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Why Go Gluten-Free? How it Can Affect our Health

Why Go Gluten-Free? How it Can Affect our Health

GLUTEN-FREE, HEALTH

What is Gluten?

 

We hear so much about it but what is it really?

Gluten is the protein found in flour, wheat, rye, sauces, and starches, but it’s a major dietary issue for millions of people around the world. Whether you have celiac disease, digestive problems or joint pain, a gluten-free diet may be what you need to live a healthier life. A health care professional can help you identify gluten sensitivity before you cut it out from your diet completely.

Where Gluten is Found:

  • Wheat, rye, barley and some oats
  • Processed foods of all kinds (unless it’s gluten-free) including chips, crackers, sandwiches, cookies, meat products, fish, ice cream and breads
  • Anything that contains additives or preservatives
  • Pasta, alcohol, candy, French fries, beer, pie, cakes, soup, salad dressings (unless marked gluten-free) vegetable sauce, and lunch meats
  • ANY foods that include the statement “may contain wheat”

 

Top Reasons to Go Gluten-Free

  • Going gluten-free promotes a healthier lifestyle.
  • It helps those suffering from celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that makes the body unable to process and digest fat properly.
  • Gluten-free is a good dietary choice for irritable bowel syndrome, wheat allergies, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, anemia, and both type 1 and type 2 diabetes
  • If you suffer from chronic fatigue, constipation, painful bowel movements, gas, joint pain, dental issues (e.g., stripped enamel) or have a history of miscarriages, those are indications a gluten-free diet may be better for you.
  • Gluten-free eating can help certain people with restore health, improve mental clarity and enjoy a pain-free body.
  • Eliminating gluten from your diet can help you to shed those unwanted pounds.
  • Cutting out gluten can help to decrease the hard work and pressure currently put on your digestive system.
  • You may see better skin, a leaner physique and stronger defense against illness.

How to Easily Go Gluten-Free

  • Health food stores now have many gluten-free brands! You can still enjoy pizza, bread, deli meat and cookies.
  • Trade out any cereal containing malt or bran for corn or rice-based varieties.
  • Swap regular pasta for rice noodles
  • Become an expert at reading labels. Look for anything that claims to have wheat or wheat products, malt, rye, etc.
  • Many crackers won’t be gluten-free, but thankfully popcorn is.
  • Plan ahead to prepare gluten-free recipes at home, and bring them along to work for lunch.

Gluten-Free Foods That Taste Great

  • Eat potatoes, rice, eggs, chickpeas, legumes, fresh fruit and vegetables, unprocessed meats (including seafood), cheese, dried fruit, olive oil and nuts.
  • Freely use jam, jelly, and honey for something sweet to eat
  • Drink tea or fresh-squeezed orange juice.
  • Enjoy water with apple, watermelon or cucumber slices.
  • Dairy products are allowed – just limit your consumption to one 8-ounce glass a day.
  • Instead of grains, go with soy, cornmeal, flaxseed, chia seeds, quinoa, arrowroot, buckwheat, teff (an ancient grain from Ethiopia that comprises the staple grain of their cuisines) and tapioca.
  • Rather than breaded and fried meats, coat them with coconut oil and seasoning before baking or grilling.

The Bottom Line

Cutting gluten out of your meals can help cure your abdominal and digestive problems, not to mention solve your skin disorders (even when it is hereditary!).

Think of gluten-free not as a diet, but as a lifestyle, and it will become a manageable and healthy way to live your life. Talk to your doctor or nutritionist to see if gluten-free is the best meal plan for you.

 

Views: 58

A Delicious Chocolate, Coconut, Almond Candy Recipe

A Delicious Chocolate, Coconut, Almond Candy Recipe

COOKING, GLUTEN-FREE, PALEO

Make this Yummy Chocolate, Coconut, and Almond Candy with Health Benefits to Boot.

 

While traditional candy bars are tempting and satisfying, they are too often filled with artificial flavors and preservatives. 

Here’s a chocolate, coconut, almond recipe that sure to satisfy.

BPA-free silicone candy molds are a must for creating candy, and they make serving treats super convenient with no need for slicing.

If you don’t have candy molds, this recipe can also be made in an 8×8 baking pan. Just cover the bottom with wax paper for easy removal.

A dark chocolate base is swapped for traditional milk chocolate, which raises the antioxidant factor. To balance the slight bitterness of dark chocolate, mix some raw honey into the coconut layer.

If you prefer a sweeter chocolate, either start with a semi-sweet dark chocolate and/or stir in a teaspoon or two of honey into the melted chocolate.

Total time: 40 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Servings: 12 Bars

Tools

– Mixing Bowl
– 0.5 oz Silicone Candy Molds (BPA-free). Or a 8×8 baking pan.

Ingredients

– 1 cup unsweetened (or semi-sweet) dark chocolate chips
– 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
– 1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil
– 2 Tablespoons raw honey
– 12 almonds, unsalted

Instructions

– Start by melting chocolate chips in a double boiler until smooth.

– Spoon one teaspoon of chocolate into the candy molds.

– Place in the freezer for five minutes to lightly set. The chocolate should still be slightly pliable so that when you press the coconut layer on top, it forms to the chocolate.

– Reserve the remaining melted chocolate in the bowl for later.

– Combine the unsweetened coconut flakes, raw honey, and melted coconut oil into the mixing bowl, and stir well to moisten. The coconut oil acts like a glue, binding the chocolate and coconut layers.

