The third book on my health and well-being reading list is The Longevity Paradox, written by Steven R. Gundry, MD.

This book had a few truly amazing insights that I want to share with you - things that, if we understood them and applied them, could change our lives immeasurably.

Here we go:

1 ) Genes Don't Matter, Microbiome Matters

You may think that it is your genes that determine your longevity, but you would be wrong. Corn has more genes than human beings. So do fleas. And nuts.

Believe it or not, 99% of the genes that make up "you" are bacterial, viral and protozoal genes, not human ones. The human ones are comparatively few, and are almost identical to those in primates, chimps and gorillas. What makes us different is bacteria. Yes, it is our bacteria that makes us human and has helped our evolution.

What determines your longevity is the state of the bacteria in your mouth, gut and on your skin.

2 ) Chronic Exercise = Chronic Stress

A little bit of stress creates positive results, but too much of it leads to negative effects. The idea of long distance running and other forms of intense daily cardio are based on the misunderstanding of how metabolism and the body work. There is plenty of evidence that acute endurance training has a disastrous effect on longevity.

Want to live longer? Walk more, run less.

Research has shown that those in long-lived cultures tend to be walker and hikers, not runners.

Worried about strength? Gundry suggests squats, planks and push-ups - they all work every major muscle group and you can get tremendous results with a small investment of time.

3 ) The Gut Is The Second Brain, Or Maybe Even The First

There is an abundance of evidence that the gut and the brain are connected in some amazing ways.

The gut and the brain communicate via the vagus nerve, which is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system. It controls most of the unconscious bodily functions, such as heart rate, digestion and respiratory rate.

It has long been believed that it served the purpose of allowing the brain to communicate with the gut, the lungs and other organs in the body. But that wasn't even the half of it.

The truth is, for every nerve fiber going from the brain to the heart, lungs and the gut, there are nine times more going from the gut to the brain. Nine times!

The gut is running the show, not the other way around. It has neurons, just like the brain, and it produces around 80-90% of the serotonin in your body. So, there's that.

Two brains. And here you were, thinking you only had one.

Taking care of your gut seems to me to be the best possible investment you could make.

4 ) Got Glymph?

Here is Dr. Gundry to explain:

“A few years ago, researchers discovered a system that allows cerebrospinal fluid (that clear fluid we tap when we stick a needle into your spine) to flow through the brain, cleaning out the spaces in between cells, just as lymphatic fluid does in the rest of your body. This is called the glymphatic system. To make room for the fluid to wash out your brain, your cells actually shrink in size when you are in deep sleep. This allows the full ‘brain wash’ process to go twenty times as fast when you are in deep sleep as when you are awake and helps explain why a good night’s sleep is so restorative. When you get an adequate amount of deep sleep, you literally wake up with a refreshed and rejuvenated mind that has been swept clean of junk and debris.”

He goes on to say that the "brain wash cycle" is probably the single most overlooked and misunderstood aspect of neurodegenerative diseases. So, how do we optimize it?

Here's another quote:

“The glymphatic system is most active during the specific stage of deep sleep that happens very early in the sleep cycle. And the glymphatic system, just like your digestive system, requires a great deal of blood flow. This means that if you eat too soon before going to bed, your blood will all flow to your gut to aid in digestion and will not be able to reach your brain to complete the all-important brain wash.”

He suggests eating at least four hours before bedtime. Sounds simple enough.