The microbiome and health

This month we have a challenge for you. An invitation to drastically improve your health through one simple change – the addition of a greater diversity of plants into your diet.

We’re not talking about being vegan, vegetarian or any of those other buzz words. We’re talking about directly influencing the health of your gut and your immune system through what you eat. We’re even talking about the influence on the next generation by what you put on your plate. Interested? Confused?! Then let’s dive into the fascinating world of the human microbiome!

The microbiome is the name given to the trillions of microorganisms that live on you and in you. They line your digestive tract, cover your skin and exist in every corner of your body. These microbes, though tiny, are absolutely crucial to our ability to effectively fight off invading bacteria, pathogens and viruses. These days, scientists are so much more aware of the importance of the microbiome, that it is even referred to as an accessory organ. Imagine! Something that was once dismissed as unimportant is now given the same credit as your heart, your lungs or your brain.

Your microbiome is entirely unique to you and is shaped by the intricacies of your life. From how you were born, to the nature of your childhood, what you eat and even your mental health. It is also directly entwined with the diversity of your diet; meaning that the more different foods you eat, the more complex your microbiome will be. Specifically, the more variety of plants in your diet, the richer your microbiome. Why is this important? A more complex microbiome has many more tools with which to digest new foods, fight off new viruses, and enhance the capacity of the immune system.

If a richer and more diverse diet has the ability to prime the microbiome for health, then it’s also important to understand that the delicate community of microbes in your body can be adversely affected too. Antibiotics and a high intake of sugar for example, have a very negative affect on the microbiome, in turn impacting on immune function and general health. If you were born by caesarian section, or had many interventions at birth, your microbiome will also have been impacted. Of course for many of us, these factors have been out of our control for much of our lives and we are now adults wondering how to improve our health.

Well we have one simple suggestion for you…

Starting tomorrow, we challenge you to eat 45 different plants in the next week. Fruits, vegetables, pulses, herbs, nuts and seeds to be more specific. For some this may sound easy, and for others it will be more challenging. It’s an invitation to try some new foods, get creative with your cooking, and improve the health of your microbiome…all at the same time!

To boost your intake, try making smoothies or juices with 5 or 6 different fruits and vegetables, sprinkle nuts and seeds on a salad, blend up a pesto with loads of greens to enjoy with pasta, or whip up a stir-fry with a rainbow of veggies. It’s a fun and enjoyable process that’s great to get the kids involved with too – encourage them to try something new, get busy with you in the kitchen, or write down all the new foods on a blackboard to chat about why healthy eating is important.

If you’re struggling with ideas, ask us at your next appointment! We are passionate about food and have many ideas on how you can incorporate more plants into your diet. And once you’ve succeeded with the 45 per week challenge, we set you the ultimate challenge of trying to reach 100 plants in a week…Trust us, this one is a little more tricky :-)