How to feed your gut — Tip #22
One of the most complex systems in your body has surprisingly simple needs 🥗
We all know that eating well is key to a healthy life. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of interest in making this part of our lives much more complicated than it needs to be. When things are difficult to understand, an entire industry can feed itself (no pun intended 🤓) by preying on people’s insecurities and doubts about what, how, and when to eat. Solving this problem in one tip would be ambitious, but rest assured: this will be a recurring topic, because it’s too important for living well.
Gut health, in particular, is so complex that some consider it almost an ecosystem in itself. Trillions (yep, you read that correctly) of micro-organisms live there 🦠 and co-operate with your body to help keep you alive while you keep feeding them. This evolutionary strategy is known as mutualistic symbiosis. We hunt for food, and part of it goes to them. In return, they help keep our digestive system working, break down certain compounds for us, and get rewarded with the nutrients they need to survive: it’s a good deal.
Research in this field is still developing, but we already know something our mums intuitively knew: eat a variety of vegetables and fruits. The American Gut Project, which started in 2012 and involved around 15,000 participants, continues today under the Microsetta Initiative.
Taking care of your gut is crucial as it plays a significant role in many key functions of our organism:
🥗 Digestion & Fermentation: Breaks down food your body can’t fully digest, especially fibre, turning it into useful compounds.
⚡ Nutrient Absorption: Helps your body absorb nutrients and supports the production of certain vitamins and metabolites.
🛡️ Immune Defence: Trains and regulates the immune system, helping it react to threats without overreacting.
🧱 Gut Barrier: Supports the intestinal lining, helping keep useful nutrients in and harmful substances out.
🦠 Microbial Balance: Keeps harmful microbes in check by competing for space and resources.
🧠 Gut-Brain Axis: Sends chemical and nerve signals that can influence mood, stress, appetite, and energy.
This is often underrated but you can intuitively feel it when you eat processed foods or overdo carbs without enough fibre → brain fog 😶🌫️
So, what’s the main takeaway from the study so far? In simple terms, consuming around 30 different plant types per week is linked to a richer, more diverse gut microbiome, which is generally considered a marker of better gut ecosystem resilience and overall gut health. And that’s exactly what we want, so that all the functions above 👆 can work well.
As mentioned in the last tip, I’ve bypassed the nutrition problem almost completely. The restaurant that prepares my meals already factors in this requirement. Some weeks, we may still fall short by a few items, and that’s when I usually add an extra fruit salad or a yoghurt-based bowl.
Your weekly tip: Aim for around 30 plant-based items per week. This can include a diverse mix of vegetables 🥦, fruits 🍎, legumes 🫘, whole grains 🌾, nuts 🥜, seeds 🌻, herbs 🌿, spices 🌶️, and aromatics 🧄. When you include all these categories, it’s easier than it sounds. But if you’re currently below this number, you may consider adjusting your diet.
Don’t forget to share this tip with a friend who is realising gas too frequently 🫢🫰
See you next week, until then…
Don’t Panic 😱