microbes are the sovereigns on this planet
012 | Hue's Cues: your weekly dose of inspiration and insights for your brain, mind, body, and soul.
Nothing humbles me quite like the flu.
It makes itself known in the most unexpected ways. Curled up, bedridden, and nearly completely undone by something I can’t even see. Argghh, I know you know what I’m talking about.
If you ever need a reminder of the order of species, the flu and 2020 offered a sobering look at how utterly defenseless we are. Microbes are the Kings and Queens of this planet. Friends, use antibiotics sparingly.
Invisible to us, yet they hold so much of our fates. One wrong graze with the wrong kind of company and they’ll dismantle us: every system, defense, and the illusion of control we thought we had. Social calendars and daily schedules vanish. No armor, no status to negotiate with, only an abrupt interruption.
I am brought to my knees. Every time. And this week, I am reminded, that some of the most powerful forces in existence are the ones we cannot see.
This week, I am intentionally refocussing our attention towards empowering information that’s been on my radar to rekindle our optimism towards flourishing! (Because , let’s be honest, the normal news cycle is a heartache these days.) So, let’s remind ourselves of humanity’s lean towards good things; and of course, our agency and autonomy towards it. Stay safe and keep smiling friends!
Your morning coffee is practically a wellness ritual. Jackpot. A 43-year study “found that moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee or tea was linked to an 18% lower risk of dementia and better cognitive performance over time” benefits that held even for those genetically predisposed. The optimal dose: two to three cups of coffee or one to two cups of tea daily. Scientifically speaking, caffeine addicts for the win. Now, before you treat this as permission to chug espressos, two words: moderate consumption. Timing and strength still matter; and sensitivity is personal. One morning cappuccino gets me through to 3pm easy, so I don’t know how nourished my brain will feel on two to three cups. I’d likely be vibrating through walls. Know your threshold, but I’m doing a victory dance because care never smelled and tasted so good. Yay! When I’m feeling special: Blue Bottle’s Craft Instant Espresso is hard to resist.
Good news for you readers, you’ll be the least likely to develop Alzheimers. Language learners, museum-goers, library nerds, and people who spend time writing well into old age, you’re the winners in mind care. In other words: the nerds won. A study published on ScienceDirect distilled it down to these takeaways: stay curious, keep stimulating, stay engaged, and keep feeding your mind across every chapter of life. That’s it. I won’t pretend this doesn’t feel like a personal win. I’m celebrating all you fellow nerds out there. Side note: nerds, quite literally, rule the world anyways.
Chronic stress isn’t just unpleasant, a study found it physically dismantles your immune system too. The mechanism is called glucocorticoid receptor resistance: under sustained stress, immune cells stop responding to cortisol’s anti-inflammatory signal. The body’s alarm system stays on and sustained long enough, it can lead to cardiovascular disease, autoimmune conditions, type 2 diabetes, and accelerated cognitive decline. But I won’t leave you to hang dry. The miracle cure (nearly insulting how simple it is): Go outside. Spend time in nature. Research found that even short, regular doses of nature exposure, even in urban settings significantly reduces cortisol levels. Frequent short visits outperformed one longer outing. Ten minutes a day is all it takes. Briefly. Repeatedly. Friends, the barrier is that low. Your body is an extraordinary complex system built to optimize itself, given the right environment and tools; even a park bench is sufficient to outsmart your stress system. Boom!
Tai chi, yoga, and jogging rival pills for beating insomnia. A large meta-analysis compared insomnia treatments and found that yoga, tai chi, walking, and jogging ranked among the most effective natural remedies for improving sleep; rivaling pharma. Science doesn’t lie. Yoga led for overall restfulness scores. Jogging for tackling insomnia symptoms head-on. Personally, I’ll take this as full scientific endorsement for my love for hot yoga. Coincidentally, I’ve been reintegrating it back into my routine recently, and beyond the physical, there’s just something about yoga that works on training my body to prime it for rest. I speak from lived experience, but I’m glad science proves it too. Some people count sheep or reach for melatonin, I choose downward dogs instead.
Three songs I’ve liked this week ;) .
Coming back to why you should care about your microbes. Here are two sources that’s inspired me: Netflix’s Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut (if you haven’t seen it yet) and a compelling mini-documentary from Australia’s ABC News, How a risky DIY poo experiment transformed Jane’s life. Warning: poo is featured in both briefly. Squeamish folks, consider yourself warned, but keep watching for the knowledge gain. Have I ever led you astray?
On the thought that’s helped me regain some sense of my humanity this week: a hyper concentrated generous dose of fresh ginger, lemon (with rind), turmeric and a black pepper shot. A little honey for the faint of heart, as it packs a punch, but it’s what you’ll want in case this flu season hits you hard too. Trust.
“How much longer are you going to avoid what you are capable of doing in order to continue with what you’re comfortable doing?” — Simon Alexandero