Fiber - Why It's So Beneficial + Red Velvet Cake

Fiber is a hot topic, and rightly so, because it is important for our body in many ways.

In this article, I would like to give you a brief overview of what fiber does, why it is so useful, and why we should definitely eat more of it (assuming you don't already). The DGE (German Nutrition Society) recommends consuming at least 30 g of fiber per day, which I personally consider far too little. 30 g of fiber corresponds to, for example, 200 g of cabbage, 200 g of carrots, 100 g of beetroot, or 100 g of legumes, which should actually be more than manageable with a balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables.

Fiber are carbohydrate polymers that cannot be absorbed or digested in the small intestine. They occur exclusively in plant-based foods, but are also produced synthetically, for example to make thickeners (agar-agar, xanthan). Fiber are divided into water-soluble and water-insoluble, but since we do not have enzymes in our body to break down cellulose, sorbitol, mannitol, etc., we cannot digest them. Fiber thus increase the food volume in the stomach and intestinal tract, keeping us full for a long time. Some fibers, such as psyllium husks or inulin, can bind a lot of water, which in turn leads to a longer gastric residence time and thus to a long-lasting feeling of fullness. Fiber lower the glycemic load, because the carbohydrates from high-fiber food are absorbed more slowly in the intestine, which causes a slow rise in blood sugar and then a slow, continuous drop. No more extreme ups and downs and thus no cravings!

Some properties attributed to fiber are, for example:

• Protection against colon cancer
• Lowering of cholesterol levels
• Protection against tooth decay
• Strengthening of the gut flora and thus the immune system, and much more

Are these not enough reasons to incorporate more fiber into our diet? I think so, but there are still people who struggle to meet the recommended daily requirement of fiber. In this case, it can be helpful for digestion, well-being, and general health to add additional fiber. However, a natural, high-fiber diet should always be the goal.

Psyllium husks or inulin, for example, are easy to consume. For example, stirred into tea, juice, smoothies, etc., or you can make great desserts with them. Raw food bread, cakes, muffins, and co. thus get a higher fiber content and the consistency is also firmer. However, these things are often not well tolerated and I therefore generally do not recommend them. Occasionally it can be integrated, but in the long term, the diet itself should contain fiber.

Since it is summer and very, very hot, I thought a refreshing recipe would be perfect! That is why I created a frozen cake that became a real highlight thanks to wonderful ingredients.

For 1 small springform pan (16 cm diameter), 8-12 pieces

Red Velvet Cake

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Freezing time: 6 hours
Total time: 6 hours, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Base:

• 1 banana
• ½ beetroot
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 100 g cashew yogurt (homemade, raw food quality)
• 1 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 tbsp date sweetener or coconut blossom sugar or 2-3 dates
• 2 tsp psyllium husk powder
• 2 tsp inulin (optional)
• 1 pinch vanilla powderFilling:
• 2 apples
• 1 pear
• 10 dates
• 1 tsp acerola powder (optional)
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds
• Cinnamon

  Preparation:

1. For the cake base, mix all ingredients in a high-speed blender into a creamy mass, fill this mass into a small (16 cm diameter) springform pan and place it in the freezer. In the meantime, for the filling, cut one apple into very thin slices, mix the second apple with the pear, the dates and the acerola powder into a creamy mass. Take the cake base out of the freezer, spread half of the apple slices on it, add the apple-pear-date filling on top and then top/decorate it again with the remaining apple slices.
2. Finally, sprinkle everything with cinnamon and the hemp seeds and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Let it thaw briefly before eating and then serve, i.e., enjoy.