The British psychologist Kimberley Wilson works in the emergent field of whole body mental health, one of the most astonishing frontiers we are on as a species. Discoveries about the gut microbiome, for example, and the gut-brain axis; the fascinating vagus nerve and the power of the neurotransmitters we hear about in piecemeal ways in discussions around mental health. The phrase “mental health” itself makes less and less sense in light of the wild interactivity we can now see between what we’ve falsely compartmentalized as physical, emotional, mental, even spiritual. And so much of what we’re seeing brings us back to intelligence that has always been in the very words we use — “gut instinct,” for instance. It brings us back to something your grandmother was right about, for reasons she would never have imagined: you are what you eat. There is so much actionable knowledge in the tour of the ecosystem of our bodies that Kimberley Wilson takes us on this hour. This is science that invites us to nourish the brains we need, young and old, to live in this world.
Kimberley Wilson has a private psychotherapy and nutrition practice in central London. She co-hosts the BBC Radio 4 podcast Made of Stronger Stuff and is the author of How to Build a Healthy Brain. She came to the attention of many as a finalist in an early season of The Great British Bake Off. She grew up, as she tells it, eating both the West Indian food of her family and over-processed modern British fare.
Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.
And, this week, an invitation: As you may have heard, after twenty years (!), we are transitioning On Being from a weekly show to a seasonal podcast. We hope you’ll help us celebrate these first two decades, by sharing how you’ve made this adventure of conversation your own.
Is there a guest, an idea, or a moment from an episode that has made a difference, that has stayed with you?
We’ve made it easy (and fun) to record your reflection — and at the same time sign up to stay on top of what’s happening next: onbeing.org/staywithus. Krista will be offering some of her defining memories, too: in a special online event in June, on social media, and more. So — please and thank you — go to onbeing.org/staywithus.
[Unedited] Rachel Naomi Remen with Krista Tippett
David Whyte — Seeking Language Large Enough
"Everything is Waiting for You" by David Whyte
"Working Together" by David Whyte
"Sweet Darkness" by David Whyte
[Unedited] David Whyte with Krista Tippett
BONUS: A Defining Moment from Krista — Celebrating Our First 20 Years
[Unedited] Kimberley Wilson with Krista Tippett
Robin Wall Kimmerer — The Intelligence of Plants
[Unedited] Robin Wall Kimmerer with Krista Tippett
Sylvia Boorstein – What We Nurture
A Lovingkindness Meditation with Sylvia Boorstein
[Unedited] Sylvia Boorstein with Krista Tippett
Pádraig Ó Tuama — “This fantastic argument of being alive”
[Unedited] Pádraig Ó Tuama with Krista Tippett
Ai-jen Poo and Tarana Burke — The Future of Hope 5
Avivah Zornberg — Human Becoming, Between Biblical Lines
[Unedited] Avivah Zornberg with Krista Tippett
Eugene Peterson — Answering God
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