Going Gluten Free

[This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts,
the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2006. ]

I had always considered myself to be healthy. But I had no idea that one of the cornerstones of my diet, wheat and other gluten-containing grains (rye, oats and barley), was causing me so many problems until I eliminated them for a month. After my four-week, gluten-free trial, I decided to try some wheat just to see what would happen. Within a few hours, all of my familiar symptoms returned that had quietly disappeared over the past few weeks: fatigue, digestive problems, constipation, canker sores, acne, mood swings, and irritability. I had not realized how mediocre my level of health really was until I felt the difference! Life without wheat became very desirable to me because I felt so much better without it, although my cravings for it were still strong. Finding tasty alternatives was the key for making an easy transition.

Increasing numbers of people are finding that they are allergic or intolerant to grains that contain gluten: wheat, rye, barley and oats. James Braly and Ron Hoggan, the authors of Dangerous Grains, estimate the incidence of gluten sensitivity to be around 30 percent of the population, but some researchers think it may be much higher. While some people may find that properly prepared, long fermented sourdough bread may not be problematic, others cannot handle any grains. This is not an issue to be taken lightly, since gluten can damage the lining of the small intestine causing malabsorption of nutrients, which can lead to serious disease.

Here are some of my favorite gluten-free recipes. (The recipes for crispy nuts can be found in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.)

Rosemary Crackers

From Recipes for Life by Becky Mauldin.

Makes 16-20

2 cups walnuts, soaked in salted water overnight
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked with the walnuts
1 clove garlic
3 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
2 teaspoons raw red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/2 cup ground flaxseed

Drain nuts and seeds in a colander. Place in a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients, except for the flaxseeds. Process to form a coarse paste. Pulse food processor to mix in the flaxseeds. Spread mixture onto non-stick dehydrator sheets as thin as possible with a rubber spatula or your hands. Score into cracker shapes with a knife. Dehydrate at 100 degrees for 12-24 hours, remove nonstick sheet and dry until completely dry.

Onion Bread

From Recipes for Life by Becky Mauldin.

Makes 8-10 slices

1 1/2 cups onion
2 cups golden flax seed, ground
1 cup crispy almonds, ground
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
pinch of pepper

Process all ingredients in a food processor until well mixed. Form dough into a loaf on a cutting board. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place on mesh dehydrator sheets and dry until the outside is dry, but the inside is still soft, about 8-12 hours.

Gluten-Free Granola

Adapted from Raw Food, Real World by Matthew Kenney and Sarma MeIngailis.

Makes 10 cups

1 apple, chopped
1-1 1/2 cups dried fruit, such as dates, figs and apricots
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked overnight
2 cups almonds, soaked overnight
3 cups pecans, soaked overnight
1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight
1 cup dried cranberries

In a food processor, place the chopped apple, dried fruit, sweetener, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and 1/4 cup of the sunflower seeds and grind until completely smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Drain the nuts and seeds and place in the food processor. Coarsely chop the nuts with a few quick pulses. Add them to the bowl with the apple mixture, add the cranberries and stir well. Spread the granola onto Teflex-lined dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 100 degrees for 8-12 hours. Flip the granola over onto the screens and peel away the Teflex. Continue dehydrating for another 8-12 hours, or until it is crunchy. Break apart into pieces, let cool, and store in an airtight container.

Gluten-Free Pancakes

Adapted from The No-Grain Diet by Joseph Mercola and Alison Rose Levy.

Makes 6-8

2 cups ground crispy almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cream or coconut cream
1 tablespoon honey
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
blueberries for mixing into batter

Combine all ingredients, stir in blueberries and cook on a hot cast iron griddle.

Rice Muffins

Recipe by Theresa Brown.

