Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Gluten Free Breads

The holidays can make lifestyle diets, like gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, a little more difficult for both the individual whose diet differs from the mainstream, and for those cooking for them. For the next couple of weeks we’ll post recipes and ideas for holiday eats and treats that everyone can enjoy.

This week, let’s talk gluten.

What is gluten? Well, it's a little more complicated than this, but here is the easy-to-understand definition: its the sticky protein substance in wheat and other products that give a chewy texture. A gluten-free diet is mainly used to treat celiac-disease, but there are many other health professionals who have been prescribing it to help with other disorders, such as ADHD.

Those who are gluten-free must stay away from: Bulgar, barley, durham, farina, graham flour, kamut, matzo meal, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale, and wheat.

In addition, those adhering to a gluten-free diet should also be wary of these items and make sure they are labeled gluten-free: beer, breads, candies, cakes and pies, cereals, cookies, crackers, croutons, gravies, imitation meats or seafood, oats, pastas, processed lunch meats, salad dressings, sauces, and soups. Cross contamination is something to be watchful of as well. And other products that you may not have thought of, like food additives, lipstick, vitamins, and toothpaste, may contain gluten.

But just as there are many things that one has to take out of their diet, there are many other options that one can add in, and have fun in the process. Sometimes difficulties in life, like a food allergy, offer a  new learning experience that we would not have otherwise encountered. We can always take difficulties and turn them into strengths and positive experiences.  For example, sometimes food allergies actually cause us to be more health conscious, and as a side benefit, healthier, and more informed about our own health and alternative options--and able to help others in return.

Here is a short list of food items that those who are gluten-free (or cooking for people who are gluten-free) can eat and use as substitutes for some of the above: Amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn, cornmeal, gluten-free flours (rice, soy, corn, potato, beans), hominy grits, polenta, pure corn tortillas, quinoa, rice, and tapioca.

Because wheat contains gluten, many times bread is something that people give up, but tend to crave. You can still have bread with a little creativity, and there are plenty of options that are in-store as well,  you just have to know which brand to choose. I don’t have a gluten intolerance, but I’ve tried many  gluten-free breads  and listed a couple of my favorites. Try one out, either store bought or  handmade, let us know what you think and, post your favorite brands or recipes. 

A couple of good and tasty gluten free breads and where to find them:

Gluten-free bread recipes:  

Good gluten-free recipe blogs/websites:

References:


Thursday, November 17, 2011

Are you Eating in the Past, Present, or Future?


Do you find yourself eating lunch in front of the computer while trying to finish a spreadsheet? Maybe you try to eat in your car while driving and checking email on your iPhone? What about reading the back of a cereal box while eating? Or how about this scenario: you’re famished after work, you plop down in front of the TV with a selection of snacks that you think you can’t possibly finish, and then, poof! All of a sudden you are in a food coma unable to remove yourself from the couch. The food is gone, just traces of crumbs, and you are left without recollection of eating or enjoying your meal.

If you can associate with any of these situations, you are not alone, we all do it. “We eat mindlessly,” says Jan Chozen Bays, author of * Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food. She says that “The fundamental reason for our imbalance with food and eating is that we've forgotten how to be present as we eat.”

Many of us have a lot to juggle and we are constantly multi-tasking, including when we eat. Or we use food as a way to “numb-out” from emotional pain or a handful of other reasons. But when we are not present with our food, we not only disconnect from our food, but from ourselves.

When we start paying attention to our food when we are eating—when we eat “mindfully”—we not only enjoy our food more, but we connect to ourselves, and our ability feel satisfied, rather than full. One of the coolest things about mindful eating is that we learn to hear our body’s huger and satiation cues. The best way I can describe it is like when you have a friend that listens to you really well—they know you so much better, and it just feels good when someone listens to you. So why don’t we do this for ourselves? Well, we can. Mindful eating and mindfulness in general, helps us to learn to listen to ourselves better and be better to ourselves so we can be better for everyone around us.

How to Eat Mindfully?
1.     Start by sitting alone with your food. No music, TV, reading materials.
2.     Then pay attention to the flavor, texture, aroma, temperature and sound of your food.
3.     After taking a few bites, pay attention to the body. Are you still hungry? Are you full? Where are these sensations taking place in the body?
4.     After playing with this for a while, we can play with how full we feel and what that means to us. What does half-full or 80% full feel like?
5.     Make sure to pay attention to the mind. Don’t push your thoughts away; just name what is happening, like “this is just a thought being known.” Just because you think about looking at TV doesn’t mean you have to watch it—it’s just a thought, and like all thoughts it will rise and fall like a breath. Notice the impulse and return to just eating. But if you don’t, try not to judge or criticize yourself. You can try again later, or even in the next moment.   

After practicing mindful eating for a while, you’ll notice how you are more aware of not only your hunger and satiation, but of how you are sensitive to specific foods or food combinations, times you eat, and how emotions affect your eating. If you are an emotional eater, it will become easier to catch yourself trying to sooth yourself with food, and eventually, with time, you will learn to make different choices.

Keep in mind that habits are just that, habits, they are not who you are, but they are also hard to change and take time. So be gentle with yourself and the process and remember that lasting change is built on many small changes. And just making the decision to make a change is the first step.

If you are interested in giving it a go, here is some “homework” from Jan’s Blog on Psychology Today:
(1) Try taking the first four sips of a cup of hot tea or coffee with full attention?
(2) If you are reading and eating, try alternating these activities, not doing both at once? Read a page, then put the book down and eat a few bites, savoring the tastes, then read another page, and so on.
(3) At family meals, you might ask everyone to eat in silence for the first five minutes, thinking about the many people who brought the food to your plates.
(4) Try eating one meal a week mindfully, alone and in silence. Be creative. For example, could you eat lunch behind a closed office door, or even alone in our car?

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Spaghetti…Squashed

Last week I ate one of the most satisfying meals I’ve had in a while. It was chilly day, with just a hint of winter, and my boyfriend was in the mood for spaghetti. So we made spaghetti, with spaghetti squash. It was delicious, nutritious…and easy.

After baking the squash in the oven, we topped it with a red sauce, chopped fresh tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and instead of meat we used a walnut mushroom mix (we found it pre-made at the Wedge, but you can also make it yourself).

Chances are you may have already tried this recipe (or something close). If you haven’t tried spaghetti squash, I highly suggest trying any of the recipes below. If you have, try out a new one this week, and tell us about it.

Spaghetti Squash with Herbs:

Spaghetti Squash and Broccoli:

Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp:

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatballs:

Spaghetti Squash Nutrition Facts:
If you have diabetes or are watching your weight and carbohydrates, you can save 179 calories and 33 g of carbohydrate by eating a cup of spaghetti squash instead of a cup of pasta.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient database, 1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides 42 calories, 0.4 gram of fat, 1 g of protein, 10 g of carbohydrate (4 g as sugar) and 2.2 g of fiber.

Because it has a high water content, spaghetti squash is not as dense in vitamins and minerals as its other squash friends like acorn or butternut, but it does provide 5 percent of the DV for Vitamin A, 3 percent of the Daily Value for calcium, 8 percent of the DV for dietary fiber and 9 percent of the DV for Vitamin C. It also provides carotenoids which may help to protect the body against disease.