Gluten Free? - Here's Something to Cheer You.

If you're on a gluten free diet and feeling it's all a bit of a drama and a deprivation, here's something to help you stay on track.  (I need it too.)

Dr Mercola has just reported that recent research has been showing an overlap between the psychological and behavioral symptoms of ADHD and those of coeliac disease. On top of that is a new study which found people with ADHD who tested positive for celiac disease started to improve significantly after following a gluten-free diet for at least six months.

Dr Mercola states:

It may sound strange to you that eating a grain that wreaks havoc on your gut would manifest as symptoms related to your brain, rather than your digestion, but grains are inherently pro-inflammatory and will worsen any condition that has chronic inflammation at its root -- and not just inflammation in your gut, but anywhere in your body. Chronic inflammation in your body can wreak havoc in your brain, and the importance of reducing inflammation when dealing with mental health issues is well known. It is very common for people to experience a wide variety of mental health and emotional improvements upon eliminating gluten from their diet.

And here's another little gem of information:

Wheat also contains high amounts of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), a glycoprotein classified as a lectin, which is largely responsible for many of wheat's ill effects. Other grains high in lectins include rice, spelt, and rye. Interestingly enough, the highest amounts of WGA is found in whole wheat, including its sprouted form, which is touted as being the most healthful form of all.

So don't look upon your gluten-free diet as the worst thing anyone should have to endure - healthwise it may be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Go check out this information on the Contribution of Gluten to ADHD.

What bugs me is that people are put on dangerous anti-inflammatory drugs for these conditions, when there ARE harmless alternatives available - like dietary measures.

"My people suffer from lack of knowledge."
Patricia

Sunflower Seeds Turn You On

Some years ago. Prevention Magazine ran a series of articles about sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus). One of them started off by saying that if you were stranded on a desert island and the only food you had was sunflower seeds, you would be fortunate, because of the many healthful elements they contain. I've always remembered that.

Though in my Extremely Busy Solo Woman's Biscuit / Cookie Recipe sunflower seeds are cooked, they are of course even better eaten raw. In fact, Prevention had another insight to share, and it was this. According to a friendly doctor, the secret of staying young and vital all your life is :

"Every day eat something which, if put into the ground, will grow."

If you think about that, most things we eat would definitely not grow if put into the ground. That attribute is reserved for seeds - and sunflower seeds are one of the best. Here's a summary of what they contain:

• Protein (24%) This is complete protein - a rare find in non-animal foods - with an excellent balance of the 9 essential amino acids. In comparison with eggs, sunflower seeds have just about the same amount of lysine and methionine, and even higher levels of all the other essential amino acids. In today's world when the price of meat is high and questions are being asked about the connection between over-consumption of meat and cancer, it's good to know that at least one non-animal food can foot it with the best.
• Essential Fatty Acids (46%) - particularly linoleic acid - required for smooth skin and healthy hair, strength of connective tissue, reproductive processes, and to mobilize cholesterol.
• Vitamin E - for heart health, preventing blood clotting, and for reproductive processes.
• Vitamin A - for complexion, eyesight and the integrity of mucous membranes. It appears the vitamin A content of sunflower seeds is particularly well utilized - cattle when fed on sunflower seed cake (the remains from oil extraction) produce a higher level of vitamin A in their milk than when they are fed on other feeds.
• Vitamin D - again a very good natural source, probably because the sunflower keeps its face turned towards the sun. On top of that, this natural source also contains a bunch of minerals needed to activate the vitamin D. Isn't this far preferable to taking your D in capsule form?
• Vitamin Bs - especially thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and B6. More B Vitemins than are found in wheatgerm, in fact. THAT's useful information for people suffering from gluten intolerance or coeliac disease!
• Minerals - zinc for heart and prostate health; magnesium for strong blood vessels, bones and nerves; potassium for heart function; phosphorus and iron. And for anyone concerned about sodium intake, sunflower seeds are low in salt.
• Enzymes - when eaten uncooked, sunflower seeds provide an excellent source of enzymes - something most people living on cooked foods are drastically lacking.
• Fibre - essential for the bowel, heart health and cholesterol management. They are in fact better for us than wheat bran : another good tip for coelic sufferers and people who are allergic to grains.

