My version of a Bircher-Benner muesli

A few months ago I ordered a hotel muesli breakfast while traveling for work and received one of the best breakfasts I'd ever had in my life! After some research I found out it was a version of a Bircher-Benner muesli. Obviously it was not a non-dairy version but I has happy to make an exception to experience such a wonderful dish!

Mix the following in the final serving bowl;

• 2 tbsp Coaches Oats (or quick rolled oats) 
• 1 tbsp pistachios
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 1/4 cup almond milk

Soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature (soak overnight in the fridge if using regular rolled oats).

Stir in the following;

• 2 tbsp cashew cream I make up batches and freeze 1 tbsp lots in ice cube trays. Yogurt would also work pretty well...I may try that next!
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cardamom

Let sit for 10 minutes to let the spices soak in.

Just before serving mix in;

• 1/2 grated apple (I used an unpeeled gala apple)

Add more milk if a runnier consistency is desired.

++++++++

The original version has lemon juice and suggest using a sour apple. I decided to use a sweeter apple so I didn't have to add a sweetener. If you use a tart apple you may need to drizzle some honey or agave over the top.

What I want to see on the bar menu - Cookies

We go to a lot of bars that have a smaller snack-size menu at the bar.  We like the bar menu because the items are small, you can mix and match, change your mind and order more, chat for an hour and order even more; it's a very civilized way of grazing.

Unfortunately I have never seen a dessert item on a bar menu - why?  Why not have a mini dessert item listed.  Whenever I ask they give me the main menu....right, I'm sitting at the bar and I've just had a single slider a single order of sweet potato fries, I do not want 3 scoops of ice cream.  I don't need death by chocolate either or a loaf of bread pudding.  

It really isn't a money thing, it's a calorie thing.  I'm not trying to be cheap, I'm fighting the scales while my aging metabolism slows down each year.  If it was a money thing I wouldn't be ordering your wine by the glass?

After my 2 bar menu items and 2 glasses of house Merlot I want a cookie!!!!

Let me be specific again, I want a bar menu cookie, I don't want a 6 inch diameter Frisbee.  I want a 2-3 bite size oatmeal and raisin or chocolate chip cookie!

• If a cookie isn't available I'll take a single golf ball scoop of ice cream.
• I'll take a 1 inch square brownie.
• How about a mini fruit salad? Give me a ramekin with some grapes and mandarins.
• What about a shot of chocolate pudding?

I can't believe I am not alone in wanting a taster-size dessert.  Sometimes I'm full, but I want something sweet to finish off the evening, I need a different taste to mask the garlic, I just need a bookend to my evening meal!!!

Don't tell me to share, I've shared desserts that would have fed me for 3 meals, the amount of sugar would have made insulin drip out of my ears, taken a marathon to burn off the calories and made my teeth fall out and walk away in disgust.

What I want to see on the menu - Chia Seed Quesadillas

I need to find a restaurant for people who care about what they eat and have some dietary restrictions that generally make dinning out a challenge.  Today I had a small quesadilla and salsa for lunch...and it was just perfect. In a restaurant it would have been;

• at least twice the size
• made with flour tortillas
• made with cows milk cheese
• come with much more than salsa
• have a ridiculous amount of calories

What I want is options on all of the above;

• made with one or 2 small tortillas
• made with corn or gluten free
• made with sheep, goat or dairy-free cheese
• not come with additional food I don't need (beans, rice, sour cream, etc)...unless I ask
• be around 300 calories so I can have it for lunch and not blow my daily calorie limit

For now if I want anything that would fit into those requirements I need to make it myself.  So here's a hint all you restauranteurs who surf the internet looking for ideas, this is what I had for lunch today;

One single chia seed tortilla folded with Manchego (sheep) cheese and fresh cilantro leaves.  Lightly toasted on an iron skillet on each side until the cheese melts.  Cut into 3 pieces and served with a generous spoon of organic fire roasted corn and black bean salsa.  Yummy!

• I made the chia seed tortillas using this recipe from The Spunky Coconut, but they are commercially available, a simple Google search will prove that.
• I got the Manchego from Costco, 'cause we eat a lot of it!
• I bought the salsa from Whole Foods

 This is what I want to see on the menu!

My Favorite Gluten Free Products

There's a ridiculously large variety of GF products out there, some are good and some are not so good.  With all the products on the market I think we are going to see a a Darwinian reduction in the next few years as the best products succeed, but for now we're stuck being beta-testers.  I decided to list some items that have made me happy.

COOKIES
As I age, my metabolism dips and my muscle mass reduces, so has by reduction in sweet snacks. I never totally deny myself, so when I just need something sweet, this is what I like to eat.

Kinnikinnick Foods, S'moreables, Graham Style Crackers
I give these an OMG rating! These are better than the originals.
The first time I bought S'moreables was to make a GF graham cracker base for a pumpkin pie last Thanksgiving.  I don't think anyone paid attention to the pumpkin part, but the base was to die for!
Bonus - They are dairy-free, nut.free and contain no preservatives!
Honorable Mention
Newsman's Own Gluten free and Dairy Free Oreo Cookies
Some people say they are not as good as the originals...I say, they're in my pantry, they're gluten free and I can eat them!

BREAD
Bread is the most difficult area to find something French-bread-crunchy, chewy-fresh and satisfying.  I don't think I have found anything GF that is better than the real thing, but I have found some good substitutes.

