Ok I love veggies – well, most of them anyway. But can I just say how surprised I was by how little fiber they actually have?
Growing up we heard over and over: eat your roughage. Truly, our grandmothers were on to something – I just thought it meant vegetables. You know, the food pyramid, right?
And that may be why fiber has been the missing piece of the puzzle for me.
My CGM, which I wore for only ten days (more on that [here]), showed me that my glucose levels had more to do with my liver than each bite I put into my mouth.
Well, hello. That bit of info sent me into a deep dive on insulin resistance and fatty liver. And I now have a game plan. Knowledge really is power.
My people perish for the lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)
My three gun salute to fatty liver: chia, flax and lentils. I’ve been playing with ways to incorporate these three into practically every meal or snack.
I’ve mentioned before that I’m not into counting anything – not grams, ounces, macros. None of it. So I need a simple way to get enough fiber in every single day.
I have found that chia seeds work well in snacks like chia pudding. (see recipe below) I’ve also enjoyed chia with my kefir (or cottage cheese) and mixed berries. Yum!
And I’ve been playing around with adding ground flaxseed and lentils to savory dishes.
Flax is easy – just sprinkle a spoon or two and stir. I barely notice it’s there.
For the lentils – I’ve been keeping a cooked batch in the fridge so I can easily mix a scoop into whatever I’m eating. These I do notice. They have a lot of texture so I’m still working on what goes best. I have discovered that adding cheese helps. Yay cheese!
I’m also taking a couple of fiber supplements: one in my morning coffee; the other in an afternoon glass of tea. (More [here] on the tea I’ve been experimenting with.)
I know this is a long game and my labs may take a while to budge. But I also know all of this is working behind the scenes on the cellular level.
So each time I add some fiber I’m reminded that I’m giving my body what it needs – what it’s been asking for.
Steady Fiber. Steady Meals. Steady Life.
CHIA PUDDING – MOCHA
One vanilla protein shake
Two teaspoons instant coffee
One tablespoon cocoa powder
Three tablespoons chia seeds
Mix and then mix again in ten minutes
Refrigerate overnight. Enjoy!