Microbiome Mash Up

One of the most significant changes I have made in my diet was to drastically increase my intake of veggies.

I was never a good eater. The texture of veggies would literally make me gag! In order to move past my disgust, I had a routine I would go through before eating. I would pause, close my eyes, clear my mind and repeat “your body deserves to be fed this amazing food.”

I have come so incredibly far but having an autoimmune disease, combined with food sensitivities that were off the charts, make it difficult to get variety.

Research has found that people that eat the most diverse diets (specifically a ton of different types of veggies throughout the week) have the most diverse microbiomes and in turn are healthier than those with limited intake of fruits and veggies.

Two things I have done to increase my intake of vegetable fibers while dealing with food reactions are:

• I started taking a Short Chain Fatty Acid (SCFA) supplement – SCFAs are compounds that help modulate the immune system and dampen inflammation.

• I introduced the concept of the Microbiome Mash-Up

The Microbiome Mash-up, an idea that came from the many courses I have taken from Dr. Datis Kharrazian, is a simple concept that allows you to slowly introduce a variety of veggies into your daily rhythm. The combination of SCFA and the mash-up help to reduce the inflammatory response to food proteins so you can intake a bigger variety of foods altogether.

Here's your chance to get the recommended 30 veggies a week!

Recipe:

• Purchase between 15-30 different veggies (all organic!)

• Wash and chop them up into small enough pieces to fit into a food processor. NOT A BLENDER.

• Chop them in the food processor until they are fine

• Once you’ve chopped everything, combine all your veggies into one of two very large bowls and mix to combine thoroughly.

• Decide how you want to store then for freezing. Some people use ice trays while others use a large ziplock and flatten the contents to save space.

Each day, add 1-2 tbsps, to a clean smoothie or water and enjoy. Or, defrost and sprinkle over one of your meals.

A little bit of work with a big payout! Give it a try.