Quality: Health, Happiness and Longevity – Sustained by Deep Connection.

/ moragnoffke

Personally, I don’t think it matters how long we live — although it would be nice to live a long, meaningful and active life right up until the end. I know that sounds a little morbid, but we’re not discussing death today. What I do think matters is the quality of our lives while we are alive.

Yes, I believe gut health and a healthy microbiome are important for quality of life. Just as important are the quality of our food, sleep, and movement. But to be whole and integrated as people, personal stress management, relationships, and one’s spiritual life are just as important.

Dr Will Bulsiewicz emphasizes fibre, nutrition, and circadian rhythms. When it comes to gut health and nutrition, he says it doesn’t matter what you call your diet — the right diet is the one you are actually going to do. What he really wants to draw our attention to are four things that are often missing:

  • Fibre
  • Polyphenols
  • Healthy fats such as avocados, extra virgin olive oil, and nuts and seeds
  • Fermented foods such as kimchi, yoghurt, kefir, miso, kombucha, and many more

Human connection is important

He also discusses the brain–gut connection, including the impact of trauma and the importance of human connection.

He brings up modern-day culture and the framework of society and values we have built: materialism, outward wealth, and individualism. In many Western cultures we are encouraged to prove that we can do it alone. We end up pursuing a life of validation as our meaning — proving ourselves through money, status, and position — yet these don’t bring satisfaction. We eventually realize that we have chased the wrong things for the wrong reasons. External validation can be like a drug, and it becomes a real problem.

What brings joy and satisfaction is deep, happy connection with people — to love and to be loved. That is a true life of purpose. When we turn away from this purpose by trying to prove something, it pulls us away from our relationships and breeds unhappiness. Time and connection are just as important as nutrition and gut health.

Healing your gut and mind

He says there is much more to health than diet, exercise, and sleep; healing comes in many forms. He asks important questions: What is suffering? What do you need to heal? You may have perfect gut health, yet your heart still hurts and you feel lonely. What would healing look like for you? What is missing in your life?

Dr Will Bulsiewicz shares a personal story that brings home the importance of family and good relationships. Even though he is a doctor working with the gut microbiome — and he believes it is very important — he asks: what use is a healthy gut if we remain unhappy, stressed, and lonely? Trauma impacts the body and the gut as well. Without addressing the underlying issues, it can feel like fighting an uphill battle.

I am not going to rehash this important topic or go into the finer details of what or when to eat, or what habits to develop. I am a fellow traveller on the path of life, trying to make informed decisions for my own wellbeing. Today I want to share a discussion by Dr Will Bulsiewicz on YouTube that I resonate with deeply.

He has written a book, but that is not the aim of sharing this post. His discussion comes across as genuine and grounded, and it is worth listening to if you value living life intentionally and meaningfully — especially in your relationships and sense of purpose.

A personal note: I have been wrapped up with life and family this past week. While it would have been my first choice to write a few posts, I chose instead to spend much-needed time supporting my family.

So I leave you with this YouTube.

I find myself wondering, as we each reflect on health and wellbeing, what feels most important to nurture right now — your body, your relationships, or your sense of purpose?

Have a healthy weekend.

Morag Noffke

21 thoughts on “Quality: Health, Happiness and Longevity – Sustained by Deep Connection.”

  2. 😊 Morag, I totally vibe with this post! 🙏 Dr. Will Bulsiewicz’s words are like a wake-up call to prioritize what truly matters. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and forget that life’s about connection, love, and purpose, not just gut health or material stuff 🤷‍♀️. His point about external validation being like a drug hits home – we’ve all been there, chasing the wrong things 😅. What resonates with me is the idea that healing’s not just physical; it’s emotional and spiritual too 💖. What do you think’s missing in your life, Morag?

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  3. Great post, Morag. And I’m glad you mention fermented foods. We’ve been on a kimchi kick lately and love it! Of course, we had to ease ourselves into it, but now we include it with meals several times a week.

    Hope all is well with you and your family. Have a wonderful day. 🌞

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    • Thank you Richard, it’s a first for me of this type of post.. so I was a little unsure. Derek said no-one would be interested so I value your comment about the kimchi. Well done on your kimchi kick. Yesterday was the first time we ate kimchi but I have made my own sauerkraut which was divine as I added grated apple and my favourite spices to it. I also used to make my own kefir at one stage but I was always nervous that I might be breeding bad bacteria. ….I’m aiming to serve fermented foods twice or three times a day… At the moment we have at least one to two servings a day. I am a firm believer in gut health myself.

      We are well thank you. It’s a bit of a complicated story but my daughter has just got a 9 week puppy, and her husband has had to go to South Africa for 2 weeks. Raising a puppy on one’s own is quite something and so we have rolled up our sleeves and pitched in to help her where we can. I think this is as close to having grandchildren as we will get. 🤣 I might have to do a little post sometime in the near future about it. Hope your weekend has been good 😊

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      • Yes that’s definitely the way to go or what we did, was … Once you have one dog trained and mature you get the next one and then the second learns from the first. My mum used to bread fox terriers once upon a time and I used to train dogs in my youth. But I like adopting mature dogs that need a good home.

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  5. I’m reminded of a line from a film: “Life should be big, not long.” What you’ve expressed so beautifully in this post speaks exactly to that idea, for nurturing our mental and physical well-being so life expands in depth, meaning, and beauty, not just in years. A wonderful read.

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  6. We humans are so complicated, Morag, … and everything is interconnected, … as you point out, health and wealth (in whatever context) … it’s continually tied in with happiness, and without happiness, we’ll, we’re left struggling in the dark, searching for what ails us. Hoping all is okay with you and yours, my friend., … (you already know ‘what’s up‘ with me… I’m just waiting for this weekend, … so that the week is behind me). sending the warmest of hugs to you, …💙🤗

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    • We’re all good, a new arrival in my daughter’s home (a puppy 9 weeks old, not a grandchild, but it might as well have been 🤣) her husband is away in South Africa and so we have been helping her quite a lot. One day I will share some photos in a post. Take care, hugs 🤗💝

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      • A new puppy is a full time job, Morag, … I still remember Bess, 7 weeks old and sure she was the boss, …which she was! … it’ll be great to see the photos when you post. …💙🤗

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