Why we use over 30 different plants a week – and what that means for your microbiome

Your Gut: The Underestimated Center of Your Health

Imagine that 30 to 40 trillion bacteria live in your gut. That's more bacteria than you have cells in your body. These tiny inhabitants are not just passive co-inhabitants – they actively influence:

• Your mental health and mood
• Your immune system
• Your energy and vitality
• Your digestion and nutrient absorption
• Even your decisions and cravings

Traditional Chinese Medicine knew it centuries ago: The gut is the center of the immune system. And modern science increasingly confirms this.

The question is: How do you ensure that these trillions of bacteria work for you – and not against you?

The groundbreaking discovery: 30+ plants per week

The American Gut Study – one of the largest microbiome studies worldwide – found something fascinating: People who eat more than 30 different plants per week have a significantly more diverse and healthier microbiome than people who eat fewer than 10 different plants.

Why exactly 30 plants per week are so valuable (American Gut Study)

The study showed: The biggest leap in microbiome diversity lies between less than 10 and 30+ plants per week. Above 30, the curve flattens out a bit – there are still benefits from more diversity, but the most dramatic effect is at this threshold.

So 30 is the scientifically proven sweet spot – enough to make a huge difference, and realistically achievable.

At healmeal, we even go further with sometimes 50 different plants. More variety is always good for your microbiome – we just want to give you the best possible basis.

But here's the problem: Very few people manage this.

The challenge: 30 plants are damn hard to achieve

Think about it: How many different plants do you eat in a typical week?

• Monday: Broccoli, tomato, lettuce
• Tuesday: Potatoes, carrots, bell peppers
• Wednesday: Broccoli again, maybe cucumber

Even if you try hard and attempt to eat "healthy and varied," you often end up with 10-15 different plants. Maybe 20, if you really push it.

30+ is extremely time-consuming – unless you have a system.
At healmeal, we are far over 30 different plants – sometimes even 50 different plant species per week.

Through our different dishes with different vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes, spices (yes, those count too!), and natural rotation in the assortment, you automatically get a huge variety – even if you don't rotate all dishes. You don't have to worry at all. No need to keep an Excel spreadsheet. No need to track every ingredient. It just happens. That's biohacking made easy.

Why variety is so important: The diversity of your gut bacteria

Your gut is like a rainforest. The more different species live there, the more stable and resilient the entire ecosystem is.

Different plants = different bacteria

Each plant species brings different:

• Fiber
• Secondary plant compounds
• Vitamins
• Minerals

This diversity feeds different bacterial strains. The more diverse your diet, the more diverse your microbiome.

And a diverse microbiome is:

• More resistant to pathogens
• Better at nutrient production (e.g., Vitamin K, B vitamins)
• Stronger in supporting your immune system
• More effective in communicating with your brain

The gut-brain axis: Why your microbiome affects your mood

This is where it gets really exciting: About 90% of your serotonin – the so-called "happiness hormone" – is produced in the gut.

Not in the brain. In the gut.

Your microbiome controls your mood
Scientists can now tell from the composition of your gut bacteria how you are mentally – without seeing or knowing you.
In people with depression, anxiety disorders, or chronically low mood, an imbalance between "good" and "bad" bacteria is often found.

This means:

A healthy microbiome = better mood, more mental stability
A disturbed microbiome = increased risk of depression, anxiety, brain fog

Your gut is literally your second brain – and the two constantly communicate via the gut-brain axis.

Prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics: The holy trio

Many people take probiotic supplements and wonder why they don't do much. The reason? They forgot that three components are needed:

1. Prebiotics: Food for your bacteria

These are fibers and other substances that feed your good bacteria. For example:

• Unripe fruits (green bananas)
• Legumes
• Whole grains
• Vegetables

Without prebiotics, your probiotics starve.

2. Probiotics: The good bacteria themselves

These are living bacterial cultures, for example in:

• Kefir (the king!)
• Greek yogurt
• Sauerkraut (uncooked!)
• Kimchi
• Miso

Just a few large sips of kefir or a spoon of sauerkraut are enough – it's not about quantity, but about the diversity of bacterial strains.

3. Postbiotics: The metabolic products

These are the substances that your bacteria produce – such as short-chain fatty acids. These are automatically created when your bacteria are well fed.

Fiber: Your shield and detox tool

Fiber is the superhero of your gut. It:

• Feeds your good bacteria
• Forms a protective shield for your intestinal wall
• Regulates your blood sugar
• Keeps you full
• And – here's the thing – it can even bind microplastics

Fiber against microplastics

Studies show that soluble fibers – such as in flax seeds, psyllium husks, or many vegetables – can bind microplastic particles in the gut.

This means: The particles are excreted with the stool instead of remaining in the body.

At healmeal, you automatically get a huge portion of fiber through the many legumes, vegetables, nuts, and seeds – your natural detox mechanism.

The Problem: Modern Soils and Nutrient Loss

An important point that many overlook: Our soils are depleted. Due to intensive agriculture, monocultures, and chemical fertilization, modern vegetable and fruit varieties contain fewer nutrients than they did a few decades ago. Studies show:

In the worst case, up to 40% less vitamins and minerals. On average, about 30% less.

This means: You have to eat more vegetables today to get the same nutrient density as before.

One example: A cucumber today has only a fraction of the minerals it had decades ago – it becomes almost "transparent".

Our answer: Variety and quality

We cannot heal the soils overnight. But we can:

Maximize variety – over 30 plants compensate for the nutrient loss of individual varieties. Choose quality – organic where possible, from good suppliers.
Use concentrated nutrient sources – nuts, seeds, legumes.

Organic or not organic? Our honest opinion

We often get the question: "Is everything organic at healmeal?"
The honest answer: No, not everything – and that's intentional.

Why not 100% organic?

• Availability: For some ingredients, there is no reliable organic supply chain.
• Proportionality: The nutrient difference between organic and conventional is often smaller than thought.
• Price-performance: Organic can quickly become disproportionately expensive.
• Greenwashing: "Organic" is often marketing – what "organic" means is defined by a commission, and not everything is automatically better.

We use organic where it makes sense – especially for certain ingredients where the difference is truly relevant. But we don't do it dogmatically.

For animal products, it would be different – there, organic/free-range farming is extremely important because otherwise, the animals get poorer quality feed. But at healmeal, the base is plant-based, so that's irrelevant anyway.

Nutrient retention through Pressure Cooking

Another important point: How you cook affects nutrients.

Long frying or boiling destroys many vitamins and secondary plant compounds. That's why we use the Pressure Cooker:

Short heat exposure = less nutrient loss Gentle preparation at high pressure Retention of vitamins and minerals

And when you reheat your healmeal at home? Low temperature and short! It's already cooked – you just need to warm it up, not cook it again.

Tip: Reheat slowly in a pan over low heat or in the oven at a moderate temperature. Don't fry it at the highest setting – that unnecessarily destroys nutrients.

Flash freezing: Preserving nutrients

Why do we freeze food at all?

Flash freezing involves rapidly bringing food to very low temperatures. This has several advantages:

Nutrients are preserved – the degradation process stops immediately. No germ formation – legal requirement and safety aspect. Freshness remains – as if the food had just been cooked.

If you pick fresh vegetables and flash freeze them immediately, they often contain more nutrients than "fresh" vegetables that have been transported and stored for days.

Key points summarized: