Nutritionist’s Alternative ‘5 a Day’ Food Rule for Gut Health

We all hear that it’s important to get your “5 people a day.”

But Federica Amati, a leading nutritionist at science and nutrition company Zoe, told Business Insider she has her own views on the rules that she follows for a healthy gut.

Amati, a postdoctoral medicine scientist at Imperial College in London, incorporates five different foods into her diet every day to maintain the diversity of the intestinal microbiome.

The gut microbiota is the collective name of trillions of microorganisms in the digestive tract that help digest food. It is important for your overall health as it affects other systems, such as metabolism and immune responses. A diverse and nutritious diet helps the microbiota thrive, as different types of foods are used as fuel.

Amati was based five times a day on the results of a 2019 survey published in the journal The Lancet. This study examined the effects of diet on participants’ risk of death. I used thousands of data sauce 195 countries including census, hospital data and existing research.

An unhealthy diet — meaning high in sodium, low whole grains, low fruit, low nuts and seeds, fewer vegetables, and low omega-3 fatty acids — has been found to contribute more death than any other risk factors, including smoking.

Amati shared how she incorporates each of her “5 Days” food into her diet.

Nuts and seeds

Amati said he would snack on mixed nuts. – Her favorites are walnuts and almonds – 2 or 3 times a day. She keeps a pack of nuts in her bag so you can eat it while you’re out. She also sprinkles the seeds mixture on the diet, Includes chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.

Nuts and seeds contain a large amount of fiber and are also an excellent source of plant-based proteins.

Legumes

“I eat legumes every day,” Amati said. “Beans all day – often for lunch, not just for dinner, sometimes for breakfast. I don’t discriminate.”

She has a jar of uncooked lentils and beans in the kitchen, and a jar of ready-to-eat beans.

For example, recent lunches consisted of cheese, spring onions, beans and microwave eggs topped with seeds, and extra virgin olive oil for bread and soaking.

For breakfast, she eats butter beans or chicks on toast, and sometimes has tomatoes and mushrooms.

“Beans and pasta are also matches made in heaven,” she added.

Like nuts and seeds, legumes contain a large amount of fiber and are also an environmentally friendly source of protein.

Omega-3

Amati takes omega-3 fatty acids from chia seeds, walnuts and oily fish that are eaten twice a week. She often adds cans of sardines to her salad.

She also includes shrimp and shellfish in the “oil-based fish” category as it is a good source of omega-3s.

Omega-3 helps reduce chronic inflammation, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease, and improve eye health.

Fresh fruit

Amati said she always has fruit to eat snacks with her, like apples and bananas. And when she’s not eating beans for breakfast, she often topped yogurt or porridge with frozen fruit.

Berries are particularly fibre, with raspberries containing 8g per cup compared to 3G of a single chopped apple.

Blueberries are high in antioxidants and help protect against cell damage, while kiwis are high in vitamin C, which supports the immune system.

Whole Grains

Most mornings, the amati eat oats in some form, either cooked as oatmeal or overnight oats with kefir and chia seeds.

When making stews and soups, she often adds whole grains Just like it was spelled on a plate. Or, when she’s shorter and wants a quick lunch fix, she has microwave whole grains, such as quinoa, along with vegetables and oily fish.

Whole grains are a great source of fiber and contain nutrients such as vitamin B, iron, folic acid, selenium, potassium and magnesium.