Fe Fiber Fo Fum
by Stephanie Shank, aka "Fiberlady"
Jack was climbing up the beanstalk and ran into Fiberlady. She was
heartily munching on some beans. He asked her what's with the high fiber
food. She wiped the bean juice from her chin and replied that she was
fulfilling her daily quota of 25 grams of fiber. Her handful of beans was
worth about 8 or 9 grams alone. For the rest of the day, she had planned a
menu that included plenty of whole grain breads, veggies, and fruit. She
told Jack how simple it was to reach her fiber count for each day. Foods
high in fiber are commonly grown and easily found at the local village
market.
Fiberlady noticed how the beanstalk was bending unnaturally from Jack's
weight, so she told him how a high fiber diet can help him lose some
unwanted pounds. A fiber-rich meal is processed more slowly, which makes
us feel satisfied sooner. Guess what? You eat less and lose weight.
Apparently, Jack had been consuming the classic Westernized diet of an
excess of overly processed grains, sugars, and fats. At least he was
getting some good exercise by climbing and climbing. He complained about
the latest results of his cholesterol count. It was evident that he was
unaware of the benefits of a high fiber diet. To his amazement, he learned
that dietary fiber binds cholesterol and bile in the digestive tract,
preventing their reabsorption and re-circulation. If less cholesterol is
absorbed, the level goes down.
He discreetly mentioned that the giant was constipated causing much noisy
effect around the castle. Fiberlady told him that a well-balanced diet of
fiber-rich foods such as unprocessed bran, whole-grain bread, fresh
fruits, and vegetables can lessen the chances of constipation. High-fiber
diets increase stool size which naturally helps prevent constipation. She
cautioned that without a good deal of fluids, fiber might stall and bring
about constipation. He said he would share this information with the
giant's great, big, tall wife who was in the habit of serving boys broiled
on toast.
Fee-fi-fo-fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman,
Be he alive, or be he dead,
I'll have his bones to grind my bread.
If the giant must, Fiberlady suggests the following tasty high fiber
recipe for this semi-sweet, dark, hearty bread. Race you to the top of
the food pyramid, Jack.
Molasses Oat Bran Bread
yield: 2 round loaves/15 servings
Ingredients:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 pinch white sugar
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup molasses
1 cup oat bran
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oat bran
Preparation:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and a pinch of sugar in warm water. Set
aside to rest for about 5 minutes.
2. Mix butter or margarine and molasses into yeast. Add 1 cup oat bran, 2
cups flour, and salt. Stir, and add flour as needed to make dough stick
together. When dough forms a ball, turn out onto a lightly floured
surface. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding flour as needed to make a
slightly sticky and moist dough. Place in a buttered bowl, and turn to
coat the surface. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in
bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
3. Punch down, and form into two round or oval loaves. Place on a greased
baking sheet, and allow to rise 1 hour, or until loaves have doubled in
size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon oat bran on top of the loaves.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until
the tops are a nice dark brown and the bottoms of the loaves sound hollow
when tapped.
Per serving: Calories: 132; Total Fat: 2.5 grams
Fiber: 4.1 grams
Feel free
to redistribute this article if you use the following tag:
Stephanie Shank aka "Fiberlady" has studied nutrition for many healthy years
which prompted her commitment to a high fiber lifestyle and the
development of her informative website
High Fiber Health.
© 2006: High Fiber Health, Inc. | High Fiber Foods | Foods High in Fiber