Udi's Bagels
I know there are purists out there who will disagree, but I'm not comparing to fresh bagel shop versions. I'm comparing GF Udi's to wheat off the shelf prepackaged bagels.  I think Udi's had done a fantastic job...they are not so dense, they're lightly chewy (unheard of in GF land), they freeze well and they make me forget I can't have warm bagel shop versions.

Honorable Mention
Julian Bakery Smart Carb GF #3
This is nothing like wheat gluten bread. It's a small brick; exactly what you would expect for a GF bread product.  But this loaf has a wonderful bready smell, and when toasted and spread with butter (or Natural Balance) it is crunchy and wholesome.  I toast slices and use it like a cracker for lunch!  When toasted and eaten with soup, it is comfort food. This is one of those products that I would eat whether I needed gluten-free or not....I just like it and it makes me happy!
Bonus - It is the lowest carbohydrate bread out there, it's also yeast free and organic!

Udi's GF Bread
This is not bad, it can be used for sandwiches and works okay for grilled cheese.
Disappointing
I haven't found any burger buns that I really like (not even Udi's), most are dry and fall apart. The best I have found is an Udi's bagel without a hole!  You have to rummage through the display to find what some people call rejects :-)
I've started making my own with coconut flour and almond flour and will continue to do so until I find a commercial product that that doesn't crumble the second you bite into it. C'mon guys, get with the program!

PASTA
Nothing compares to fresh pasta, but given the choice of brown rice or Quinoa (keen-wa), I'll choose Quinoa every time! 

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta
It lakes a little longer to cook and looks a little darker than regular pasta...but when it's coated in pesto or smothered in marinara it's pretty darn close to the real thing.
Bonus - It has more protein and fiber than regular pasta. 
Disappointing
I haven't been able to find a Quinoa Ravioli, or lasagna sheets.

MEAL SUBSTITUTE BARS
By bars I mean power bars, fruit bars, those items you pick up when you're on the run, traveling and don't have time to stop and eat or don't know when you'll have the chance to eat (not candy bars). I rely on nuts and bars a lot when I'm traveling.  I'm not a fruit bar (fruit roll-po) kind of girl so I'm not sure I really have a favorite bar. I've listed a selection of the ones I like and can tolerate;

Enjoy Life - Chewy on-the-go Bars
They are very allergy friendly and have saved my life in Airports where burgers and pizza are the only choices available.
Odwalla Nourishing Food Bar (not GF)
These are not gluten free, due to the fact they are made on equipment that is used for products that contain wheat, milk, eggs and tree nuts.  However, many of their bars do not contain any wheat products so I can tolerate them.  If you can tolerate oats these may be okay for you too.  Their Choco-walla is a favorite of mine...I have frantically searched though my luggage after many a post midnight hotel check-in to find this life-saving midnight dinner treat.

Dairy Alternatives

I stopped drinking cow's milk because my husband didn't snore so much when he avoided dairy and it was so much easier if we drank the same milk and creamers.  When I made that decision I had no idea that I was embarking on an alternative milk  fiesta….

As with non-meat substitutes and non-wheat/gluten substitutes, there is not just one replacement.  There is a myriad of choices and an explosion of nut milks that come in a variety of calories and flavors; unsweetened, regular (sweetened) and vanilla.  There are also shelf stable and refrigerated versions of both.  Generally the refrigerated versions taste better than the shelf stable one, but having a few shelf stable ones handy is really nice...I hate running out of milk!

So far I have not found a single milk replacement that I would use for everything, some are better than others for different uses...and to be honest I'm relishing the variety!

Soy Milk 

This has a high protein content. The unsweetened version was my husband’s milk of choice when he was on a low carbohydrate diet.  This also seems to be the non-dairy standard in coffee shops and restaurants. Personally I hate soy milk, I can’t get used to the taste and it gives me gas.

Rice Milk

This milk has been a secondary choice to soy for quite a while, however it is a very watery milk and does not cream coffee very well.  It is also naturally sweet and not appropriate for cooking savory sauces.  It works fantastic in hot cocoa and oatmeal…and you don’t need to add any additional sweeteners. Rice milk sugars do not contain fructose, so this is a good milk to use when you want to use a natural sweetener.

Almond Milk

Now we’re talking!  In the last year or so I have seen more and more almond milk varieties on the shelves; it's not just in health food stores. I just love this in coffee or to make a vegan eggnog!  There is an unsweetened Vanilla version that has less than half the calories of skim milk..it is great with your morning granola or cereal.

Hemp Milk

Good for sauces and batters.
A friend used Hemp milk to make Yorkshire pudding and we couldn't tell the difference.

Coconut Milk

I'm not talking about canned coconut milk, I mean the refrigerated version in cartons. It tasted greate in breakfast granola.  I'm starting to use this more in vegan cheese sauces or as a replacement for cow's milk in baking.The So Delicious unsweetened version has 1 carbohydrate!!!!  I haven't used it to make ice cream (yet!), but there are some fantastic coconut ice creams that taste so good I cannot tell they are non-dairy! 

Cashew Milk

I've never seen commercial cashew milk, but it's the type I make when we run out of something to pour over cereals or add to morning coffee. You can easily make cashew milk if you have a blender; 1 cup cashews plus 4 cups of water, dash of salt, dribble of honey or stevia,  turn on the blender for a minute or two and voila la!  No need to sieve it, you can drink it right out of the blender...though I would recommend chilling it first and using a glass :-)

I get annoyed when people say that I could be calcium deficient if I don't drink cow's milk.  That is totally untrue!  In terms of equivalent serving sizes, there is more calcium in kale than cow's milk! A handful of almonds contains more calcium....and all the commercial non-dairy milks I have seen have been fortified with calcium.  What you should be comparing if the protein and sugar content - many non-dairy milks have less sugar, less fat and more protein!

