Health Homework (14) Eat something new ...in a new place ...with new people
I had to respect the fact that from simply trying a "new" fruit, my gut function had dramatically improved, and the benefit has been durable for several months.
Can you name the FIVE FRUITS in this picture?
Most people cannot.
A world of fruits (and other foods) exists beyond the relative few that we find in American supermarkets. One can imagine the richness of antioxidant, flora-modifying, anti-inflammatory (etc) phytochemicals waiting to be sampled.
Who knows? You might try a new/different food and feel a benefit from it.
When we left Europe via South America, we were served pineapple as part of the hotel’s included breakfast. I have typically avoided pineapple because it is too sweet for my taste, but after a few days of experimentation I found that pineapple was responsible for a notable improvement in my gut function.
I had to respect the fact that from simply trying a "new" fruit, my gut function had dramatically improved. The benefit has been durable, provided that I eat a modicum of pineapple nearly daily.
Obviously, I’ve been interested in the food-gut-Dysbiosis connection for many years.
Perhaps a health benefit awaits *you* from simply experimenting with a new food that you’ve avoided or never tried.
That is —of course— one of the benefits of travel: if we are doing it right and getting out of our routine, then we have a kaleidoscope of new experiences in foods, activities, people and perspectives. Any one of those new experiences might be life-changing for the better.
To be sure, my first trip from Houston to Seattle when I was in my early 20s completely changed my life: I’d never seen so many happy people and outdoor activities in my life—more than 25 years later, I still remember touring University of Washington, Bastyr University, Pike Place Market, Mount Rainier and Mount Saint Helens.
More and more over the past 15 years, I’ve come to appreciate Colombia, it’s people, cultural nuances, food, variety, atmosphere and smells. Since I was a kid, I’ve appreciated that Bogota has a specific smell, which I eventually attributed to a combination of the eucalyptus trees, food, and urban density (ie, pollution). In particular, the dairy products from the Bogota region are notably different in taste from what I’ve experienced in America and Europe; I have to attribute this to the unique grass, nearby eucalyptus, water, mountainous terrain, perhaps volcanic soil and the high altitude of 8,675 feet (2,644 meters) above sea level. Katie James captured much of the respect for and variety of Colombian food in her witty Irish-Colombian song that I posted and translated earlier.
Remember to see my translation and interpretation of her song if you are interested.
Last week, I shared lunch with two friends at a mountainside restaurant I’d been eyeing for a year of internet searches.
Instead of serving the food with the usual utensils, the restaurant provided napkins and gloves, with the expectation that everyone would eat with their hands from the same plate—definitely a change of pace for me as a lifelong utensil-using nonsharing germophobe.
But, apparently, I lived to tell the tale.
More and more, we appreciate the importance of phytochemical diversity (which depends on varied dietary intake) for promoting gut microbiome diversity and its resultant health benefits.
See the Microbiome and Dysbiosis course for more information on that topic, especially regarding gastrointestinal components: Video Series, Topic #10: Dysbiosis by Location—Gastrointestinal Dysbiosis
Gut Dysbiosis 10.2 on Prototypes and Their Solutions: 2 hours
Gut Dysbiosis 10.6 on Solutions: added in 2020 specific to Gas, Bloating, IBS, and the Gut Microbiome Adaptation to a Healthier Diet (public access)
Gut Dysbiosis 10.7 on Solutions: The Use of Antibiotic Drugs and Endocrine Interventions
Just got back from Mexico City . Amazing food. We ate all these . Passion fruit called “ Tuna”.
(Btw comparisons bt Biden speech and V for vendetta now appearing. )
Yes, I can! That’s ochuas, granadilla, orange, and pineapple! ☀️🇨🇴☀️