Sublime

In old age, mindfulness can increase health by saving us from a diminishing sense of authorship of our stories. In a 1976 experiment by Langer and her colleagues, a number of elderly residents in a nursing home were given houseplants to look after and water. They were also encouraged to make decisions for themselves, such as where to receive visito

After all, one of the prized books on my shelf is a 1998 gem by Roger Williams entitled (you guessed it) Biochemical Individuality. The back cover sums up its argument nicely: “There is no such thing as the average person—we are all genetically and biologically unique. But when sperm meets egg, our characteristics are not locked in stone. Bad genes

The best-odds prescription for a long, good life is a baseline of mainly PNS arousal with mild SNS activation for vitality, combined with occasional SNS spikes for major opportunities or threats.

New IBS Solution: Bacteria—The Missing Link in Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome, by Mark Pimentel, MD • Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, ADD, Dyslexia, ADHD, Depression, Schizophrenia, by Natasha Campbell-McBride • Healthy Gut, Healthy You, by Dr. Michael Ruscio • Radical Metabolism, by Ann Louise Gittleman • D

If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health. —HIPPOCRATES