How to ‘flip the metabolic switch’ on your favourite fast foods
Dr Michael Mosley, the founder of The Fast 800, is a big fan of the term ‘flipping your metabolic switch’ and he firmly believes the concept can help treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, as well as improving brain health, blood pressure and inflammation.
“Your body is like a hybrid car”, Dr Mosley explains. “It runs on two main energy sources, sugar and fat. The body will burn glucose (sugar) if it is available, which comes from carbohydrate-rich foods like bread, potatoes and pasta. However, fat is a far more efficient source of energy, and switching from using glucose to using fat as your fuel source can lead to a host of benefits.”
So, what does ‘flipping the metabolic switch’ actually mean when it comes to healthy food choices and preparation?
Fast 800 Salmon Sushi is a GREAT example of how to carry out this simple but impactful food flip. Conventional sushi is made from rice which is carbohydrate loaded, whilst this clever protein-rich version will sustain you for longer and enables the body to burn it as a fat fuel source.
Ingredients
150g cauliflower, riced
50g cream cheese, softened
0.5 tbsp rice wine vinegar
0.5 tbsp tamari
1-2 sheets Nori paper
0.5 cucumber, sliced lengthways into thin strips
0.25 organic avocado, sliced thinly
40g smoked salmon - use wild salmon such as Leap
¼ organic lemon juice
pickled ginger, for serving
Method
- In a pan over medium-high heat, fry cauliflower rice with tamari - cook until it dries out (about 5-10 minutes).
- Allow cauliflower to cool a bit and add to a bowl with cream cheese and rice wine vinegar. Mix together well and place in the fridge until cool.
- Once the rice mixture is cooled, you can start making your sushi.
- Place a nori sheet down on a board, rough side up (or bamboo rolling sheet if you have one. Spread some of the cauliflower rice mixture in a thin layer over the nori sheet, leaving about 2cm/¾ inch of empty space at the top.
- Place all of the filling items along the sushi roll, don’t overfill.
- Roll sushi tightly (using a bamboo sheet if you have one as this will give a tighter roll).
- Repeat if you have ingredients left over.
- Cut sushi into 2cm/½ inch portions and serve with lemon squeezed over the top and pickled ginger.
Notes:
- If following a gluten-free diet, please check the label of the tamari to ensure there are no sources of gluten.
- Swap the salmon and avocado for your favourite sushi fillings!
By simply replacing white rice with cauliflower rice and using cream cheese to help the ingredients ‘stick’, you’ve ‘flipped the metabolic switch’ – SIMPLE!
Once you’ve grasped the simple concept, you can apply the idea to many of your favourite foods. There is a range of new recipe flips on www.thefast800.com
