The power of plants is revealing itself to be amazing. Eating for the health of your gut might be a nutrition plan worth investigating. Plants support your microbiome. Big word, the National Institute of Health describes as; “collection of all microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and their genes that naturally live on our bodies and inside us.” The good news is they help with good health and wellness. Harvard health says a plant-based diet is good for the microbiome and potentially reduces disease risk. Your gut microbiome begins to thrive by increasing the amount of unprocessed plant foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Some scientists say more research is needed to understand the benefits between diet, the microbiome, and health impact. While the debate is still on whether eating a plant-based diet will make your gut happy, the reality is it can’t hurt. The antioxidants that vegetables and fruit give us only help us. Maybe more than we know. I’ve always been a proponent of eating the rainbow. In other words, how colorful is your plate? A plate with healthy reds, yellows, purples, and greens will energize you. Eating primarily browns will slow you down. It has to do with digestion, too. Plants do not require a long time to break down and be used for energy. Meat takes about 14 hours to break down into useable energy, slowing the digestion process. So if your plate is full of colorful vegetables and the meat holds a small space on the plate, it’s a win. As we all know, there is always a new diet on the horizon that states this is the best way to eat. Less processed, whole plant foods, lean meat, grains, seeds, and water are generally what the body needs. Eating more whole plant foods is a great way to experiment with cooking and trying new exciting ways to prepare them. It doesn’t have to be all one way or the other. I love a good steak now and then. It might just be a little smaller steak with a big helping of the rainbow on the side. For more information about health and fitness, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Kay Colgan, Middleburg Pilates, and personal training, 14 S Madison Street, Middleburg, Virginia, or call 540-687-6995.