Hey Byte Wellness Fam!

How are you feeling?

I am in awe of all the Mother figures out there.

Early Happy Mother’s Day!!!

That goes out to Moms in all containers- all the Mamas and Godmothers; the Aunties and big Sisters; the and Grandmothers and Ma’Dears. We wouldn’t be here without you. Life wouldn’t be as beautiful without you. Thank you for all you’ve done (and all you continue to do) to make our world a loving and hospitable place.

YOU deserve to have all the support you doled out over the years delivered back to you…in spades.

Here, we do that for you. We do that for each other.

Pass this message on to any mothers in your life who need a nudge to remember take care of themselves while they take care of everyone else.

In the #PhyteWellWednesday Workshop this week, we shared a no-cook broccoli recipe that everyone should have in their toolkit (especially busy moms). Check the recording below to get the recipe. And, if you want to join us in the live workshop next week, make sure you’re on the text thread so you can get an invite. Send TEXT to 1(224)302-6224 to join the thread.

Below the discussion question, keep reading to learn more about why broccoli helps with health and weight management.

Discussion Question

• What types of foods/meals usually make you feel full?

This question is an important one for understanding what meal components make it satisfying. A huge barrier to eating more crunchy (non-starchy) veggies is the fear that they won’t fill us up. We’re convinced that we’ll walk around hungry all day if we fill our plate with non-starchy veggies.

Can We Survive on Non-Starchy Veggies Alone?

No! Our bodies are built for balanced meals. In fact, we’re so hard-wired to have a range of nutrients at every meal that when we eat starch and protein, our stomach and intestines send “full” signals to the brain.

Those cells release chemicals (GLP-1 and GIP) that tell our hypothalamus we’re feeling satisfied and can stop eating.

In order to function properly, we need the fiber and phytonutrients from non-starchy veggies, AND some protein (ideally paired with heart-healthy fat from lean meat or plants).

When food is plentiful, we don’t need starch (which simply breaks down into lots of sugar). Still a hint of starch boosts the fullness factor of a meal because it signals to our brain that we’ve had a huge influx of energy (more than protein and simple sugars). Which whole foods are starchy? Think tubers and gourds like potatoes and butternut squash, or nuts, seeds, whole grains or beans. Then of course there are the starchy processed and ultra-processed foods like desserts and snacks made from flour, corn, and other grains.

Okay, so we generally don’t need to eat much starch. And, while it’s important to add protein foods and some unsaturated fats to our veggie-heavy meals, we don’t need to make them the focus of the meal. We still get much more nutritional value (and fat-burning capacity) from non-starchy veggies.

Before we decide that the only way to fill up is to pile meat and potatoes on the plate, let’s make sure we understand how to make the most of the filling potential of veggies.

That’s what we talked about in the #PhyteWellWednesday Workshop. The recording above is part conversation, part cooking class. As we talked, I demo’ed two super simple recipes that’ll deliver mouthwatering veggies that fill you up.

With Veggies, Less Heat Is More

What’s the trick to making veggies filling? Undercook them!

Undercooking veggies preserves their fiber (soluble and insoluble). Soluble fiber is great for gut health- keeps your intestines moving. Insoluble fiber literally expands to fill the stomach, sending signals to our brain that we are “full”.

If non-starchy veggies are firm/undercooked or raw and still leave us hungry…we always have the option of getting a second or third helping.

This is why eating non-starchy veggies makes it easy to reach the calorie deficit we need to start burning toxic fat.

Non-starchy veggies (like greens, cabbage, broccoli, etc.) have so few calories, that we’re likely to fill up on their fiber long before we reach our calorie guidelines for the day.

For example, there are about 100 calories in 1 pound of broccoli.

Veggie flavor is subjective. Some people like softer green beans, brussels sprouts, etc. And that’s fair.

Hopefully, you’ll give the microwave broccoli and quick stovetop cauliflower a chance.

Season with your favorite flavors (fresh or powdered garlic, onions, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, etc).

Let me know how it tastes and if it fills you up!

Happy Healthy Living,

Dr. Wuse