LET’S GET F-IBERED UP !!
Nowadays, fiber is EVERYTHING.
The more I learn about fiber in my Nutri Sci classes, the more obsessed I become.
Fiber is the part of a carbohydrate that can’t be digested. It is found in the plants we eat like fruits, veggies, grains, and legumes. Because fiber isn’t digested, it has NO calories.
YES – you read that right…!!
You can calculate the actual amount of carbs your body absorbs by looking at the nutrition label.
Put on your Einstein caps!!
All you have to do is take the total carbohydrates and subtract the grams of fiber and …
… VOILA !! …
… you have the “net” carbs for that food product!
As F-Factor would say, “fiber is the miracle carb”.
And guess what?? The story doesn’t end there.
A diet high in fiber can help lower blood cholesterol, prevent diabetes, and heart disease. Additionally, fiber is a prebiotic which promotes the growth of the good bacteria in your gut. Current research is focusing on the benefits of your “gut micro biome”, the microbe population living in your intestine. Research supports the correlation between your gut microbiota and health conditions, like heart disease, immune health, cancer, arthritis, and mood.
Cheers to that!
Can you see why I’m OBSESSED with fiber?!
Due to the many health benefits, I do my best to incorporate fiber into my diet.
The recommended amount of fiber is 30-38 grams a day for men and around 25 grams a day for women; however, most Americans don’t consume the recommended amount of dietary fiber.
Aside from GG Crackers, my next favorite way to increase my dietary fiber is with chia seed pudding.
Chia seeds can absorb up to 9x their weight in liquid and upon absorbing liquid, they build a gel-like consistency. You can make overnight chia seed pudding, or to quicken liquid absorption, heat them in a saucepan.
One ounce serving of chia seeds provides 12 grams of carbs and 10 grams of fiber.
So… how many “net” carbs are there?!
The other night, I was watching Bill Maher and he made a joke that he doesn’t eat chia seeds because he is scared that he will grow a chia pet in his stomach, but – have no fear – no chia pets will be growing from this type of chia!
Banana Foster:
1 banana
1 T coconut sugar
1 T butter
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 dashes of cinnamon
Chia Pudding:
1/3 cup **WHITE chia seeds
1 – 1.5 cups water
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 dashes of cinnamon
Directions:
Mix coconut sugar, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla in a pan. Bring to a simmer cook and stir gently, when smooth and bubbly, add sliced bananas.
In a small sauce pan, combine all chia pudding ingredients over a medium heat. Gently stir until all the liquid is absorbed. Mix in half of the prepared banana foster and top with the other half.
Serve immediately! Enjoy!
So… Who’s getting F-ibered up with me this week?! 😉
xx hails