Loving Food Living Well

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Do Not Be Too Quick To Get Rid of Wheat

As a baker, there is nothing like wheat when it comes to achieving a desired texture. So improving its digestibility for those who have an issue with wheat is a more logical approach than simply removing the wheat as some are advocating. People do not have an issue with wheat because of the wheat, even if it is a one of the hybrid varieties. They have an issue with wheat because of lack of good bacteria in their guts which aids the digestion and absorption of the food.

Since good bacteria is essential for health and an important part of the immune system function, simply removing the wheat does not correct the underlying problem which is lack of good bacteria. It merely removes the symptom. Restoring good bacteria is a big topic and we still need a lot more information to be able to correct all the issues related to it. In the meantime, are there other options to removing the wheat for those who have trouble digesting it? The answer is yes. Both sprouting the wheat and fermenting it helps with digestion. There is even a technique of sprouting and fermenting the seed before grinding it into flour but who has time for that?

A study from the University of Guelph found that both whole grain sprouted bread and sourdough bread slow the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream when compared to both regular white bread and regular whole grain bread. Another study from the University of Bari in Italy from 2004 found that the selected live good bacteria from sourdough used to ferment a combination of wheat and gluten-free grains produced bread that was suitable for celiacs. If a product can be made using wheat gluten so it is acceptable to celiacs, it should be no problem to make one for those who just get a little bloated. Both studies show that how we use grains in preparing our foods is important in the study of grains and once again shows that techniques from the past had merit we did not appreciate.

The problem with sourdough for many is the sour taste. This is just a type of sourdough. It would be the most digestible form. Most bakers will ferment the dough to a certain stage to create the right level of wild yeast to get good leavening and texture. Then fresh flour is folded in and left to ferment for 24 hours. This process is repeated a second time. The final stage is to fold more fresh flour into the dough to now proof it into a loaf for baking. The extra stages remove the sour taste but that fresh flour is not as fermented so this may not be enough for total digestibility for a

celiac. It certainly is enough for the average person with bloating issues and it tastes great. So now I am curious about making bread using a wheat sourdough starter and adding either gluten-free grains or grains like spelt or kamut that some people find easier to digest. Could this be the answer for getting a great texture and creating a digestible product for everyone? Stay tuned as the experiments begin.


References:

1. The Impact of Ingestion of Breads of Varying Composition on Biomarkers of Glucose Metabolism in Overweight and Obese Adults. A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Guelph by ANITA MOFIDI NAJJAR, December, 2009

2. Sourdough bread made from wheat and nontoxic flours and started with selected lactobacilli is tolerated in celiac sprue patients.Di Cagno R, De Angelis M, Auricchio S, Greco L, Clarke C, De Vincenzi M, Giovannini C, D'Archivio M, Landolfo F, Parrilli G, Minervini F, Arendt E, Gobbetti M.Department of Plant Protection and Applied Microbiology, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2004 Feb;70(2):1088-96.

Yes, You Can Freeze Your Butt Off

The Ultimate Weight Loss Tip

As a true cold weather enthusiast, I was happy I was chosen to write an article about it. Even more delightful, research shows, if we spend our time in colder temperatures, we can burn more of the fat stored in our bodies, including from the key reservoir of body fat, our butts.

Anyone who has been winter camping, especially 25 miles north of Thunder Bay at minus 25 degrees C (-13 F), knows campers are encouraged to consume a lot of fat calories to stay warm. Okay, so there may not be many people who are aware of this information but I have known it for 20 years. I was taught that we need to eat more fat as we will burn it for fuel to stay warm. I was also taught, because we need to move and stay active to stay warm, and since it is difficulty to consume enough extra calories while camping in the snow, weight loss often occurs.

So what a pleasure to discover that the research showed no travel or snowshoes are needed. All we have to do is lower our thermostats. There is even a theory linking today’s obesity issue to the fact that we have central heating and warm cars. Think how much longer our ancestors were exposed to colder temperatures 100 years ago. Rooms were warmed up as needed and they seldom reached 22 C (70 F). Transportation was horse and sleigh or buggy or they would be walking so they would always have been activating a process called non-shivering thermogenesis.

Thermogenesis is a process for producing heat in the body by burning fat stores. Exercise can burn calories but does not always burn stored fat. It can also produce an increase in appetite because the calories burned were from the food just consumed instead of converted stored fat. Non-shivering thermogenesis burns stored fat providing the body with necessary heat. If losing weight is your goal, this is good news. So lower the thermostat to 20 degrees C (68F) during the day and 18 degrees C (64 F) at night and allow the body to adjust. This means the body is now burning more stored fat 24 hours a day and more than it was at the higher room temperature, a great tip to go with any weight loss program.

