Hello again. Sorry it's been so long. Life is busy! I am almost done with my first year of medical school. My final class is immunology, which has inspired this post.
Our bodies have many built in defense mechanisms to counter an infection. One such defense is the microbiota or microbiome. In case you're unfamiliar with these terms, let me explain. We generally think of bacteria as being bad, disease causing little cells that we want nothing to do with. Would your feelings toward bacteria change if you found out that there are more bacteria on the surfaces of your body than cells in your body? Surprise! Your body is the home to about 10 times more bacteria than human cells. Thankfully, in most circumstances, these bacteria serve to protect you, and the role of these "healthy" bacteria is an active field of medical research.
Now, back to the microbiota as an immune defense. Your digestive tract is covered in these "healthy" bacteria, which take up space, so that disease causing bacteria have no room to grow. However, if your microbiota is disturbed (by antibiotics, disease, etc.), then you are more prone to being infected by another type of less friendly bacteria. The parable here is simple and easily recognizable. Filling your life with good leaves no room for the bad. You cannot simply give up something bad and expect it to go away. Filling your life with light will help you remove the darkness.