Since becoming dairy-free I have seen a lot of articles about the bad effects of cow's milk, the most recent is this one http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Milk-Controversy---Is-Cows-Milk-Good-For-Us?&id=6179781  It wasn't the reason I changed, but I do think it is interesting to see the emerging research.

Quick Gluten/Wheat Free Burger Bun

I don't mind lettuce wrap burgers, but sometimes I just want to blend in and look like I'm eating the same as everyone else; I really don't want to be the picky little princess.

Over the last few years I have tried a few GF burger buns and they're usually very dry and flaky and get drier as they sit in my fridge. They also tend to be made with little fiber and have a lot of carbohydrates - not good for my middle-aged metabolism!  Gluten free bread is also pretty heavy, so normal size buns are dense wee guys that could damage a toe if you dropped one. 

My requirements for a bun are;

• Low carb (low glycemic)
• Some fiber and protein would be nice
• Not so dense
• Not so flaky

I pondered flours and raising agents to try and find a way to add some air into a mixture without gluten.  Then I made a horrendous mistake while trying to make muffins and as I was cleaning up the mess it came to me - use a modified muffin recipe and why not make the 2 bun halves separately?

Ingredients for one single bun 
1 egg
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1 Tbsp blanched almond flour
1 Tbsp coconut oil (olive oil or melted butter)
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Optional
1 tsp nutritional yeast (for a more bready taste)
1/4 tsp poppy seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds

Method
Add all ingredients together and blend in a small food processor or hand blender.

If the batter is runny, leave it a few minutes to thicken.  It should be like a thick pancake batter, if it is runny add another half tablespoon of almond flour. It is is too thick, add a teaspoon of water.

Divide the batter into two and drop onto oiled parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes until they are lightly browned.

Note, for the top of the bun, I added chia seeds to one side.

I generally throw the burger on the grill while the bun sides are baking, the buns will be ready by the time it is cooked.

The batter likes to spread to about 3 inches in diameter so this does not work for slider buns.  I thought I could just divide into 4, but the batter spreads and makes 4 thin 3 inch halves that are no good for sliders.  I plan to play around with this recipe and will post my slider bun recipe when I figure it out.  For now, enjoy fitting in with the rest of the crowd :-)

Coconut Deodorant!

A few months ago I read that due to it's antibacterial nature coconut oil could be used as an underarm deodorant.  Yes, seriously, I kid-you-not coconut oil slathered under your pits will protect you from dreaded BO!  The scientist part of me was intrigued. The earth-friendly, chemical hating side of me was excited....and the guinea pig inside me was ready to try it out :-)

I had just got a freakishly large tub of Tropical Traditions Gold Label unrefined, super duper coconut oil so I took a small amount and placed it in a jar in the bathroom in preparation for my grand experiment.
My negative control was to go au naturale for a day.  Since I have a desk job, work from home and it's still Spring I felt it wouldn't be too traumatic.  By the afternoon I was a little ripe but not bad...I am a girl after all!
My crude calibration was basically to see how close I had to get my nose to my pits.
- lunch time no smell
-3pm I had to poke my nose under my t-shirt before I got the slightest of smells
- 9pm I still had to remove clothing before I could smell anything, but it was stronger than 3pm

The next day I stood in my underwear and giggled as I put about half a teaspoon of 100% unrefined coconut oil under each pit.  Coconut oil is not a thick oil, so it felt a little watery and not sticky at all.  I had some concern about marking my clothes and how would I explain big oil patches under my arms, but that turned out not to be a problem.  Within minutes the oil had soaked in under my arms and my skin felt dry and baby soft!
- lunch time no bad smell, just a slight sweet smell, more vanilla than coconut
-3pm I poked my nose under my t-shirt - nada!
- 9pm I removed clothing and did a weird yoga-like pose to get my nose as close as I could to the potentially offending area.  I really couldn't smell anything.  Holy crapolli, it worked!

I have continued to use coconut oil to make sure my experiment wasn't a fluke!
When I exercise and lift weights it doesn't work as well, but still I have to lift my arm before other humans (husband) could smell anything bad.  One weekend when I used wax that wasn't warm enough and irritated my skin, I was a little worried about using a deodorant, so I used coconut oil.  No sting, no problem...and my irritated skin was fine in 2 days!

It's not an antiperspirant, so when the Summer heat arrives I may switch to something less clammy, but for now it's nice to use something natural.  I also found out it's pretty good on preventing smelly feet too!
No negative control required for that one :-)

Agave verses HFCS

Why is Agave perceived to be good for you and HFCS is not?
This seemed like a fun research project at the time, but with a myriad of articles out there I got caught in a bit of a sugar hairball about the Good the Bad and the Ugly!

• Both are low glycemic = Good, 
• HFCS has got a lot of bad press recently = Bad 
• Agave = Ugly (or complicated and confusing because it has a high fructose content just like HFCS, but it's low glycemic)

To help me form an opinion on whether Agave is a good guy or a villain, I went back to undergrad books to familiarize myself with sugar metabolism.  My thought was that once I refreshed my understand of the basics I would be able to form an educated opinion regarding the two sweeteners.