Makes 12-14

1 1/2 cups rice flour
about 3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons whey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Zucchini Muffins

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/4 teaspoon dried ginger

Carrot Muffins

1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Fruit Muffins

1-1 1/2 cups blueberries, blackberries
or raspberries

Mix the first three ingredients and soak overnight. After soaking mix oil and honey thoroughly in a separate container. Add eggs, then salt, soda, powder, and any spices. Combine flour mix and egg mix with fruit or vegetable. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes,or until a toothpick comes out clean.

RESOURCES

Grain-Free Casein-Free yahoo discussion group that is focused on healing the gut with a modified WAPF diet: health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GFCFNN/

Celiac Disease Association: www.celiac.com/

Celiac Sprue Association: www.csaceliacs.org/

Specific Carbohydrate Diet: www.scdiet.org/

DietNet by Deb Gully (great information and recipes): www.frot.co.nz/dietnet/basics/gluten.htm and www.frot.co.nz/dietnet/resources/gluten2.htm

For more gluten free recipes, see my newest cookbook, Recipes for Vibrant Health, which will be available on my website very soon!

Food Obsessions

Do you look down on others who don't eat your way? Does your diet make it difficult for you to eat anywhere but at home, distancing you from family and friends? Does your diet socially isolate you? Do you feel guilt or self-loathing when you stray from your diet? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, your good intentions for being healthy may be going a little to the extreme and leading to an unhealthy lifestyle. Orthorexia nervosa, is a new term coined for a condition that indicates an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy food. The term is derived from the Greek “ortho,” which means “right,” or “correct.” (This is from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthorexia_nervosa)

This may sound like an oxymoron. How can focusing on healthy food be bad for you? The apparent contradiction has led to a great deal of challenge of the concept.

But the emphasis is intended to be on “unhealthy obsession.” One can have an unhealthy obsession with something that is otherwise healthy. Think of exercise addition, or workaholism. People suffering from this obsession may display the following signs.

• Spending more than three hours a day thinking about healthy food
• Planning tomorrow's menu today
• Feeling virtuous about what they eat, but not enjoying it much
• Continually limiting the number of foods they eat
• Experiencing a reduced quality of life or social isolation (because their diet makes it difficult for them to eat anywhere but at home)
• Feeling critical of others who do not eat as well they do
• Skipping foods they once enjoyed in order to eat the "right" foods
• Feeling guilt or self-loathing when they stray from their diet
• Feeling in "total" control when they eat the correct diet

It's normal to change what you eat to improve your health, treat an illness or lose weight. Usually, people focus less on what they eat once they're used to their new eating habits. However, people with orthorexia nervosa remained consumed with what types of food they allow themselves to eat, and feel badly about themselves if they fail to stick to their diet.

There are times where it is appropriate to put alot more time and effort into your diet:

• For a short period, while one is transitioning to a new diet. After the new diet becomes habit, your attention to dietary details can/should be reduced.

• Those who are are following a certain diet as part of a program for healing from serious illness may need to strictly follow the diet for an extended period. However, per the above, once the diet becomes habit, then attention to the details can be reduced. Also, once a person's health improves sufficiently, one may be able to be a bit less strict regarding the details of diet.
  

Many years ago, when I was new to eating healthier food, I was very perfectionistic, judgemental, and needed to be "in control" in many areas of my life. It translated into my new dietary views, and in my concern for the health of my family and friends, I put pressure on them to change their diet too. But this pressure only made them get defensive or withdraw from me. I started to realize that nothing good was coming from this approach. I realized that the motivation for someone to change MUST come from them if it to be lasting change. I began to take responsibility for myself and myself alone, giving others the grace to make their own choices. I began to see that if I truly cared about their wellbeing and our relationship, I would love and accept them where they are and not put pressure on them to change. Believe it or not, this approach led to better relationships and allowed them to begin to notice the health benefits I was getting. They became more open to my food choices over time. As my relationships improved, I realized that when all is said and done, the relationships with those I cared about were as important to me as the food I was eating. And I wasn't going to let something like food bring division with those I cared about. The most healthy meal eaten with hostility is counterproductive to health. Meals are meant to be shared with love and fellowship because those relationships are just as important to your health and wellbeing as the food you prepare.

