Written by Charles Robottom
Health reset – 30 plants per week
Everyone starts the new year with a health or detox ambition, and I am no different! This time (unlike previous attempts!!) several patients have asked me about my recent weight loss, so I thought I would share my food reset to provide some inspiration, especially if weight, cholesterol or reducing chronic inflammation are health targets for you.
Well, it all started with a bet! I was having lunch with an old school friend, George, early in the new year, and we got to talking about our girth. I have always been a fiend for Cadbury’s chocolate (in fact my wife, who was working for Cadburys when we met, likes to joke that that’s why I married her!). Anyway that obsession had started to take its toll on my waistline.. Knowing that such inflammation was likely exacerbating the problems I was having with my shoulder and hip and adding to my levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, I decided to do something about it. Andrea and I, and George and his wife, decided we would each lose a minimum of 5kg by the next time we meet in May.
I’ve been a chiropractor for over 35 years, so I am lucky enough to have an active job that requires me to be on my feet, physically adjusting my patients. On a weekly basis I play competitive tennis, jog and strength train with a PT and I also walk daily. So, I decided I’d tackle my mission by focusing on food!
Eating 30 different plants a week
You may have noticed recently that, when it comes to eating, the recommendation of 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day is being replaced with a lot of chat about the need to eat 30 different plants a week. Though it sounds a daunting prospect, that variety is excellent for the health of your gut microbiome, and it’s not too difficult to achieve – as I found out.
To help us achieve our goal, my wife enrolled on Dominque Ludwig’s Renew Reset Recharge (RRR) programme. Dominique is a leading nutritionist and founder of two signature programmes that help transform your health and relationship with food forever. The 28-day online programme contains a whole host of advice (factsheets and weekly zooms), top tips and recipes designed to help you introduce plants into your diet in new and delicious ways. Ludwig also advises how it important it is to eat the right quantity and balance of proteins, fibre, and good carbohydrates. Fasting between meals is also important.
To get 30 different plants into my diet I’ve done some simple things. For example, breakfast has changed from granola and 1 portion of fruit to a Bircher muesli made with 6-7 plants like with porridge oats, chia seeds, flax seeds, apples, berries, and added superfood powder like baobab, dragon fruit, or beetroot – all soaked overnight in almond milk. I have vegetable soups with halloumi croutons and add lentils to casseroles. I also eat more home cooked chillies and curries which is a great way of getting 30 different plants in per week. One of the great things about the 30 different plants a week goal is that items you might be surprised by, like coffee, dark chocolate, and even plain popcorn, all
count towards it!
What is gut microbiome?
Your gut is also known as ‘the hidden organ’ or ‘the sixth vital organ’. It contains more than thirty trillion microorganisms – microbes, fungi, and viruses – that are responsible for turning our food into energy and reinforcing our immune system. Scientists now believe a healthy gut is vital for the regulation of our health, affecting conditions as diverse as joint inflammation, obesity, psoriasis, diabetes and depression. It is also known to promote ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and the Arthritis foundation recently talked about how gut health affects the most common types of inflammatory arthritis.
The easiest way to help your gut microbiome undertake its variety of important jobs, is to make sure you’re feeding it nutritious ingredients. Studies have found that the best way of doing this is to prioritise a high fibre diet – and plant-based foods are rich in fibre. It is also important to ensure that there is variety as different plants provide us with different benefits.
Some thoughts on starting your reset
Dominque Ludwig’s RRR programme is a great investment in your health which I can’t recommend highly enough. There are also other ways to adopt the principles, for example follow Dominque on Instagram for inspiration (see our page), buy Tim Spector’s Food for Life Cookbook and most importantly avoid eating processed food, cut out the hidden sugars and substitute white flour for healthier alternatives.
Progress to date..
So, George if you are reading this…. you need to know I have lost 6kg so far! I will redo my cholesterol markers in the early summer and in the meantime, I have noticed that I feel healthier, fitter and my hip and shoulder pain has significantly improved!
I hope this blog has given you some insight and inspiration!
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