Baking

No Carb Thickener – Glucomannan

You might have heard of it, but then again you might not have.  Glucomannan derived from Konjac is the most amazing thing you can imagine when thickening sauces, gravies, soups, custards and stews.  Just think – something with no sugar, no carbs, no calories and no starch – yet is versatile, delicious to work with, and is a soluble fibre too.

Health Benefits:

• Slows the absorption of sugar
• Helps to control blood sugar levels
• Lowers blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetics (study)**
• Lowers insulin levels
• Helps with constipation
• Helps with weight loss
• Helps with type-2 diabetes
• Prevents constipation
• Slows the absorption of cholesterol
• Helps to reduce cholesterol levels
• Raises HDL
• Lowers total serum cholesterol by 10% (shown in a study)*
• Lowers LDL cholesterol by 7.2% (study)*
• Lowers triglyceride levels by a huge 23% (study)*
• Lowers blood pressure by 2.5% (study)*

*Study: Effects found in research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

**Study: Double-blind study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition

Further information:

Glucomannan is both gluten-free and high in fibre with ZERO carbohydrates.  Classed as a fibre it is 95% soluble fibre – you only need a teeny bit to thicken something, it is tasteless and really does the job incredibly. No-Carb Thickener is also a fantastic low-carb alternative to corn starch, and just ½ a teaspoon thickens an entire cup of liquid and you never have to consider GMO cornstarch for thickening again! All you do is mix it with a small amount of cold water/liquid and then add it to the hot liquid (sauce etc) you wish to thicken, and stir until it’s thickened. Even better, you can thicken cold liquids without heating them and it makes a thick cold pudding with just ½ to 1 teaspoon in a cup! It will take on the flavour of the food/liquid without ever changing the taste.

For Weightloss:

This amazing substance comes from the root of the Konjac plant, known as “the broom of the intestines”.  Because it keeps you full longer, has NO carbohydrates and is tasteless, it’s amazing for weight loss.  Being a fibre, it keeps you regular too. No sugar, no carbs, a fibre, helps weight loss, cleans the intestines, tasteless, versatile… it doesn’t get any better than this. Great for replacing cornstarch, flour rouxs and xanthan gum it most recipes it’s also got zero calories (if you are concerned about that), and has no bad aftertaste or slimy texture.  Being able to whip it up into cold smoothies or pudding or anything else and not having to heat it to use it makes it really rather special!  In one study published by the International Journal of Obesity, participants lost 2,5kg in 8 weeks simply by adding a gram of glucomannan to their food an hour before meals, with no other dietary changes whatsoever.

Glucomannan is a pure, soluble fibre free of starch, sugar and calories and is the most viscous soluble fibre found in nature. As a water-soluble fibre, it has great potential to reduce postprandial blood glucose, insulin and serum lipid levels than insoluble fibre.  The greater the viscosity of fibre, the greater the effect.

Tips on how to use it:

Great for gravies to cold puddings and everything in between.

• Store it in a ‘shaker’ – the old flour shakers are still around if you look for them, to control how much comes out. It’s important to distribute the powder evenly over the liquid, not in a big clump, as from a shaker with small holes, because it works so fast!
• Just add a little shake at a time and whisk in, you can always add more. So add in around half of what you think you need, work with it and then add a little more as needed. Wait for a minute between shakes, after whisking to let it do its magic, and then take it from there.
• For thickening, though, it’s always best to mix it with a small amount of liquid (cold water, stock, wine) till smooth, then add it to the food that you want thickened. If you add it directly to your food you could end up with a lumpy mess. It is naturally odourless and gluten-free, making it the perfect substitute in cooking and baking when flour and other glutinous starches must be avoided
• While it won’t thicken much when mixed with cold water (you need more for cold than hot), it quickly thickens when it’s heated. This is why you don’t add dry powder directly onto hot liquids. It will seize and immediately turn into lumps. By mixing it with cold water first, you allow it to absorb the water slowly enough to dissolve easily first, then add to the hot liquid and it won’t clump.  It has around 10 times the thickening power of corn starch, and is far better in this regard than potato starch as well.
• Ideal for thickening bone broth without taking away from the broth – and without adding starches. You will still get all the benefit and have a thicker, more ‘comforting’ meal out of it if you are on a bone-broth fast.  Thin watery broth can make one feel as though you have missed out – this will not interfere with any health benefits you are hoping to achieve.
• You’ll find it thickens with a satiny smooth, glossy appearance adding no taste to mask the flavour of food. Thickened sauces also have a brighter, more translucent appearance than those thickened with other flours.
• Another fabulous feature of glucomannan flour is that it can be mixed with other flours to produce more tender baked goods.

More great reasons to take it – here are two:

• For weight loss: Mix ½ tsp of powder with a glass of water and drink 30 minutes before a meal – drink this immediately before it starts to gel.
• It’s a fabulous constipation remedy too, and much more – watch this space, I’ll tell you more another day.

Store tightly sealed in a dry place, it lasts indefinitely!