Adding More Veg

Variety is the key to helping your gut microbiota to flourish and for all over body & mind health!

So I wanted to inspire you to create gut-enhancing vegetable dishes, easily & fast. 

This is generally the Mediterranean way of cooking. I add chopped onions, any type, & slowly cook on medium heat. Why onions - because they are prebiotic in the gut; That means they are food to help your beneficial gut microbiota to flourish, and those microbes reward us with beneficial nutrients (eg Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA), serotonin) that are anti-inflammatory & help improve mood!

Then I add in whatever vegetables I have in my kitchen - different colours, always something green. Vegetables are polyphenol-rich foods - polyphenols are natural plant compounds, often what make up the colour in veg/fruit and importantly they are loved by the gut microbiota & have anti-inflammatory effects in the body.

I finish with protein & some more fibre-filled carbs. You can imagine what a beneficial difference this style of eating can make to how you feel during perimenopause and menopause.

Start slowly with changes otherwise you may get some gut bloating, perhaps add in just 1 more veg to a meal. If you can’t tolerate veggies such as onions, then leave them out. 

Olive oil
1 handful chopped spring onions
1 small broccoli floret, chopped into small bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large handful of green leaves (I used Bok Choy)
1 large handful of finely chopped cabbage
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped mild red chili
2 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1 handful cooked butter beans
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 handful firm tofu, crumbled
Splash of apple cider vinegar
Once cooked & in my bowl, I added 1 tablespoon sauerkraut

Add everything together and cook in a wok or frypan for 5 minutes!