The Power of fibre ( delicious soup recipe included) by Dr Eden Lurie

Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup

Let’s talk about fibre.

Fiber is a type of plant based carbohydrate that is not able to be broken down and digested by our body, so it passes all the way to the large intestine where it is broken down and consumed by bacteria living in our colon – the microbiome. Fibre is found in all plant foods such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, legumes and beans.

Why do we need to eat fibre rich foods?

1. It helps keep you regular ! Fiber rich foods aid in the procession of food through your intestines by attracting water into the gut, and thus aid in the motility of foods in and out the body.
2. Stabilises blood sugar levels. It does this by slowing down the rate at which food is emptied out of the stomach and thus regulates and stabilises the availability of broken down natural sugars to the bloodstream.
3. Lowers cholesterol levels by binding and preventing reuptake into the blood stream, and eliminating cholesterol in the intestines via passage through stool
4. Feeds our microbiome: enter PREBIOTICS
5. Reduced risk of colon cancer (!)

What are probiotics and how do eating them help me?

Prebiotics are plant based nutrients, mostly found in fibre rich foods, which are sources of fuel for the bacteria making up the gut, or microbiome. by feeding your microbiome healthy plant sources of fibre and probiotics, it selects for the growth of gut “friendly” bacteria. They also act as food sources for the bacteria, which produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which are fuel sources for the cells of the lining of the large intestine and thus aid in forming a healthy colon.

With all that said, the moral of the story is eat more plants ! This delicious warming recipe is a great example of a meal that will provide lots of fibre and nourish both your soul and your bacteria (ha ha).

Ingredients:

• 1 white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 3 whole sticks of celery (leaves included)
• 6 medium – large orange carrots, sliced in rounds
• 1 medium jewel (orange) sweet potato, diced into 2cm cubes
• 1 large white potato, diced into 2cm cubes
• 1.5 cups split red lentils
• 1.5L water
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes

Method:

1. Start by adding the chopped garlic, onion, carrots and celery to a pot with 1 tablespoon oil, and fry until soft for 5-10 min, with the lid on after 5 minutes and a pinch of salt.
2. Once soft and fragrant, add in the rest of the ingredients and let come to a boil
3. Simmer for 30 mins or so until all the veg is soft and lentils soft
4. Blend with a stick blender (or a blender that you have that can deal with hot liquids) until smooth – should be quick a thick consistency
5. Enjoyyyy