Why Eat 30 Plants Per Week?

The idea of eating 30 plants per week can seem super overwhelming, right? But trust me, it isn’t. In fact, once you learn a few tricks, you’ll actually find the entire process super seamless and wonder why you hadn’t thought about these healthy hacks before. But there’s actual science behind why you should be eating 30 plants per week, and this kinda’ science is certainly a huge incentive to help manage your progression and stay on track. So let’s explore this.

Okay, so where does the idea of eating 30 varieties of plants per week start?

It begins with the science behind knowing that our bodies comprise up to 90% of microorganisms that depend on our food choices to keep us happy and healthy.

So check this - we have trillions of microorganisms residing on and inside of our bodies, mostly residing in our gut. They are a collective of Bacteria, Fungi, Archaea, Protozoa and Viruses. All of them play a very important role in our health and longevity of life and are otherwise known as the ‘gut microbiome’.

Bacteria break down our food, create vitamins, develop the immune system and regulate and develop bioactive molecules involved in our metabolism, hormones and brain function. Fungi is essentially responsible for the same thing. Archaea is the oldest microbe. It has been kicking it since the beginning of life on earth. This guy resides mostly in our colon and metabolizes fermented products. Protozoa, which are also known as parasites and although have a negative stigma, in some cases can be beneficial. And of course, viruses, play both positive and negative roles within the body. All of these microbes play an integral role in keeping our bodies happy, healthy and disease-free?

So how do we keep our microbes happy and healthy?

The answer is quite simple, fiber! And I’m not just talking about the fiber capsules you can pick up from any pharmacy, I’m talking about the fiber that you receive from eating your plant foods such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, fruit, vegetables and fresh herbs. 

Our bacteria (which make up most of the microbe count within the body), need the fiber from the plants that we eat so that they can do their jobs properly in keeping us alive. This is why we need to recognise that when we’re eating, we’re not just eating for ‘one’ we’re eating for trillions of little guys who are waiting for the fiber, so that they can use it as fuel to keep going. And what’s more interesting about this is that these little guys have super fussy taste buds (just like us), and so this means we can’t just eat tomatoes and carrots all week long assuming that it makes them happy. We need to be eating a diversity of plants so that we can keep all of them happy and avoid the chances of killing a community of bacteria who require certain fibers from certain plant foods.  

Are you following? Here let me give you an example: Tomatoes carry a high level of phytonutrients in them that prevent and fight certain cancer cells in the body. There are bacteria that eats and digests the fiber from tomatoes to make this happen. If you eliminate tomatoes, then you could be killing an entire species of microbes that can help fight specific cancer cells.

What happens if we have already killed off multiple species of microbes?

Don’t worry, they grow back! All you need to do is start eating plant food groups that you have eliminated. I was on a restrictive paleo diet for 2 and a half years and since I have reintroduced all these amazing varieties of plants again, my health is thriving. And I’m not the only one experiencing these kinds of results. The method seriously checks out.

So, this is why specialists within the microbiome field have made it their mission to encourage people to start eating all the colors of the rainbow because the key to optimal health is all about eating a diversity of plants so that your little ecosystem within you becomes healthier and stronger than ever.

In the meantime, here are some tips to increase your diversity of plants:

⁃           have a variety of nuts and seeds ready to go in any dish

⁃           consider adding more than one grain to your dish

⁃           mix your fruits and veggies

⁃           make micro greens and fresh herbs your friends

⁃           add 5 new plant foods to the shopping list weekly

⁃           make one bowl or salad daily with as many plants you can think of

⁃           make granola with a variety of seeds, nuts and oats

⁃           eat more frequently, but smaller meals throughout the day