30 Plants in One Meal
If you’ve followed me for a minute, then you know that I grew up having the worst chronic constipation.
One thing I used to always say was “but I eat so much fiber.”
And yes, I certainly ate some fiber. Relative to the Standard American Diet, where most people get fewer than 15 grams, I certainly wasn’t doing too bad, but I also was not meeting the 25-40+ grams that you need in order to truly live healthy.
Counting fiber can be really cumbersome, but one easy rule of thumb that you can use is to aim to eat 30 different whole plants per week. Before we get into that, let’s break down what exactly the gut microbiome is, and why it matters.
The Gut Microbiome
The gut microbiome refers to the trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes, that reside in the gastrointestinal tract. These microorganisms play crucial roles in digestion, immune function, and overall health.
Composition and Function of the Gut Microbiome
Composition:
Bacteria: The majority of the gut microbiota are bacteria, with Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes being the most predominant phyla. Other significant phyla include Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia.
Other Microbes: The gut also contains viruses (including bacteriophages), fungi, archaea, and protozoa.
Functions:
Digestion: Gut bacteria help break down complex carbohydrates, fibers, and other nutrients that the human body cannot digest on its own. This process produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, acetate, and propionate, which are beneficial for gut health.
Immune System Regulation: The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in training and modulating the immune system. It helps in distinguishing between harmful pathogens and benign or beneficial microbes.
Barrier Function: The microbiome contributes to the integrity of the gut barrier, preventing harmful substances from entering the bloodstream.
Metabolic Functions: Gut microbes are involved in synthesizing vitamins (e.g., vitamin K, B vitamins) and metabolizing bile acids, sterols, and xenobiotics (foreign chemical substances).
How the Gut Microbiome Makes You Blush
The complex ecosystem of our microbiome plays a crucial role in human health, influencing digestion, immunity, and even our appearance and mood.
Appearance:
Skin Health: The gut-skin axis refers to the connection between gut health and skin condition. A balanced microbiome can reduce inflammation and improve skin conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Dysbiosis (imbalance in the microbiome) can exacerbate these conditions.
Weight Management: The gut microbiome influences metabolism and energy balance. Certain microbial compositions are associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome, while a diverse and balanced microbiome supports a healthy weight.
Mood and Mental Health:
Gut-Brain Axis: The gut and brain communicate bidirectionally through the gut-brain axis, involving the vagus nerve, immune system, and microbial metabolites like SCFAs and neurotransmitters (e.g., serotonin, dopamine).
Neurotransmitter Production: Gut bacteria produce neurotransmitters and precursors (e.g., serotonin, GABA) that influence mood and cognitive function. Approximately 90% of the body's serotonin is produced in the gut.
Mental Health: Dysbiosis has been linked to mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and stress-related conditions. Probiotics and prebiotics can have psychobiotic effects, potentially improving mood and reducing anxiety.
Microbial Diversity
Microbial Diversity refers to the variety and abundance of different microorganisms present in a particular environment, such as the gut. This includes a wide range of bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea, and protozoa, each playing specific roles in maintaining the health and functionality of the ecosystem.
Why Microbial Diversity Matters
Resilience and Stability:
Definition: A diverse microbiome is more resilient and stable, meaning it can better withstand disruptions such as antibiotic use, infections, or dietary changes.
Mechanism: Different microbes can perform overlapping functions, so if one type is diminished, others can compensate, maintaining overall system stability.
Disease Prevention:
Chronic Diseases: Higher microbial diversity is associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Immune Function: A diverse microbiome helps in the proper development and functioning of the immune system, reducing the risk of autoimmune diseases, allergies, and infections.
Metabolic Health:
Nutrient Metabolism: Different microbes specialize in breaking down various nutrients, including fibers and complex carbohydrates, leading to the production of beneficial metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
Energy Balance: A diverse microbiome can help regulate body weight and prevent metabolic disorders by influencing energy extraction from food and fat storage.
Inflammation Control:
Anti-inflammatory Compounds: A variety of microbes produce anti-inflammatory compounds, such as SCFAs, which help maintain gut integrity and prevent systemic inflammation.
Immune Regulation: Diverse microbial communities can train the immune system to differentiate between harmful and harmless substances, reducing unnecessary inflammatory responses.
