I’m going to try to keep a list this week

I try to eat up to 10 servings a day of fruit and veg. Generally manage it. But I’m relaxed about 10 “different” ones.

I eat about 10-12 servings of fruit and veg a day, but can't manage 30 varieties as I have a lot of intolerances and allergies. All we can do is our best.

We try to eat as much fruit and veg as possible but only organic. If you read what is put on the soil in normal farming practices it is horrifying. Human faeces are often spread on fields. With the overuse of drugs and antibiotic in humans this is not a pleasant thought. One of our local MPs is trying to get this practice banned. Organic farms do not allow this.

I’m doing it just because I’m interested. I also eat quite a lot of fruit and veg but I think I’d like to see if it’s easy to up the variety of my intake.

Isn’t he recommending 30 different plants every week, which is more challenging I think? I’m behind already, so far today I’ve only had a coffee (surely that counts as a plant?) but I’d like to try to do this, so I’ll join the challenge and keep a record.

We eat veg and fruit daily, over 5 a day at least and also organic as much as possible. I haven’t paid out for ‘Zoe’ which Tim Spector is part of but I read his thoughts on plant food. I did buy the ‘ how to eat 30 plants a week’ , HF Whittingstal book, it’s an OK book.

OMG is it a week? Better up my game then🤦🏼‍♀️

PamelaJl how much turmeric and pepper to how much yogurt please? I’m trying to increase my intake of turmeric but, apart from curry, am struggling to find ways to use it. It isn’t actually all that difficult to eat 30 different plant foods a week although, as I live alone, it does involve a fair bit of freezing of fresh fruit and veg.

Who has the time to write all this down?

If I eat one lettuce leaf a month does that count? Does tea and coffee count as a plant?

Bonkers.

keepingquiet

Who has the time to write all this down?

If I eat one lettuce leaf a month does that count? Does tea and coffee count as a plant?

Bonkers.

I think you just write down each item once and aim to get up to 30 over the week, so making one list of 30 items (or less or more obviously depending on how you do) will take less than 5 minutes? I can spare 5 minutes a week, as I think it’s worth doing.

teabagwoman I mix up my turmeric with full fat yogurt and just liberally grind some black pepper in. No particular quantities I just mix it in a jam jar to a softish consistency then eat a teaspoonful just before breakfast. I mix about a weeks worth at a time and keep it in the fridge.
I don’t mind the taste but if you don’t then swallow it quickly and eat something straight away.
Apart from being much cheaper than pills and capsules Michael Mosley said it worked better.

keepingquiet I have time and it’s a challenge. I like challenges!
If you think it’s a load of rubbish then don’t do it….😂😂😂 simples!

Yes, but the 30 includes herbs and spices. By the end of today I will have eaten 17
Breakfast: orange, lemon
Lunch: carrots tomatoes, onions, garlic, potatoes, hispi cabbage, parsley, thyme, strawberries
Supper: lettuce, cucumber, red pepper, beetroot, red cabbage, grapes

My IBS is playing up already just at the thought of that!

Most of the lunc time ingredients are in a lamb stew - to be eaten with potatoes and cabbage, followed by strwberries.

As I understand it, what is important is eating different things, not how big the portion is. so there will be only very small portions of carrot, onions, garlic, tomatoes and herbs in one portion of stew, but in the 30 a week regime, it is numbers that count not quantities.

PamelaJI Thank you, I shall try that.

30 per week I can cope with. I thought it was per day.
Yesterday we had spinach with hen fruit (does black pepper count?)
Then kiwi, strawberries, blue berries, raspberries, melon, pineapple banana and grapes. We’re going to eat the rest of that medley today, after Balti chicken (8 herbs and spices) and stir fry -onions, peppers, Pak Choi, carrots, mini-plum tomatoes, bean sprouts and sugarsnap peas and coriander garnish. So I’m up to 26 different ones.
What shall I have for the other 4?

MissInterpreted

My IBS is playing up already just at the thought of that!

Mine too. I love fruit and veg but a lot of them don’t do me any favours due to IBS.
I’ve only recently been diagnosed with it so still learning.
Interesting thread though.

teabagwoman

PamelaJl how much turmeric and pepper to how much yogurt please? I’m trying to increase my intake of turmeric but, apart from curry, am struggling to find ways to use it. It isn’t actually all that difficult to eat 30 different plant foods a week although, as I live alone, it does involve a fair bit of freezing of fresh fruit and veg.

I add turmeric to scrambled eggs or omelettes. I’ve just bought some with a higher curcumin content though and not sure if that will be ok. Remember spices can be included as a different plant, too. I add cinnamon to things but only organic Ceylon cinnamon.

I recently sent away for several jars of craft fermented kraut. It has to be kept in a fridge so it takes up a lot of space in my small fridge. I had read that if fermented stuff doesn’t need to be stored in a fridge it’s no good because that means it’s been sterilised which defeats the whole object. I thought it might trigger my IBS but in the Know Your S**t series on Ch4 they said it would be ok.

I just number an A4 sheet of lined paper from 1 to 30, write the date at the top (my week starts on Monday!) and fill it in through the week. It’s really easy to achieve 30 different plants when tea and coffee, herbs and spices, grains, cereals and eg garlic and ginger are included as well as vegetables and fruit.

One sheet of paper with four columns for the month.

You only, apparently, need a small amount of each. I googled yesterday a found out that different coloured peppers count separately.
A Brazil nut is not the same as a cashew so a handful of mixed nuts is a great way to add to the count. Seeds are good too.
mollygo we are having curry tomorrow and we have that with lots of bits and pieces so that will probably get us up in the 20’s.

Turmeric and black pepper has been mentioned in this thread. By chance read this yesterday
Thought you might be interested

MEDICALNEWSTODAY | Sunday Supplement
Turmeric supplement capsules
The unexpected danger of turmeric and black pepper supplements

For years, we’ve heard about the potential health benefits of turmeric supplements, but a new study published in The American Journal of Medicine reveals a concerning link between these supplements and liver injury.

Researchers from the U.S. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network identified 10 cases of turmeric-associated liver injury between 2004 and 2022, with six cases occurring since 2017. Of these, five patients were hospitalized, and one died from acute liver failure.

The study found a particular risk associated with taking turmeric and black pepper supplements together. Dr. Jay Hoofnagle, one of the study’s authors, explains: “Turmeric is a spice [...] it’s not absorbed. The answer, we think, is that these modern products [...] have been altered so that they are absorbed.”

The combination of turmeric and black pepper is popular because black pepper contains piperine, which greatly enhances the absorption of curcumin, the active compound in turmeric. However, this increased absorption could be what raises the risk of liver injury.

Interestingly, what’s safe for one person might not be for another. People in 7 out of the 10 cases carried a specific genetic variant (HLA-B*35:01), which may increase susceptibility to this type of liver injury.

It’s important to note that the risk seems to be associated with supplement use, not with turmeric used as a spice in cooking. If you’re taking a turmeric supplement, especially one boosted with black pepper, it might be wise to discuss the potential risks with your doctor. While turmeric may have health benefits, this study reminds us of the importance of approaching any supplement with due caution.

To learn more about this study and what it means for your health, jump to “Turmeric and black pepper supplements linked to liver injury in some people” for more on the science behind this surprising discovery.

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Tim Snaith
Newsletter Editor, Medical News Today