Health is not just about food. That is a large part of it, but a healthy way of living involves your emotional health, your mental outlook, your stress level, your daily habits, your sleep patterns, your exercise routine, and your connection with others. A good diet cannot make up for unhealthy lifestyle issues, such as marital strife, lack of sleep, strong negative emotions, relationship conflict, etc... They can undermine even the best efforts to attain good health.

True health is holistic. Holistic health is a concept that upholds ALL aspects of people's needs: psychological, physical and social, and these should be taken into account and seen as a whole. Holistic health focuses on all facets of human functioning, which involves our taking responsibility for maintaining all aspects of our well-being. What good is your "organic" diet if you are healthy and live a long time, but have no close relationships?? An individual is a whole made up of interdependent parts, which are the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. When one part is not working at its best, it impacts all of the other parts of that person. Maintain a healthy balance in all areas of your life, and you will have mastered what it means to be truly healthy.
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Mind Matters

Your mental and emotional outlook are just as important to your health as the food you eat. Your brain does not know the difference between what it see's in it's environment and what it remembers. Your body does not know the difference between what you see and what you imagine. Scientists have studied the brain patterns of runners training for marathons. They hooked them up to electrodes that measured their brain waves and told them to imagine running the race they were training for. As they ran the race in their minds, their brain and body responded just as if they were running it for real.

Strong negative emotions, such as fear, anger, worry, bitterness, resentment, etc... produce hormones that are released into your body every time you have those thoughts. The hypothalamus is a gland in the center of your head that is like a mini factory. It assembles certain biological chemicals called peptides. They are small chain amino acid sequences that turn into hormones and match the emotional states we experience on a daily basis. So, there are ones for anger, certain ones for sadness, certain ones for fear, etc.. The moment we experience that emotional state, the hypothalamus will immediately release that peptide from the pituitary into the bloodstream. Those peptides go to certain areas of the body where they attach to cell receptor sites and send a certain signal to the cell.

Those negative feelings cause stress in your body as your muscles constrict,your heart rate quickens, your stomach tightens up, and your sympathetic nervous system goes into overdrive. You are changing your body chemistry with your emotions.

These thoughts and feelings, if they happen everyday, set up a condition in the body where it is getting a continual supply of these negative emotional chemicals and it can lead to elevated cortisol levels, high blood pressure, poor digestion, thyroid problems, poor sleep, liver stress, and many other health problems. Long-term emotional stress causes physical stress in the body. Let me say that again: Long-term emotional stress causes physical stress in the body. Hans Selye, an endocrinologist, studied what happens to the human body during periods of prolonged emotional stress. First the body goes into a state of mobilization, that he called the alarm phase. This is also know as the "fight or flight" response. The body prepares you to fight of flee as the heart startes beating rapidly, the body starts to sweat, and we feel a surge of adrenaline. This is a built in response to protect us from danger.

But if the stress continues, we enter a second phase called resistance. At this point the body gets additional assistance to be able to continue to handle the stress temporarily. More stress hormones such as cortisol are secreted by the adrenal glands. But when these hormones are released over too long of a period of time, negative physical effects result. Immune response is lowered, digestion is affected, blood pressure rises, and insulin levels are adversely affected. If the body continues in this state for an extended period of time, the stress can lead to the third and final phase: exhaustion. At this point the body's resources have finally become depleted by the constant stress. A weakened immune system increases vulnerability to disease. The body can seriously break down at this point.

One study at the University of California at Riverside found that being chronically anxious, pessimistic, depressed, or irritated actually doubled one's chances of developing a major disease.

