Kelsey Russell-Murray, MSc, RD

Did you know that red wine contains beneficial micronutrients called POLYPHENOLS? POLYPHENOLS are a type of beneficial plant chemical (phytochemical) that provide antioxidants and other health benefits BENEFITS of POLYPHENOLS:... * Promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria (prebiotic-effect) * Blood sugar control * Anti-inflammatory effects * Improve depression * Limit oxidative damage (associated with degenerative disease and ageing) FOOD SOURCES: * Red wine * Cocoa powder and dark chocolate * Tea & Coffee * Fruits (especially berries, plums, cherries and apples) * Beans, Nuts, Soy * Vegetables (especially artichokes, chicory, onions and spinach) So, while I can’t fully say that red wine is a health food, it does contain some beneficial ingredients in addition to all the other benefits (like taste, stress relief etc!).

Question: What is the best way to improve your gut health? Answer: Eat 30+ plant foods every week I’ve said many times before that the best thing you can do to increase your gut health is to increase the diversity and abundance of your gut bacteria. The single most effective way to do this is to eat a wide variety of plant foods.... Plant foods contain dietary fibers, many of which may have a prebiotic effect meaning that they feed our healthy gut bacteria. Every plant food contains differing amounts of types of fiber (soluble, insoluble, resistant starches etc) as well as different phytochemicals. Therefore, each different plant food feeds different bacteria, increasing the diversity of our gut microbiota. A simple goal is to include >30 different plant foods every day. There are 6 different classes of plant foods: wholegrains, fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts and seeds. It may seem overwhelming at first, but by including at least one plant food at all meals it can easily be accomplished. Try counting how many different plant foods you ate this week - you may be closer to 30 than you would think! Picture by the amazing @our_darling_days

#mealprepsunday BUFFALO CHICKPEA TAQUITOS Truly one of my favourite things to eat. These taquitos are full of flavour and fiber to feed those healthy gut bacteria!... Ingredients (filling): 1/2 yellow onion, diced 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced 1 can (540ml) low sodium chickpeas, drained 1/2 cup low sodium tomato sauce 1/4 Frank's Buffalo hot sauce 2 Tbsp plant based milk 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 Tbsp onion powder 1 Tbsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp sea salt Directions: 1. Sauté the diced onion in a large pan over medium high heat with 1 Tbsp of oil for 4-5 minutes, until soft and translucent 2. Add all remaining ingredients to the onion and garlic mixture and bring to a boil 3. Reduce heat and let simmer for approximately 5 minutes, until chickpeas are soft 4. Roughly mash mixture with a potato masher (mixture should still be chunky, but most chickpeas should be broken) Taquitos Ingredients: Buffalo chickpea filling 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 6 large whole wheat or corn tortillas Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees F 2. Divide cheese and buffalo chickpea mixture evenly between tortilla wraps 3. Wrap tortillas closed tightly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet 4. Lightly brush tortillas with 1 Tbsp avocado oil. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!

APPLE PIE OVERNIGHT OATS Since recently discovering that I love overnight oats I have been experimenting with different flavour combinations. These apple pie overnight oats are a delicious and healthy breakfast option that taste like dessert! Ingredients: ... 1 green apple, diced 1 medium banana 2 Tbsp chia seeds 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (I used plain coconut yogurt) 1/2 cup dairy free milk Directions (2 servings) 1. Dice green apple into 1cm x 1cm pieces. Add green apple to a small saucepan with 2 Tbsp of water. Bring to a boil on medium high. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmering for 5-8 minutes until apples are soft. Remove from heat. 2. Mash banana until mostly smooth with a fork in a medium bowl 3. Add chia seeds and cinnamon to banana and mix until well combined 4. Add oats, cup yogurt and milk and stir until well combined 5. Add half of the cooked apples to a sealable container (i.e. tupperware, mason jar). Layer with oat mixture and remaining yogurt. Top with remaining apples. 6. Cover securely with lid and store in the fridge overnight. Enjoy!

Check out that squat! HOW DOES EXERCISE EFFECT GUT HEALTH? Exercise may increase levels of several beneficial gut bacteria as well as the health-promoting short-chain fatty acid butyrate. Butyrate has been associated with reduced inflammation and good gut health. Exercise has also been shown to promote higher diversity of the gut microbiota, a key factor in overall gut health.... WHAT TYPE OF EXERCISE SHOULD I BE DOING? Studies have linked cardiovascular and endurance-based exercise to increased gut microbial diversity. The health benefits of strength-training exercise on gut health have not been established yet. Additionally, we know that stress negatively impacts the gut microbiota. High-intensity exercise creates stress on your body and results in the production of cortisol (the stress hormone) which negatively affects the gut microbiota. Very high intensity exercise may also increase inflammation, which can increase gut permeability (leaky gut) over time. Leaky gut can increase susceptibility to diseases such as depression and type 2 diabetes. That’s not to say never to do high intensity exercise, but maybe consider adding in some lower intensity exercises such as yoga or pilates a few days a week!