Microbiome salad with a magic anti-ageing ingredient

Lent has begun and we have come up with a particularly tasty and low-calorie salad. The best thing about it: THE anti-ageing nutrient par excellence is hidden in two ingredients! This superfood salad can be on the table in less than 15 minutes and is a treat for your taste buds and intestinal flora. We'll show you the simple recipe and tell you all about our magic ingredient. Got a hankering? Well then, let's go!

Why anti-ageing?

You may have heard of intermittent fasting - where you take a break from eating for 12 - 16 hours a day. For example, you have breakfast at 08:00 and your last meal at 16:00, drinking only water or tea in between. This type of diet is considered particularly healthy, slows down the ageing process and protects against many diseases such as cancer and dementia. (1)

But there is also an alternative for those who don't like fasting/beginners or those who are extra motivated and want to do their body even more good! Spermidine is a new magic substance that has the same health-promoting effects as fasting. Yay! And where can we find spermidine? (2) Check out 10 points about fasting and spermidine!

The superstars when it comes to spermidine content are wheat germ, cheddar cheese and mushrooms. That's why we've come up with a microbiome salad with a spermidine boost for you this week. So wheat germ and mushrooms are on the list of ingredients. By the way, wheat germ can be bought in most health food stores. In addition, both provide fiber.... which leads us to the next point.

Dietary fiber is the key to healthy intestinal flora! It is particularly important that you include lots of different types of fiber in your diet, as this is the only way to challenge and support your intestinal bacteria. Fiber is mainly found in wholegrain products, vegetables and fruit. When choosing vegetables, make sure you try a wide range of different varieties. There are also many different types of vegetables in the microbiome salad: cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes, spring onions, lettuce, cress, chickpeas, peppers... a real feast for your intestinal flora! (3)

Not to forget, we serve our salad with plenty of protein and even a probiotic. Chickpeas and yoghurt provide the protein and ensure that your body gets everything it needs. The probiotic, i.e. the live bacteria to supplement the intestinal flora, is also hidden in the yoghurt.

Ingredients

For 2 people
Vegetarian, vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free (without wheat germ!)
Preparation time 20 min

You need these ingredients for the microbiome salad.

• 1 small cauliflower

• 1 young onion

• 1 handful of mushrooms

• 1 handful of cherry tomatoes

• 1 red bell bell pepper

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 tbsp wheat germ

• 1 tbsp flaked almonds

• 1 piece of ginger (2cm large)

• 1/2 tin chickpeas, drained

• Cress

• 1 egg

• Possibly 2 tbsp natural yoghurt, for example goat's yoghurt

• 1 lemon

• Olive oil

• Spices: 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp paprika powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, salt, pepper

Preparation

First, wash all the vegetables and boil water for the hard-boiled egg. As soon as it boils, add the egg to the pan for 8 - 10 minutes (depending on how soft you like the yolk). At the same time, chop the peppers and spring onions and mix them with the chickpeas in a bowl. Now prepare a simple dressing for the chickpea salad. To do this, mix all the spices, except the turmeric, with the juice of half a lemon and 2 tbsp olive oil. Pour this dressing over the chickpeas and mix well. Now halve the cherry tomatoes.

Continue with the mushrooms and cauliflower. Cut the mushrooms into thin slices and simply cut the cauliflower by hand along the buds. Now sauté the mushrooms with a pressed clove of garlic in a little oil for 5 minutes. Then remove the mushrooms from the pan and continue with the cauliflower in the same pan. Sauté the cauliflower with the turmeric for about 5 minutes.