What's the Magic Number for Improved Gut Health?
Forest Gump reminded us that moms say a lot of things; little phrases that have a lot of importance!
“Eat your vegetables!” Mom used to screech at the dinner table while you pushed your food around your plate.
And turns out mom was right! You should be eating your fruits and vegetables. But just how much?
The American Gut Project is conducting the world's largest gut health study and has some fascinating insights that can help all of us improve our health.
After analyzing the stool samples of more than 10,000 people from around the world, they discovered that the number one factor for a healthy gut was the number of different plants eaten in a week.
The magic number? 30.
Eat 30 different plants? Every single week? For optimal gut health?
Yup, you heard that right.
The research showed that people who ate more than 30 different plants per week had a more diverse mix of gut bacteria than those who ate less than 10.
What the heck is that all about and why does that matter?
Our gut is like a tropical rainforest with loads of species living and working in harmony. We WANT a diverse amount of bacteria because those microbes are exceptionally good at optimizing our gut.
More plants = more good bacteria in our gut
More good bacteria = stronger immune system response
Stronger immune system response = healthier & more vibrant life
It’s also important to note that this study was not just referring to fruits and vegetables, but it includes any plant like nuts, seeds, spices, and legumes.
Research shows that a healthy gut has the ability to improve all aspects of our physical and mental health.
Conversely, low gut bacteria diversity has been found in various autoimmune diseases, obesity, and other chronic conditions.
Some scientists predict that we will be able to determine future health or potential disease from analyzing our gut microbiota!
This research study shows that its all about variety over volume for fruit and veggie consumption.
And it makes sense, right?
If you ate nothing but strawberries and cucumbers all day, you probably wouldn't get all the nutrition you really need.
Tim Spencer, a professor of genetic epidemology at King's College London, says that on average we are only eating 5 different plants a week.
30+ plants a week may seem like a distant goal, so we’ve put together our top tips for you to make hitting those 30 plant points each week a breeze:
How to eat 30 Different Plants a Week:
Make a Rainbow Fruit Salad
Plant Points - 10
Pick 10 different fruits listed from down below and according to whatever is in season and looks delicious to you. Mix together in a bowl and top with a big squeeze of lemon or lime juice! Store in the fridge & eat throughout the week.
Examples: apples, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, pomegranates, oranges, kiwi, watermelon, peaches, nectarines, pineapples, pears, grapes.
Make a Raw Veggie Snack Pack
Plant Points - 5
Pick 5 different veggies listed from down below and according to whatever is in season and looks delicious to you. Pack them up in a glass tupperware container. HERE is one we like. Pick a favorite dip and pre-portion it out in a little cup like these. A few ideas of dips are hummus, guacamole, romesco dip, salsa, paleo ranch dressing.
Examples: carrots, edamame, sweet baby bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas.
Make a Trail Mix or Granola:
Plant Points - 5
Pick 5 different nuts and seeds along with any other fun ingredients and toss together in ziploc or container to snack on.
Examples: almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, cashews, pecans, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips, pretzels.
Eat a Smoothie or Salad:
Plant Points - 10
Then purposefully plan your last 10 plant points to be different veggies that you can mix into smoothies, salads, or your dinners for the week.
Smmothie example: a mixture of spinach, swiss chard, kale, and zucchini would be great in a smoothie and gets you 4 points.
Then toss together a simple salad to go alongside your dinner. Red or green leaf lettuce, romaine, arugula, and red cabbage as a base and add in red onion & avocado! That gets you 6 more points. Top with anything else fun like more nuts, seeds, fermented foods, etc.
Final Tips and Planning for the Week:
Have that smoothie for breakfast, rotate your fruit salad, veggie packs, and trail mixes for snacks, and eat your salad or other veggies with your lunch or dinner!
Ta-da!!!! You can do it! It takes a little pre-planning but it’s easier than you think!
Want to join us in our “Color Your Plate” challenge to help you eat more plants and improve your gut health?
We created this simple challenge to help you and your family get in the groove of eating more plant foods everyday.
For 7 Days from April 19th- 25th, we will be counting and tracking how many different plants we eat.