What Happens to the Body When You Don’t Eat Enough Plants…

You’ve probably heard a million times to eat your vegetables and although for the most part we’ve all acknowledged that fruits and vegetables equal fiber, many of us have never really explored why fiber is integral to our health. And guess what? Most of us aren’t actually getting enough of it either.

It’s super important to be feeding our bodies daily, with all the colors of the rainbow. They’re jam-packed with nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber to keep us happy and healthy. But what are some tell-tale signs that we might be lacking in fiber?

First of all, let’s discuss the relevance of fiber…

As mentioned in previous articles, our bodies are a superorganism that house microorganisms that for the most part reside in our digestive tract. Bacteria (one of the microbes) break down foods and turn them into fuel for our bodies. The thing is though, these bacteria that keep us happy, healthy and strong only eat one thing and that’s FIBER! And guess where we get fiber from? Plants! So we must eat plants.

But here’s the catch, we can’t just sit all day munching down kale (although that’s super good for you). Why? Bacteria are fussy little guys and because there are many different groups of them, these individual groups require different fibers – so if you stop eating a certain plant, you’re killing off an entire group of bacteria. Murderer! But don’t worry, they rise from the dead once you incorporate that plant group back into your life again. And when your digestive tract is working in harmony, that is when you’re in a state of ‘Eubiosis’.

But what happens if we’ve murdered our good bacteria?

Well, what can happen is the opposite of ‘Eubiosis’ and it is called ‘Dysbiosis’ or in general terms ‘Leaky Gut’. When the gut is damaged we lose that balance within the microbes. You see less good guys, more bad guys (inflammatory microbes), which results in a loss of diversity. When this happens, the gut fails to operate properly. The lining of the colon breaks down and the 'tight junctions' pop open. When this happens, bacterial endotoxin leaks out (produced by bad guys) it gets into the bloodstream and causes inflammation and this can lead to disease. In order to reverse this damage, you need to restore the good microbes through diet and lifestyle to heal the lining of your intestinal walls.

What are the symptoms of dysbiosis?

Firstly, there are no sufficient tests out there that determine an unhealthy gut. So don’t be fooled by those ‘at home kits’. A healthy gut is when you can eat an abundance of plant food without symptoms, which means you can actually enjoy all your plant food. The opposite of this, however, can reflect in many ways such as: 

-       Digestive discomfort (bloating + gas)

-       Migraines

-       Body aches

-       Anxiety & depression

-       Nausea

-       Fatigue

-       Constipation & diarrhoea

-       GERD (acid reflux)

-       Poor concentration (brain fog)

-       Skin problems (acne, eczema etc.)

-       Seasonal allergies

-       IBD & IBS

-       Endometriosis, PCOS

The list continues with all sorts of diseases, such as cancer, kidney issues, liver failure, heart problems, arthritis, dementia etc. All of these problems begin with gut health. And whether it’s through poor diet or poor lifestyle choices (we’ll get into that later), there are ways to reverse, heal and even cure your body through understanding the importance of eating more plants and adopting a well-balanced lifestyle.  

So where do you begin?

Let’s begin by focusing on diet. Increase your plant diversity weekly. Start small by adding at least 5 new plants per week. If you’re recognizing discomfort, eat those plants cooked, or alternatively go low and slow with smaller amounts. Eventually, your stomach will be able to tolerate those plants and you’ll begin to recognise the healing benefits such as healthier skin, more energy, a stronger body, fewer headaches or migraines, easier digestion, fewer stomach issues and the list goes on…

What’s the takeaway?

-       If you don’t eat enough variety of plants, you’re killing beneficial bacteria that help support your health

-       Dysbiosis is when your gut health is populated by bad bacteria and you end up with terrible symptoms.

-       To support the regrowth of good bacteria you need to eat more plants to feed good bacteria with FIBER (the fuel they need to keep you happy and healthy).

-       Start with 5 new plants per week.