Hi everyone! Welcome back. This is the long awaited part 2 of gut feelings. In part one, we went over the basic anatomy of the GI tract and a basic picture of digestion. We talked about several factors that can affect how we digest our food; from stress levels, to not chewing our food thoroughly, to lack of mindfulness while eating. By now we know that an adequately prepared digestive system is important in order for us to get the most from our food. To refresh your memory,

In today's world, where everyone is becoming more and more health conscious, the main focus is on consuming healthy, wholesome foods. This is a great start! However, we often forget the most important factor! Our Gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This tube (approximately 9meters long) is responsible for digestion of the food we eat, and absorption of the nutrients extracted from these foods. If GI function is not optimal, consuming healthy, wholesome foods will be counterproductiv

Optimal health surpasses nutrition and physical activity. An additional component of maintaining our health is rest. Now, there are a variety of ways to rest but one of the most critical is sleep. I think we've all heard that 7-8 hours of sleep is the baseline for healthy functioning. Ask yourself right now ("How many hours of sleep do I get on a daily basis?"). Interestingly enough, I have heard people say that they are perpetually tired no matter how long they sleep. I myse