Weight loss: What is the Microbiome Enhancer Diet?

Weight loss: What is the Microbiome Enhancer Diet? This programme results in more calories being excreted in the faeces. It is the exact antithesis of food bought from the typical grocery store. It delivers more nutrients for the friendly flora that inhabits the gut.

The Microbiome Enhancer Diet increases both the mass of bugs in the gut and their diversity, profoundly influencing our immunity and metabolism.

The four pillars of the MBD

The four pillars of the Microbiome Enhancer Diet are not unexpectedly as follows.

1. Dietary fibre
2. Resistant starch
3. Larger food particle size
4. Limited ultraprocessed foods
   

1. Dietary fibre

Dietary fibre is that part of the starchy component that is not digested in the small intestine but instead passes through to the colon, providing the substrate that the microbiome proceeds to ferment; producing vital so-called Short Chain Fatty Acids such as butyrate and propionate.

These SCFAs have a vital role to play in managing the immune system; when reduced, diseases like lupus, sarcoidosis and rheumatoid arthritis thrive. They also supply the lining of the gut with energy.

A diet rich in fibre increases both the mass of these bugs in the gut and shifts the spectrum towards one that is even more friendly towards the host and inhibiting pathogens.

Dietary fibre slows stomach emptying giving meals a sense of satiety; it stimulates the release of the incretin hormones that manage the pancreas.

• Lowering blood glucose
  

Less than 5% of those enjoying predominantly grocery store food are achieving the Recommended Dietary Allowance of around 35 grams of fibre per day. Meals do not provide satiety, chronic over-consumption of carbohydrate has become the norm and the prevalence of obesity is rocketing; type 2 diabetes too.

• The ten-year diabetes rule

Ten years after cutting out animal fat and greatly increasing carbohydrate consumption, particularly that which is ultra-refined there is a huge risk of weight gain and diabetes.

2. Resistant starch

Resistant starch as its name suggests is not readily digested in the small intestine producing large amounts of glucose; instead it passes through to the colon where it acts as a microbiome enhancer.

Cold storage spuds particularly when roasted, baked or French fried contain large amounts of "rapidly-digested" carbs; in contrast new potatoes have more resistant starch.

Diabetics generally are advised to avoid all potatoes; instead enjoy those small spuds recently harvested that have a much lower glycaemic index and are less likely to spike blood glucose.

• About resistant starch
  

3. Larger food particle size

Finely milled cake flour and polenta are very rapidly digested in the small intestine producing a spike in the blood glucose. They contribute to weight gain. The Microbiome Enhancer Diet in contrast recommends more coarsely ground grains; the amylase that digests carbs is inhibited by the larger food particle size.

• 100 percent wholemeal flour
  

4. Limited ultraprocessed foods

Ultraprocessed meals cover some 75% of typical grocery store shelves; that's where the profit lies for food manufacturers and the supermarkets.

On the other hand unprocessed meals except when they are considered "health foods" are exceptionally cheap. Consider this true 100% polenta grits; including the milk and butter, important for the absorption of beta-carotene, the precursor of so-important vitamin A. 42 children die every single day in South Africa from a deficiency.

This unprocessed grits costs only one Rand; there's no profit there. Food manufacturers would far rather you enjoyed utterly worthless cornflakes for R80/kg; excluding the milk. 

Cornflakes have an extremely raised glycaemic index of 79; this is certainly not a weight loss food. Completely tasteless, requiring large amounts of added sugar and high in salt, it's junk of the highest order.

When concerned about weight loss and considering the Microbiome Enhancer Diet there is great wisdom in limiting and even shunning ultraprocessed foods.

• Why were cornflakes invented?
  

Disclaimer

New potatoes

Potatoes whilst much loved are now increasingly frowned upon. The varieties grown, cold storage techniques and methods of preparing all make them highly glycaemic and fattening.

But small new potatoes, recently harvested and eaten unpeeled have a large amount of dietary fibre, a high proportion of resistant starch and a great many nutrients including life-saving potassium.

They make a perfect fit with the Microbiome Enhancer Diet; and the flavour is so satisfying.

The acid test is whether you can scrape the skin off with your thumbnail. We live in a lying and cheating world; many so-called new potatoes have been in cold storage for months.

True wholegrain bread

True 100% real bread is almost impossible to find; as is the meal. The "Big Fat Lie" by international law allows millers to extract up to 40% of the germ and bran and still label it as "wholemeal flour."

