HEALTH
Less Than Half of Our Body Is Human. What Does This Mean for COVID?
57% of our bodies are microbes in family-filled football stadiums
Microbes rule our world. Scary thought? Now that we’ve all been COVID-influenced? No. Don’t be daft. Microbes are really cool little creatures, bacteria, viruses, and microscopic algae, who balance each other out.
We can’t stay alive without microbes. It’s just not possible on our planet.
They are surfing in the wind and flowing with the rivers. We can’t avoid them by shutting them out. But what we can do, is learn to live with them.
So, here are some fascinating facts. And some general tips and tricks on how to be and stay healthy in this world filled with microbes.
Cells, DNA, and Microbes
Let’s get deeper into some fascinating facts, that human health and environmental scientists found out for us.
- It seems like all of our health sciences are focused on genetics. But genes are just stores full of past information. Cells are the really regenerative parts of our body. In our bodies, all cells renew in 7–10 years’ time. And this process is driven by cells and DNA together. So, it’s time to include cells in our research on DNA. They keep our bodies in a dynamic balance. After all, the only constant is change
- After genetics, our sciences now find out more and more facts about epigenetics. What is it? Well, while some researchers and pharma people are cutting and pasting DNA, there’s evidence now that DNA can switch itself on and off depending on the environment. It means that nothing is chiseled in stone anymore. That logic isn’t it? The only constant in our world moving and flowing with time
- We are connected to our environment. Everything is connected. We are nature. And while some people keep focussing on matter and molecules, researchers find that our bodies are 99.99999% space. How come? Well, the molecules aren’t solid. They are connected with lots of space in between. It is even more fascinating to think that the entire human race can fit inside a sugar cube
- What about the microbes? Well, they are the biggest biomass on earth. Really, have a look at the chart behind this link. It’s fascinating to think that humans only make up 1% of life on earth. We breathe microbes, we drink microbes and our skins are crawling with trillions of microbes. And luckily because we couldn’t live without them. They make sure our guts stay healthy. And our organs can do their jobs properly
- And then the most fascinating fact of all. Only 43% of our human body consists of human cells. The rest are microbes.
Football Stadium
Why am I not scared by all these facts? How do I explain all this to my students and clients when we create systemic designs for the future?
Well, it’s simple. We need many diverse, abundant groups of microbes for our personal immune systems and for our world to work properly. And the best thing to do is go with your bare hands into the soil. Go gardening.
Make the little creatures crawl your skin a bit more.
When 100 hooligans are surrounded by 20,000 happy families they are harmless
Of course, we need to combine that with normal hygiene. Not sterile, you don’t want to kill the buggers. Just remove them from your skin for a bit. The good microbes will return. Most probably your mother taught you to wash your hands before you eat. And after you have pooped. That’s wise advice.
Aren’t there any harmful bacteria and viruses around, do you ask? Yes, there are. They are called pathogens. But they have a function too. E-coli bacteria are very functional for digesting food in our guts. But you don’t want them in your lungs. They just need to stay in place and that means designing clever human systems.
Pathogens are only a small percentage of all microbes. And microbes are balancing each other out, you know. So the more diverse they are in your gut and on your skin, the better they do their jobs to kill the pathogens.
It’s like a football stadium.
When 100 hooligans enter an empty stadium, they will wreck the place in no time. However, when 100 hooligans are surrounded by 20,000 happy families they become harmless.
That’s true in the soil to grow our healthy, organic, regenerative food. True in the air and water. True in our own bodies.
Meaning for COVID?
What does this mean for our dealings with COVID? Well, it means it’s your own responsibility to be as healthy as possible. We don’t want the COVID virus to enter weak lungs. Or to enter weak other parts of your body. Most people who died did so from more than COVID.
They had other health issues too.
Whether you decide to take a vaccine or not, I won’t judge. I’m all for personal freedom of choice and our own bodily integrity. There are many stories to find pro and contra vaccines.
It’s up to you to read them and find the truth for your body in your deep dark void inside. Can your body handle the accumulation of chemical vaccines right now? Can your body handle the accumulation of COVID virus better?
In Africa, they have strong immune systems, and they don’t have much trouble now with COVID, even without vaccines. In China, they are pressured to get vaccines and boosters and stay inside their toxic buildings.
It’s a country’s choice based on its culture.
In European countries, we are allowed to take up normal life again. Go to festivals and parties. But we are motivated strongly to take vaccines and boosters. However, we like to choose our own paths.
That’s us. Dutch stubbornness.
I have chosen to get the double vaccine and one booster. But no more. I have cancer, and no immune system at the moment. I go through chemo. But I do realize that vaccines on top of chemo will accumulate the chemicals. So I set my limits.
So, I keep feeling the truth in the world and adapt my own personal choices to that. When after chemo (June 2) I can build up my immune system properly again, I stop at the vaccines I already got and go gardening in healthy soil big time. After all, if I have to take vaccines for every disease around I can go get a shot every day of the week.
No scenario for me.
But I never say never. And I also don’t say for always. I use timing for all my decisions. When I feel a clear YES it’s good for me now. When I feel a MAYBE I just wait until the yes comes. Or not.
However, here are some general things that apply to everyone wanting to be healthy:
- Go outside and breathe in fresh air (and microbes). Our buildings are often badly ventilated and our bodies need to breathe in the fresh air. Inside our buildings, the air quality is 2–5 times worse than outside and we spend 90% of our time indoors. That’s not our natural state of being. Being outside in natural daylight or night-dark is
- Move. Walk. Do sports. Our health really benefits from movement. We sit still for too long. And our microbes love a bit of action. Movement is good for our mental health too. The steady rhythm of walking will increase mental health. Help you see things in perspective. Lessen the fear
- Take Vitamin D. It again has to do with our being indoors too much. Vitamin D is made by daylight and sun. And we get too little of that during our day. I know that not all doctors will agree on the scientific proof but my very technical oncologist says that it is proven
- Put your hands in the soil. Touch decaying leaves in the woods. Touch bark and dew drops. Go swimming or dip your feet into open waters. The sea, river, lake, and ocean. Be friends with the microbes
- Wash your hands before eating and after pooping
- Love and live with joy… your microbes will be dancing with you…
Happy health. Happy living, my friends!
Thank you, Mike, for adding your wise energy to my words on Abundanism. Systemic Design for a good future, and Wild Writing. © Désirée Driesenaar, 2022