What you believe or think about can determine how you feel, and can influence how you will act. But most of us think our thoughts and feelings are on autopilot, that we can't affect the way we feel. It is our feelings and emotions that tell us what is going on inside of us. Everyone goes through certain negative experiences in their life. We all have been hurt or betrayed. We also have to realize that it is our perception of a circumstance that is the major factor in whether or not we experience it negatively. Our perceptions are very powerful and can change a negative stressor into a positive one. Instead of allowing your unhappiness or unfulfillment to create obsessive thoughts about how bad things are, we can use that energy as the catalyst to think about how to make a change. Continually thinking about how bad things are keeps you trapped in a cycle that is unhealthy. As your mind and thoughts dwell on the negative, you are feeding your body those chemical messages that affect your physical body chemistry, which in turn affects your overall outlook, keeping you in a perpetuating cycle, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Unhealthy thought patterns and negative emotions that we are having are broken when we realize our current viewpoint is not working for us and we become open and teachable to the possibility of another viewpoint. If you don't like the results you have gotten form the choices you have made in the past, then get curious about what your life could be like if you made different choices. The choices you made yesterday do not have to have an effect on the choices you make today.

As you start to make new choices, give yourself the grace to learn and grow. In a stressful moment you may choose an unhealthy food to eat. That single choice is not going to ruin your health. Don't punish yourself for it, or feel guilt or shame. Recognize the reasons why you chose that food, learn from it, and understand that the choice doesn't have to determine your future choices. Use that choice as an opportunity for growth. THAT is a truly healthy mindset.
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Recipe

Refreshing Ginger Lemonade

• 8 carrots
• 2 lemons
• 2 by 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root
• 1/4 pineapple, optional
• stevia or agave to sweeten to taste

Juice all of the produce and add 6 cups of filtered water to make 1/2 gallon. Sweeten to taste and chill.

This drink is more thirst-quenching than water and has electrolytes to keep you hydrated during these hot summer days. It also provides a natural energy boost.

Pear Cobbler

I'm one of those people who think that healthy food should taste GOOD. While I am really into eating lots of raw foods, most people's idea of raw food consists of carrot sticks, celery sticks, or lots of salads. I'm here to show you how you can make the most delicious raw foods that you can feed to your family and friends, and they won't even know that they are raw and healthy. Unless you tell them...

I'm also one of those people who eats well, but am not a slave to my kitchen. Although I do like to cook, I don't always have the luxury of time to spend in the kitchen. And most people I know don't either. So, I have made it my mission to create healthy, delicious, and easy recipes to convince the average person that THEY can do this! They can be successful in eating healthier!
I have already written a cookbook on raw foods, but some of the recipes are rather complex and require alot of advance planning. But one thing I have noticed is that everyone who eats healthy food all the time keeps it simple and tends to use the recipes that are easy and quick to prepare. So I am writing a cookbook that will be focused on quick and easy recipes that will teach anyone how to eat well. It is a book that teaches people how to change their diet to more healthy foods as well as providing tasty recipes.

So, here is one of my favorite dessert recipes from my soon-to-be-available cookbook...

Pear Cobbler

Topping:
1 cup raw almonds, ground as fine as possible in a food processor
1 cup arrowroot powder
6 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup unrefined sugar (Rapadura brand) or other sweetener
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

4-5 very ripe pears, 3-4 sliced very thinly and 1 chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt

In a greased pie plate or other serving dish, place the sliced pears.

Place all of the topping ingredients in a food processor and mix until it just starts to clump together a bit. Don't overmix or it will become too moist. It should look crumbly, but will hold together if you squeeze it. Place it in a bowl.

Next place the chopped pear in the food processor with the raisins, cinnamon, lemon juice and the salt. Blend until smooth. Pour this sauce over the sliced pears and mix it in gently. Crumble the topping over the pear mixture and serve. It can also be warmed, but this is a raw dish and is not meant to be cooked.

Serves 4-6

Note: This recipe works well for any soft ripe fruit.

How to Have a Healthy, Happy Baby

You are what you eat. Most of us know that on an intuitive level, but we may not know it on a practical level. There is no "secret formula" for good health. It is available to each and every one of us and is largely determined by what we eat. A healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby is only possible when our body has enough body-building nutrients to meet the nutritional demands of pregnancy.

