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The heat finally blinked.
Not gone. Just blinked.
A front slid through. The mornings got a little less soupy. For the first time since May, a farmers market at 9 a.m. doesn't feel like a punishment.
Good timing. Because this week is about food.
Specifically, variety.
Quick callback
Back in July, Feed Your Second Brain ended with one habit that beats everything else on the grocery list: variety.
A lot of you opened that one. So this week we're turning that one line into a plan.
Missed it? Read it here: Feed Your Second Brain
Where "30 plants" comes from
The American Gut Project is one of the biggest citizen science studies of the gut microbiome.
In a 2018 paper, researchers compared people who said they ate more than 30 different plant types a week with people who ate 10 or fewer.
The 30 plus group had more diverse gut microbiomes.
That's the finding.
Two honest notes:
It's an association. It doesn't prove 30 plants causes anything.
30 isn't magic. It's a handy target, not a pass or fail test.
Still, "eat a wider mix of plants" is about as low drama as health advice gets.
Want the source? The American Gut study
What counts as a plant
More than you think.
Vegetables and fruit. Fresh, frozen, or canned.
Beans and lentils.
Whole grains. Oats, brown rice, quinoa.
Nuts and seeds.
Herbs and spices.
Coffee and tea. Yes, really.
The rule: each different plant counts once a week.
Bananas seven days in a row? That's one.
The South Florida advantage
Up north, fall means the garden is done.
Down here, cooler weather is when a lot of backyard gardeners finally start planting. Seasonal markets start coming back to life.
And our grocery stores are already a cheat code.
Walk the Latin and Caribbean aisles and you'll find plants a lot of the country barely sees:
Black beans and pigeon peas
Plantains and yuca
Calabaza
Cilantro and culantro
Papaya, starfruit, and Florida avocados
One sofrito base (onion, garlic, peppers, cilantro) can knock out four or five plants before dinner even starts.
This week's tool: Cronometer
Most of us have no idea how many plants we eat. We guess. We guess high.
So count.
Cronometer is a food tracker with a free version. Log what you eat for one week. On Sunday, scroll back through your diary and count the different plants.
Not into apps? A sticky note on the fridge works too. Add a tally mark every time a new plant shows up.
Either way, you get a real number. Then you've got something to beat.
Your one week plant count
Thursday: Write down your honest guess for last week.
Friday: Start logging. App or sticky note.
Saturday: Hit a market or the produce section. Buy one thing you've never cooked.
Sunday: Swap one kind of nut for a mix. Mixed nuts and seeds can be four or five plants in one handful.
Monday: Raid the spice drawer. Cumin, oregano, ginger, turmeric. They count.
Tuesday: Bean night. Black beans, chickpeas, or lentils.
Wednesday: Count it up. Compare it to your guess.
That's it. No overhaul. Just a number and a few easy adds.
Keep it sane
Skip the "30 plant" powders. Your gut doesn't need a $60 tub. It needs a grocery list.
Go gradual. Jumping from 8 plants to 30 overnight can be rough on your stomach. Add a few each week.
Check first if you're on a special diet. If your doctor or dietitian has you on a specific eating plan or you have a digestive condition, talk to them before making big changes.
Halloween is next week. Candy corn is not a vegetable. Nice try.
This week's one thing
Next grocery run, buy three plants you didn't buy last week.
Three. That's the whole assignment.
Stay well, South Florida. 🌴
Kevin
This newsletter is for general information only and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making changes to your health routine.