I should add that the elements stored in this powerhouse seed are also known for their capacity to promote a sense of well-being. These gluten-free seeds have what it takes to add a spark to your day - and there are NO SIDE EFFECTS.

So instead of rushing off to get your fix of fast foods (and all the nasties that go with it), make sure you have sunflower seeds in your pantry, and take some to work with you every day.  Your body will thank you for it.  So will your bank balance!

Patricia

Biscuits - Cookies for the "No Grains" Diet

I have suffered for many many years from a systemic Candida infection. It all started as a teenager when a ship's doctor "threw the book" of antibiotics at me and unwittingly killed off all the good bugs in my system as well as all the bad ones.

It took me 26 years of trying to get a diagnosis and being told repeatedly that it was all in my head before a more savvy than usual doctor diagnosed me as having candida rampant in my gut. He also found I was allergic to 35 different foods - a lot of them plain ordinary fare like milk (cows' and goats'), grains, some veggies, and of course the expected food additives, cigarette smoke, petroleum and suchlike.

A course of nystatin (Nilstat) helped, but did not fix the problem and after avoiding a lot of foods for awhile I went back to eating fairly normally, but without sugar, and battled on.

I'm now at the point where I realise I just have to nail this thing before it nails me - about which, more in another post. But because living gluten-free or grain-free can be extremely hard at times, I thought I'd share my crazy biscuit / cookie recipe born out of sheer desperation. Before you turn your nose up at it totally, remember as well as grains I am also unable to eat sugar or other natural sweeteners, and I'll say right now that artificial sweeteners are only fit for the rubbish bin. If you doubt me, go to http://mercola.com/ and search the term.

So here it is - and because of all the other stuff I do it's called

"The Extremely Busy Solo Woman's Biscuit / Cookie Recipe"

Ingredients:
2 cups sunflower seeds, ground (coffee grinder)
2 cups sesame seeds, ground (ditto)
1 tsp sea salt
hot water to mix : 1.5 - 2 cups

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 deg C or 350 deg F.

In a bowl thoroughly mix together the seeds and salt. Add the water a little at a time and mix as you go. You don't want to get the mix wet because you can't just chuck in some flour to fix it. Gradually add and mix enough water to let you fold and knead the stuff, then shape it into a round mass. It shouldn't be too sloppy - surprisingly, if you get it right, it will just about hold together.

Let it sit while you grease a big flat baking tray. I use olive oil - I refuse to use the usual polyunsaturated garbage. Put your mix onto the tray and with damp hands gradually flatten it out. Mine is usually 4-5mm thick.

Place in the preheated oven and cook for 20 mins. Keep an eye on it the first time you cook this recipe - ovens vary and your time might be different. I have a fan-heated oven, so it burns less than some ovens.

Take it out of the oven and before it cools release it from the tray - I have a very long knife I use for this. Once cooled, break it into pieces by hand and store in a tin or lunchbox. It's a lot quicker this way than messing around with cookie cutters - which would not work with this mix. Or you can score it into squares with a sharp knife before you bake it.

Get creative. There are some great things you can add for variation, depending on your own tastes - herbs like oregano, cumin or cinnamon, coconut cream (yum!) or garlic paste. Go wild and experiment with 'sweet' and 'savory' - just keep off the grains and sugars!  The great thing is that sunflower and sesame seeds are exceptionally good for you - and I'll explain that in later posts.

Because this is a bit more messy to handle than a flour mix, I have an old kitchen tool I use for the whole process from mixing the seeds to adding the water. I love using things for purposes other than the intended - it does a great job, too!  Haha!!

Enjoy.

See also : 
Sunflower Seeds Turn You On - (Helianthus annuus)
Sesame Seeds - Food of the Gods 1 - (Sesamum indicum)

Patricia