to shut down because it's being abused, the body retaliates, becomes weak, and the brain becomes confused and disoriented. Then it happened, the legs refused to walk, the arms and hands refused to lift. Now, the brain, being a smart ass, has to ask the intestines for a little help figuring this thing out. depends on the intestines for a bit of help and a little direction, and if the intestines refuse because they've been neglected, things could get a lot worse. Much, much worse. So the moral of this story is, listen and pay attention to what your body is telling you. More often than not, the brain fails to recognize the serious internal signals of stress. The life lesson is: if you want to get your point across about priorities and get others to pay attention and acknowledge your presence, just act like an asshole! Works every time!
So now that you can see how these things work, can you see the relationship between chronic constipation and an increased risk of cognitive decline?
Recent research has highlighted the connection between gut health and brain function, including conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, individuals with less frequent bowel movements (about once every 3 days or less) have a 73% higher risk of subjective cognitive decline. In fact, chronic constipation can lead to cognition comparable to three years of aging.
Drinking more water is also a beneficial step in keeping things moving along! Adequate hydration helps maintain regular bowel movements and supports overall health. Increase your water intake to promote better gut function and reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
Remember, taking care of your gut may be a pathway to safeguarding your brain health!
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The Eccentric Writings of M.N.Curry
