Embarking on the Journey of Understanding My Body and Its Needs
I began to unravel the mysteries of my own body relatively late in life, having gone through decades without truly comprehending its closely connected functions. It wasn't until the past half-century that I started to understand how my body works tirelessly, day in and day out, 24/7, 365 days a year.
With only a basic awareness of biology and chemistry acquired during my school years, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery. Delving into the plentiful resources available on the internet, I commenced my research, seeking to grasp the complexities of human physiology. Through reading and following experts speak on the issue, I gained insight into the functioning of different bodily systems and the essential requirements for maintaining their smooth operation.
In this article, I aim to share my process of understanding this newfound insight and the positive impact it has had on my life.
The saying "you are what you eat" suddenly took on a life-changing meaning for me. Considering that our bodies are composed of cells—approximately 30 to 37 trillion human cells alongside an equivalent number of bacterial cells—it was truly an 'aha' moment for me. The sheer magnitude of this cellular universe is immense to contemplate.
What's truly fascinating is the fact that every cell in our body undergoes replacement roughly every seven years. Honestly, I was surprised. Essentially, it means that within a span of seven years, we have the capacity to transform into a completely new individual. Isn't that empowering?
I began investigating how such transformation could be achieved through lifestyle adjustments. A vital aspect is dietary modification, given that human cells primarily consist of water, protein, fats, and minerals. Since old cells are replaced by new ones, it's important to ensure an adequate intake of these essential components.
In today's fast-paced world, convenience often leads to reliance on fast food, which typically lacks the necessary nutrients for optimal cellular health. Instead, starch and carbohydrate-heavy meals result in frequent energy and sugar spikes. Coupled with insufficient physical activity, this surplus energy often gets stored in the body as fat for future use. Muscles will not get replaced by proteins due to insufficient supply of the raw material protein to replace the old cells. Instead, we will see fat accumulation due to excess starch and carbohydrate consumption. So I started preparing my own meals, including a rainbow of whole foods, and reducing processed ingredients.
Sleep plays a vital role in the process of cell replacement. During sleep, the body's maintenance team springs into action, repairing and rejuvenating cells. However, this process occurs approximately three hours after the last meal when digestion is complete. Therefore, late dinners followed by immediate sleep can disrupt this maintenance cycle, diverting the body's resources toward digestion rather than repair. A restorative seven to eight hours of sleep is crucial for effectively repairing and maintaining cellular health. I almost stopped going out at night, instead spending the few hours before bed winding down and preparing for my 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
After the completion of repair work, the body initiates the vital process of eliminating dead cells and purifying the system. This cleansing occurs through multiple channels, such as filtration by the kidneys, perspiration, and the lymphatic system. Additionally, the body expels leftovers of food consumed post-digestion. To ensure the smooth operation of these elimination processes, it is essential to maintain adequate levels of fibre and water intake.
In summary, everyone needs the ingredients, meaning the essential nutrition through the mouth as well as enough fibres required to push out the residue after the body takes up the vitamins and minerals for bodily functions. To get things flowing, enough liquid and exercise to maintain the strength of the body and 7 to 8 hours of sleep for repair. On the contrary, taking supplements and consuming processed or junk food will lead to stress and dysfunctional systems.
What I learned is that the simple life is the solution where I have to be involved in every process of living, from cooking to active movement for my well-being. The possibility to have transformed me in seven years was truly empowering.