Food is not just fuel for our bodies, but it is also the building blocks that are used to create a baby. Your baby's cells, organs, brain, and bones are built from the food you consume on a daily basis. When your nutrition is optimum during pregnancy and your health has been good, you can expect a baby: that is perfectly formed and free of birth defects, that is a sound sleeper, that nurses easily, that is free from rashes, gas, colic, and sickness, that has alert eyes, that smiles and laughs more than cries, that has a wide, round face, that has smooth pink skin with a rosy glow. Inadequate nutrition can be the root cause of a number of problems: infertility, difficult pregnancies, miscarriage, complications at birth, premature births, birth defects, lowered IQ, learning disabilities, etc... Optimum nutrition supplies the necessary building blocks for the body to reach it's full genetic potential. This means that the body has the nutrients it needs to be formed correctly as Nature has designed. Nature designed us to have nice wide faces that allow for all of our teeth to come in straight, not crowded or crooked. Nature designed us to have good bone structure, to have high intelligence, to have resistance to disease, and to have cheerful dispositions. It is the foods found in Nature that enable the body to reach it's genetic potential, not the foods of modern commerce.

Consuming nutrient-dense foods during pregnancy is the absolute best way to ensure that your increasing nutritional needs are being met. The typical American diet is full of foods devoid of nutrition (white flour, junk foods, fast food, refined foods, etc..) and also loaded with unnatural foods that actually rob the body of vitamins and minerals (sugar, soft drinks, candy, etc...), which is the last thing your body needs.

Ideally, it is most beneficial to improve your diet BEFORE conception. But anytime you start to implement a healthier diet, your body and your baby will start to benefit. The foods that I recommend are natural foods that have nourished cultures around the globe for thousands of years. Weston Price, a dentist and researcher, studied the effects of natural foods on the health of many cultures around the world, and also the detrimental effect modern refined foods had on health. He wrote the nutrition classic, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. He found that as long as people ate natural foods, they had easy childbirths, healthy babies, and were disease-free. When modern processed foods began to be consumed, they began to have all sorts of health problems.

Here are the foods I recommend (in order of importance):
-Cod liver oil (20,000 IU of Vitamin A and 2000 IU of Vitamin D per day) This aids in correct bone development-2 or more eggs a day, organic and free range preferrably
-Fresh seafood from the ocean, particularly wild salmon, a few times a week-Fresh fruits and vegetables (especially dark leafy greens), raw or lightly cooked, several servings per day (*very important*)
-Sprouts (rich in vitamins and other nutrients)
-Sea vegetables ( for trace minerals and iodine) just a little bit each day is all you need
-Raw nuts and seeds (soaked or sprouted is ideal)
-Natural fats such as butter, olive oil, coconut oil, 2-4 Tbsp. per day
-Whole, raw milk from pasture-fed animals (see www.realmilk.com) if not allergic or lactose intolerant
-Homemade stock or broth (rich in calcium and other bone-building minerals) It is very easy to make your own.
-Organic meats and poultry
-Whole grains (gluten-free grains are better for most people, such as brown rice, etc..)

Avoid:
-Trans fatty acids (Hydrogenated oils, soybean oil, canola oil, etc...)
-Junk foods
-Commercial fried foods
-Sugar
-White flour
-Soft drinks
-Caffeine
-Alcohol
-Cigarettes
-Stress!!

Some brands of prenatal vitamins that I recommend:
-Pure Essence Labs: Mother and Child, etc..
-Rainbow Light Prenatal

I have seen firsthand the amazing benefits of a healthy diet on my own pregnancy and birth of my child. She has been a beautiful, happy child from the first day of birth. Excellent nutrition is a goal worth striving for because the benefits can be so profound. There is nothing more amazing than to be able, by the choices we make, to directly influence the health of the next generation.
Eat well!!
Becky Mauldin, N.D.