Being outside is another way to burn more fat so instead of using the treadmill, go for a walk. Shivering to produce heat also burns fat but, in this scenario, the body is too cold so use this as a guide. Feeling the cold without shivering is ideal. After is nice walk, enjoy a hot Maca Chocolate Drink (recipe in newsletters below). The ingredients help maintain energy and deliver powerful antioxidants and nutrients that will be beneficial for any exercise program, even just walking in the cold.
For the recipe and more information about non-shivering thermogenesis, check out the article in the in one of these newsletters:

A Pastry Queen Goes Green
CAHN-Pro Nutrition News and Views

References:

1. High incidence of metabolically active brown adipose tissue in healthy adult humans: effects of cold exposure and adiposity, Saito M, Okamatsu-Ogura Y, Matsushita M, Watanabe K, Yoneshiro T, Nio-Kobayashi J, Iwanaga T, Miyagawa M, Kameya T, Nakada K, Kawai Y, Tsujisaki M., Source Department of Nutrition, School of Nursing and Nutrition, Tenshi College, Sapporo, Japan. saito@tenshi.ac.jp
2. Thermogenesis challenges the adipostat hypothesis for body-weight contro,lBarbara Cannona1, Jan Nedergaarda1, The Wenner-Gren Institute, The Arrhenius Laboratories F3, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden, presented at Symposium on ‘Frontiers in adipose tissue biology’, Edinborough Scotland April 2009
3. Br J Nutr. 1981 Mar;45(2):257-67. Influence of mild cold on 24 h energy expenditure, resting metabolism and diet-induced thermogenesis, Dauncey MJ.Br J Nutr. 1981 Mar;45(2):257-67.
4. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/central-heating-may-be-making-us-fat/

5. The effect of short daily cold exposures on development of brown adipose tissue in mice, Gerhard Heldmaier Biomedical and Life Sciences, Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology, Volume 98, Number 2, 161-168, DOI:
10.1007/BF00706127
6. BAT Cold-Induced Thermoregulation and Biological Aging,Florez-Duquet, Maria, and Roger McDonaldPhysiology Graduate Group and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California Physiol. Rev. 78: 339–358, 1998
7. Dietary isoflavones alter regulatory behaviors, metabolic hormones and neuroendocrine fun Carnitine is necessary to maintain the phenotype and function of brown adipose tissue.
8. Ozaki K, Sano T, Tsuji N, Matsuura T, Narama I. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Setsunan University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. ozaki@pharm.setsunan.ac.jp Lab Invest. 2011 May;91(5):704-10.Epub 2011 Feb 14.
9. Dietary isoflavones alter regulatory behaviors, metabolic hormones and neuroendocrine function in Long-Evans male rats. Lephart ED, Porter JP, Lund TD, Bu L, Setchell KD, Ramoz G, Crowley WR., Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA. edwin_lephart@byu.edu.
10. Corticosterone decreases nonshivering thermogenesis and increases lipid storage in brown adipose tissue. Strack AM, Bradbury MJ, Dallman MF.Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0444.
11. Brown fat norepinephrine contents and turnover during cold acclimation and hibernation in the golden hamster (mesocricetus auratus), Dale D. Feista, †, a, Department of Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, U.S.A., PMID: 15617573

Time For Yummy!

Lately I find myself watching the local Italian station, with seems to have nothing but cooking shows about pasta dishes. I grew up making pasta. My father was of Italian descent and the weekly ritual of making pasta was one our favourite activities. It took me years to master making the pasta with the right texture because a fair bit of muscle is involved to get the right amount of white flour worked into dough. From there we could make all kinds of tasty dishes spagehetti, ravioli, cannaloni and even specialty desserts. Homemade sauces were also mandatory. But that was then and this is now. I have not made pasta in years because I want whole grain pasta now and earlier attempts to make it were not to my liking. However, while I still like the taste of a good white flour pasta – I know it does not satisfy my body and I end up being hungry sooner. It is not easy to find whole grain pasta when it comes to the fancier dishes, still best made by hand.

So, after much longing for the days of the past, I decided to re-visit making my own whole grain pasta. My choice was spelt ravioli with ricotta-parsley filling and a mushroom cream sauce. Yummy! The key to ravioli is very thin pasta so that it cooks nice and light. The ricotta also makes a light filling. The hard part was choosing the spelt as the flour. As a soft flour, more similar to cake and pastry flour, it is not the best for pasta. To make it stiffer and have more texture and flexibility like white wheat flour. I decide to add ground white chia. This adds more soluble fibre to absorb more of the egg wetness and helps keep it pliable. The result was good. The dough was extremely stiff and rolled very thin without breaking and had no stickiness to the touch. However, it took longer to cook than homemade pasta usually does. So the next round I added some extra water. The recipe I posted on my website is “round two” with the extra water. Remember paper-thin is the key and if you have a pasta rolling machine, it is a little easier on the arms. Otherwise, put your weight into it and give your muscles a work out.

