Variety is the Spice of Life.

One of the easiest ways we can provide nourishment for the variety of bacteria found in our gut is to make sure that our intake of wholefoods is diverse. However, with the increased intakes of processed/fast foods and artificial ingredients, the current way of eating and living for many is far from diverse and nourishing for the gut microbiome. Not only that, but we as humans are by nature, routine creatures and sometimes, even though you might be eating healthy wholefoods and home cooked meals that are macronutrient balanced - you tend to have the same handful of foods and meals on rotation week after week after week because it’s easy and fuss free. I’ve certainly been guilty of this myself.

Studies have shown that people who ate a wider variety of plants and wholefoods have a more diverse gut microbiome. A more diverse microbiome has been linked to better health outcomes. A lack of diversity when it comes to microbes can lead to an overgrowth of unhelpful or harmful bacteria or pathobionts, often known as dysbiosis. A dysbiosis of the gut microbiome can lead to changes that widely affect functioning of the microbiome as well as metabolites created that have been associated with a variety of disease states.

On the flip side, a healthy gut microbiome can protect against pathogens, produce beneficial anti-inflammatory metabolites, extract nutrients and energy from food, help maintain a healthy weight and contribute to a balanced immune response, just to name a few. Understanding that the gut is an entire community contributing to better health, shifts the focus from individual microbes/bacteria to how we can encourage this ecological approach of diversity as a whole.

So, how can we give our gut microbiome the diversity in nutrition that it needs and how can we create sustainable dietary habits to achieve it?

Eating patterns like the Mediterranean diet, which contain a wide variety of plant foods have strong links to a reduced risk of chronic health conditions. This is in part because plant foods contain fibres and prebiotics that provide fuel for the beneficial gut bugs as well as polyphenols that provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. So, the more diversity our diet contains, the more likely we are to feed a far more diverse microbiome. The more diverse our microbiome, that is rich in a wide variety of beneficial bugs, the more likely we are to have an efficient, well-functioning, resilient gut and immune system.

You may have heard the magic number is 30 plants a week - Sometimes called the 30-plant challenge. The idea of eating 30 types of plants each week can seem overwhelming at first but we can often forget that plant foods and diversity of wholefoods means more than just fruits and vegetables. I’m not advocating for a completely plant-based diet and don’t subscribe to this myself, however most of us are greatly lacking in diversity of plants and dietary fibre and prebiotics from foods.

Here is a list of foods to get you started and some tips on how you can sneak in a few extras, and you will be surprised at how quickly they can add up in your week.

How to eat more plant foods…

Take it slowly: Changing your entire diet all at once is often overwhelming and unsustainable. Try to add or adjust your current meals for example switch it up for similar ingredients, add herbs and spices to your current cooking, top with nuts or seeds or even add some lentils to your mince bolognese (no one will ever know). The amounts can be small!

Keep it exciting: I encourage clients to get creative in the kitchen, involve your significant other or kids and have fun with exploration. Each week, choose a fruit or vegetable you have never had or haven’t had in a while. We get in the habit of having the exact same meals on rotation because we know it’s going to get eaten and we don’t have to think too much when we are in the midst of doing life. Worst case, you can have a laugh at how awful your meal turned out - but you might just find a new favourite.

Keep it cheap: You don’t need to break the bank and add all of the latest and greatest advertised ‘super food’ products on the market. Doing things like adding bags of frozen veggies, buying bulk or large packs of mixed nuts/seeds and tinned beans can be inexpensive ways to add variety without breaking the budget.

Don’t underestimate how quickly and easily the numbers add up. For example, breakfast could be overnight oats and chia, topped with mixed nuts and seeds, cacao nibs, banana and berries. You could literally be halfway to 30 in one single meal!

I’m curious to hear and see how you have added more plants to your meals and daily food intake. Tag me @sarahkate.co.

Much love,

Sarah Kate.