Menopause Matters Forum
General Discussion => This 'n' That => Topic started by: MabelBabel on September 27, 2023, 06:34:09 PM
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I've just started the 30 plants a week way of helping your gut biome, as per Professor Tim Spector. I've ordered his book and began counting my plant intake on Monday.
I wondered if anyone else was doing this or had done it and how you found it?
I'm trying to grab my health by the horns in the hope that it might help with the meno symptoms I'm still battling and this seems like as good a way as any.
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Interesting topic :-))))). Oh I wouldn't know where 2 begin ::)
What counts as plant foods: I begin every day with muesli,[oats], dried blueberries and pumpkin seeds and a splash of milk. Lunch today was: 3 red radishes; a stick of celery; 3 lettuces leaves :-X; brown bread with seeds; pate; does tea count, as it's drink made with leaves. Evening meal was chicken curry with spices on a naan bread. Followed by a lolly.
Occasionally I eat: tomatoes, cucumber; fish and chips once a week, I always count spuds in any shape/form ;). Bananas; melon, mango, grapes - all occasionally. Mixed nuts; occasionally.
Since I stopped foods/drinks with hidden sugars I've felt a lot less bloated and that irritating reflux cough has eased. 8)
What is suggested, R there recipes in the book?
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Oh I wouldn't know where 2 begin ::)
What counts as plant foods: I begin every day with muesli,[oats], dried blueberries and pumpkin seeds and a splash of milk. Lunch today was: 3 red radishes; a stick of celery; 3 lettuces leaves :-X; brown bread with seeds; pate; does tea count, as it's drink made with leaves. Evening meal was chicken curry with spices on a naan bread. Followed by a lolly.
Occasionally I eat: tomatoes, cucumber; fish and chips once a week, I always count spuds in any shape/form ;). Bananas; melon, mango, grapes - all occasionally. Mixed nuts; occasionally.
Since I stopped foods/drinks with hidden sugars I've felt a lot less bloated and that irritating reflux cough has eased. 8)
What is suggested, R there recipes in the book?
Do you think sugars triggered your refux then?
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I was drinking coke for a few years: 2/3 small bottles a day, plus BlackT and 2 sugars. When I stopped the coke I went onto ginger soft drinks, when I eat ginger in syrup - both trigger the irritating cough. The sugar in the cuppas doesn't seem to affect me. Finding out what continues to affect me = the cough, is a work in progress.
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I was drinking coke for a few years: 2/3 small bottles a day, plus BlackT and 2 sugars. When I stopped the coke I went onto ginger soft drinks, when I eat ginger in syrup - both trigger the irritating cough. The sugar in the cuppas doesn't seem to affect me. Finding out what continues to affect me = the cough, is a work in progress.
Eurgh my short term recent bout of silent reflux then I think was defo caused by coke three days in a row and two really hot tomato based curries. I either eat really well or really badly. I love the plant based foods idea though!!!
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I try and do this. I start my day with natural yoghurt with ground flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and the maybe blackcurrants on top or whatever else I have fruitwise. I could add in even more seeds too. And it helps that herbs and spices nuts beans lentils count too. But equally I am trying to up my protein because I think the daily recommended amount isn't sufficient as we get older - so important to retain muscle mass.
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I eat a wide range of fruit & veg & would be surprised if less than 30 types a week, but will count up as I'm curious to know. I start every day with a fresh fruit salad - content differs depending on what's ripe & high protein natural yoghurt, with homemade whole rye toast & usually a boiled egg. Sometimes porridge. Also eat a variety of nuts. Main meal at lunchtime always has 3 or 4 veggies, either with baked fish or lean chicken or it's a wholly veggie meal. Recently been advised to include red meat to get low iron stores up. Early evening meal is usually either a salad or veg based soup with some form of protein. I agree Gnatty, about protein. I found I had to increase the amount of protein in my diet when I started to have probs with low blood sugar years ago at start of peri & as you say, we also need to work harder at maintaining muscle mass as we age. I'm also careful to try to get enough calcium for osteopenia.
