A medication changed my relationship with foodso I turned to this gut-health challenge to get back on track.
Heres what happened when I diversified my diet.
Recipe: Jacob Fox.
Photo:Recipe: Jacob Fox. Design elements: Getty Images. EatingWell design.
Design elements: Getty Images.
Im a food writer, recipe developer and someone who genuinelylovesfood.
So itll come as no surprise that Ive been legitimately worried about my overall nutrition and gut health.
And the scientist in me was intrigued.
I was down to give anything a try!
When it comes to gut health, there are two competing views.
How I Ate More Plants
First, I needed to define what counted as a plant.
Its more than just the obvious fruits and vegetables.
Next, I decided that anyreasonableamount would count as a serving.
It had to be reasonable, though.
I couldnt just have three flaxseeds.
I had to have a generous sprinkling on my oatmeal or salad for it to count.
Once Id set the parameters, I started by doing a plant audit of my typical week.
I wanted to see what my baseline was without even trying.
My morning oatmeal with cinnamon, walnuts, hemp seeds and berries already hit four plants.
Maybe this wouldnt be so hard after all.
So I created a spreadsheet.
(A list-based tracker would also work just as well.)
I sprinkled seeds on meals like confetti.
When it comes to improving my health, I cant let perfect be the enemy of good.
Some days, I still barely manage to eat, let alone track my plant intake.
But Im doingfarbetter than I was when I started this experiment.
And that, imperfect as it may be, feels like a win.
