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Summary
Science journalist Caroline Williams joins Coach Allan to unpack interoception, the ability to detect, interpret, and make sense of the physiological signals coming from inside our own bodies. Unlike the familiar senses that read the external world, interoception is the brain's constant back and forth conversation with the body through three bottom up pathways: the spinal cord, the vagus nerve, and anything dissolved in the blood such as hormones, salt, and sugar. These inner signals, from hunger and fatigue to pain and inflammation, motivate what we do next. Williams explains that in a world of screens, 24 hour news, and information overload, so much attention is pulled outward that little is left to feel what is happening within, which she ties to many of our modern health problems.
The conversation digs into the science of energy and fatigue, including how overfeeding makes mitochondria less efficient rather than giving us more energy, why a quick walk beats a sugary snack for mood and energy, and emerging markers like GDF 15 that may one day measure how our cells are doing. Williams also describes affective touch, gentle stroking that signals safety and has been used to ease chronic pain and stress. She lays out four skills for reading the body better, precision, discrimination, interpretation, and flexible attention, and champions regular movement as a way to pull signal out of the noise and get back in touch with yourself.
Links
- Caroline Williams
- Inner Sense: How the New Science of Interoception Can Revolutionize Your Health by Caroline Williams
- Get Inner Sense on Amazon
Key Takeaways
- Interoception is your body's inner language: It is the ability to detect and interpret physiological signals from inside your body, which motivate your feelings, decisions, and actions.
- Three pathways carry the signals: The spinal cord, the vagus nerve, and substances dissolved in the blood send bottom up messages while the brain constantly predicts and adjusts.
- Overfeeding drains your energy: High fat and high sugar diets make mitochondria less efficient, so a quick walk beats a sugary snack for better mood and less fatigue.
- Affective touch signals safety: Gentle stroking at roughly 3 to 10 cm per second fires special fibers that tell you that you are safe, and it has been used to relieve chronic pain and stress.
- Build four inner sense skills: Precision, discrimination, interpretation, and flexible attention let you tune into a sensation, know what it means, act on it, and then move on.
- Move, rest, and choose company wisely: Find movement you love, rest enough to rebuild, and keep supportive people around you, since a trusted friend nearby lets you dig deeper before giving up.
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Episode 719 – Building brain fitness with Dr. Patrick Porter
Episode Notes
Podcast: 40+ Fitness
Episode: 715
Published: 2025-10-07
Host: Allan Misner (aka Coach Allan), author of The Wellness Roadmap
Guest(s): Caroline Williams, a highly regarded science journalist and the author of My Plastic Brain and Move, which was a new science book of the year
Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube (audio only)
