16 PLANT-BASED ADVOCATES

Meet our diet’s superhero: fiber

By Karen Rubio within the gut. Beneficial Africa, who eat 100+ grams
Plant-Based Advocates microbes die and inflam- per day.
matory microbes grow, Dr. Bulsiewicz writes
Are you deficient in releasing bacterial endo- that fiber comes only from
protein? Most likely, the toxins that spill into the plants; it is actually plants’
answer is no. Despite fear- bloodstream and cause cellular structure. Soluble
stoking by food marketers inflammation and a host fiber, along with resistant
and industry lobbyists, of diseases. starch (found in foods
protein deficiency is rare “Bacterial endotoxemia like oats, rice, potatoes
to non-existent in our has been linked to a myriad and legumes) acts as a
country. But there is one of diseases including “prebiotic.” It is broken
substance that you may autoimmunity, obesity, down by our gut bacteria
want to take a closer coronary artery disease, and produces short-
look at: fiber. A stunning congestive heart failure, chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
97 percent of Americans type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, SCFAs heal our colons by
are deficient in dietary alcoholic hepatitis, non- suppressing the growth
fiber—and this has alcoholic fatty liver, of inflammatory bacteria meat and dairy, along with diets. And it’s not just the
serious implications for osteoarthritis… I could and feeding the growth of processed foods such as amount of fiber that is
our health. keep going,” he writes. healthy microbes. SCFAs white bread and other important, Dr. Bulsiewicz
In his new book, Fiber The modern food system do some pretty heavy refined starches. As I got says. We also need to
Fueled, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz in America is geared lifting when it comes to older I gravitated to include a diversity of
explains how the tra- toward profit, not health. our health. They regulate “healthier” foods such as plants in our diet. He cites
ditional American diet, Many products are highly our immune system and whole grains, but basically Dr. Rob Knight, creator of
which relies on processed refined, with the fiber inflammatory response; my diet didn’t change the American Gut Project,
food, meat and dairy, is stripped away, so they are people with inflammatory much. At around age 48 the largest and most
wreaking havoc on the quickly absorbed in the diseases such Crohn’s I started experiencing diverse study of microbes
vast community of micro- small intestine rather than and rheumatoid arthritis severe inflammation in my and microbiomes in the
organisms that inhabit slowly digested. Many foods respond positively when joints and I was diagnosed industrialized world. Dr.
our intestines—our “gut are also loaded with salt, they switch to a plant- with rheumatoid arthritis. Knight’s finding: “The
microbiota.” These micro- chemical preservatives, based diet. SCFAs put the My pain was so extreme single greatest predictor of
organisms digest the food additives and colorants. brakes on unchecked cell and unrelenting I began a healthy gut microbiome
we eat and use it to either In fact, there are ten multiplication and growth, going to doctors, seeking is the diversity of plants
create health-promoting thousand additives in our inhibiting cancer develop- any remedy to ease the in one’s diet.” He found
compounds (postbiotics) foods that are listed by our ment. A 2019 Lancet study suffering. After a few years that consuming at least
or, in the case of unhealthy government as “generally showed that fiber from of this, a good friend read 30 different plants in a
food, to create inflammatory recognized as safe.” whole foods was shown to T. Colin Campbell’s "The given week was the best
compounds that harm us. Shockingly, the small protect against colorectal, China Study" and changed predictor of gut microbial
Every human carries 39 fraction that has been breast, and esophageal her diet to plant-based. diversity.
trillion microorganisms tested has been shown to cancer. SCFAs help our After many discussions Are you interested in
in their colon, and this damage our gut microbiota. bodies in many other with her, I changed my learning more about how
microbiota, operating Despite all the medical ways, such as reducing the diet too—and the results a plant-based diet can
within our gastrointestinal breakthroughs and benefits incidence of heart disease, were astounding. Within improve your health? Ask
(enteric) nervous system, that come with living in stroke, obesity and cogni- five days of eliminating questions and join the
is so important it has come an “advanced” nation, tive dysfunction. Fiber and meat, dairy and processed conversation on Facebook
to be called our “second the United States rates SCFAs are truly the rock foods and eating only at Plant-Based Advocates –
brain.” 43rd in life expectancy stars of human health! plant-based foods, my Los Gatos and Plant-based
Dr. Bulsiewicz explains in the world. Americans This information is arthritis disappeared Friends! You can also jump
in this ground-breaking are woefully deficient in potentially life-changing; completely. At age 59, I am on our contact list for
book that when we eat fiber; we eat a mere 15 I know it was for me. I still completely pain free. news and local events by
unhealthy foods, we incur grams daily in comparison was raised on the typical Bottom line? We all emailing me at karenr@
dysbiosis—an imbalance with the Hazda people of American diet—heavy on need more fiber in our phc.net.

Autumn Butternut Squash Soup

From forksoverknives.com

Ingredients:
• 2 cups small cauliflower florets (½- • 5 cups 1-inch butternut squash cubes
inch florets) (about 1½ pounds peeled or 2½ pounds
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into unpeeled)
¼-inch dice • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1 medium yellow or orange bell • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
pepper, peeled and roughly chopped • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 medium red bell pepper, peeled • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
and roughly chopped • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic parsley
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions:
1. Steam the cauliflower in a steamer insert set over boiling water, covered, for 5 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from
heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.
2. Heat a skillet on high, until a few drops of water sizzle when sprinkled into the pan. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and caraway seeds;
sauté on high, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until the onions turn translucent.
3. Add the bay leaf, butternut squash, and 2 cups of water. Cook on medium heat until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Add the almond milk, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup with a hand blender.
5. Stir in the cauliflower. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.