Have we found the perfect noodle for a Paleo diet or 28 Day Natural Eating Plan?

08 Nov Have we found the perfect noodle for a Paleo diet or 28 Day Natural Eating Plan?

One great tool we’ve been putting our clients onto, to help live a Paleo/Primal style diet, is Konjac or Shirataki noodles. Especially good for those new to a paleo lifestyle or who are starting the 28 Day Natural Eating Plan and are missing things like noodles and pasta.
Konjac based foods aren’t hard to find yet many people don’t know about them. You don’t have to go to speciality shops, you can even find them in the health food sections of Coles and Woolworths.

I found this selection of Konjac noodles and Pasta in Coles in the health food section

Konjac is the root of a plant that has been used in China for thousands of years and it has a virtually zero calorie count but lots of health benefits, directly related to fat loss, improved cholesterol and insulin sensitivity among others:

Konjac tree mainly grows in the south west China mountain range, where pandas live. The root of the konjac tree is full of fibre, which can be used to make konjac foods.

 What is Konjac?

Zero Carb Konjac Shirataki Noodles

Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a water-soluble dietary fibre derived from the root of the Konjac plant. Konjac foods, also called Shirataki Noodles In Japan, made from Konjac Glucomannan, are traditional Chinese foods with a history spanning over two thousand years.
Konjac – Shirataki noodles ….

• are naturally water soluble fibre with no fat, sugar, starch, or protein.
• contain zero net carbohydrates and zero calories.
• are wheat and gluten free.
• Pure Vegetable
• are translucent and gelatinous, with no flavour of their own – they easily absorb the dominant flavours of any soup or dish.
• are ready to eat.

Konjac root in it’s raw form

The Konjac root is highly rich in positive vitamins, minerals and fibre. Besides its most beneficial nutritional quality of being high in fibre, Konjac contains vitamins such as iron, potassium, phosphorous selenium and calcium. The root also contains many types of essential amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Konjac noodles/pasta are an ideal food when it comes to satiety (feeling full). Glucomannan will increase up to 200 times of its original volume after absorbing water. This leads to the sensation of feeling full after consuming Konjac derived foods. Konjac also has the function of supplementing calcium, balancing salinity, cleaning stomach, clearing up intestine, and removing toxin inside body.
Konjac can lower LDL cholesterol and blood sugar. Not only do the nutritional benefits of Konjac foods assist in a positive diet, consuming this dietary fibre can help you lose weight.
Glucomannan fibre in Konjac has excellent diabetic supporting effects such as increasing insulin in the blood and lowering blood sugar. Medical studies have shown that glucomannan fibre can control, prevent and treat diabetes in some cases. Konjac glucomannan helps to form the protective film in the intestinal wall and effectively reduces and postpones the absorption of glucose, inhibiting rise of blood sugar. Konjac glucomannan can also reduce free fatty acid levels in the blood, improving insulin sensitivity while lowering glucose tolerance. Konjac is an ideal food for diabetics since it can lower blood sugar, improve symptoms and may help the conditions of diabetes.
The Konjac root contains a number of essential minerals as well. Konjac root contains high amounts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and copper.
Konjac is an alkaline food that provides several nutrients to the body. It contains water, protein, carbohydrate, lipids, sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, copper, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, pantothenate, niacin, fatty acids, folic acid and dietary fibre.
With the numerous positive health benefits of Konjac foods, it is no surprise that the demand for this noodle continues to increase.

The Health Benefits of Konjac:

Medical research has shown that Konjac have many positive health benefits. Some of the benefits include:
Control blood sugar levels
Reducing LDL cholesterol
Regulating the gastrointestinal tract
Weight Loss Properties
A Diabetic Friendly Food
Reducing Irritable Bowel Syndrome
After the Konjac fibre comes into contact with water in the stomach, the glucomannan fibre in the digestive tract helps to absorb bile acid. Contributing to the sensation of satiety, Konjac helps to achieve weight reduction when dieting. The glucomannan fibre also behaves as a prebiotic in the intestine for Lactobacillus bifidus growth.
If you love this article definitely check out Joe’s 28 Day Natural Eating Plan, more info can be found here.

This article was reproduced from information found at konjacfoods.com Go to this website to get heaps more great information about this awesome food.
Also check out:
Wikipedia’s take on Shirataki_noodles
The 28 day Natural Eating Plan