This is what I have heard regarding HFCS and Agave;

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is "bad", it's highly processed and made by big businesses, it's making our kids fat and will increase health costs because so many people will be suffering from obesity.
2. Agave is "good", it's made from a natural ingredients, it's low glycemic, it's sold in health food stores, it must be good for you.

My confusion and reason for this blog post....

• Both contain a higher percentage of fructose than sucrose (regular granulated sugar)
• Both are low glycemic
• Agave contains only a slightly higher percentage of fructose than HFCS (they sound pretty similar to me)

I reviewed some simple carbohydrate chemistry...

• Some simple sugars are glucose, fructose, mannose and galactose, there are also called monosaccharides.
• Molecules made of 2 simple sugars are called disaccharides, here are some examples of disaccharides;
• Sucrose = Glucose + Fructose (regular table sugar)
• Maltose = Glucose + Glucose
• Lactose = Glucose + Galactose

• When more sugars are linked together they are called polyscahrarrides, examples are amylose and celulose.
• All of the above are carbohydrates. 

General note: Throughout this blog I have tried not to use the generic term "sugar" and use sucrose, glucose, fructose, etc.  Not all sugars are the same, they have different levels of sweetness, they are metabolized differently and have different affects on your body. The terms "sugar rush", or "low blood sugar" are confusing, we should really be saying "glucose rush" and "low blood glucose" level.

Sucrose (table sugar), Agave and HFCS are comprised of glucose and fructose, in different amounts, so I decided to look at those monosaccahrides in more detail. 

Glucose - It's Brain Food

• Glucose is the only sugar used by the brain (not fructose)
• Because neurons cannot store glucose, they depend on the bloodstream to deliver a constant supply of this precious fuel.
• Digestion in the body revolves heavily around supplying the brain with glucose - food is broken down so glucose is readily available to the brain 
• Alcohol is metabolized by an enzyme "alcohol dehydrogenase" that also inhibits the digestion of sugars...so essentially excess alcohol can reduce glucose levels to a point were the body gets a little concerned about feeding the brain and so induces hunger.  That's why it always seems like a good idea to go for a curry or bean burrito at 1am in the morning after a night of heavy partying :-)  Next time you can truthfully say "I need a cheese burger, stat!  It's for my brain!"

An Enzyme called Insulin

So glucose being the brain fuel, you'd think that more glucose would make you a super brainy person, right?  Actually too much glucose causes sugar glucose highs followed by glucose lows, shaky hands and brain fog....how charming!

When there is too much glucose in your bloodstream your body reacts
...it must lower levels, it must store excess for low glucose situations
So when you eat something very high in glucose you become hyperglycemic (higher glucose).  This sugar can make you feel happy (higher glucose = sugar high).  However, a quick jump in blood glucose levels will alert islet cells in your pancreas to secrete insulin. The insulin flows through your bloodstream and triggers cells throughout your body to pull the excess glucose out of your bloodstream and store it for later use.   http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/carbs.html The cells are very efficient and can very quickly reduce blood glucose levels to the point where neurons in your brain detect the rapid decrease of glucose and it's availability to your brain. 

When there is too little glucose in your bloodstream your body reacts
...it must get glucose to feed the brain
Neurons that are unable to store glucose, experience an energy crisis. You feel spaced-out, weak, confused, and/or nervous. Your ability to focus and think suffers. The name for this glucose deficiency is hypoglycemia (low sugar glucose), and it can even lead to unconsciousness if you are diabetic.  Your brain needs glucose from something you eat or from stores within the body and this is controlled by Insulin.

Insulin is a hardworking enzyme, it has an important job working to keep optimum sugar levels.  Too much sugar in the bloodstream is not good for you.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperglycemia  The excess glucose molecules floating around will attach to proteins and fats in a process called glycosylation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycosylation).  When glucose bonds with blood vessels and your internal organs it can reduce blood flow to extremities and even blindness. This is what could happen if you have diabetes and don't regulate your insulin and glucose levels.

This is the simplified "Clifs notes" version and we could go much deeper into the metabolic science, but for the purpose of this post we just need to understand these point;

• Glucose is the only fuel used by your brain
• Too much glucose at one time is bad as it causes insulin to be released into the bloodstream, insulin collects the excess sugars and stores them for future use (in fast releasing glycogen and long term storage fat cells)
• Too little insulin allows high blood sugar levels,  the excess sugars stick to internal organs and cause blockages
• The speed at which glucose is released into the bloodstream is important as that will determine whether Insulin is needed or not
• Different foods release glucose at different speeds; Glycemic index (GI)
• There is a specific glycemic index number that initiates an insulin response - you should know what this is and roughly what foods are above and blow that number 

Glycemic Index and Magic Numbers

If glucose affects insulin levels, fat storage, sugar glucose rush and brain fog it almost sounds like we should try a different type of sugar that doesn't cause all these problems.  Say, fructose?  The GI table below would certainly suggest that. 

The Glycemic Index (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index)  is a ranking of foods based on their overall effects on blood sugar glucose levels.  The higher the GI the faster the sugar is metabolized and the faster glucose is release into the bloodstream.  This is good for energy recovery after endurance exercise or for a person with hypoglycemia (low glucose levels).  In general a glycemic index of over 70 will initiate an insulin response to go an sequester excess glucose in the bloodstream. 

The following list gives ranges for low, medium and high glycemic load for foods.