Mental Health:
Gut-Brain Axis: The microbiome communicates with the brain through the gut-brain axis, involving the vagus nerve, immune system, and microbial metabolites like neurotransmitters (e.g., serotonin, dopamine).
Mood and Cognitive Function: Higher microbial diversity is linked to better mood and cognitive function. Dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) is associated with mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, and stress-related conditions.
Digestive Health:
Digestive Efficiency: A diverse microbiome enhances the breakdown and absorption of nutrients, supporting overall digestive health.
Gut Motility: Different microbes contribute to the regulation of gut motility, helping prevent constipation and promoting regular bowel movements.
Factors Affecting Microbial Diversity
Diet:
Plant-Rich Foods: A diet rich in diverse plant foods provides a variety of fibers and polyphenols that nourish different types of beneficial microbes.
Fermented Foods: Foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi introduce beneficial bacteria (probiotics) that can enhance microbial diversity.
Lifestyle:
Exercise: Regular physical activity has been shown to promote microbial diversity and gut health.
Sleep: Adequate sleep supports the circadian rhythms of the microbiome, promoting a balanced microbial community.
Stress Management: Chronic stress can negatively impact the microbiome. Practices like meditation and mindfulness can help maintain microbial diversity.
Antibiotic Use:
Prudent Use: Avoiding unnecessary antibiotics helps preserve microbial diversity by preventing the indiscriminate killing of beneficial microbes.
30 Plants Per Week?
The idea that we should eat 30 different plants per week originates from research into the gut microbiome and its role in overall health. This concept was popularized by the American Gut Project, one of the largest studies of the human microbiome. The project found that people who ate a diverse array of plant foods had more diverse and robust gut microbiomes compared to those who consumed fewer types of plants.
There are several reasons why aiming for 30+ different plants per week may be beneficial:
1. Nutrient Diversity:
Variety of Nutrients: Different plants contain various nutrients, fibers, polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals, each nourishing different types of beneficial microbes.
Prebiotics: Many plant foods are rich in prebiotic fibers, such as inulin, oligosaccharides, and resistant starch, which serve as food for beneficial gut bacteria, promoting their growth and diversity.
2. Fiber Content:
Fiber-Rich Foods: Plant-based foods are primary sources of dietary fiber, including soluble and insoluble fibers. Fiber acts as a prebiotic, supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Fiber Fermentation: Gut bacteria ferment dietary fiber in the colon, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like acetate, propionate, and butyrate. SCFAs are essential for gut health and help regulate immune function and inflammation.
3. Polyphenols and Phytochemicals:
Polyphenol-Rich Foods: Plants contain a wide range of polyphenols, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and lignans, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Antimicrobial Effects: Polyphenols can modulate the composition of the gut microbiome by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria (e.g., Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus) and inhibiting the growth of harmful pathogens.
4. Microbial Interaction:
Species Diversity: Different plant-based foods support the growth of diverse microbial species in the gut. Each type of plant may favor the growth of specific bacterial taxa, leading to a more balanced and varied microbiome.
Synergistic Effects: Combining a wide variety of plant foods can create synergistic effects, where the presence of one type of plant enhances the growth or activity of beneficial microbes associated with another type of plant.
5. Adaptability and Resilience:
Adaptive Response: Consuming a diverse array of plant foods challenges the gut microbiome to adapt to different dietary substrates, promoting microbial resilience and metabolic flexibility.
Stability Against Disruptions: A diverse microbiome is more resilient to disturbances such as antibiotic use, infections, or dietary changes, as it contains a wide range of species capable of performing similar functions.
6. Immune Modulation:
Immune System Education: A diverse gut microbiome helps educate and modulate the immune system, training it to distinguish between beneficial microbes and harmful pathogens.
Anti-inflammatory Effects: Microbial diversity is associated with lower levels of gut inflammation and a balanced immune response, reducing the risk of inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases.
This Dish
Even though the study found that we should eat 30 different plants per week, I decided to challenge myself to create a salad that would give you 30 different plants in just this bowl.
It’s a stunning baby gem salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, seeds, and other raw veggies in a tangy green-tahini-dressing.
