Reminder: I'm not a doctor I'm just a person on a journey just like you. Today we're going to talk about onions. Onions and their cousins garlic are members of the Allium genus and have an strong aromatic scent, a bit of bite and a touch of sweetness. They are composed of protein, sugars, cellulose, a fixed and essential oils and a lot of water. But most importantly, they have Inulin and Oligofructose (a type of Inulin)
Why is this important? Because Inulin and Oligofructose are very different kinds of fiber. Neither is digested in the small intestine and therefore their caloric value is not as great as it appears. That, in and of itself, makes onions very valuable to those trying to diet. It also makes them a special kind of sweet fiber. Normal Carbs produce 3.9 kcal/g, Inulin has been estimated to produce between 0 (yes that's zero) and 2.5 kcal/g eaten (normal estimate used is 1.4 kcal/g). It's also believed that it decreases the digestion of fats thus reducing more than it's share of calories. But most importantly, it makes you FEEL full. Nothing is more important when trying to cut calories than not being hungry.
These two components, Inulin and Oligofructose, have other special properties. They don't raise blood glucose (and therefore do not cause an increase of insulin), they encourage bifidobacteria growth, moderate lipid, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, prevent cancers and prevent osteoporosis.
In addition to calorie and fat reduction, fiber effects, lipid modulation and bifidus stimulation, the results of studies have also indicated positive effects on calcium absorption in rats and humans and cancer prevention in animals. It has been shown in over 10 studies that inulin and oligofructose increase both the absorption and the deposition of calcium in the bones of rats and humans (Coudray et al. 1997, Delzenne and Roberfroid 1994, Lemort and Roberfroid 1997, Ohta et al. 1993, 1995 and 1997, Scholz-Ahrens et al. 1998, Shimura et al. 1991, Taguchi et al. 1995, Van den Heuvel et al. 1997). There are promising indications that inulin and oligofructose may contribute to the prevention of osteoporosis.
Results of recent studies that have been completed in animals suggest that inulin and oligofructose may also play a role in the prevention and inhibition of colon and breast cancer. These are early studies and further studies will be completed, but initial results look promising (Cooper and Carter 1986, Gallaher et al. 1996, Koo and Rao 1991, Reddy et al. 1997, Roland et al. 1994a, 1994b, 1995 and1996, Rowland et al. 1998, Taper et al. 1995 and1997).
But if you're on a low calorie intake plan, you can actually boost your innulin and oligofructose intake by eating a sweet onion on a daily basis. Onions have significant amounts ranging from 13 to 28 g per 100 g of inulin and 11 to 13 g per 100 g of oligofructose. Onions aren't the only source of Inulin and Oligofructose of course. There are a whole host of of fruits and veggies that help you boost your intake levels. In the chart below the first number is gInulin/100g and the second is the midpoint of the Oligofructose content t/100g:
Banana
Raw 0.3–0.7 0.5
Raw-dried 0.9–2.0 1.4
Canned 0.1–0.3 0.2
Aparagus
Raw 2.0–3.0 2.5
Boiled 1.4–2.0 1.7
Chicory root 35.7–47.6 22.9
Dandelion greens
Raw 12.0–15.0 10.8
Cooked 8.1–10.1 7.3
Garlic
Raw 9.0–16.0 5
Dried3 20.3–36.1 11.3
Globe artichoke 2.0–6.8 0.4
Jerusalem artichoke 16.0–20.0 13.5
Leeks
Raw 3.0–10.0 5.2
Onions
Raw 1.1–7.5 4.3
Raw-dried 4.7–31.9 18.3
Cooked 0.8–5.3 3
Wheat
Bran-raw 1.0–4.0 2.5
Flour-baked 1.0–3.8 2.4
Flour-boiled 0.2–0.6 0.4
Barley
Raw 0.5–1.0 0.8
Cooked 0.1–0.2 0.2
Rye
Baked 0.5–0.9 0.7
Onion Nutrition:
per 100g serving
Calories 32 kcals (normal calculation)
Protein 0.8g
Fat 0.08g
Carbs 7.55g (but remember these are 1.5 calorie carbs NOT 4 kcal carbs!)
Calories 13.9 kcals (adjusted calculation)
Studies have shown that inulin-rich plants dominated the dietary intake of our ancestors in these regions, with about 60 per cent of the calorific intake coming from such sources. Currently Americans consume on average 1-4 g of inulin and oligofructose per day. It's unlikely that we will reach the levels of Historic American Indians but we certainly can work to increase our consumption!
Here's a recipe for pie..yes onion pie! From the Food Network:
Vidalia Onion Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 tablespoon sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher or Hawaiian salt
* 1/4 cup cold all-vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
* 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
* Cold water
Filling:
* 1/4 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter
* 2 pounds Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
* 3 large eggs, beaten
* 1 cup sour cream
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher or Hawaiian salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
For the crust: All ingredients should be cold. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening and butter. Using a pastry blender cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Drop by drop, add cold water. Mix in with the fingertips, not with the hands as the palms will warm the dough. Continue mixing water in until the dough begins to hold together without being sticky but not crumbly. Place dough in plastic wrap. Fold over plastic wrap and press down to form a disk. This will make rolling out easier after chilling. Finish wrapping in plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Lightly spray a deep 9-inch pie pan or an 8 1/2-inch fluted flan pan. Roll out dough and place in pie plate. Return to the refrigerator until filling is ready. Makes pastry for a 9-inch single crust pie.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
For the filling: Brush egg wash on the inside of pie crust. Return to refrigerator until filling is ready. Over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and saute until translucent. Do not brown. Combine eggs, sour cream and flour. Add onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper and pour into chilled pie crust. Top with Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F for the last 20 minutes or until center is set.
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My personal weight reduction journey is back on track having lost the 2 lbs I gained while taking my PhD exams and being back to a better activity level. I've changed my diet considerably because I now eat a significant amount of jack mackerel for breakfast. I haven't calculated it all out yet I hope to have that for next week.