What is the diversity diet?

If you haven't heard of the diversity diet then let us introduce it to you because when it comes to gut health variety is what counts. The diversity diet is advocated for by big names in the gut health space like Dr Megan Rossi (aka The Gut Health Doctor) who supports individuals with improving their gut health. So many diets focus on what not to eat and removing foods from your diet, but the diversity diet encourages an abundance mindset. While we aren't necessarily advocates for any particular diet we think this approach might be more helpful rather than harmful, but we'll let you be the one to choose if it feels right for you. We advocate for individuals working out what's right for them at any particular time in their life and are 100% against prescriptive diets of all kinds.

What is good gut health again?

This is a teeny bit of a complex one because it'll likely be different for each of us. One research paper puts it like this...

"Gut health is a popular but poorly understood term."(1)

Some may define it as having a diverse, balanced gut microbiota but for most of us we're never going to know whether this is the case and even assessing what this diverse, balanced gut microbiota is currently contentious with the science being undecided. It's likely that a wide range of gut microbiota can be considered normal or healthy. Others may use something even more vague like "the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms" like abdominal pain or diarrhoea. However, nearly all of us will once in a while have mild symptoms like this, does that mean we don't have good gut health? Probably not. Lots of common gut 'symptoms' like mild discomfort, bloating and farting have been pathologised as meaning there is something wrong but often are just a part of how our digestive system works.

Big disclaimer here: this refers to irregular, mild symptoms not consistent or moderate to severe symptoms which can definitely indicate something else is going on!

So basically, there is no one definition of good gut health and it's not like we do a few certain things and suddenly 'get there'. This is likely to change throughout life, but there are a few evidence-based ways that we can support that journey. Diet is just one piece of the puzzle but is the one we're looking at in this blog.

Why an 'abudance mindset' can be helpful

Firstly an abundance mindset simply means focusing on what we can add into our diet rather than what needs to be taken away. It's the foundational principle of Gentle Nutrition which I'd highly recommend looking up especially if you've struggled with disordered eating before (2). Cutting out foods to achieve gut health is a myth, the best way to improve our gut health is to eat a wide range of foods which provide nutrients for all of the incredible diversity of microbes who call our gut home.

Current estimates are that there are over 3000 different species of microbes have been found in the human gut microbiota (not that all of us will have this number, but we all have a lot!). These are entirely different species and strains who don't all like to subsist on broccoli breakdown products alone, so being restrictive isn't helpful. Even looking at just a single nutrient - fibre - there are multiple different types that occur in food, each with diverse physicochemical properties that determine their effect on how our gut functions and the effects they might have on our gut microbes. So we need to be eating a wide range of food to provide nourishment for all of these critters!

In addition, restriction feeds into an unhealthy relationship with food which can make us feel crazy around food and has links to gut symptoms and disordered eating in and of itself (3). This can make it harder to enjoy food and have a healthy diet long-term. In some it can lead to a cycle of binge-restriction which some experience as yo-yo dieting or jumping from one fad trend to the next. A healthy diet is about more than just what we eat but how, with whom and in what context. For these reasons and more we've gone over why it also might not be helpful to place numbers around food like with the 30+ plant points trend in a previous blog, so if you're interested in learning more then check it out.

How to encourage diversity in your diet

The simplest way to think about it is not to restrict foods and focus on having as many different foods in your diet as possible. Obviously this is going to look different for each of us depending on our resources, where we live, food preferences, time of the year and so many other factors. But there's no wrong or right way of adding diversity to your diet. So yes, this means any and all foods are on the table. If you love, I don't know, nutella on toast for breakfast instead of taking this away try to vary it up by adding sliced banana some days or a different type of bread another!

You don't have to be eating a different meal each and every single day to support your gut health. That would be extremely time consuming, probably lead to food waste and mean buying food outside of growing seasons. Instead aim for variety across the year; it's totally fine to eat seasonally meaning you're, for example, eating more berries in the spring/summer, and more root veg in autumn/winter! And if you're like the estimated 24% of Britons who eat the same breakfast everyday, this presents an easy opportunity to mix things up and try something different on a couple of days per week (4). Here are some more actionable tips to increase diversity (if you decide that this is you're thing, that is):

Try a new fruit or vegetable each week – If you don't usually cook with e.g. cauliflower then explore recipes that use it. Unfamiliar produce is a fun way to expand your food repertoire.

Rotate your grains – Every now and then swap out the usual rice and wheat for quinoa, buckwheat, millet, or amaranth. Wholegrains offer different fibre types and nutrients.

Make your plate colourful – Different colours often mean different phytonutrients. Mix and match bright coloured fruit and veg to easily add variety in.

Add a spoonful of fermented foods daily – Sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, miso, and tempeh are teeming with beneficial microbes that support gut diversity. Plus to up the variety even further make your own!

Use herbs and spices generously – Not only do they boost flavour, but they also contain polyphenols that can help support beneficial gut bacteria. Think turmeric and ginger in curries, parsley in pasta sauces and cinnamon sprinkled on porridge.

Eat seasonally and locally when possible – Eating with the seasons naturally introduces more variety throughout the year and supports a more resilient food system.

Mix up your proteins – Add plant-based variety with beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu and tempeh. Each brings different nutrients, including all-important fibre, to the table. If you're a meat eater than include lentils in easy-cooks like bolognese and soups.

Grow your own herbs or sprouts – Even a small windowsill garden can add diversity and freshness to your meals. This is also a fun way to get kids involved with growing!

Experiment with global cuisines – Explore recipes and dishes from different cultures that highlight plant-forward diversity and might use ingredients you haven't tried before - think Middle Eastern, Indian, Korean, Ethiopian, or Mexican.

References

1 Staudacher, H. M., & Loughman, A. (2021). Gut health: definitions and determinants. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 6(4), 269.

2 'What Is Gentle Nutrition In Intuitive Eating?' Available from: https://rubyoaknutrition.com/what-is-gentle-nutrition-in-intuitive-eating/

3 Harer KN (2019). Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Disordered Eating, and Eating Disorders. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 15(5):280-282.

4 'Nation’s breakfast habits revealed in Kellogg’s Big Breakfast Audit' Available from: https://retailtimes.co.uk/nations-breakfast-habits-revealed-in-kelloggs-big-breakfast-audit/