Grocery store bread is low in dietary fibre, has no resistant starch and the flour is milled to a very fine texture; in every way it is a highly-glycaemic, ultraprocessed food. Furthermore it is tasteless so large amounts of salt, sugar and chemicals are added; jams, jellies and sliced ham too.

True wholegrain meal with all the constituents in their natural ratios has no need of "flour improvement;" it's already perfect. It is the separation into endosperm, germ and bran that destroys its intrinsic value; and the subsequent extraction of the most nutritious parts. Weight loss is impossible when consuming commercial bread, cakes and delicious scones.

There is only one solution for those who love their sandwiches but are concerned about their weight and health; purchase a mill and a bread oven.

Sourdough bread baked with 100 percent real flour is divine; it's not at all heavy. You will never go back to the commercial loaf.

Furthermore because of phytonutrients in the bran called lignans, just one slice a day gives nearly 50% protection against breast and prostate cancer.

• What are lignans?
  

Maizemeal

The milling of maizemeal is not dissimilar to wheat flour. True wholegrain is rarely available; the best parts are extracted and sold off for animal feed. What remains is low in fibre, has no resistant starch and is highly glycaemic; it is an ultra-processed food.

For those who want to enjoy very tasty and nutritious cornmeal, also known as polenta, access to a mill is essential; it could be the same one that grinds the wheat though the grain is much larger so be sure the manufacturer recommends it for maize. 

Vegetable protein in legumes

Legumes supply all four of the pillars of the Microbiome Enhancer Diet with one added feature; an excellent source of protein.

Animal products contain almost no fibre so they can never supply the needs of the microbiome; not implying that they are unimportant but confirming that those eating mainly meat, dairy and eggs simply will not have a happy tum despite all the excellent protein.

But legumes are a ready source of protein, resistant starch and dietary fibre; that makes a perfect fit for the MBD.

Hummus is made mainly from chickpeas and sesame seeds; excellent Microbiome Enhancer Diet foods.

Weight loss: What is the Microbiome Enhancer Diet?

Weight loss: What is the Microbiome Enhancer Diet? This programme results in more calories being excreted in the faeces. It is highly satiating.

It's a diet designed to optimise the friendly flora in the colon reducing the metabolisable energy; that means weight loss.

Gene expression

Either because we have inherited a gene that predisposes us to a certain disease, say diabetes or we have been exposed to noxious "reactive oxygen species" that attack our chromosomes we are likely concerned about the degenerative diseases that far outweigh viruses and bacteria.

Yet that damaged gene does not express itself in many people; why is that? There is no simple answer to the question but researchers are convinced that the "happy tum" is profoundly involved in a healthy immune system; that necessitates a microbiome enhancer diet. 

• The happy tum
  

Total carbs

One of the hard lessons that I personally have had to learn and accept without becoming grumpy is that actual weight loss will most likely be dependent on limiting even the good carbs like new potatoes and wholemeal grains. That means small helpings of all starchy foods.

For those who are healthy around 130 grams of Microbiome Enhancer carbs is absolutely fine; but for those who are obese for a period so that permanent weight loss can become a reality even the best starches must be limited. Those whose BMI is over 35 will have to go below 20g for a few months; that will be hard but much less severe than a stroke, heart attack or knee replacement surgery. 

Modern cooking trends

The modern way of making passionfruit possets, for example displays the way so many chefs like to prepare their dishes; extract as much fibre as possible so the food with little chewing slides down the throat like a slice of cheesecake.

• Chew your food thoroughly
  

Passionfruit is one of nature's great gifts to the lazy colon. The seeds will loosen the most stubborn stool; but no, read any recipe and you will see that the cook almost without exception recommends you strain off the pips.

The fat in cream enhances the absorption of vital phytonutrients and increases satiety, that glorious sense of having eaten enough.

• Passionfruit possets
  

diets

Personally I have little faith in diets; few of them are sustainable and researchers are adamant that yoyoing is shockingly bad for us.

Could you go onto the principles of the Microbiome Enhancer Diet for life? If not, don't bother starting; it will likely do you more harm than good.

• Repeated loss and gain of weight

Weight loss: What is the Microbiome Enhancer Diet?

Those on the Microbiome Enhancer Diet have an almost 2-fold greater caloric absorption as short-chain fatty acids compared to those on other typical Western weight loss programmes; that means reduced metabolizable energy by our bodies and increased fecal disposal. That translates into real benefits on the scale and even more importantly greater immunity when faced with pathogens.

And a much lowered risk of one of the many autoimmune diseases like lupus and multiple sclerosis that are exploding on the planet.

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