A couple of years ago (actually, it has been two years exactly almost!), I tried the thirty plants a week challenge. The advice is to eat 30 different types of plants every week to help maintain a healthy gut. Gut health plays a huge part in your immunity and overall wellbeing.
That time, it was a challenge. Despite being plant-based (with a weekly fishcake), I still have a pretty limited diet, tending to eat the same things every day. This time, I was determined to hit that target of 30. Surprisingly enough, I managed it in just two days.
Well, I thought, why not go for 50? And I even managed that before the end of the week. So then I thought, why not go for double the target and try to hit 60?
And I did! I made it by the end of the week!
Here's my list:
- Wheat
- Soya
- Black tea
- Oats
- Potato
- Flaxseed
- Broccoli
- Carrot
- Sweetcorn
- Tomato
- Basil
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Marjoram
- Black pepper
- White pepper
- Onion
- Haricot beans
- Sweet potato
- Red pepper
- Green pepper
- Pea
- Green bean
- Cauliflower
- Paprika
- Turmeric
- Peanut butter
- Raspberry jam
- Hazelnut
- Sultana
- Cranberry
- Blueberry
- Lingonberry
- Lemon
- Rye
- Cocoa
- Cherry
- Chickpea
- Chilli
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Coriander seed
- Nutmeg
- Clove
- Pimento
- Cashew
- Walnut
- Mint
- Kiwi fruit
- Almond
- Apple
- Orange
- Pineapple
- Passionfruit
- Banana
- Nectarine
- Guava
- Umbu
- Mango
- Apricot
It looks impressive, but sadly a lot of these came from non-wholefood sources (ie just plain junk). The fruits at the end were from a juice drink, the berries were from fruity hot cross buns and the spices were from homemade waffles. So all those plants may look healthy, but my diet still isn't the best. Even so, it's still a step in the right direction, and hopefully my gut bacteria are well fed!
Speaking of wholefood, please do read The China Study, by Prof. T. Colin Campbell and Thomas Campbell. The research on the link between animal protein consumption and cancer rates are scary. If you really can't afford a copy, a certain library beginning with Z has a copy available, but please buy a copy to support the authors if you can.