• Low GI = 55 or less
• Medium GI = 56 - 69s
• High GI = 70 or more

Sucrose (regular table sugar)  has a GI of approximately 60  and is comprised of glucose and fructose in equal quantities, 50:50.  Natural cane sugars have a GI in the 68 to 80 range.
Glucose the monosaccharide has a GI of 96 
http://www.fitsugar.com/Glycemic-Index-Where-Do-Sweeteners-Fall-3031565 
Fructose the monosaccharide has a GI of 22  
Honey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey) has the same sweetness as sucrose and has a glycemic index range from 31 to 78, depending on the variety; generally a GI of 55 is used as an average  Honey is comprised of mainly glucose and fructose in these approximate quantities 31% glucose to 38% fructose. 
Agave sweeteners are sweeter than sucrose and have a low GI of approximately 30.(http://www.cooking-questions.com/what-is-agave-nectar/) . Depending on the source the levels of glucose to fructose are in the following ranges; 8% glucose to 92% fructose, and 20% glucose to 56% fructose  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_nectar). 
HFCS  is also sweeter than sucrose and has a low GI of approximately 62.  HFCS is comprised of 45 glucose to 55% fructose, though there is also HFCS 65 that has 65% fructose. 
Coconut Sap  http://www.bigtreefarms.com/coconutsugar/ has a GI of 35 and is comprised of the disaccharide sucrose (70-79%) plus glucose and fructose (3-9%) each.

Getting back to the comparison of Agave with HFCS...

Fructose tastes sweeter than glucose, so you need less to achieve the same sweetness plus you get fewer calories.  Fructose is also the main sugar that makes fruit taste sweet. What's not to love about fructose?

• Both Agave and HFCS have more fructose than glucose 
• Lower glucose percentage means they have a lower glycemic index
• Lower glycemic index means a lower insulin response so no brain fog or massive glucose sequestering and filling of fat cells

To summarize...

We have talked about high and low blood sugar glucose in the bloodstream; when glucose levels are high, the blood glucose police call out the insulin bouncers to round up all the excess glucose molecules loitering around.  They take those rowdy glucose dudes and lock them up in cells, yes, you guessed it...."Fat Cells!".

Just like you don't want to annoy regular law enforcement, you don't want to agitate the blood sugar police either!  And you do not want any bouncers filling up your fat cells!

We've learned some of the difference between glucose and fructose but there is more.... 

Fructose - The Sweet One 
A lot about fructose has already been discussed in comparisons with glucose, but we need to know how it is metabolized, does it have a comparable regulator like insulin, what does the body do with fructose? Or should I ask, what does fructose do to the body?

Fructose (http://www.asn-online.org/press/files/johnsonreview.pdf) is absorbed into the intestine were there are various transporter enzymes.  About 60% of the fructose attaches to transporter enzymes that bus them to the liver, the remaining 40% catch transporters en route to the kidneys, adipose tissue and other organs.

Fructose is ultimately metabolized to uric acid, in this pathway the enzyme fructokinase adds a phosphate to Fructose. This causes the depletion of ATP and so this process is regulated by ATP availability...blah, blah, blah..  I'll try and keep it simple...

• High uric acid levels are related to hypertension (elevated blood pressure)
• Comparative experiments with equal amounts of fructose and glucose show that fructose, not glucose, increased blood pressure in young healthy adults
• Individuals given fructose exhibit features of metabolic syndrome - Metabolic syndrome is a name for a group of risk factors that occur together and increase the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004546
• Excessive amounts of fructose have been shown to increase blood triglyceride levels and reduce HDL (good) cholesterol levels
• Fructose is also known to induce insulin resistance, this will reduces blood flow and the delivery of glucose to the brain, peripheral tissues and muscles
• The hypertensive affects of fructose is also thought to have a role in chronic kidney disease

In Conclusion...  
At the beginning I asked the question - Why is Agave perceived to be good for you and HFCS is not? The only answer I can give regarding why agave is better is agave is not genetically modified, whereas the corn used in HFCS probably is.  But neither of them are "good" for you due mainly in part to their high fructose levels.

What I now think about HFCS and Agave;

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup is a processed syrup made from corn, it's low glycemic and if eaten in excessive quantities it can make you fat and put serious stress on your liver and kidneys
2. Agave is a processed syrup made from the agave root, it's low glycemic and if eaten in excessive quantities it can make you fat and put serious stress on your liver and kidneys 

After my mini research project it's evident that Agave and HFCS in large quantities are not good for you...this is the same for many things; a glass or two of red wine is good, a bottle a night is not!

My personal opinion is high fructose sugars should not be your sweetener of choice. They are good because they have a lower GI than sucrose and don't invoke a massive insulin response, but the risks outweigh the benefits for me. I will not completely omit them from my diet but I will severely reduce them.

...And if you're interested....

What will be my sweetener of choice?

I will continue to use stevia and fruit juices, but when I need a granular sugar I will use coconut palm sugar. Palm sugar has a lower GI than sucrose and it has less fructose than sucrose.  I am however, concerned about the sustainability of palm sugar, so I will need to research that while I continue to explore other natural sweeteners.

Please don't hate the messenger, I know how people love agave...just be responsible with it, please! 

Other links collected during my research

The Truth about Agave Syrup: Not as Healthy as You May Think

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/agave.html

Agave Nectar, the High Fructose Health Food FraudLearn more:  http://www.naturalnews.com/024892_fructose_food_health.html

Is Agave Nectar More Hype Than Healthy?

http://preventdisease.com/news/09/062309_agave.shtml 

Agave Nectar: Low Glycemic Diet Blessing or Nightmare? http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6094960/agave_nectar_low_glycemic_diet_blessing.htm

It is low glycemic so it won't cause a spike insulin levels

http://www.madhavahoney.com/AgaveNectar.aspx

Agave Nectar and the Glycemic Index

http://www.allaboutagave.com/agave-nectar-and-the-glycemic-index.php
http://www.suite101.com/content/nutrients-in-natural-sweeteners-a53312

Vegetables - Cooked My Way!

