In this episode, Wendy speaks with gastroentorologist, author, and microbiome researcher Emeran Mayer. Emeran is a world renowned expert in the connections between the gut and the mind, and brings a biological lens to the concept of interconnection. This conversation covers many topics, including:


his interest in mind-body connection;

microbiome overview & current questions;

how we've inherited systems of communication from microbes;

gut-brain connections, and the concept of the "second brain";

how meditation might affect our microbes;

gut-immune connections;

the importance of barriers, and what goes wrong in "leaky gut";

barrier compromise as common core of nearly all chronic disorders;

stress and diet as key factors affecting our gut permeability;

what we can do to protect our gut;

equity issues around healthy food access;

the gut as a sense organ;

reductions in the diversity of microbes on the planet;

the role of antibiotics and environmental destruction;

development of the microbiome in pregnancy and infancy;

implications for our concept of self;

balance between reductionism and embracing complexity in science;

and the need for more of the feminine archetype in our world.

Full show notes and resources