30/03/2023
Let’s talk science👩🏼🔬🧬🧪
Lately I’ve been reading and listening to podcasts all about the microbiome- specifically, the gut microbiome. It’s the diverse community of good (and bad) gut bacteria that live inside of us.. up to 100 trillion of them! 🤯
We are still scratching the surface in this area of science, but essentially the jist is this: humans have evolved along with these good gut microbes for centuries. They help break down our food into beneficial nutrients, and they help produce roughly 80% of our serotonin and 20% of our dopamine! Meaning, what we eat plays a major role in not only our health, but how we feel!
Over the last few decades, though, the biodiversity of our gut (in Western culture at least) has dropped significantly, largely due to our diet. It’s less diverse, it’s low in fiber (the good bacteria LOVE fiber), and it’s super high in sugars and fats that the bad bacteria thrive upon.
How to feed our good gut microbes:
▫️Fiber-rich foods: a wide variety if possible! Aim for about 30 different plants per week. Tip: this includes spices, teas, nuts, and seeds, along with the more obvious fruits, veggies, mushrooms- so 30 is not as difficult as it seems.
▫️Fermented foods: rich in healthy bacteria that benefits our microbiome. Miso, tempeh, vegan kimchi, sauerkraut, and apple cider vinegar are great plant-based options. Try adding at least 1 per day.
▫️Polyphenols: foods rich in these antioxidant compounds protect our bodies against oxidative stress and disease. Matcha, blueberries, dark chocolate, cinnamon, rosemary, and tofu are just a few!
▫️Glucosinolates (um.. what)- think cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels Sprouts.
▫️Omega-3s: flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, or an algae-based supplement (I love Terraseed! It’s a vegan multivitamin with algae-based Omega-3s. Use code DARBY50 for 50% off your first order, link in profile).
▫️Dopamine boosting foods: cherries, berries, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, avocados, and more.
▫️Amino acid rich foods (clean proteins): quinoa, mushrooms, legumes, beans, tofu, oats, and more.
Sources + my tips in caption👇🏽