I love roasted vegetables, I could eat roasted veggies every night and just change the sauce...cheese, balsamic, guacamole, tomato...

You can use whatever you have available and make a few adjustments for different textures and types.

What I use;

• Parboiled fingerling potatoes - you can use any type of potatoes, just make sure they are chopped into half inch cubes and either parboiled or microwaved so when you squeeze the whole potato it gives a little and not rock-hard
• Parsnips (no precooking required if cut into half inch cubes)
• Small onions or shallots, peeled - large onions can be quartered
• Broccoli florets
• Cauliflower florets
• Sliced peppers (larger 1 inch chunks work best)
• Zucchini.Courgettes (cut into 1 inch slices)
• Diced beets

Heat the oven to 350 F.  I have seen some recipes that suggest 400 F - I have found this is too hot and tends to blacken the vegetables before they are fully roasted and cooked through.

Spread vegetables on a large baking sheet and drizzle with grape seed oil.  I use grape seed oil (instead of olive oil) because it is more stable at higher temperatures and doesn't provide any taste.  After I have added oil I massage the vegetables to make sure they are fully coated.  Make sure the broccoli and cauliflower are well oiled as they may become too crispy or burn.

Before adding to the oven I sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt (I generally use Celtic salt).
Place in the middle of the oven and check after 20 minutes - at this time I shake the tray and turn the vegetables, if needed.  Leave for another 20 minutes (for a total of 40 minutes in the oven).

Remove from the oven and server as a side or as a Meatless Monday treat with yummy dipping sauces!

You don't have to be a Celiac to benefit from avoiding gluten and wheat

Great article in the Wall Street Journal Today Clues To Gluten Sensitivity  I guess I'm not so special after all :-)

I tested negative for Celiac disease, but;

• I generally feel so much better when I avoid wheat and gluten
• I don't ache so much after I work out,  if I don't eat gluten
• The dark rings under my eyes are lighter when I'm gluten and wheat free
• My lungs feel better (I can take deeper breathes) without gluten and wheat in my system
• I don't suffer so badly from seasonal allergies, in fact I don't need any medication if I avoid wheat and gluten
• That phlemy-thing at the back of my throat goes away when wheat and gluten are removed from my diet.  It returns with a vengeance when I fall off the gluten and wheat-free wagon.

I was diagnosed with a form of IBS in my 20s, and suffered on and off with stomach acid and mild ulcers.  During the mid 80's I was told to calm down and relax, nothing more. My friend told me to stop eating fiber. This actually helped because I avoided a lot of whole wheat bread and ate Rice Krispies for breakfast!

My dad's side of the family have acidic stomachs, and my grandfather died of stomach cancer (probably related to stomach ulcers and a life-time of stomach acid-related problems).  Since avoiding wheat and gluten, my symptoms have subsided; I wonder if that would have helped my father and grandfather?

A few other thoughts...

• It is common for women to have bloating, gas, constipation...could it be due to wheat?
• Many people complain about increasing aches and pains as they grow older...could it, in part, be due to acquiring a wheat intollerance?
• Similarly some people notice developing dark circles under their eyes or develop allergies in their 30s when they were allergy-free as juveniles....wheat allergy?

There are definitely smoke signals ...I'm happy to see people are gathering more data.

Red Chard & White Bean Ragout

Red Chard a photo by mandymooo on Flickr.

The fridge was full of huge green leafy red chard, the vegetable draw was full of parsnips...the potatoes were thinking of sprouting...I was about to have a kitchen emergency!!!!

I wanted more than a ratatouille style stew so I did some recipe searches to get some ideas and came up with this. I'm posting here so I remember what I did, because I'll definitely make it again. The significant other ate two bowls and said he wanted leftovers for lunch the next day, so I think it came out okay.  It needs a topping such as cheese, Daiya shreds or nutritional yeast flakes, and if you're not vegetarian some small peices of ham or bacon might be nice.

Ingredients needed 

•  Large bunch of red chard (about 8-10 leaves), red stalks removed from green leaves
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 large clove of garlic
• Olive oil
• I large potato
• 1 small yam or sweet potato
• 2 parsnips (or large carrots) 

*You need a total of about 1 lb potato/yam/parsnip mix*

• 1 tbsp Herbs De Provence (or your favorite herb mixture)
• 1 can of white beans (I used cannellini)
• 1 can of chopped Roma tomatoes
• Salt and pepper

How to cook it
Chop the onion and slice the red chard stalks into 1/2 inch pieces (mine were 1 cm, 'cause I'm from the UK, smirk) and saute in a heavy iron skillet for 3-5 minutes in olive oil (save the chard leaves for later in the recipe).  Add the chopped garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, stir frequently so the onion and and garlic does not become too brown. The redness from the chard stalks will make the onion a nice pink color.

Add the chopped potato, yam and parsnips.  Add 1 cup of water, the drained beans and can of tomatoes.  Mix well and add Herbs de Provence, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes until the potatoes and parsnips are tender but not mushy.

Taste and season if needed.  Add the chopped chard leaves and cook for another 15 minutes until the leaves are tender.

