#humanfoodproject

Let's take a moment to acknowledge the amount of organisms living inside of and on every human at all times. There's 100 trillion (100,000,000,000,000) bacteria in your abdomen and on your skin, collectively known as your microbiome. Weighing in at about 6 pounds and the volume of a basketball, they act as mysterious organ that science has only begun to unravel. This 100 trillion is compared to our 37 trillion cells in our bodies, outnumbering our human cells 10 to 1. With such a massive entity living inside every one of us, how do we not consider them more when discussing anything related to our bodies?

An article from the New York Times Magazine just last week states: "We are, at least from the standpoint of DNA, more microbial than human." That struck me as very bold statement in the history of human existence. I think the human-esque pride in us would be reluctant to say we are mostly run by such a primal organism. However, each human microbiome contains 2 million unique bacterial genes versus the measly 23 thousand genes in our cells. If we have only just begun to crack human DNA, what information do we have yet to uncover once we look at the 90% of us that is microbial. Indeed: "that's a phenomenal insight and one that we have to take seriously when we think about human development."

The good news is that they're with us for good reason. We've evolved with bacteria symbiotically because we couldn't survive any other way. They digest our food, give us vitamins, fight off disease and keep our systems running as healthily as possible so we can entertain higher level thinking and worry about things like jobs and relationships and self actualization. Most phenomenally, we've recently found that gut bacteria can "communicate with the nervous system using some of the same neurochemicals that relay messages in the brain." Which, hypothetically, influences our hormones, thoughts and behavior. If you think that the quality of food and gut health doesn't directly effect how you feel and act, science is quickly proving you wrong.

The quality of your gut flora can make truly miraculous differences. Jeff Leach, founder of the Human Food Project is currently studying the Hadza people, one of the last hunter-gatherer tribes in Africa. These people literally drink water contaminated with baboon feces every day, purposely never wash their hands and cannot give "sanitary" births, yet are healthy thriving athletes because of BACTERIA. This tribe doesn't get sick because of their gut health and vast biome of hundreds more strains than we have due to our limited industrialized diet.

Gut bacteria is universally important. Science is still trying to figure out this invisible phenomenon that we've been living with for all of existence, but every new fact is a major stepping stone in human biology, screaming that this development is vital. Unfortunately, most of the developed world is still far behind. Modern medicine techniques completely ignore this part of our bodies, even prescribing ANTIbiotics liberally. Which, just one dose of antibiotics can permanently alter strains of gut flora and have adverse consequences that can be passed down through generations.

The use of antibiotics makes sense, because its discovery is responsible for our increased average life span, but the prescription should be considered more carefully. Our nation as a whole does not practice preventative health well, meaning we usually go to the doctor after it's too late and we need immediate relief. Not to mention most people would be appalled if their doctor prescribed vegetables rather than the newest-age chemistry that will magically make you better. Hopefully as this knowledge becomes more prevalent, we can start strengthening our bodies to become proactive health-wise rather than a reactive nation, victim to disease.

So what does this mean for you right now?

No one is exempt, we all have a microbiome living inside of us, so what does yours look like? There are countless strains of bacteria and as we said earlier, everyone has their unique composition of good and bad. Think of it as a pie chart and the ratios will alter depending on what you feed them and what was passed on to you from birth. The good news is that our gut biome is LIVING which means they're adaptable and can change to benefit you.

There are 3 general options: -The classic American diet- high fat + high protein + refined simple carbs (low fiber): you obtain the highest ratio of bad bacteria. These strains love to let the bad guys in like e. coli and salmonella are associated with inflammation and increased risk of disease. As these numbers grow, the good bacteria diminish.

-The fibrous diet- plant based + whole grains and filling whole foods: good bacteria dominate the pie chart when you're eating natural fiber. You want to eat the widest variety of fruits and vegetables you can find because each fiber type requires a different strain of bacteria to process it. Having a vast ranging biome is the secret to the Hadza people who literally graze on fibrous roots and plants all day to keep their systems healthy. They've done this for generations because they know that’s how to survive. We've lost this luxury of common knowledge. We've also lost some 100 different strains of bacteria that they have thanks to civilization and our fondness for processed foods. We've caused a bacterial genocide without even knowing and thus, our country is frequently sick.

-Happy medium diet- high fat + high protein + tons of fiber = still healthy gut. Jeff Leach has experimented with his own biome extensively to find that he was able to keep high counts of good bacteria when eating high fat and protein as long as he still incorporated fiber. Which is great news for everyone because that means all you have to do is add fiber to your diet.

In addition to fiber which is prebiotic (gives you the fuel to make existing flora thrive), you can also eat probiotics which are actual living strains. These are found in fermented products like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi. Just make sure they haven't been pasteurized because high temperatures kill the bacteria. Also, it should be noted that the prebiotic content in a single leek does your gut better than a whole barrel full of yogurt, according to Leach, but they’re beneficial to consume nonetheless! I'll be doing a post solely on probiotics and easy recipes later. 

The bottom line: add fiber and probiotics to your diet. Eat the food that grows from the earth and is living so that you can be your most alive self. Not the food that has been processed through machines and stripped of its nutrients. If that's the quality of food you consume your whole life while your cells are constantly multiplying, your bones and tissues growing, and mass is literally being created from it... Food that lacks nutrients and contains pesticides and preservatives-- what does that make you? Then add the accumulated lack of fiber your whole life because you didn't eat vegetables as a kid and now your mom doesn't make you so of course you choose not to... After 40 years of your body aging like this, it's no wonder that midlife disease finally takes over your body. I am honestly not surprised at all. A whole entity of yourself, your microbiome, your greatest chance of immunity, has been starved and depleted your entire life. (Not to mention, what sugar does to your body on top of this). If this sounds like the path you're heading down, I cannot see a healthy and happy future for anyone with weak gut flora.

My promise to you: vegetables don't have to taste bad, they aren't difficult to prepare and it doesn’t have to be expensive. The vegetables I eat every day take less than 10 minutes to chop and saute. That's much less than driving to the nearest fast food place, waiting for your food to be served to you or for your take out to be delivered. -You want to look for foods with high inulin content (your good bacteria's favorite food). A simple google search will give you all the info you need but a short go-to list is: Leeks, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes/sunchokes -You also want variety. As many different colors and textures you can find to widen the ability of your gut so it can handle anything. If you wanted to strengthen your whole body, you wouldn't just do bicep curls, you would do the widest variety of lifts to hit all the muscles. Same with your gut, you want to strengthen as many beneficial strains of bacteria as possible. -Fructans and cellulose fibers: Think the stringy part of asparagus. This part of the plant is essential for your digestive system to keep it running smoothly and happily so try to consume as many raw plants as possible. The longer a plant is cooked, the more the cellulose is broken down and is less effective it is in your body.

Here's the only recipe you'll ever need: In a pan throw in a spoonful of coconut oil, chopped leeks, garlic, onions, broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, (literally whatever vegetables you have but leeks and garlic should be staples), and some lemon juice and/or liquid aminos. Sauté and stir for a couple minutes. Add kale and spinach and whatever leafy greens you have and cover to steam for a couple minutes and THAT'S IT. Remember that the more raw, the better. Feel free to add cooked rice, beans, quinoa, avocado, frozen vegetables, cheese, hummus, sauerkraut… anything. I make this at least once a day and it's even been approved by my picky family and friends.