Michael Pollan said it best, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” These wise words have become the foundation of my dietary approach. Nearly two years ago, I made plants the centerpiece of my diet, and the results have been transformative. In just two short years, I’ve become a firm believer in the power of plants.
My journey to a plant-based lifestyle has been a wild ride so far, but one that has brought so much good to my life that I feel compelled to share my story. This is my attempt to bring together the ideas that have strengthened my belief in this approach to life, so I can hopefully speak with more clarity and greater conviction when communicating about my decision to go all in on plants.
Health Starts in Your Gut
I decided to make the switch to a plant-based diet in an effort to improve my gut health. As a kid, I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and was told there wasn’t much I could do to resolve my issues. My sensitivities to food and lack of knowledge regarding nutrition and gut health led me to adopt a very restrictive diet, which eventually took its toll on my mental and physical well-being.
In 2012, I pursued a Master’s degree in nutrition to gain more knowledge on the subject, find a more effective (and enjoyable) approach to eating, and hopefully improve my health. My studies definitely helped guide me toward a more balanced approach to eating, but my gut issues persisted.
In 2023, I heard Dr. Bulsiewicz (Dr. B), author of Fiber Fueled, speak about gut health and the microbiome on a podcast and was fascinated by the information he presented. I learned health starts in your gut and depends on a thriving microbiota (the ecosystem of microorganisms living inside of us). We carry thirty-nine-trillion microorganisms in our gut, most of them bacteria. The other bugs (as we like to call them) include yeasts, parasites, viruses, and archaea.
Many of these so-called bugs aren’t actually bugs. Though we often think of bacteria, viruses, and parasites as harmful, most of them are an important part of the microbial community. Under ideal conditions, they live in and amongst us in harmony and with purpose. A diverse, balanced ecosystem of microorganisms endows us with superpowers, making our bodies stronger, more capable, and more resilient in the face of the external world.
The Co-Evolution of Humans and Bacteria
Over the course of human evolution, we formed a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria residing in our gut. Our relationship with some bacterial species is mutualistic (i.e., we both benefit). For example, humans provide shelter and food for certain bacteria and in return, they help us digest our food, absorb nutrients, and regulate our immune system.
Our relationship with other bacterial species is commensal. In this type of relationship, the bacteria benefits from the shelter our gut provides, but they don’t necessarily give us anything in return (other than contributing to the overall balance of the microbial ecosystem). This commensal relationship can turn into a parasitic relationship (i.e., the bacteria benefit and we are harmed) in two ways:
- If we fail to feed the beneficial bacteria, which allows for the overgrowth of potentially harmful microbes and/or;
- if we feed the potentially harmful microbes as it gives them energy to procreate, which disrupts the composition and function of the gut’s microbial communities, and leads to the production of harmful compounds.
Under ideal conditions, a diverse ecosystem of microbes exist within our gut. Each microbe serves a specific function; an overgrowth of any species would have negative consequences and diminish the health of our microbiome. When there is a shift in the balance between the beneficial microbes and potentially harmful microbes, a condition referred to as dysbiosis, we see disruptions in all aspects of health. A lack of diversity in gut microbes has been shown to interfere with immune function, metabolism, hormone regulation, cognition, and gene expression.
Empower the “Good” Guys
The key to maintaining a diverse, balanced ecosystem is diet. Our diet is the greatest determinant of the health of our microbiome. Each day, the food we eat travels through our gut and gets consumed by our microbes along the way. Our food is their food.
By feeding ourselves an abundance of foods on which beneficial bacteria thrive, we allow them to flourish, which helps keep the potentially harmful microbes in check. Each dietary choice we make has the ability to positively or negatively influence the composition, and thus the function, of our microbiome.
When we properly nourish our gut microbiota, magical things happen. The beneficial bacteria help us digest our food and transform it into health-promoting compounds. If we neglect to feed the beneficial bacteria and eat foods that are digested by potentially harmful bacteria, they transform it into compounds that inflame our body.
By feeding the beneficial bacteria, we empower the “good” guys, which promotes a balanced microbial ecosystem that protects our health. We take care of them and they take care of us.
