將時間倒轉二十年，當人們談及免疫系統與抵抗力，腦中浮現的往往是某些特定的營養成分，卻鮮少聯想到飲食頻率、腸道菌叢，或是睡眠品質。

這樣的觀念錯置，當然與教育系統脫不了關係，也與當時的時空背景息息相關，二十年後，我們對於免疫系統的理解早已翻新重建。

知識的革新，往往卡在既得利益的藩籬中。一方面來自專業的權威壟斷，另一方面則是民眾的求知慾與好奇心，始終無法穿透商業資訊層層包裹的迷霧。

為什麼我們會感冒？因為免疫力下降；為什麼罹患癌症？同樣指向免疫失調。雖然這兩種疾病的免疫層級大不相同，卻都指向身體內部那座早已動搖的防線。

每當我探究癌症與人格特質之間的關聯時，總能深刻體會到：負面情緒對免疫系統的殺傷力驚人。進一步看，更是對「菌－腦－腸軸」這條生命通道的單向破壞。

就像一種原本穩定的平衡系統，突然闖入干擾因子：一隻狼衝進羊群、一粒老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥，生病常常肇因於我們未曾察覺的破壞源。

 

若癌症病患未能意識到，真正讓自己倒下的不是疾病本身，而是長期堆積的壞情緒，那麼免疫力與自癒力就難以修復，自然也難以康復。

這些情緒的根源，可能來自環境、個性，更深層的則與價值觀息息相關。

以睡眠為例，當我們試圖重估它的價值，就有機會突破僵固的認知框架，重建與身體的深層連結。

睡眠的正向循環，和斷食一樣，必須親身實踐才能驗證。因為身體的潛能，遠超大腦的理解；不經歷實證，我們多半停留在半信半疑的狀態。

睡眠與學習力、記憶力息息相關，比起抽象的認知指標，睡眠品質更容易透過觀察腸道運作來反推。

我的觀察筆記中，每一位有便祕困擾的個案，幾乎都可追溯至長期忽略睡眠的重要性：不是睡眠時間錯誤，就是長度不足，最終導致腸道蠕動遲滯、菌相失衡、排便失序。

睡眠與腸道效率之間的關聯，對許多人而言仍相當陌生。更廣義地說，不只是睡眠，情緒壓力與消化負擔也對排便功能有顯著影響。

 

說到這裡，許多飽受睡眠困擾者常會問：「我只要好好睡覺，就能改善長期便祕嗎？」但事實是，睡眠障礙的逆轉，並非「想睡好」就能立刻睡好。

這不只是一場作息的調整，更是一次價值觀的革命。若當事人長期仰賴藥物入眠，這場變革的難度，堪比拆除一座老舊的建築。

深化斷食，能夠直接切入睡眠品質的核心。請注意，這裡所說的不是「斷食」而已，而是「深化」的斷食。

什麼樣的人，能夠執行到這樣的深度？答案是：相信自己身體的人。而這樣的人，也往往是對自己有信任感的人。

 

菌－腦－腸軸之間的三向溝通，可以源源不絕的注入正向訊號；反之，缺乏自信的人，必須先從與自己重建關係開始，與身體建立連結，就是一個起點。從釐清「為何要執行斷食」的動機開始，便是一場回歸本質的探索。

腸道是第二大腦，腸道微生物群可視為第三大腦。當斷食與菌相重建同步進行，就如同在腹腔中整頓兩座沉睡的智慧核心。當菌－腦－腸軸啟動正向循環，整體生命力也隨之甦醒。

腸道遲鈍不是絕症，透過斷食，日復一日清理不必要的囤積，當身體意識逐漸甦醒，睡眠的需求也自然回歸，這便是從任何起點切入皆能正向加乘的循環。

睡眠與大腸排便的互動是對等且交織的，思考膠淋巴系統在夜間進行廢物清運的機制，不難理解大腸與夜間睡眠之間的關聯性。

 

每當我們努力想要回復生命的原始活力時，便需誠實回溯：我們究竟在哪個階段走偏了？答案往往在於，我們習慣走捷徑，逃避問題的本質，也因此從未真正建立起身體意識的視角。

腸道擁有通往全身的神經網絡，不只與大腦連結，更是豐富整體生命力的中樞。

對於同時具備睡眠障礙與排便困擾的人，在傳統醫療的範疇中，幾乎只能仰賴藥物。然而，選擇深化斷食的人，經由第三條路，解決了其實是同一件事的雙重困擾。

病患在尋求治療時，常夾雜著急躁與煩躁，因為「治療」本身就暗示著快速解決。但斷食不是治療，它是與自己身體重新建立連結的養生之道，它超越了治療，還原了生命的原貌。

 

（經常每晚睡眠少於六到七個小時，會嚴重削弱你的免疫系統，罹患癌症的風險將增加一倍以上。）

 

The Cycle Between Sleep and Bowel Movements

Rewind time by twenty years—when people spoke of the immune system and resistance to illness, what typically came to mind were specific nutrients, rather than meal frequency, gut microbiota, or sleep quality.