Wx
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Being veggie for over 30 years,you'd think I'd eat enough fruit & veg........wrong!! But over the summer,for lunch,I've been having salads & I love them,make my own salad dressing too,with some rather expensive (OHs words ;D ) olive oil & they keep me full 'til dinner time,so many recipes online,so it's not just boring toms,cucumber & lettuce :)
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Also.veggie 30 years plus, we can have a crap diet too! Am definitely adding in more protein with extra pulses. Starting to add to soup for a more rounded meal,less carbs, in potato and bread form, though pasta at least once a week,always homemade sauces. Less cheese but that's a challenge on our house... Pumpkin season soon! Yeah,I know it's carb .but.... :)
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Interesting topic :-))))). Oh I wouldn't know where 2 begin ::)
What counts as plant foods: I begin every day with muesli,[oats], dried blueberries and pumpkin seeds and a splash of milk. Lunch today was: 3 red radishes; a stick of celery; 3 lettuces leaves :-X; brown bread with seeds; pate; does tea count, as it's drink made with leaves. Evening meal was chicken curry with spices on a naan bread. Followed by a lolly.
Occasionally I eat: tomatoes, cucumber; fish and chips once a week, I always count spuds in any shape/form ;). Bananas; melon, mango, grapes - all occasionally. Mixed nuts; occasionally.
Since I stopped foods/drinks with hidden sugars I've felt a lot less bloated and that irritating reflux cough has eased. 8)
What is suggested, R there recipes in the book?
I haven't got the book yet, so my knowledge is limited but my understanding from the snippets I've seen him talking about on Instagram are that you eat 30 varieties of plants per week. By plants he means fruits, especially berries, nuts, seeds, veg including potatoes, with skin ideally, herbs and spices, wholegrains, pulses, legumes, olive oil and even tea and coffee though I personally don't count them.
You need to eat 30 different plants per week, but different colours of the same veg each count.
I'm not sure what he counts as a portion yet so I'm just been going by what I know from other sources. Veg would be 80g, nuts a handful. The rest I'm having what I think is about right.
I've written a list of all the plant based foods that I generally have in the house, it really does add up! I'm finding it very easy to hit 30.
I also do time restricted eating, before it was a thing as I never liked eating early or late and I'm convinced its the reason I haven't developed type 2 as at times my diet has been quite shocking.
My daily intake looks like this; After 10am a tumbler with turmeric, honey, apple cider vinegar and hot water. Oats with walnuts, almonds and some seeds. A mid afternoon smoothie of various fruit and veg, it will usually include a cooked beetroot, I might also have a protein nibble of some sort too. Then Dinner of pulses, or grains with veg and some protein. I don't eat after 18.00hrs.
I'm curious to see how this works for weight loss as I've always counted calories so this is a bit of a challenge but I think it makes a lot of sense.
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I need to nip to Aldi to stock up on seeds as I haven't got any in the house!
I'm recording my foods on myfitnesspal for the first week or so just to get an idea of the calories, I'm so curious to see how my body will respond with this different approach to overall health, feeding my gut biome and hopefully losing weight!
I forgot to add that as well as kefir yogurts, I'm also going to try and include some other fermented foods such as kimichi, kombucha and sauerkraut and might start baking my own sourdough.
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Also.veggie 30 years plus, we can have a crap diet too! Am definitely adding in more protein with extra pulses. Starting to add to soup for a more rounded meal,less carbs, in potato and bread form, though pasta at least once a week,always homemade sauces. Less cheese but that's a challenge on our house... Pumpkin season soon! Yeah,I know it's carb .but.... :)
Haha Sarah,everyone thinks veggies eat lots and lots of veg but in some cases (ours apparently) this isn't the case,I'm also wheat intolerant (double whammy for eating out) so I'm restricted when it comes to breads and pastas,the gf just don't hit the mark,some of my salads have brown rice or quinoa,which,is actually ok if you cook it with a stock cube and not so 🤢 as some think lol
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I need to nip to Aldi to stock up on seeds as I haven't got any in the house!
I'm recording my foods on myfitnesspal for the first week or so just to get an idea of the calories, I'm so curious to see how my body will respond with this different approach to overall health, feeding my gut biome and hopefully losing weight!