Fiber Fueled
The bacteria living in our gut play an important role in digestion. In some sense, they are better at digesting our food than we are. Human cells come equipped with 17 carbohydrate-processing enzymes. Bacteria have gifted us an additional ~60,000 enzymes to help digest the various types of carbohydrates we may encounter throughout life. Specifically, complex carbohydrates known as fiber.
Fiber is only found in plants. There are four hundred thousand plants on Earth, three hundred thousand of which are edible (globally, we consume only around two hundred species). Each plant contains many different types of fibers, so there are likely millions of types of fiber in nature.
As many of us have come to understand, fiber is the indigestible component of plants that goes in one end and comes out the other, helping to promote regular bowel movements along the way. This simplistic view has caused us to overlook fiber as an essential component of our diet. The majority of us are starving ourselves of fiber, which appears to be a main driver of dysbiosis.
Fiber fuels a diverse microbiome; it’s the food beneficial bacteria thrive on. Without an abundance of fiber in our diet, our good bacteria starve and die off, which allows the harmful bacteria to take over. To encourage diversity within our microbiome, we must eat fiber.
Not every species of bacteria eats the same type of fiber. Eating a diversity of plant foods, and thus fiber types, helps the many different species of good bacteria flourish. Research suggests optimal gut microbial diversity is achieved when we consume thirty or more plants per week. According to Dr. B, “The single greatest predictor of a healthy gut microbiome is the diversity of plants in one’s diet.”
The Power of Plants
When we eat an abundance of fiber, we feed our beneficial bacteria and in return they transform it into health-promoting compounds. These health-promoting compounds created by our microbes are called short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), also referred to as postbiotics. Every unique fiber type digested by bacteria results in a different mix of SCFAs.
As Dr. B describes in Fiber Fueled, there are three different “biotics” for gut health: pre, pro, and post.
- Prebiotics = food for healthy gut microbes (e.g., fiber, polyphenols, omega 3’s)
- Probiotics = microbes with beneficial qualities
- Postbiotics = compounds produced by gut microbes
Prebiotics (fiber) + Probiotics (bacteria) = Postbiotics (SCFAs)
The health-promoting effects of SCFAs are wide-ranging. They make our gut more acidic, which prevents the growth of inflammatory microbes. As we eat more fiber, our beneficial bacteria multiply and SCFA production increases, which prevents the overgrowth of harmful bacteria. The more SCFAs we have around the better as these compounds positively influence health in a number of ways, including:
- Digestion (e.g., maintain gut barrier function, promote intestinal motility)
- Immunity (e.g., inhibit inflammatory signals, prevent food allergy and sensitivity, prevent autoimmune disease)
- Cognition (e.g., improve learning and memory)
- Mood regulation
- Appetite and metabolism regulation
- Blood sugar regulation
- Cancer prevention
- Cardiovascular function (e.g., lower cholesterol)
- Weight management (e.g., suppress fat accumulation)
As mentioned above, many of us fail to get enough fiber in our diet. Research suggests 97% of people do not meet the daily requirements for fiber. For adults, the daily recommended amount of fiber is 25-38g. The average American consumes 15 grams of fiber per day (coming from 50 or fewer species of plants).
Without fiber, we lose out on the powerful effects of SCFAs and put ourselves at risk of dysfunction and disease. The more we’ve learned about gut health, it’s become clear that dysbiosis is at the root of all modern disease. SCFAs have been shown to correct dysbiosis, which means they hold the key to disease treatment and prevention.
In addition to fiber, plants contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidant compounds called polyphenols, and unique chemicals called phytonutrients. Every single fruit, vegetable, whole grain, legume, seed, and nut has its own unique blend of fiber, phytochemicals, and microbes (probiotics). Plants have a microbiome as well, and the interaction between their microbiome and our own may have health benefits. It’s also an important source of microbes for our gut.
For health and longevity, it seems it’s in our best interest to become plant-obsessed so that we can maximize the benefits of all the health-promoting compounds they provide.
Go Slow to Grow
It doesn’t take long to see changes in our gut microbiota. Two weeks on a low-fiber diet is enough to disrupt the balance of our microbial community. This might sound scary, but if looked at the other way we see that improvements to our microbiome can also happen very quickly. Every bite of food we take influences the makeup of our microbiome. In just a short amount of time we can shift the balance of microbes in our favor.
The more fiber-rich plant foods we eat, the more we’re rewarded with beneficial microbes that promote our health. The key is: go slow to grow. What’s turned many of us (myself included) off of fiber is our sensitivity to fiber-rich foods. The bloating, gas, and discomfort we experience when we eat foods like beans, cabbage, and broccoli has discouraged us from eating these health-promoting foods.
Though gas is a normal byproduct of fermentation, the process by which bacteria digest fiber, there are ways to reduce gas production as well as become better at handling gas. Eliminating fibrous foods will certainly reduce gas production, but this solution deprives us of the health-promoting SCFAs, puts us at risk for dysbiosis, and only worsens our sensitivity to these foods if we choose to eat them on the rare occasion.
To increase our tolerance to fiber, we must eat more of it. Research has shown that foods eaten more regularly lead to an increased production of the enzymes necessary to digest them. We also become better at handling gas the more we consume fiber-containing foods. When we eat fibrous foods, we give beneficial bacteria the food they need to survive and grow. The more healthy bacteria in our gut, the more enzymes we have to digest the various types of fiber in our food.
Our gut is a muscle that can be trained. The key is to eat fiber in small doses, providing enough stimulus to promote adaptations but not so much that it overwhelms the system and causes pain and discomfort. Each individual’s microbiome varies, which means we all have strengths and weaknesses. This is evidenced by the fact that we all tolerate foods differently.
The goal is to overcome those weaknesses that lead to food intolerances and find a dietary pattern that perfectly matches our unique microbiome, which involves some trial and error. We must put in the work and eventually we’ll be rewarded with a diverse, balanced microbiome that promotes our health and longevity.
Awareness Makes Us Smart Consumers
The ideas presented above convinced me to try the Fiber Fueled 4 week program. It gave me a step-by-step approach to reintroducing foods I had essentially removed from my diet in a way that wasn’t painful. By taking in small doses, I minimized my discomfort and got to experience the power of plants.
Over the past two years, I’ve come across several other plant-based resources that helped shape my approach to eating. Along with Dr. B’s framework, I also use Dr. Gregor’s Daily Dozen and Simon Hill’s recommendations from his Living Proof Challenge to guide my daily food and lifestyle choices (for detailed information about each resource, checkout my post 3 Resources to Help Improve Your Eating and Lifestyle Habits).
I’m a bit of an obsessive type, which means I typically go all in when I find something that works. I think I push a little too hard some days, trying to pack in as much fiber as possible to get the maximum benefit. I have to continually remind myself, “go slow to grow.” This process has certainly involved a lot of trial and error, but my experience so far tells me I’m on the right path.
Like with any endeavor in life, persistent, consistent effort eventually pays off. Slowly, steadily, I’m rebuilding a healthy microbiome and being rewarded for my efforts. Two years into this and I’m still working to find my ideal diet, but I’m committed to the process and excited for the journey ahead.
Plant-Predominant vs. Plant-Exclusive
My desire to improve my health motivated me to adopt a plant-predominant diet. Ethics and environmental reasons motivate me to keep working towards a plant-exclusive approach. At this point, I’d say I’m 98% plant-based. I still eat very minimal amounts of fish, cheese, and butter. This choice to continue eating small amounts of animal products leaves me feeling conflicted.
From a health perspective, a case has yet to be made for a diet consisting of 100% plants. Based on the research, there are no significant differences in health outcomes when comparing a plant-predominant diet (85% or more plant foods) to a plant-exclusive diet. But I’ve learned the benefits of a plant-based diet extend beyond my own personal health. Eating more plants also helps promote environmental health and reduces animal suffering.
Ultimately, I want to make decisions that have a positive impact on myself and the world around me. Choosing a plant-predominant diet has a positive impact on my personal health, and reducing my intake of animal foods contributes to better environmental health and less animal suffering. But continuing to consume even small amounts of animal foods means I’m still contributing to some amount of environmental degradation and animal suffering.
Being an animal lover, the animal welfare piece has me the most conflicted. As my awareness of life and all of its intricacies has expanded, I’ve come to see that I’m no different than the other sentient beings on this planet. My life is no less, and certainly no more, important than the life that exists outside of me. We’re all here on Earth, experiencing life in our own ways, but all striving towards the same end goal: survival. We were all given the gift of life, and we all have an innate desire to protect our lives.
The Cost of Pleasure
As I’ve learned more about the benefits of a plant-based diet, I’ve come to realize that not only can we survive without animal-based foods, we thrive when we remove them from our diet. Filling our plates with more plants and less animal foods helps protect our lives and protects the lives of others. It’s a win-win for all, at least as it pertains to survival.
That said, I realize part of what makes life so special is getting to experience pleasure. Now that I know how good animal foods taste, removing them from my diet entirely would be removing a potential source of pleasure. I’m still navigating this conundrum. Is the occasional pleasure worth the value of another life?
For now, I’ve come to this: Taking another life so I can eat its flesh (i.e., meat) is not worth the pleasure. If my survival doesn’t depend on it, taking another life seems unjust. The question I’m still trying to answer is whether I feel good about eating animal-derived foods, such as cheese and butter? Producing these foods doesn’t require taking an animal’s life, but it potentially causes animal suffering. Is there a way for me to occasionally indulge in the dairy-based pizza and pastries I once loved without causing harm? To be determined.
Part of me wishes I hadn’t been exposed to animal foods in the first place; then the decision to go plant-exclusive would be easier, I wouldn’t know what I was missing. Then again, there are many other factors to consider when making this decision, such as convenience and social acceptance. I can say from experience that eating a plant-based diet is not the convenient choice, nor is it the most socially accepted choice. Since going plant-based, life has become a little less convenient, and I definitely feel like an outsider.
The Complexity of a Plant-Based Lifestyle
The decision to go plant-exclusive is made even more complex considering I’m a mother who makes food choices for another person and a wife (to an omnivore) who does nearly all of the grocery shopping and cooking. Raising a plant-based child was fairly simple until my daughter (Ava) turned three and started having an opinion about the foods she ate.
Recently, Ava made it clear that she “likes meat and cheese.” I can’t argue with her, I like both of these things too. Removing them from my diet wasn’t necessarily an easy choice, but it’s gotten easier as I’ve experienced the benefits of doing so firsthand. There’s definitely confusion on her end because we aren’t a plant-exclusive household, and nor is the rest of the world she’s encountering outside of our home. I’m struggling to navigate this complicated situation.
For now, I believe it’s my responsibility as a parent to keep my child healthy. It seems a plant-predominant diet meets that need, and thus, if she’d like to include some animal foods in her diet, it’s her choice to do so. Though I’m still left with the decision of whether or not I’ll be the one to provide those foods, as even purchasing animal foods now leaves me feeling conflicted.
Beyond that, I can tell her what I know about the ethical and environmental implications of consuming animal foods, and then it’s up to her to decide how she wants to act on that information. I believe drawing our own informed conclusions is of utmost importance as it brings clarity to our thinking and allows us to act with conviction, even when faced with uncertainty and opposition (two things guaranteed in life).
Rather than telling Ava what to think and do, my goal is to provide an abundance of opportunities for exploration and discovery so that she can actively construct her own understanding of the world and hopefully behave in an informed way. Three years into this parenting thing, I’m realizing this is much easier said than done.
Having a partner who’s an omnivore has also been challenging. In our relationship, I’ve always been the one to buy groceries and cook meals. Since going plant-based, I stopped cooking meat, except for the occasional piece of fish, and only buy small amounts of dairy for my husband. He’s made it clear that he supports my decision to go plant-based and is happy to shop and cook for himself when he wants a meal that includes animal foods. The problem is, he’s not one to shop or cook for himself; he’d rather just go without his preferred foods most of the time.
This leaves me feeling conflicted. I want to do nice things for my husband (like buying the foods he enjoys when I’m already at the grocery store), but I also want to live in alignment with my values. This decision has been difficult as I’m still navigating whether I want to make the move to a plant-exclusive diet.
And so it goes, the journey continues. . . full of questions, uncertainty, and excitement.