Please note: If you want to go in baby steps towards whole grain, try a 50/50 blend of all-purpose unbleached wheat flour, preferably organic. The goal is to create a pasta that requires some chewing so you eat it slower and gives you the ability to sustain your energy and your feeling of being satisfied longer. Remember, feeling satisfied is not the same as feeling full. These are two different things. If you have eaten the right combination of food and taken the right amount of time to do so, you will not feel full or stuffed - just satisfied and the feeling will last for several hours. Using the chia even with the white flour will also aid in this because of the fibre it contains. Enjoy!

Mushroom Ricotta Ravioli Recipe

Plans Always Take a Backseat to Life

How often do you make one plan only to find yourself doing something completely different? I had planned to spend my summer launching a new website and writing. I did spend the summer launching a new website but not mine and I had to build it myself - who knew website toolbuilders could work so well because I certainly do not know html code.

It is all because an event, Feast of Flavour, Canada's Holistic Food Experince has take over my life. It will be great and the choice of foods attendees can try such as mesquite, macqui berries and teff along with the usual favourites chia, chocolate, wine and many more will be a treat but it is still not what I am suppose to be doing. Or is it? This is the dilemma for us all. Do we pursue what we want to do or do we pursue that which life throws at us whihc are we meant to do. I am even preparing a delicious dessert item to sample at the event - something I have not done for 10 years and had no plans to do again.

While we all try to figure that out what we are supposed to do, stay tuned for more information about these great foods. Some of them I am quite anxious to try in baking like lacuma powder, which can be used as a sweetener. Others like triphala, which is a combination of three Indian fruits,I have had some unexpected results like the gluten-free muffins I made - explosive results actually. But that is why I love to do this. New foods provide new results and that is the adventure most of us who cook and bake look for.

Planting and eating

Last weekend was officially “planting weekend” and for the first time in 16 years, I actually planted my vegetables and herbs. The picture on the left is what it looked like when we started and the picture below is how it looked finshed. Do I like gardening? No. And this is not a salute to the glories of the outdoors and getting back to nature. Am I good at it? No. If herbs were not basically weeds we choose to grow, I would, year after year, have little to show for the little effort I actually make. Yes, there have been some cherry

tomatoes over the years and the occasional cucumber. One year there was even kale that grew the entire season. The rhubarb, fortunately, thrives on its own without my involvement. But that is the extent of my ability to grow.
So why bother? Life is tough. People are difficult. Technology makes us able to do more and more so we do. There never seems to be enough time for all that we need to do. We have a variety of food available to us from all corners of the world, all year round and far more than we need. For many of us, it is getting harder to figure out why we do what we do and how our lives came to be as they are. That is why I like growing things that are edible. It is so simple. I plant, it grows all summer and into the fall and I go out and pick for my own consumption, something I grew. It makes me feel more connected to what is real. It reminds me of the kind of live I should be working to achieve where there is more time to have more pleasure. It is a basic activity that can help ground us and makes us feel human. While I take my hat off to the skilled gardeners who create beautiful gardens and grow copious amount of foods in a natural way, it clearly it does not require much skill grow something about since I manage to pull it off.
So do yourself a favour and grow something this summer, even if is just some delicious herbs in a planter on your balcony or in a window. Give yourself a little piece of sanity. For more ideas and tips, check out these sites:

Toronto Balconies Bloom
Life on the Balcony
Organic Gardening Tips – Athomeo Farms
Natural Pest Control Tips
Oh My Garden

A Pastry Goes Green It's Official! The 2nd Edition...

It’s official. The 2nd edition of A Pastry Queen Goes Green is finally here. With this comes the launch of a new website www.pastryqueengoesgreen.com and a new approach and reinvigoration of my love for baking and cooking. It has been a long journey since I first published the book a short two years ago and started this blog and one thing I have learned since then: Keep blog posts short! I could never understand how people wrote a blog post every week and now I do. Less is more.

Since I last wrote I have started a new professional association for holistic nutritionists, founded a newsletter and stated a whole foods cafeteria. It all sound very exciting but in the end, while the newsletter is great fun, the rest is very painful and a story for another day. As I prepared for the launch of the 2nd edition, I quickly remembered how much I enjoy creating recipes, taking their picture and sharing it with the world. So with a new determination to create, snap and blog, I will stay resolute and not be diverted to tasks that should be done by others. I know we all say that, that we will focus on that which is in our best interests and then we let the world take over our lives but this time I really mean it… I swear… really. And on that note, I will stick to my other resolution to keep this short. So I am done…finished…really.

Stay tuned for the more….

In the meantime, enjoy the muffin recipe, a tried and true favourite served at many an event. It has also had many names, none of which, really matter because in the end it is the ingredients that count and these muffins are nutrient rich, most and delicious. Enjoy!