On Thursday I half tuned-in to a TV show about diets and listened to someone talk about how eating a high fibre diet increases the microbiotic flora in the gut (or something along these lines) which in turn makes your gut talk to your brain and you might have a better chance of being skinny?  

I am not necessarily convinced to take the leap of faith from point 1 to point 2 but it would be good … And as I polished off the previous night’s pizza for breakfast Friday morning I thought about how I definitely do feel better in myself generally when I am eating a high fibre diet.

Muesli with yoghurt and dash of milk makes me happy in the morning.  I look forward to it (not as much as cold pizza, but everyone knows that pizza is a ridiculous breakfast staple).

And I thought about my friend Cate who makes her own muesli.  

And I thought about my other friend Kate who, after seeing me eat raisin toast on a holiday in McCrae will happily share with you that ‘sultanas definitely do make me cranky’.  

So … inspired I looked up how to make my own muesli … and went shopping for the ingredients … and ta-da!

I bought everything at Aldi.  They didn’t have pepitas – which I wanted to include. Never mind. 

Here’s what I did put in:

• 1 packet of rolled oats
• 1 cup dessicated coconut
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup flaked almonds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 egg white (beaten and frothy)

Method

Combine the dry ingredients.  Combine the wet ingredients.  Mix together thoroughly.  Spread out on 2 baking trays lined with baking paper.  Bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Cool.  Then put in an airtight container.  Then eat.

It’s pretty good if I do say so myself. Next time I might use 1/4 cup of maple syrup and add in 1/2 cup pepitas.

In my bid for fibrosity (is this a word?) I also bought leaks and chickpeas (which both featured strongly in the show) along with lentils and celery  and onions and tomato and zucchini and the ingredients for a Mexican feast (heavy on the beans, light on the cheese).

This week the microbes in my lower intestine will be flourishing for sure!  And I’ll let you know if I drop the 5kg I could definitely afford to lose.