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Contents | Introduction
Like many good stories, this one came about as a result of a ‘guy-meets-girl’ scenario—but with an unusual twist. I once had a boyfriend who worked odd hours and tended to neglect his health, often eating a big dinner late at night and then going straight to bed. It occurred to me that his body probably wasn’t too happy about this and that it must be frustrating for it not to be heard, despite the many symptoms it created to try to get his attention. So I wrote him a letter from his liver—and, boy, did that liver have a lot to say. Years of stored-up anger, resentment and frustration poured out, with scalding invectives and none-too-subtle suggestions as to how things could be improved in that department. The liver finally got its say and it felt good; it managed to negotiate some cut-backs and there was a truce for a while. Problem was, all the other organs wanted their say then, too, so I couldn’t stop there. The pancreas had no sweet things to say about my boyfriend’s cravings for sugar; the heart monopolized a good four pages with its appeal for forgiveness and a deep need for meaningful connection; and the intestines went on at length about how much crap they’d had to handle over the years. All in all, it was a massive and hugely enlightening venting process that made me realize just how much our bodies have to say.
Once the various organs and body systems had come to life, of course, they had no intention of retreating back into obscurity. They asserted themselves and took root in my world, evolving into quirky, colourful characters with their own dysfunction, neediness, crises, in-fighting and all the other good things humans do so well.
Almost all the processes described in this book are based on fact, although not all of them follow the conventional way of thinking, regarding certain bodily functions. For some of the lesser-known physiological truths, I am grateful to the late Frank Ludde—a masterful metabolic therapist who understood the body like no one else I’ve ever met. If he were alive today, Frank would be happy to know that the body had finally found a stronger voice—and that it had fun doing it. The body likes nothing better than a good belly laugh to lighten things up and freshen our perspective.
The combination of humour, drama, fact and insights in this book is designed to enlighten and entertain, while hopefully also inspiring you to listen to what your body has to say—and to let it take you on a rather special journey of self-discovery. The body is really the only reliable roadmap we get in life; learning how to read it and to interpret the various signs along the way is the most powerful way to get in touch with who you really are. Have a word with your heart about that one and it will soon set you straight.
But be warned: once you open that door, there’ll be a chorus of voices urgently clamouring to be heard. Are you ready to hear what your body has to say?
—Olga Sheean, Italy, November 2008 |
