365 Ways #230–Two brains are better than none

#230--You probably didn't know that the gut has its own nervous system--the enteric nervous system (ENS). But with about 100,000 neurons, almost as many as is contained in the entire length of the spinal cord, this branch of your nervous system is critical because it greatly influences your energy levels, tolerance for exercise, even your mood. Thus, diet literally impacts not only a person's physiology but his/her psychology, as well. In fact, a doctor named Byron Robinson thought the ENS was so important that he dedicated an entire book on the subject entitled The Abdominal Brain. First published in 1899, the book is a bit dated now. After all, since most people treat their gut like a garbage can, a more appropriate title now would be The Abdominal Landfill.