30 different plants in 7 days
Empower and educate yourself so you help yourself from the inside out.
Diversity is the main premise here - the gut microbiome - our inner ecosystem, as I like to call it, loves diversity - a very protective feature. Very important for immune system robustness.
Earth was not designed for mono-crops - and nor were we! Namely only brown food. We can get away with that in the very short term, however for optimal health, we need to attend to our inner ecosystem consistently.
The beauty of this 7 day challenge is, yes it nurtures our gut bacteria, which are diverse and hence enjoy different things to feed off, however you are increasing your nutrient density - more vitamins and minerals to feed your brain, your muscles, your skin, all your vital organ tissues. All of YOU. And of course fibre for healthy and regular bowel movements which helps for hormonal balancing too.
Pick your week that feels right for you. Start now if you like! Write them down on a sheet of paper as you go along. And just be curious what number you get to. I made it to 29.
Here is my recent list - all organic however just do your best. You may include all fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices as well as legumes.
Potato (cold) Cold potato contains resistant starches that the gut bacteria love
Walnuts
Red cabbage.
Peanut butter (just organic peanuts - no palm oils or sugars)
Carrots
Dates
Cinnamon Nutmeg
Turmeric
Pak choi
Cumin
Peas (frozen)
Black pepper
Red onion
Bay leaves
Garlic
Marjoram
Nori sheets (toasted seaweed)
Apple
Beetroot
Banana
Lemon
Kiwi
Broccoli
Blood orange
Chilli flakes
Fresh ginger
Cavolo nero
Pinto beans
I made it to 29 over 7 days. Some herbs grow in our communal garden - spices and some legumes I had in stock and I have been getting fruit and veg boxes locally. We are lucky in south London to have many local businesses delivering - I most recently used Brockmans who also deliver eggs. Be creative and just see where you get to this time - it's a great exercise to do anyway to begin to notice your patterns around food.
Ciara
Holistic Kidney Expert, Author, Nutritional Therapist and Yoga Teacher