Here is a list of all the whole plants in it, so you can see how I reached 30:
Sesame
Green garlic
Spinach
Zucchini
Lemon
lime
Cilantro
Dill
Parsley
Brazil nuts
Baby gem lettuce
Cucumber
Tomato
Snap peas
Carrot
Cabbage
Radish
Fennel
Celery
Radicchio
Avocado
Hemp seeds
Red amaranth
Watercress
Endive
scallions
Red onion
Pumpkin seeds
Hearts of palm
Artichoke hearts
Frisee
Sunflower greens
Broccoli sprouts
Note: there are 4 types of edible flowers that I did NOT count: pansies, borage, violets, and dame rocket flowers
The Benefits
This bowl is designed to support your gut health & strengthen your gut microbiome. Specifically:
We have over 30 different types of plants in this bowl, which exceeds the recommended 30 plants per week to support microbial diversity. Different plants offer different types of fibers and polyphenols, contributing to a more diverse microbial population.
Lemon, Lime, Broccoli Sprouts, Sunflower Greens are rich in vitamins (such as vitamin C and B vitamins) and minerals (such as magnesium and potassium), which are essential for various bodily functions, including maintaining a healthy gut lining and supporting immune function.
All of the ingredients are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibers. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance that helps slow digestion and regulate blood sugar levels. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to stool and helps food pass more quickly through the digestive system, aiding in regular bowel movements. Fiber serves as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria and promoting microbial diversity. The fermentation of fiber by gut bacteria produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as butyrate, acetate, and propionate, which are vital for maintaining gut health.
Cilantro, Dill, Parsley, Red Amaranth, Watercress, Endive, Red Onion contain a wide variety of polyphenols, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and lignans. Polyphenols have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that support gut health by modulating the gut microbiota composition, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria, and inhibiting the growth of harmful pathogens. Polyphenols help increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, contributing to a balanced and diverse gut microbiome.
Avocado, Hemp Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Brazil Nuts are rich in healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid) and monounsaturated fats. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects, supporting gut barrier integrity and reducing gut inflammation. Healthy fats are essential for maintaining the integrity of the gut lining, preventing leaky gut syndrome and promoting overall gut health.
Green Garlic, Scallions, Red Onion contain prebiotic fibers like inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which selectively feed beneficial gut bacteria and stimulate their growth. Prebiotics help enhance microbial diversity and the production of SCFAs, supporting a healthy gut environment.
Miso is a fermented food, which means it contains beneficial probiotic bacteria that support a healthy gut microbiome. Probiotics help maintain the balance of gut bacteria, support digestion, and strengthen the gut barrier, which is essential for overall gut health and immune function.
Sesame, Hearts of Palm, Artichoke Hearts contribute additional fibers, phytochemicals, and unique plant compounds that further diversify the nutrient profile of the salad. The combination of different plant compounds can create synergistic effects, enhancing the overall health benefits of the salad and supporting microbial diversity and gut function.
The Recipe
Salad Ingredients:
Ok so I’ve already listed the ingredients, so I won’t repeat them,* I just want to emphasize this: make this your own. You don’t have to include the exact things that I did. You can change it around. Customize to your liking! I just want to illustrate how easy it is to get 30 different plants per week by showing you that you could hit 30 different plants in ONE MEAL!
*the first 10 ingredients listed are in the dressing, everything from 11 onwards is in the salad!
Dressing Ingredients:
1 zucchini
1 lemon, peeled
1 lime, peeled
1/4 bunch of garlic chives (can use 1 clove garlic instead if you can’t find green garlic or garlic chives)
1/4 bunch of parsley
1/4 bunch of cilantro
1/4 bunch of dill
1/4 bunch of scallions
2-3 tbsp chickpea or white miso
4 tbsp tahini
12 Brazil nuts
1-2 cups spinach
2-4 tbsp apple cider vinegar (start with 1 and adjust to taste)
Instructions:
Blend all the dressing ingredients together till super smooth
Chop up your salad veggies & toss with the dressing
Links from this Recipe
I like using a raw tahini for this
I’m really loving the South River brand of miso right now
I got the rest of my produce at the farmers market or Whole Foods
I got my edible flowers from Two Guys at Woodbridge & Rooted Family Farm from the Union Square Farmers Market
For more on…
To hear more about microbial diversity, 30 different plants per week, improving your gut microbiome, inflammation, and LOWER BELLY BLOATING, listen to episode 183, “Your Questions Answered: Gut Microbiome & Lower Abdomen Bloating,” available everywhere you listen to podcasts (including Apple Podcasts here), and you can WATCH the whole thing on Spotify (available here).