– Spoon the coconut mixture over the chocolate layer in the molds, and gently but firmly press to form.

– Dip the backs of the almonds into the reserved chocolate, and set one on top of each bar.

– Place back into the freezer for 15 minutes to completely set.

– Pop the bars out of the molds and store in a refrigerator or a dry cool spot.

These healthy, homemade candies are a cinch to whip up in large batches.

Enjoy!

 

Views: 40

My Quick “Gluten-Free” Christmas Cookie Experiment

My Quick “Gluten-Free” Christmas Cookie Experiment

COOKING, GLUTEN-FREE

Are Gluten-Free Cookies Any Good?

 I had a cookie craving the other night and decided to try a gluten-free sugar cookie recipe.

They turned out great and were really easy to make!

 

Here’s the recipe:

Preheat Oven: 350 degrees Fahrenheit

 

Dry Ingredients:

Mix in a medium size bowl

– 3/4 cup Almond Flour

– 1 tbsp Coconut Flour

– 1/3 cup Arrowroot Starch

– 1/4 tsp Salt

– 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

 

Wet Ingredients:

Mix in a smaller bowl:

– 1/4 cup Maple Syrup

– 1/3 cup Melted Coconut Oil

– 1 tsp Vanilla

– 1 tsp Almond Extract

As you can see in the photo below that I used “Bob’s Red Mill” products. 

I like them because they’re not only high-quality with a huge selection, but they’re also easy to find in most grocery stores. The Vanilla, Coconut Oil, and Maple Syrup are all organic.

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Mix “wet ingredients” into the “dry ingredients” in the medium bowl until it is of uniform consistency and can be rolled into a big  ball.

 

Roll the ball of dough on a sheet of wax paper, using another piece of wax paper  on top of the dough to 1/4 inch thickness.

Then, put it in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will make it easier to cut out the shapes.

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I also experimented with some toppings:

Monk Fruit Sweetener

I wanted to use something granular on the top that would help the cookie look and taste more like a traditional sugar cookie.

As it turns out, Monk Fruit Sweetener is much lighter and finer than sugar and immediately melted into the cookie in the heat of the oven.

I thought it would at least have a slight glaze or something on top but nooo, it just sucked it right in.

I do not recommend Monk Fruit Sweetener for this application. It didn’t add anything to the cookies… save it for your tea.

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Shredded Coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

This was a nice addition for both the stars and the trees

For the stars, I gently mashed the cookie into some white coconut on a saucer (like in the Monk fruit picture above) and then transferred it to the baking sheet.

For the trees, I added 1 drop of green food dye into some of the coconut. However, I wasn’t too thrilled with the coconut that I used, it was pretty dry.

Next time I’ll try freshly shredded coconut mixing it into the dough itself as well as using it on top.  I’m hoping the moisture from the fresh coconut will also help to keep the cookie soft longer.

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These next two examples I made with the dough scraps left over from the cut-outs.

Roll up 1-inch diameter balls for a quick circular cookie.

Press the ball into the topping and flatten to approximately 1/3-inch thickness.

They’ll cook up to be about 2 inches across.

 

Cacao Chips

I squished 6 chips onto the top of one test cookie before baking.

Too bad I only made one because it was excellent. My boyfriend has requested that I make more of these – good sign!

Honey Crystals

Love them! The honey crystals kept their primary shape with a slight poofing on the cookie during the cooking process. 

After it cooled it had a nice crunchy texture on top and I really liked the honey flavor. I think this one is my favorite!

 

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Next…

Cut out shapes, decorate, and put on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper that’s fine too.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes

                 

A Few Observations:

Regarding Color:

Don’t be surprised that the cookies are a little browner than a normal sugar cookie. This is due to the brownness of the maple syrup as opposed to traditional white sugar which creates a whiter cookie.

If I had thought about it at the time, I would have separated out a bit of the dough and mixed in a drop or two of red food coloring to twist together with some of the plain dough and create colorful candy cane cookies. Green would have been great for the trees too – oh well, maybe next time J

Regarding Flavor:

Although the recipe uses maple syrup as the sweetener the cookies don’t really have a maple taste, but they do have a slight coconutty flavor due to the Coconut oil and Coconut flour which I kinda like!

*One note… make sure your coconut oil isn’t terribly old. Mine had been in my cupboard for quite a while and it tasted kind of stale (so of course I used it anyway – lol).  Luckily the stale flavor did cook off which was great, but next time I will definitely use a new jar.

Regarding Texture:

The texture is a tiny bit grainier than a traditional sugar cookie due to the density of the Almond flour, but I found it a nice change of pace. Obviously, they were best eaten when warm, but they also cooled nicely too. 

I recommend keeping them in a storage tub lined with parchment and plastic wrap.

Future Added Ingredients to Ponder:

– Grated orange peel and a touch of Cinnamon

– Sliced Almonds and Almond extract for an almond cookie

– Cinnamon and Cream of Tartar for Snicker Doodles

 

Final Conclusion On My Experiment:

I’ve really enjoyed them and my boyfriend finished them – yay!

There you have it. I was pretty happy with the results and can’t wait to play with this recipe more. If you try this recipe let me know how it worked out for you and also if you added any extra goodies to it.

 

Here’s To Your Good Health and To Your Happiness!

Views: 63