The American Gut Project is the world's largest citizen science microbiome research project and analysed factors affecting our microbiome such as diet, antibiotics and stress. We now know how important our microbiome is to all aspects of our health.
One of the outcomes of the study was that improving the diversity of the plant foods that you eat, massively improves the health of the microbiome. Those who ate 30 different plant foods per week had much more diverse microbiomes than those who ate 10 foods or fewer.
Getting 30 different plant foods into your diet is easier than it sounds as you can include all fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, rice, beans, lentils.
You can start by making a note of how many different plant foods you have eaten over the last couple of days and then over the week, see if you can make it up to 30.
Tips for increasing diversity: adding different types of seeds on your yoghurt or porridge; a homemade coleslaw using different types of vegetables, mixed sprouted seeds on your lunch, salad bowls or poke bowls, seaweeds.
Example of a microbiome boosting day:
