Almost weekly, I am hearing new evidence that the little bugs inside our gut are more and more in control of our well-being. The microbiome, or the bacteria, parasites and yeast that are present in our intestinal tract, influences not only how well we extract and absorb nutrients from our food, but also play a role in obesity, cancer, diabetes and dementia. Many of my clients have a primary or secondary goal of weight loss so I am going to discuss the role of the microbiome in regulating our weight and how we can use them to our advantage in reaching weight related goals.
A leading factor in weight loss is our ability to burn carbohydrates and not just store them as fat. People who are responsive to the insulin they secrete in response to eating carbs tend to be thinner. Those that are more resistant to insulin tend to have a larger percentage of body fat and are more at risk for type 2 diabetes. It turns out that thin people have a very different microbiome make up than obese individuals and this difference makes a dramatic difference in the ability to process carbohydrates and therefore directly effects their metabolisms.
So how do we change the microbiome of obese individuals to help increase their metabolisms in an easy, non-invasive manner? Through fecal transfer of course! It sounds gross, but makes perfect sense if you consider it's the fastest way to reduce the insulin resistance promoting bacteria and replace or overcrowd them with health promoting microbes. A study that looked at fecal donation to improve insulin sensitivity concluded that certain stool from thin people doubled the insulin sensitivity of obese individuals[1]. The part that I find most interesting is that the results only lasted for about 3 months. After that, the bacteria started to die off and any benefits were lost.
So, how does one foster the growth of these beneficial bacteria without requiring a fecal transplant every few months? And how do we get them to stay put? Another study that shows the health of these beneficial bacteria depend on a constant supply of food[2]. What do they eat? Fiber, especially soluble fiber or prebiotic fibers as they are now also called. These fibers are stripped from processed foods, fast food, and are non-existent in animal foods. They are, however, found in abundance in plant-based foods such as legumes (beans), whole grains, vegetables and fruits. So when you were told to eat your fruits and veggies everyday as a child, there is some really solid science now that supports that from yet another angle. The average fiber intake for Americans is about 10-15 grams per day, and I imagine some of that comes from the tree bark that is added to processed foods and bars to ramp of the nutritional facts. That is not prebiotic fiber; just a hard to digest, gas promoting variety. The actual recommendation is 25-35 grams of fiber per day. This requires some serious plant food consumption.
Getting a stool transplant every 3 months, while not painfully invasive, certainty isn’t as pleasant or as cost effective as finding yummy ways to incorporate more plant based foods into your diet. Start your morning out with a smoothie containing berries, bananas and spinach; eat a veggie soup or salad for lunch; eat chicken fajitas for dinner loaded with peppers, onions, zucchini and broccoli. This menu is colorful, flavorful and chock full of plant-based fibers to feed and nurture those microbes that will help re-acquaint us with our waistlines and boost our metabolisms.
Here is a recipe to help you get started: Roasted Chickpeas
These are a tasty snack and make an excellent crouton substitute on your already fiber rich salads
Ingredients
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and dried
2-3 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
½ teaspoons sea salt (Celtic or Himalayan are good choices)
2 teaspoons ofspices such as curry powder, chili powder, thai red curry powder or jerk seasoning- optional
Directions
Combine all ingredients and spread over a cookie sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!
[1] Vrieze, Anne et al. “Transfer of intestinal microbiota from lean donors increases insulin sensitivity in individuals with metabolic syndrome.” Gastroenterology. Vol 143. Oct 1st 2012.
[2] Tuohy, KM et al. “Up-regulating the human intestinal microbiome using whole plant foods, polyphenols, and/or fiber.” J Agric. Food Chem. 2012, 60, 8776-8782