Fibre-rich artichokes are an adventure to eat and easier to prepare than you
might think. Just cut off and discard the tough outer leaves and trim the sharp
points off the remaining leaves. Boil water with a squirt of lemon juice and add
the chokes. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for thirty to forty minutes. Serve
with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little salt. To eat, peel off the leaves and pull
off the delicious soft flesh with your teeth. Messy and tasty! When you reach the
fuzzy protective layer over the artichoke heart, scrape it away. The soft heart
underneath is sweet, tender, and the best part of all.
Immunity: Nearly three-quarters of your fighter immune cells live in your gut.
So your immune system and gut communicate with each other, making decisions
about what to attack. Researchers believe that the more diverse your gut bacteria,
the more finely tuned your immune system will be.
Mood: Because of the abundance of serotonin in the gut, your intestines
influence your emotional state, too. Having a diverse gut microbiome seems to
help lower depressive symptoms.
Perhaps best of all, good bacteria can play a role in helping you eat more of
the FIXES foods by stopping your cravings for junk. When you eat good foods,
the bacteria in your gut ferments them and produces gas and short-chain fatty
acids—that’s what signals your brain to stop eating foods that can have harmful
effects.