I forgot to add that as well as kefir yogurts, I'm also going to try and include some other fermented foods such as kimichi, kombucha and sauerkraut and might start baking my own sourdough.
I make my own sauerkraut - very satisfying to make and to eat!
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I love red beet: roasted/cold the next day or pickled. A beetroot sandwich with brown bread :-*
Sweet potatoes/yams
Occasionally lettuce
Occasionally tomatoes
Sometimes cucumber which is far too watery!
Strawberries, raspberries, white currants, peas/runner; broads; French beans picked from the garden in season
Bananas, melons, grapes, mango [in season, messy :D]
We have two pepper plants growing under the cage but they haven't fruited yet 8)
Olives: I had to stop eating them as I felt that there were 'going through' whole :o as the belatedness returned >:(
Don't 4get tinned and frozen fruits/veg.. I don't like fish that tastes of fish ;D . We have lots of chicken curry, roast beef and roasted chickens. DH smokes the trout that he catches and I enjoy it hot with fresh home made bread. Fish fingers/mash when in a hurry.
Keep up with the dairy! Essential throughout our growing periods.
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How's it going?
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It's so easy!
I can't say I have noticed any life changing effects yet, but its only been a couple of weeks.
I've discovered spirulina and chlorella which are a great protein boost. That's one thing I'm finding a bit tricky, to make sure I eat enough protein, so now I'm recording my protein first then fitting everything else around that.
I haven't even got round to including any seeds yet but I intend to buy lots next time I nip to Aldi (best value there by far).
I've always loved my veg, I'm a keen gardener and grow my own fruit, veg etc. So much has been wasted this year with me feeling so rubbish I ended up ignoring it. It annoys me, how much menopause is affecting every aspect of my life. GRRRR >:(
But now I have this little personal challenge I'm hoping for improvements...watch this space! ;D
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There's never any waste with a home composting system ;)
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Your enthusiasm is coming across MabelBabel & it's lovely :)
We grow a bit of fruit & veg at home too, but have a tiny garden with poor growing conditions - stony, drought-prone soil & N facing aspect, which limits what's possible :-\ I'd love to grow more & a bigger garden is on the wish list for our next home.
I counted up how many fresh fruit & veg we brought home from the weekly shop & it was 29, then there's stored foodstuffs like frozen peas, tinned beans, dried pulses, dried fruit, nuts, herbs from the garden & the grains - pearl barley, whole & wild rice . . .
Altogether it made a pleasingly long list ;D Can you see my halo? :ange: ;D
I had a listen to a couple of Prof Spector's podcasts & was surprised to hear what seems to be the latest opinion on cheese! OH was delighted, having always maintained cheese is a health food ::)
Do let us know how you get on.
Wx
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Most food stuffs are healthy in moderation ;-). We eat a Magnum lolly for pudding some evenings: it's dairy, don't U know ;)
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;D
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I try to eat my 5 a day, so that's 35 pieces of fruit or veg. Is that not the same thing?
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I eat 30 peas does that count? ;D
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I can no long eat peas or olives, they stick and make me bloated >:(
You're doing OK from where I'm sitting Deirdre ;-)
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I try to eat my 5 a day, so that's 35 pieces of fruit or veg. Is that not the same thing?
Hi Dierdre, It needs to be 30 different plants. Eating over 30 showed no additional benefits in his study.
I eat 30 peas does that count? ;D
Absolutely it does, as 1 ;D
Only 29 more to go!! ;D
Most food stuffs are healthy in moderation ;-). We eat a Magnum lolly for pudding some evenings: it's dairy, don't U know ;)
Magnums Mmmmmm yummy! ;D
Your enthusiasm is coming across MabelBabel & it's lovely :)
We grow a bit of fruit & veg at home too, but have a tiny garden with poor growing conditions - stony, drought-prone soil & N facing aspect, which limits what's possible :-\ I'd love to grow more & a bigger garden is on the wish list for our next home.
I counted up how many fresh fruit & veg we brought home from the weekly shop & it was 29, then there's stored foodstuffs like frozen peas, tinned beans, dried pulses, dried fruit, nuts, herbs from the garden & the grains - pearl barley, whole & wild rice . . .
Altogether it made a pleasingly long list ;D Can you see my halo? :ange: ;D
I had a listen to a couple of Prof Spector's podcasts & was surprised to hear what seems to be the latest opinion on cheese! OH was delighted, having always maintained cheese is a health food ::)
Do let us know how you get on.
Wx
Thank you! I am enjoying it, gives me something to think about and I like a challenge! and you're so right that it adds up so quickly!
Your halo is positively glowing!
I agree about the cheese, plus its filling and a good source of protein ;D
Container growing sounds like it would be ideal for you. I had a little north facing garden on heavy clay so I feel your pain!
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I do container strawbs every year, several varieties & lots of them as the runners are so easy to propagate from, but end up giving them away as they are terrible for bladder irritation (interstitial cystitis), there's only 2 of us & OH hates strawbs! Ironically, seems to be the only crop I can reliably grow ;D Last couple of years had another go at tomatoes, courgettes, runner beans & all those did surprisingly well in tubs :). The mixed lettuce, rocket, French beans, carrots & spring onions (again all in containers), well . . . least said about those, the better ;D! Oh nearly forgot peppers: grew a fab crop of large bell peppers outdoors (no greenhouse) on first attempt last year, but woodlice (who knew :o) got into & ate every one while they were still green. Bar one, that got badly blistered by the sun on a very, very hot day & decayed!
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30 different plants seems a lot of shopping, can they be frozen or I'd have a lot of waste?
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I’ve been trying to do this, more or less successfully, for the last few years. It’s hard as I also fast. But my blood test results are now perfect, even if my bathroom scales say different ;D
I’m also doing the full Zoe microbiome testing from next month, so that will be interesting! Fingers crossed my fermentation experiments have done some good!
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30 different plants seems a lot of shopping, can they be frozen or I'd have a lot of waste?
Yes they can be fresh, frozen, tinned or dried.
Don't forget it's 30 plants, plants being the key word. So, pulses, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits especially berries and veg including potatoes. Plus herbs, spices, even tea and coffee.
Obviously a pinch of spices or a teeny amount of herbs won't count but if you have for example a 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric several times a week you'd count that as one, same with herbs, if it amounts to about a tablespoon you'd count that as one.
There are no precise recommended portion sizes for everything else, a rough guide is a handful.
Hope that helps :)
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I do container strawbs every year, several varieties & lots of them as the runners are so easy to propagate from, but end up giving them away as they are terrible for bladder irritation (interstitial cystitis), there's only 2 of us & OH hates strawbs! Ironically, seems to be the only crop I can reliably grow ;D Last couple of years had another go at tomatoes, courgettes, runner beans & all those did surprisingly well in tubs :). The mixed lettuce, rocket, French beans, carrots & spring onions (again all in containers), well . . . least said about those, the better ;D! Oh nearly forgot peppers: grew a fab crop of large bell peppers outdoors (no greenhouse) on first attempt last year, but woodlice (who knew :o) got into & ate every one while they were still green. Bar one, that got badly blistered by the sun on a very, very hot day & decayed!
It sounds like you've got a lovely container garden! :)
Gardening can be such a battle as everything else wants to eat it before us, but I still do it every year regardless! I've just picked the last of the toms, aubergines, cucumbers and peppers now the weather is set to turn autumnal. Then it will be time to plan for next year!
Always something to look forward to!
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I’ve been trying to do this, more or less successfully, for the last few years. It’s hard as I also fast. But my blood test results are now perfect, even if my bathroom scales say different ;D
I’m also doing the full Zoe microbiome testing from next month, so that will be interesting! Fingers crossed my fermentation experiments have done some good!
Well done on your bloods!
I fast too, I always have as I've never liked to eat in the evening.
I looked into the Zoe membership but I've read so many comments from people who say they are so oversubscribed and that they as members aren't gettnig the support they signed up for. I'm holding off for now but am planning on joining at some point in the future.
I'd love to her how your biome testing goes! It's so interesting. :)