This misplacement of concepts, of course, stems partly from the education system and is deeply influenced by the temporal context of that era. But two decades later, our understanding of the immune system has been completely overhauled and rebuilt.

The greatest obstacle to this shift in knowledge is vested interest. On one side lies the monopoly of professional authority; on the other, the public’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge remain obscured by layers of commercial information.

Why do we catch colds? A weakened immune system. Why do we develop cancer? Again, immune dysfunction. Though these diseases differ vastly in severity, they both point to a compromised internal defense.

In my research on the correlation between cancer and personality traits, I’ve come to realize deeply: negative emotions have a devastating impact on the immune system. Even more profoundly, they cause one-way damage to the life axis connecting microbes, brain, and gut—the microbiome-brain-gut axis.

It’s like a stable ecosystem suddenly disrupted: a wolf in a flock of sheep, a drop of ink in a pot of water. Illness often begins with subtle disturbances we fail to recognize.

If cancer patients don’t realize that what truly brought them down is not the disease itself but years of suppressed negative emotions, their immunity and self-healing abilities will struggle to recover—making true healing nearly impossible.

The roots of these emotions may lie in one’s environment or personality, but more often they are tied to one’s value system.

Take sleep, for instance. When we begin to re-evaluate its true worth, we have a chance to break free from rigid cognitive frameworks and reestablish a deeper relationship with the body.

Like fasting, the positive cycle of sleep must be experienced to be validated. The body’s potential far exceeds the brain’s comprehension—without firsthand practice, we remain stuck in doubt.

Sleep is closely tied to learning capacity and memory. Compared to abstract cognitive metrics, bowel patterns often serve as a more observable proxy for sleep quality.

In my records, nearly every individual suffering from chronic constipation also exhibits long-term neglect of sleep—either misaligned schedules or insufficient duration—resulting in sluggish bowel movements, microbiome imbalance, and disordered elimination.

To many, the link between sleep and digestive efficiency remains unfamiliar. More broadly, not just sleep, but emotional stress and digestive overload significantly affect bowel function.

At this point, many who struggle with sleep often ask: “If I sleep well, will my constipation go away?” But the truth is, reversing sleep disorders is not as simple as “wanting to sleep better.”

This is not just a lifestyle adjustment—it is a value system revolution. For those who have long depended on medication to sleep, this transformation is akin to dismantling an old, crumbling structure.

Deepened fasting can directly address the core of sleep quality. And note, I am not merely referring to fasting, but deepening the fasting practice.

Who can go to such depths? The answer: those who trust their bodies. And such individuals are often those who fundamentally trust themselves.

The microbe-brain-gut axis functions best when three-way communication is active and infused with positive signals. Conversely, for those lacking self-trust, healing must begin with rebuilding their relationship with themselves—starting with reconnecting with their body.

Clarifying one’s motivation for fasting becomes an essential step in this return-to-origin journey.

The gut is often referred to as the second brain, and the microbiome as the third. When fasting and microbiome restoration are practiced together, it’s akin to awakening two dormant cores of wisdom in the abdominal region. Once the microbiome-brain-gut axis is set into a positive loop, one’s life force reawakens in full.

Sluggish bowels are not a terminal fate. Through daily fasting that clears accumulated burdens, as body awareness gradually revives, the natural demand for sleep also returns—this is the regenerative loop, accessible from any entry point.

Sleep and bowel movement operate in a reciprocal, interwoven rhythm. Consider the glymphatic system, which performs nighttime brain detoxification—it’s not difficult to see the intimate link between sleep and colon function.

Whenever we strive to restore our original vitality, we must reflect honestly: at what point did we stray? The answer often lies in our habitual shortcuts and avoidance of root issues—thus failing to ever build a bodily awareness perspective.

The gut possesses a vast neural network connected not only to the brain but also serving as a core of life vitality.

For those grappling with both sleep disturbances and constipation, conventional medicine offers little beyond pharmaceuticals. Yet those who choose to deepen fasting resolve both issues at once—because at their root, they are one and the same.

Patients often approach healing with impatience and irritability, since “treatment” implies immediate results. But fasting is not a treatment. It is a pathway to reestablish connection with one’s body. It transcends treatment—it restores the essence of life itself.