I just discovered Nutritional Yeast and have no idea why I hadn't heard about it before. Apparently, it's a staple in vegan diets because, not only is it a good source of protein, but it tastes like cheese! I'm not a vegan (or even a vegetarian for that matter) but I love trying new things, especially if they're low in calories. So I trotted over to my local Whole Foods where they sell Nutritional Yeast in their dry bulk section. I scooped about a 2 cups into my bag (which only cost about $1.50) and headed home.
Nutritional Yeast is yellow with little flakes in it. (It's deactivated yeast so it won't make dough rise) One tablespoon only has 25 calories and is chock full of goodness:
4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and only .5 grams of fat and 2mg of sodium.
What's really impressive is the amount of B vitamins one teeny tablespoon provides. Here are the % of Daily Values (DV)
Thiamin 320%, Riboflavin 285%, Niacin 140%, Vitamin B6 240%, Vitamin B 12 65%, Folate 30%
Again this is for only one tablespoon! I love it so much, I usually have 2 tablespoons per day. The extra B Vitamins have been giving me more energy and I can see the difference in my workouts too. Don't be concerned about getting extra Bs. Whatever your body doesn't use, it will expel through your urine.
Now most importantly, Nutritional Yeast tastes really good! It actually does taste like cheese. Think of it as yellow parmesan. I sprinkle it on salads, popcorn, toast, and eggs and mix it into greek yogurt, cottage cheese and soup. Go get some. Your tummy and body will be happy.
FIBER- more is not necessarily better
I've always eaten a reasonably high fiber diet (plenty of fruits, veggies, and whole grains) But it seems like everyone was preaching to eat even more. Everything from yogurt, beverages, and cereal bars are being fortified with more and more fiber. High fiber diets are the prescription for lowering cholesterol, relieving constipation, and even losing weight.
I'm all for increasing my health when I can and started consuming more of these high fiber foods. However, I noticed that my weight was actually increasing and going to the bathroom was becoming errr... a bit of a problem. But fiber is supposed to relieve constipation, right? Everywhere I searched for constipation remedies told me so. Maybe my constipation was just as a result of getting older. I started eating prunes and taking Metamucil thinking those would help. Isn't getting older fun? Well, they didn't work, and I was getting cranky.
Then one day I came across a book called "Fiber Menace" by Konstantin Monastyrsky. His studies found that too much fiber can not only plug you up but be very damaging to your body. He claims that ailments not limited to IBS, diet failure, Crohn's Disease, Colon Cancer, and hemorrhoids are caused by a high fiber diet. At first I thought it was "kooky talk" but was willing to give it a try. Basically, he advises to eat no more than 15 grams of fiber each day. If I ate my normal fruits and veggies (and no additional fortified products) it was easy to do. I noticed a change in two days. No more constipation! And within a couple of weeks I even lost 2 pounds.
My recommendation to anyone feeling less than stellar, is to start tracking the grams of fiber you're eating. You may be eating way too many. For example, I used to eat a low carb tortilla with my eggs each morning that had 12 grams of fiber in it! Only 3 more grams and I'd be at my day's allotment. If you're eating more than 15 grams per day, start cutting back. You may be surprised how much better you look and feel. For more info check out "Fiber Menace" or the website www.GutSense.org
I'm all for increasing my health when I can and started consuming more of these high fiber foods. However, I noticed that my weight was actually increasing and going to the bathroom was becoming errr... a bit of a problem. But fiber is supposed to relieve constipation, right? Everywhere I searched for constipation remedies told me so. Maybe my constipation was just as a result of getting older. I started eating prunes and taking Metamucil thinking those would help. Isn't getting older fun? Well, they didn't work, and I was getting cranky.
Then one day I came across a book called "Fiber Menace" by Konstantin Monastyrsky. His studies found that too much fiber can not only plug you up but be very damaging to your body. He claims that ailments not limited to IBS, diet failure, Crohn's Disease, Colon Cancer, and hemorrhoids are caused by a high fiber diet. At first I thought it was "kooky talk" but was willing to give it a try. Basically, he advises to eat no more than 15 grams of fiber each day. If I ate my normal fruits and veggies (and no additional fortified products) it was easy to do. I noticed a change in two days. No more constipation! And within a couple of weeks I even lost 2 pounds.
My recommendation to anyone feeling less than stellar, is to start tracking the grams of fiber you're eating. You may be eating way too many. For example, I used to eat a low carb tortilla with my eggs each morning that had 12 grams of fiber in it! Only 3 more grams and I'd be at my day's allotment. If you're eating more than 15 grams per day, start cutting back. You may be surprised how much better you look and feel. For more info check out "Fiber Menace" or the website www.GutSense.org
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