We've talked about the value of fibre before and we've talked about Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs) before. In this blog we want to share with you some interesting facts that Dr. Greger points out about how it is the fibre that's missing in UPFs that is the reason for much of the poor health associated with UPFs.
Join us to hear more.
UPFs, often referred to as junk food, are industrially manufactured and usually contain added sugar and fat, as well as additives like emulsifiers, sweeteners, flavourings, and preservatives. Think sugary sodas, potato chips and crackers, packaged cookies and baked goods (like Twinkies), breakfast cereals and processed meats... to name a few. 🤪
The heavy processing removes nutrients making them very low nutrient dense, in other words, very little nutritional value per calorie. And adding the emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners and flavourings, plus preservatives, it isn't hard to see why they don't support optimum health.
So, why do it? Well, there's profit in it. The foods are designed to get us to eat more, which they do, meaning we buy more, meaning companies make more profit.
All that being the case, it was interesting when we heard Dr. Greger explain how the absence of fibre played a big part in the lack of benefit from UPFs. This gives us good reason to have fibre in our diet. But really good to know that just adding a fibre supplement is not the same as getting fibre from the whole foods we eat.
Research has shown that fibre in the whole food encapsulates nutrients inside the cell wall for special delivery to our gut microbiome. That's what nature intended to happen. And may be why apples are more satiating than apple juice, even when the juice is enriched with an identical amount of added fiber.
So, food structure makes a difference. That is, the same food in different forms affect us differently. Dr. Greger's citing the Harvard study with people eating instant oatmeal vs. steel cut oatmeal was surprising. Those eating the instant oatmeal ate 53% more calories and they started snacking sooner than those who ate the steel cut oats.
Before we had this kind of research and understanding about whole foods and UPFs, we knew the difference if we just listened to our bodies. We never felt as good after a pizza as we did after a bowl of lentils. So, when we listened to our body's intelligence, we were easily steered to eat whole foods and avoid the processed foods. It's like we have a built in guidance system.
Again, this comparison of whole foods to processed and ultra processed foods reminds us that getting our nutrition in the whole form, that includes lots of fibre naturally, supports us to be healthier on all levels.
The recipe this week is a Lemon Pasta with Mushrooms and Veggies. It has a wonderful, light lemony flavour that, when combined with the mushrooms and veggies, is a knockout. Give it a try.
To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill
Lemon Pasta with Mushrooms and Veggies (Serves 4)
- 500 grams (16 oz.) of lemon pasta or a pasta you love
- 1 large onion cut in thin half moons
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 12 ounces shiitake or mushroom you enjoy
- 1 bunch asparagus cut in 3-inch pieces
- 1½ lemons, juiced
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon no salt seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 cup cashews for cashew cream (Recipe below)
- Optional: parsley as garnish
Heat water to cook pasta.
In a large pan, add onion and garlic with 3 tablespoons filtered water. Stir often and cook until caramelized.
Add garlic and mushrooms and another 2 tablespoons filtered water. Cook for 10 minutes stirring often.
Make cashew cream (recipe below) while mushrooms are cooking.
Add pasta to the boiling water and cook as per instructions.
While pasta cooks, add asparagus to the pan with mushrooms and onion and cook another 5 minutes.
Drain cooked pasta and add to mushroom and asparagus pan. Also add lemon zest, lemon juice, cashew sauce, no-salt seasoning and pepper. Mix well and serve with parsley as garnish
Cashew Cream Sauce
- 1 cup cashews
- 1½ cups filtered water
Add to a high-speed blender and blend for 1 minute until it forms a thick sauce.