What We Eat: Food and Diet Choices (or how to enjoy breakfast salad)
We walk very gently into any sort of food discussion on 7 Cups because it feels like there is often a lot of pain and confusion in this space. I was chatting with OuiCherie earlier today about diet and was inspired to write this quick post based on the questions she was asking me. I shared this book - I Contain Multitudes - and she went and watched the RI video here. You can also check out the Google video here.
The author has a lot to share, but I’ll highlight the main thing he taught me that helped me better understand my food choices. Please share any insights you learned as well.
The key thing he taught me was that my gut biome - all the microbes that live in my gut - are related to the food I consume. I now think of all the types of food I eat as ways to feed and grow the microbe population that feeds on that particular type of food. For example, if I eat pizza, then I grow the pizza population. They get a little stronger and yell up to my brain - hey brain, get us more pizza asap! I then eat another slice of pizza, they cheer and high five each other, and then that further strengthens that population.
My wife helped me learn to appreciate eating salad about 10 years ago. I had famously not liked salad or vegetables. The salad population in my gut was basically non-existent. I started eating salad more often and grew that population. Now I eat salad all the time and often even have what my kids call my “breakfast salad” (a salad for breakfast). Eating salad daily has helped me feel more calm and centered. I think good and healthy foods actually help us get healthier across domains.
The takeaway is that in many ways we are what we eat. If we eat healthier stuff, then we grow that healthy population in our guts and those microbes work alongside us to help us keep making gains. They rally and work towards our health. If I eat bad stuff or less healthy stuff, then those microbes also get stronger and work against me to make me more unhealthy. The microbes - good and bad - influence my brain and my ability to choose, but, like with all steps, one snack or meal at a time, I can convert my gut population to be more healthy.
It can start with a simple small step like eating a handful of carrots or eating an apple (with peanut butter). Whatever healthy food you enjoy will help you grow that population and that population will then make demands on your brain to feed it. One step will lead to another. You will start choosing healthier options with much less effort.
If you have read this book or watched this video, what stands out to you?
Ths is one of the best and most informative approaches to really acknowledging food habits and understanding the "you are what you eat" saying. Thanks for sharing this healthy (pun intended) insight!
@Heather225
An excellent discussion on a very sensitive topic. Thank you for bringing this up.
@GlenM Great post! This is an important aspect of health that could use more attention. The gut-brain connection is indeed very interesting. As someone who faces autoimmune conditions, I can share that paying attention to the food I eat helps
@GlenM
Regarding your question...
"If you have read this book or watched this video, what stands out to you?"
I saw The Royal Institution video in the past.
What stands out to me is, I want to...
- Promote helpful microbiome bacteria etc.
in my FOOD by...
- avoid over-cooking
- avoid process foods (eat real food)
- select and prepare foods in a way that that creates resistant starches
- resistant starches resist digestion by the stomach and that enables them to act as a prebiotic to feed the microbiome in the gut
- many foods can be made into resistant starches by cooling overnight in the refrigerator after they are cooked
- eat a large variety of healthy foods regularly and consistently to support a large variety of healthy microbiome bacteria etc.
- avoid foods that mess with the microbiome
- don't mess with unreliable content in probiotics pills etc. and instead get probiotics and prebiotics from consistent a diet
-
avoid sugar as much as possible because that messes with the microbiome
- Promote helpful microbiome bacteria etc.
on my BODY by...
- wash mostly with just water
- prevent loss of natural protective skin oils
- avoid detergents and anti-bacterial soaps
All that is important because the microbiome has such a huge effect on the body and even one's mental health and feelings of well-being
Please forgive any typos above.
@GlenM
Thank you for the overview of microbiology. As a medical laboratory professional, it is important that people understand what microbes can accomplish as well as their place in our world. It was understandable and very relatable. Microbes have the potential to affect not only to us on a personal level but also on the bigger picture. I look forward to more articles and information on this topic as well as others than can improve our understanding of the world we live in.
@GlenM
I appreciate you creating this post! I learned from this and it's sparked me to learn even more on the topic. I'll check in again after the video.
~ Sher
@GlenM, I have not read the book or watched the video. However, I appreciate your explanation of the food microbes that thrive based on what we eat and yelling up to our brain to get them more. Also, it is so important that you said eating healthfully spreads across our days and makes us more balanced.
@GlenM
Thank you great leader for us @GlenM.
I recently watched a programme at BBCEarth about depression (and more). It is a new research so the results has not gone out in the world yet. (As you also talkes about) there is a informationline from the stomack to the brain. Probiotica (or youghurt has the same stuff in it) was eaten for 14 days (I think). 50% of the depressed people got better.
There goes the much needed push for switching to a healthy diet, one meal at a time. I have been trying to reduce sugar and milk intake. One day gone by successfully. The post is just an added inspiration on my journey. So thanks for the reminder, friendly stranger!
@ComfortingEagle
Friend.
Milk is good for you - it brings calcite to your bones!
All the best from Helga.
@GlenM
One way to help the microbiome is to...
Eat "real food"
as explained in this Growth Path Step song
Nutrition Rap Song - get Ambition... to improve your Nutrition