Serve in bowls and top with your favorite cheese or cheese replacement. Serve with crunchy bread, crackers or chips.  The beans and potatoes make it quite hearty, the chard and tomatoes make you feel good about what you're eating.

I had this with a glass of Cabernet/Merlot-blend red wine and they went very well together.

This makes enough for 4 servings, or in our case, dinner for 2 and lunch for 2 the next day!

My Porrage - Not So Quick Oatmeal!

I'm a little picky about porridge, or oatmeal as it's called in the US.  I have a pretty good excuse, during the winter months my dad used to make me and my brother porridge for breakfast almost everyday before we walked to school. We lived 15 miles from Glasgow on the very wet West of Scotland.  The short walk to school could be wet, freezing, snowy or all three, but we were fueled by oats and never felt cold!...well that's how my melancholy memory remembers it.

I didn't experience instant oatmeal until I moved to the US in my 20s. I was so underwhelmed and shocked at the sweetness.  I have now lived in the states for long enough to have got used to the sweetness of everything, but I just can't bring myself to eat instant oatmeal.

Twenty plus years later I am almost dairy-free and a mild health freak, so I don't make my porridge the same way as my dad it, but I'm sure he would approve of this version.

This recipe is enough for 2 people and takes about 25-30 minutes.  Don't make this if you're in a hurry, make it at the weekend when you have time to just zone-out and just enjoy stirring the pot!

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk plus an additional cup
• pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp rough cut flax seeds
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

Optional toppings

• squirt of honey or sprinkle of palm sap sugar on the top
• small square of 70% cocoa chocolate or 1/2 tspn chocolate hazelnut butter

Add oats, salt and 2 cups of almond milk to a saucepan and bring to the boil while stirring moderately.

After 5-7 minutes you will see the oats starting to get thicker
After 10-12 minutes the oats should have swollen and the porridge should start to look lumpy and thick.
Add a third cup of milk (or you can add water to reduce the calories) and continue stirring - the thicker the porridge gets the more chance it will stick to the bottom.

After another 5-7 minutes the pot should look like a creamy bubbling witches cauldron (above right).
keep stirring for another 5 minutes until the rolled oats are almost indistinguishable and integrated into the creamy sauce.
Add the flax and raisins and heat through.

Pour porridge into two bowls and leave to set for a few minutes (don't leave in the pot as it will set there)
The porridge should pour freely into the bowls, if you need to spoon it out, it's too thick so add some milk or water.
You can add a topping at this time, but it doesn't really need a sweetener.


Before serving pour 1/8 cup of coconut milk over the top of each bowl of porridge and enjoy!

With no toppings this is about 440 calories per serving - enough to keep you going from 6am to noon!

You can make this with regular milk, rice milk or just almond milk, but I love the almond flavor in the porridge and cool coconut milk on top.

Blueberry & Coconut Treats

And I thought I'd be known for my muffin (sorry, that's a quote stolen from Betty White on Saturday Night Live) because everyone asks for my almond flour muffin recipe.  However, if I post anymore of these recipes I will be known for my balls!  I shouldn't be surprised, I am a little obsessed by these fruity and nutty treats!

This version is reminiscent of cookie dough, so they have become my instant favorite!

What you need;
1/2 cup of cashews
1 cup of shredded coconut
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tspn Mixed Spice*





How to make them;

• Put the coconut in the food processer and buzz until yo have small flakes
• Add the cashews and spices and mix until they resemble really coarse sand
• Add blueberries and coconut oil and process until well mixed  
• Take rounded dessertspoon scoops and form into a ball in the palm of your hand; the ingredients should be crumbly, but hold it's form when pressed together
• Put the balls onto a tray or into small cake cups (if you have them)
• Put formed balls into the fridge to set for about an hour

There should be enough mix to make about 16 small walnut sized balls.  They will last a couple of weeks if stored in a cool dry place (tub/tin) if they aren't eaten before then :-)

Blueberry & Coconut photographed with Apricot & Nut (with coco) and Date & Nut.

__________
* Mixed Spice is popular in the UK, it is a mix of ground cinnamon, coriander, caraway, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.

Oat Flour Breakfast Pancakes

photo by mandymooo on Flickr

My husband makes these for me because they are wheat-free. I'm not a celiac so I don't need gluten free oat flour, I can tolerate regular oats just fine...and when we use the Star Wars molds they seem to taste even better....Yoda's ears are the best!

Many wheat-free and GF recipes have a complicated mixture of flours that try to mimic wheat flour and it's glutinous properties.  With these little guys it doesn't need seem to be so important. Don't get me wrong, they are not thick and airy IHOP style cakes, they're a little thinner but they have a nice (almost creamy) oaty taste that I love!

What you need:

• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 large egg (from happy pasture-raised chickens)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 tspn baking soda
• pinch of salt
• enough milk to make a batter, about 1/2 cup (we use almond milk)

How you make them;

• Mix oat flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.
• Beat eggs together with milk and vanilla and then add to flour bowl and mix well to form a thick batter.
• Let the batter rest for a few minutes while you heat a skillet - we use an electric skillet set to about 350 F
• Slowly pour batter onto skillet and let it spread out into 5-6 inch disks.  Cook for about 3 minutes on each side.  Place in a warm place while you finish the remaining batter.

If you use a shaped form, spray the form with oil (Pam) before filling with batter.

They are not as fluffy as regular pancakes, but much nicer than ones made with rice flour or GF mixes...well I think they are!

Serve with  fresh fruit, apple sauce or fresh fruit stewed with a little stevia and frozen until needed.

