Nutritionist-Endorsed Alternative Meal Plans

Nutritionist-Endorsed Alternative Meal Plans

Nutrition advisor Anissa Armet, who battles chronic inflammatory bowel disease, has co-created a plant-based, fiber-rich diet for a thriving gut microbiome. With a similar diet her go-to for years, she's happy to share her favorite NiMe diet recipes to keep gut health in check.

Anissa works with the University of Alberta, researching gut-friendly foods. Along with colleague Jens Walter, she investigates if pre-industrial human diets boost gut microbiomes.

The gut microbiome, a teeming crowd of trillions in the digestive system, links better digestion, immune response, and mental health.

Armet and Walter's research resulted in the NiMe diet, aka the "non-industrialized microbiome restore" diet. The diet is abundant in plants, high in fiber, and low in processed foods, dairy, and wheat products.

NiMe's principles resemble the Mediterranean diet as both diets seem to ward off heart disease and decrease inflammation.

In the NiMe study, 30 healthy participants followed the diet for three weeks. They saw reductions in chronic diseases, lower pH levels, fewer pro-inflammatory microbes, and healthier gut mucosa.

For a decade, Anissa has herself embraced a NiMe-inspired diet. Prior to this, she struggled with bloating, abdominal cramps, stomach pain, frequent bowel movements, and blood loss due to ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disease with an unknown cause. However, after changing her diet, her symptoms improved significantly.

While it's uncertain whether Anissa's diet entirely alleviated her ulcerative colitis symptoms, she swears by a very fiber-rich, plant-based, minimally processed diet rooted in the NiMe principles.

Anissa shares three simple yet nourishing NiMe-inspired recipes:

1. Spicy Vegetable Sauté: Easy, spicy, low-fat, and ready in 15 minutes. Armet suggests using olive oil to sauté chopped onions, bell peppers, garlic, and frozen leafy greens (like kale). Next, add a drained can of beans and seasonings, cooking it all up with white wine and vegetable broth. For a filling meal, served with brown rice or quinoa.
2. Overnight Oats: Armet's breakfast staple is overnight oats. With five servings prepared on Sundays, she refrigerates them for quick and easy weekday mornings. Stir oats, hemp hearts, chia seeds, or flax seeds with milk. Then customize to taste by adding protein powder, yogurt, peanut butter, frozen berries, coconut flakes, nuts, or a teaspoon of coffee for a caffeine boost.
3. Sweet Potato Black Bean Hash: A versatile option perfect for meal prepping and reheating throughout the week. Cut sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onions into pieces, season with olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Sauté until soft (not fully cooked), then add black beans and cooked millet, returning to the oven until veggies reach the desired tenderness.

This sweet potato black bean hash recipe was used in the NiMe study. It's adaptable, making it easy to meal prep ahead of time. Armet highlights that it combines key staples from rural nutrition in Papua New Guinea, like sweet potatoes, vegetables, and black beans, providing plant-based, fiber-rich protein.

1. What about incorporating more meals like Anissa's spicy vegetable sauté into our daily routine?
2. The microbiome, a vital part of our body, plays a significant role in our overall health, including digestion and immune response.
3. Anissa Armet, a nutrition advisor, has integrated her personal experience with chronic inflammatory bowel disease into her professional work.
4. With research from the University of Alberta, Anissa and her colleague Jens Walter are exploring the potential benefits of pre-industrial human diets for the gut microbiome.
5. Could pre-industrial diets hold the key to a healthier gut microbiome, as suggested by Anissa and Walter's work?
6. The gut microbiome, teeming with trillions of microorganisms, impacts not only digestion and immunity but also mental health.
7. The newly developed NiMe diet, co-created by Anissa Armet and Jens Walter, focuses on plant-based, fiber-rich foods and limits processed items, dairy, and wheat products.
8. The NiMe diet shares similarities with the Mediterranean diet, both believed to combat heart disease and reduce inflammation.
9. During the NiMe study, 30 participants followed the diet for three weeks, experiencing reductions in chronic diseases and improvements in gut health.
10. Anissa herself has been following a NiMe-inspired diet for a decade, dramatically reducing symptoms of her ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disease.
11. While the link between Anissa's diet and her ulcerative colitis symptoms is not conclusive, she credits a fiber-rich, plant-based diet for her improved health.
12. Anissa shares three easy and nourishing NiMe-inspired recipes: spicy vegetable sauté, overnight oats, and sweet potato black bean hash.
13. The spicy vegetable sauté, prepared with olive oil, onions, bell peppers, garlic, and leafy greens, is a quick and flavorful meal option.
14. Overnight oats, a breakfast favorite of Anissa, can be prepared in advance for easy weekday mornings and customized to taste.
15. The versatile sweet potato black bean hash, perfect for meal prepping, combines sweet potatoes, vegetables, and black beans, providing fiber-rich protein.
16. The sweet potato black bean hash, used in the NiMe study, is adaptable and easy to prepare ahead of time.
17. Anissa's favorite NiMe-inspired recipes echo key staples from rural nutrition in Papua New Guinea, promoting plant-based, fiber-rich diets.
18. By adopting a plant-based, fiber-rich diet like the NiMe diet, we may be able to support our workplace wellness and manage medical conditions such as chronic kidney disease and type-2 diabetes.
19. In addition to promoting gut health, a balanced diet may aid in the prevention and management of chronic diseases like cancer, respiratory conditions, and digestive health issues.
20. Optimal eye, hearing, and skin health are also dependent on a healthy diet and lifestyle choices, such as fitness and exercise.
21. Autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis, might be better managed through targeted nutritional interventions, including healthy diets and therapies and treatments.
22. Climate change impacts our environment, including agriculture, and the foods we eat, making sustainable, plant-based diets increasingly important for personal and planetary health.
23. The transition to renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, is essential for reducing the impact of human activities on the environment.
24. In the manufacturing sector, efforts towards energy efficiency and the use of sustainable materials can reduce carbon emissions and promote environmental responsibility.
25. Men's health, often overlooked, encompasses a wide range of issues, from prostate cancer to heart disease and mental health.
26. In addition to nutrition and fitness, skincare plays a crucial role in overall health and wellness, addressing concerns such as skin conditions and aging.
27. Financing and investing in industries that prioritize health and wellness, such as fitness and exercise, food production, and renewable energy, can shape a healthier future for all.
28. Entrepreneurship in health-related fields, including environmental science, fintech, and real estate, offers opportunities for innovation and impact.
29. Diversity, inclusion, and leadership in various sectors, including automotive, small business, aviation, and transportation, are essential for fostering innovative solutions to today's challenges, from managing climate change to ensuring accessible housing and career opportunities in the housing market and venture capital.

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