This mix of flaxseeds,chia seeds and nutritional yeast is an excellent fiber and vitamin B boost to any meal
Last post talked about fiber and why we need it in our diet. This post shows how to make a practical mix of high fiber flaxseeds and chia seeds with the added optional benefit of nutritional yeast.
As I mention in the “Tips” section of the picture book directions you can get here, the mix of ground flax and chia seeds with nutritional yeast you see here is no “magic bullet”, but it sure helped improve both my gut health and vitamin B12 levels. My gut was in bad shape years ago due to poor stress management and a long history of prescribed antibiotic use, mostly for frequent middle ear infections. My vitamin B12 level was low due to not eating much animal protein.
I’ve since learned – and continue to learn – a lot about what goes on in our gut, how to manage stress much better and have changed my eating habits. More about both gut health and stress management soon. Regarding food, once I got “clued in” to the very new science of gut health 10-15 years ago, I’ve been eating a varied, well-balanced high-fiber whole food diet that is mostly plant based but is also strong in fish, poultry and meat. And I still use the mix of seeds and nutritional yeast you see here everyday as a fiber and vitamin B complex boost. Here’s how I had it this morning for breakfast with fresh fruit and yogurt.
Here’s how I’ve used it recently with both sweeter or more savory meals – all fully flavorful.
Sweet and savory meals topped with a mix of flaxseeds, chia seeds and nutritional yeast
Click this link or any picture on this page for picture book directions that show how to make this flaxseed, chia seed and nutritional yeast boost.
January 10th, 2022 BlogComments Off on What is Fiber and Why Do We Need It in Our Diet?
First, flavor rules here! Healthy, “good for you” food is only good for you if you actually enjoy eating it. Real full flavor food and how to make it as easily as possible is what this site is all about.
Now, what is fiber? Fibers (aka: roughage, bulk) are naturally occurring plant-based carbohydrates (complex sugar molecules) our bodies cannot digest.
Odd as that sounds, considering that fiber cannot be digested or absorbed to power our bodies, fiber needs to be part of our daily diet to regulate body functions way beyond digestion and elimination of waste, especially considering that our bodies are still physically the same and require the same maintenance as the hunter gatherer bodies (see last post at this link) we developed from only 10,000 years ago.
Here’s a slide from a terrifically comprehensive video I’ll recommend below from the University of California San Francisco showing the Institute of Medicine’s daily fiber intake recommendations for men and women by age.
Below is a brief outline of the two different types of fiber, soluble and insoluble fiber that are available in varied quantities in all natural plant foods, and what they do. See the bottom of this blog for links to some excellent resources for more detailed information that I greatly enjoyed reading before writing this.
Soluble fiber is fiber that is able to dissolve in water. Insoluble fiber is fiber that cannot dissolve in water.
Soluble fibers:
come from material inside and around the outside of plant cells
soak up water from your body and add bulk to the contents in your intestines, which improves gut health and strengthens your intestinal muscles
help prevent constipation, control blood sugar and reduce cholesterol
are found in beans, oats, fruits, vegetables
Insoluble fibers:
are the materials that make up “woody” superstructure of plant cells, like plant cell walls
help the contents of your intestines move easily through your intestinal tract, which also helps maintain gut health
are found in fruit skins (apple, peach, pear, etc.), nut membranes (not shells) and whole grain bran (the tough outer covering of grain kernels)
Here are some high fiber foods I use regularly and pulled together from my kitchen cabinets and fridge just now.
High fiber foods in my kitchen
The health benefits of a high fiber diet, meaning that you take in at least the daily amount of fiber shown above, include:
weight loss/healthy weight maintenance because the combination of soluble and insoluble fiber promotes satiety (the feeling of being comfortably satisfied and not hungry) for a long period of time
reduced risks of:
heart disease and stroke because fiber works to absorb and help eliminate artery clogging cholesterol
diabetes because fiber absorbs and helps eliminate sugar
colon cancer because fiber keeps food moving efficiently through your intestinal tract
Here are just a few samples of recipes you can find on this site to make eating a whole, high fiber foods fully flavorful.
Examples of fully flavorful, easy to make recipes packed with fiber
Here are 2 video and 3 written article references for more detailed information about fiber and its health benefits directly related to you.
January 14th, 2022 
