30 plant-based foods boost the microbiome
When i was young, most doctors maintained that what we eat had nothing to do with our health. Amazing, right? Fortunately, those days are long gone and most doctors and scientists recognize, at least to some degree, the vital role of our microbiome, the good bacteria in our digestive system, in maintaining a healthy life. Those who study Ayurveda kind of giggle at this, because Ayurvedic science has known for over 5,000 years that all health begins in the gut. Ayurvedically speaking, our entire lifestyle, stress, food, exercise, habits, and much more determine our digestive health. One of those factors involves the variety of foods we consume, and recently, western science has provided a handy little rule of thumb for helping with that variety–the weekly 30.
Get your 30 for microbiome diversity
The American Gut Study showed that people who ate 30 or more DIFFERENT plant-based foods per week had a more diverse and healthier microbiome than those who ate less. This doesn’t sound too challenging until you start paying attention and realize how often you eat the same foods in a week. I can consume broccoli at every meal, but it only counts as one of my 30. That’s why this rule of thumb is so fun. It makes you work to diversify your menu. You can make it a game, share it with your kids and make them the guardians of the 30 (but remember, mac and cheese only counts as one. LOL).
Strategies for getting your 30
When you’re playing the Weekly 30 game, you quickly learn that smoothies are your friend. For optimum gut health, do NOT add ice or iced foods to your smoothie. Prepare it at room temperature. I go a little nuts with my smoothies, and yes, i do add walnuts or peeled almonds, plus sesame seeds and chia seeds to the mix. I usually start with unsweetened almond milk, add protein powder (add a point if it’s plant-based) and a “green” powder that heaps in a lot of different greens, then add whatever i have in the fridge — strawberries, blueberries, apple, pear, kale, spinach, sunflower sprouts. On top of that i may add a little maple syrup (if i include banana, I don’t add the maple syrup) plus some cinnamon and a dash of vanilla. Blended in my VitaMix, it comes out an ugly color but tasting good and often giving me ten points toward my 30 all in one meal! Salads and bowls are great too, especially in the summer.
Spices and herbs add up
Ayurveda cooks know that spices and herbs contribute significantly to gut health. Each time you add a spice or herb to your cooking, you get to tick off another one of your 30 different plant-based foods. I make herb tea in the morning, usually combining fresh and dried ginger, licorice root, dandelion root, marshmallow root and fennel. It not only tastes great and soothes my stomach, it adds 6 more plant-based foods to my list!
Most of us love mini-challenges and getting our 30 per week is fun. Give it a try!