Miracle Noodles

I know you’ve already “biohacked your pasta” and switched to zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash, two ever-popular non-grain alternatives to modern, commercial wheat and gluten-laden pasta, and you’re simply looking for a new way to experience pastas and stir-fries. Have you heard Miracle Noodles? Originally called “Shirataki” noodles, which have a chewy, rice-noodle type of texture, are traditionally a staple known and used in Japan for over years. They are made from a soluble plant fiber called glucomannan, which in Miracle Noodles is derived from a carboydrate-free flour made from konnyaku root. My mom used to eat Konnyaku a lot to keep her body shape, and I remember that she was saying "konnyaku is good for your diet!!".

The word "shirataki" (白滝, often written with the hiragana formatしらたき) means white waterfall, referring to the appearance of these noodles. Largely composed of water and glucomannan, a water-soluble dietary fiber, they are very low in digestible carbohydrates and calories, and have little flavor of their own.

The viscous fiber in Shirataki noodles is known as a prebiotic, meaning that it is indigestible to humans. It provides no calories or nutrients to human cells, but nourishes good bacteria in the digestive system.This fiber also moves through the digestive system slowly and offers digestive and gut health benefits.

Certain beneficial gut bacteria function by fermenting this insoluble fiber in Shirataki Noodles and other fruits and vegetables. Gut bacteria feeds on the byproducts of this fermentation. This is one of the many reasons why vegetables and fruits are so beneficial and Glucomannan fiber is another source of this viscous fiber.

The noodles can also be drained and dry-roasted, which diminishes bitterness and gives the noodles a more pasta-like consistency. Dry-roasted noodles can be served in soup stock or a sauce. The low carb vegan pesto with shirataki noodles are perfect for people who are on a vegan keto diet, have food allergies, or are looking to cut back on carbs. I used miracle noodle spaghetti and served with sautéed zucchini. I give you a great advice because Japanese people know how to prepare and cook shirataki very well! Make sure stir fry shirataki without oil first, so all water comes out from noodles, and then you can add flavor and sauce. Through this process, this weird texture and unflavored noodles absorb savory flavor and taste from sauce you make.

If you're following a ketogenic diet, you know that it can be super tough to adjust to the low-carb lifestyle. For those who follow ketogenic lifestyle, it's all about keeping the total carb count under a certain number that keeps you in ketosis. So, you already know that it's good for your body to limit your consumption of carbohydrates, but how do you do that without feeling deprived? Well, I tried to make carbonara with miracle noodle. This experiment was failed… I think I should wait until the moment after I crush HIIT or competition (reward myself time!)

According to a double-blind study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1995 Mar;61(3):585-9), patients who were given this same konnyaku plant fiber daily (vs placebo) saw a 10% decrease in total cholesterol, 7.2% decrease in LDL cholesterol, 23% decrease in triglycerides, and 2.5% reduction in systolic blood pressure (the amount of pressure in your arteries during contraction of your heart muscle) . As you may know, soluble fiber is essential for weight loss. But the problem with soluble fiber is that the most common sources of fiber are oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries and apple pulp. Eating these can lead to weight gain because they’re also high in carbohydrates and some people are limiting fructose intake and FODMAP.

I am not saying everybody switch from regular pasta to miracle noodle, but this is a great substitute for one's lifestyle, diet, and fitness goal. Please leave your comment of your experience and share it!