Dried Apricot & Nut Treats

I'm a bit of a raw ball freak these days, may be it's the cold weather or the fact they are so easy to make and I always have nuts and dried fruit in the pantry!

This is an adult version of a raw fruit and nut ball recipe.  I say "adult" as they are not very sweet because they are made with bitter dark chocolate powder that kids (and husbands) generally don't like.

What you need;
1/2 cup of almonds
1/2 cup of hazelnuts
dash ground ginger (about 1/8 to 1/4 of a tsp)
dash ground coriander (about 1/8 to 1/4 of a tsp)
1/2 cup dried apricots (roughly chopped)
2 Tbsps hazelnut oil (you could use any nut oil or flax or coconut oil)
2 Tbsps unsweetened dark coco powder 
Optional
dust lightly with stevia

How to make them;

• Put the nuts and spices into a food processor and mix until they resemble really coarse sand
• Add apricots, oil, coco powder and process until well mixed  
• Take rounded dessertspoon scoops and form into a ball in the palm of your hand; the ingredients should be crumbly, but hold it's form when pressed together
• Put the balls onto a tray or into small cake cups (if you have them)
• Put formed balls into the fridge to set for about an hour

There should be enough mix to make about 16 small walnut sized balls.  They will last a couple of weeks if stored in a cool dry place (tub/tin) if they aren't eaten before then :-)

Why not make a batch of Date & Nut Treats so you have a choice!

[vegan gluten-free dairy-free soy-free wheat-free]

Spinach Dip

My usual dilemma - what to do with green leafy stuff.  I blame it on the fact I grew up in Scotland; we had root vegetables and we imported citrus, everything else is sort of vague in my memory...though I do remember cabbage cooked in a pressure cooker.

Oh how I wish my mother was alive to taste this.

• The first thing you will notice is my spinach dip is green - It has spinach in it :-)
• It's not white with green flecks, it has spinach in it :->
• It has no cholesterol, but it does have spinach in it :-]

This is so easy, I can believe I didn't work this out years ago.

What you need:
1 bunch of fresh spinach (enough to fill a small 2 quart bowl...small soccer ball size...geeze I wish I'd weighed it!)
1/4 cup of cashew cream or sour cream or yogurt
1/4 cup Vegenaise (I use the grape seed oil version) or the mayonnaise of your choice
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt to taste - you shouldn't need much since the nutritional yeast mimics saltiness

How you make it:

• Put spinach in a food processor and pulse to reduce the volume so you can add the other ingredients
• Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse to mix
• Serve with organic wheat-free corn tortillas

This recipe makes about 1 cup of dip.

Optional Modification - if you need more dip but don't have the spinach you can double the quantities of cashew cream and Vegenaise to make a less-green version.  I don't approve, but it can be done in extreme circumstances ;-)

Fishermans Pie...Ahoy there matey

I love seafood and I love any kind of baked fish pie.  Before I moved to the center of the US I had moved over 15 times but never lived more than 50 miles from a coast and always close to an abundance of fish protein.

Luckily where I live now there's an  Irish Bar that has a Fishermans Pie on the menu that I used to love before I worked out that my system couldn't cope too well with wheat and I also got used to a lower dairy consumption due to my husband being dairy-free.  Now, after-effects of the flaky pastry top and creamy sherry sauce don't appeal quite so much. I longed for something similar to satisfy my fish pie craving.
 
I thought an easy potato top would be nice and I thought about making a sauce, but then I decided to keep it simple; all I needed to do was bake the fish with vegetables and that would probably provide the moisture for the filling, ah ha!

This is roughly what you need:

For the topping
1 lb potatoes (or less if you want it thinner than a 1 inch topping)
2-3 Tbsp of Natural Balance or coconut oil (I used a mixture of both)
Breadcrumbs or a 50-50 mix of almond flour and nutritional yeast



For the pie filling
2 medium size carrots
1 stick of celery
1 zucchini/courgette
1/2 cup frozen corn or peas
2 pieces of fish (about 12 oz, I used all salmon -  I would use a white fish and salmon next time for variety)
1 cup of prawns or scallops, lightly chopped
1 tspn salt and herbs such as dill or tarragon, or your favorite fish seasoning
1/2 cup cheese (I used Daiya, dairy free cheese) 
Juice of half a lemon (use the other half for a garnish)

This is how you make it:

• Peel the potatoes, chop into 3/4 inch cubes and boil for 15 - 20 minutes.
• Set the oven to 375 F

• Meanwhile, grate the vegetables (I used the grater blade on the Cuisinart, zoom, zoom), add corn, coarsly chopped prawns, cubed fish and toss together well with seasonings and cheese. 
• Add to baking dish and squeeze half a lemon over the top (I used a 9 x 7 inch dish)

• Mash the cooked potatoes with Natural Balance or Coconut oil and add to the top of the vegetable and fish mixture. 
• Sprinkle breadcrumbs (or a GF alternative) to the top to help make the top a little crispy.
• Bake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes until the top is lightly browned and your kitchen starts to smell like there is a wonderful fish pie near by :-)  
• Serve with a wedge of lemon and enjoy.

Regular size serving (1/4 of recipe)

This makes about 4 average size servings, but could be split into two "hungry person" portions!

This came out pretty well; who doesn't like mashed potatoes when it's below freezing outside?  The filling was moist and I didn't miss a creamy sauce as the potatoes provided some creaminess to the overall dish.  I may add a dash of sherry next time and not add as much of the seafood seasoning as I don't think it needed it.