Eat For Your Microbiome

I have a term for supporting our digestive health ~ “Eat for your microbiome.”  But why is this so important? The microbiota in our intestinal tract is filled with both beneficial (the good guys) and opportunistic (the bad guys) bacteria.  It is important to feed the beneficial bacteria with a variety of food from a variety of colors to help them to continue to grow and keep the opportunistic organisms in check. This is always a good reason to eat more veggies, fruit, mushrooms, and whole grains!

How do we do this?  Eat the Rainbow! Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.  Oh, and don’t forget brown and white too!

Below is a breakdown of the colors, their associated polyphenols, and 10+ associated vegetables, fruits, and herbs to consider when expanding upon your favorites.

Red:  

Polyphenols: The carotenoid lycopene, Vitamin C, betalain, beacyanin, and anthocyanins

Benefits:  Supports heart health, rich in antioxidants, may reduce cancer risk, anti-inflammatory 

Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs: tomatoes, beets, rhubarb, red skinned potatoes, red bell peppers, radish, red carrots, watermelon, red amaranth, red spinach, red stemmed chard, raspberries, strawberries, pink flesh dragonfruit, red grapes, red onions, hawthorn berries, goji berries, rose hips, schisandra, sumac

Orange & Yellow:

Polyphenols: Beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, Vitamin C

Health Benefits: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, supports eye health and skin health, may lower your risk of cancer and heart disease, may decrease risk of depressive symptoms, supports intracellular communication

Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs: Orange carrots, orange and yellow bell peppers, rutabaga, yellow squash, yams, yellow tomatoes, yellow stalks of swiss chard, yellow beets, winter squash (acorn, butternut, spaghetti), pumpkin, golden kiwi, peaches, nectarines, mangoes,  cantaloupe, pineapple, apricots, calendula, dandelion flowers, turmeric

Green:

Polyphenols: Leafy greens contain higher amounts of chlorophyll  and carotenoids while Cruciferous greens (ie: broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts) will contain indoles, isothiocyanates, and glucosinolates, and sulforaphanes

Health Benefits: Supports detoxification, bone health, vision; cruciferous vegetables linked to reduced cancer risk

Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs: Leafy lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, collard greens, asparagus, artichokes, broccoli and alfalfa sprouts, cabbage, brussels sprouts, green  beans, bok choy, kohlrabi, green tea, kiwi fruit, honeydew melon, green pears, green apples, nettles, rosemary, mint, lemon balm, sage, thyme, alfalfa, red raspberry leaf, horsetail, bitter melon, gotu kola, plantain leaf, dandelion leaves, marshmallow leaf

Blue and Purple:

Polyphenols: Anthocyanins, resveratrol, flavonoids

Health Benefits:  Powerful antioxidants, supports brain health, anti-aging properties.  Anthocyanins are believed to delay cellular aging and help the heart by blocking the formation of blood clots,  important food for the good gut bacteria Akkermansia.

Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs: Purple cabbage, radicchio, eggplant, purple potatoes, purple bell peppers, purple carrots, purple beans, purple or russian kale, kidney beans, blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, purple grapes, plums, figs, lavender, blueberries

White and Brown:

Polyphenols:  Allicin (in garlic/onions), quercetin, glucosinolates, kaempferol

Health Benefits:  Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, may lower risk of cancers, may benefit heart health and the immune system

Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs: Cauliflower, turnips, mushrooms, daikon radish, parsnip, garlic, onion, jicama, white potatoes, great northern beans, garbanzo beans, leeks, white carrots, white flesh dragonfruit, marshmallow root, astragalus root, cinnamon, burdock root

So how does eating the rainbow help my microbiome?

Our microbiome is a complex ecosystem of many different bacterial organisms.  Just like everyone in a family has different taste preferences and food interests, the millions of bacteria in your microbiome also have different preferences.  Or we can look at the diversity of a major metropolitan area where every person has a different taste in food from either the ethnic origins, their family traditions, or their personal preferences.  The bacteria that line our intestines also have complex food desires.  They all thrive on different types of fiber and different colors of foods as well.  The colors from foods are called phytonutrients or polyphenols which provide the body with an assortment of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and flavonoids that power the beneficial bacteria to support our immune system and decrease inflammation across your body.  The greater the diversity of fiber rich foods and colors you eat, the greater the diversity of your microbiome. Processed foods may be colorful, but they do not feed the beneficial bacteria.  Research has shown that processed foods, simple carbohydrates, and sugars feed the bad bacteria that leads to inflammation, chronic diseases, and cancers.

How to incorporate more colors of the rainbow into your diet:

If you are not currently eating a lot of fiber, vegetables or fruits, take it slow, and add a little at a time.  Too much at one time could overwhelm the good bacteria you do have with the new volume of fiber and you will produce a lot of gas and bloating.  Please move slowly in adding in more fiber so your good bacteria has time to adjust and grow to handle the larger volume.

Daily Goal:

2-3 cups of fruits/vegetables with each meal, and 2-3 colors with every meal and snack

Weekly Goal:

30-40 different foods, spices, and herbs each week

What counts as a different food?

Red, Yellow, and Green Bell Pepper = 3 foods (1 per color)

Green zucchini and Yellow Squash = 2 foods

Green and Gold Kiwi  =  2 foods

Tri-color Quinoa = 3 foods

Italian Seasoning with Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Garlic =  5 spices

Chai Tea Blend with Ginger, Cinnamon, Rooibos, Cardamom, Fennel, Nutmeg   

                   =  6 herbs

Tips

• Gradually increase the number of colors with every meal

• Mix it Up!

  • Explore the Farmer’s Market and seasonal produce at the store

  • Try different colors of the same vegetable

    • Purple, yellow, and orange carrots

    • Green and purple cabbage

    • Yellow and red beets

• Get Creative - 

  • Try different cooking methods and flavor combinations

    • Oven roasted, grilled, sauteed, or steamed

    • Chopped vs grated

  • Try grating some veggies and adding to a meal that normally has limited veggies

    • Burritos or Enchiladas

      • Grate Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Carrots, Rutabaga, or Kholrabi and add to meat or rice

      • Finely chop mushrooms and add sauteed to ground beef

  • Blend it Up! 

    • Blend steamed cauliflower and add to potato soup, chicken chili, or cream sauces

    • Blend steamed butternut squash and add to curry sauces

• Get the kids involved

  • Have them track the colors used in your weekly meals with sticker charts or coloring the specific colors on a rainbow 

• Picky kids or partner unwilling to try new things?  It can take 10-15 experiences with a new food to know if you truly like it or not. Don’t give up, keep trying, and remember to prepare the new vegetable or fruit in different ways. You never know, you may find a new favorite vegetable or fruit when prepared in a specific way.  Here’s a great article with some suggestions as to how to try new foods with picky kids (and yes, this goes for picky adults too). https://yourkidstable.com/try-and-try-at-least-12-times/

• Most of all, have fun exploring and trying something new!