Are carbohydrates bad? On Instagram @AndreaHardyRD, I talk all about how important it is to include a variety of plants based foods (including carbohydrates!) in your diet – for gut health.

Image of @andreahardyrd Instagram post about 30 different plant foods for health

????Your microbes have a message for you:⁠

Stop.No.&.Don’t with the restrictive diets.⁠

This whole keto train doesn’t seem to have any end in sight, and while you might not feel like you prescribe to the keto diet, I see SO MANY people picking up the message that ‘carbs are bad’. ⁠

So many people sit in my office and say ‘well I try to limit carbs’. and when I say ‘why is that?’ it really does take some them thought! It’s one of those things that aren’t even being questioned anymore because it’s SO pervasive.⁠

Carbohydrates are NOT bad. Remember the 90’s? When fat was the villain? Doesn’t this feel really the same? Didn’t we realize that it actually wasn’t the way to go? ⁠

????Same same with carbs. Here’s why. ????⁠

Your gut microbiota digests what you can’t – non-digestible carbohydrates – also referred to as ‘microbiota accessible carbohydrates’, or MAC’s.⁠

I like to say that your gut bacteria are picky eaters – different bacteria like to snack on different things. So variety is key in ensuring they all get enough fuel to do their jobs, which include maintaining our gut barrier and producing anti-inflammatory compounds, like short chain fatty acids.⁠

In addition, The American Gut Project found that individuals eating more than 30 different plant based foods a week as compared to those that had 10 or less also had a more abundant gut microbiota, one marker we use to describe a resilient gut microbiota, or one associated with less disease risk.⁠

While the science isn’t super spectacular yet, having a ‘variety target’ can be super helpful from an implementation perspective. When you aim for 30 different plant based foods a week, you inherently up your MAC’s, and dietary variety! ⁠

So for the next week, I want you to jot down each of the different plants you eat and see how close you get to 30. This doesn’t just include vegetables but also: ⁠
????Fruit⁠
????Nuts & Seeds⁠
????Whole Grains⁠
????Pulses⁠
????Starchy vegetables (Not sure why everyones so terrified of corn and potatoes… maybe we can all just get over it?) ⁠