Gluten-free is good for you: fad or fact?

For the past few years I have been gradually changing our family diet. We now eat food made from scratch, lots of home-grown veges, organic milk, mostly organic meat. I avoid additives and preservatives in food.  I run a food co-op, through which we buy organic flours, rice etc. We make our own bread, based on Cydi O'Meara's Super Mix recipe, fresh everyday from organic ingredients.  We now use home-made soap, green cleaners, less chemicals.

So, I should be feeling healthier than ever, right? Wrong.

For the last 18 months at least I have just "felt unwell".  I think I haven't looked very well either.  I have felt tired, lethargic, occasionally nauseus for no reason, and bloated.  Last Christmas I started having cramping and other bowel issues as well, so I went to the doctor and was checked for various problems including bowel cancer.  Apparently there was nothing wrong with me, except borderline anaemia (for which there was no apparent cause either).  With such vague symptoms it was hard to convince the doctor there was any illness to be checked out.  Despite seeing two different doctors, neither suggested that diet could be a cause or tested me for gluten intolerance.

Meanwhile, I kept reading about gluten-free diets, paleo diets, dairy-free diets. Some of my friends follow various diets like these too.  Now, I am quite skeptical when it comes to diets and usually just dismiss them. I prefer to stick to eveything in moderation, a balanced diet and exercise.  But one day I realised that I felt much worse in the afternoons, after lunch.  I had an "aha" moment - it must be the bread.  Such healthy bread though, it was hard to believe that it was causing health troubles.

I figured I had nothing to lose, so I embarked on a more or less gluten free diet for a week.  The effect was almost instantaneous.  Suddenly, I just "felt well". No bloating, heaps of energy, no nausea.  When my husband got home from work each day he said he could tell if I had eaten bread or pasta or other gluten filled food, just by looking at me.  I went from falling asleep on the lounge at 8pm to knitting by the fire at midnight.

Obviously, the whole gluten-free diet deserved more attention!  My 11 year old son has always had vague bouts of nausea and diahorrea- nothing serious enough or specific enough to warrant medical intervention, but niggling away in the background.  I switched him to gluten-free too. Among other results, he became more cheerful!

Thus began my research into gluten and it's effects on the body (and mind).  Switching to a gluten-free diet is not simple, and packaged products that are "gluten-free" are not therefore additive-free, preservative-free or healthy.  They are also heavy on packaging and heavy on the wallet.  The last thing I wanted to do was go back to expensive, packaged food. 

Next: learning more about the effect of grains and gluten, and can I still eat pizza?

Weekend baking

 The last few weekends I have been baking from recipes out of my Old Fashioned Favourites cookbook, and this weekend was no exception.  I have noticed a theme in these "old-fashioned recipes" - butter and sugar. Lots of it!

Firstly I baked Easter Biscuits.  As I read the recipe I realised that I know these as Currant Cakes.  My Grandma used to bake them, although she used lard rather than butter. Hers would come out melt-in-your-mouth crumbly and were terribly delicious straight from the oven.  You were never allowed to take one though, and if she caught you sneaking one off the tray she would shout "Gerrout" in her Yorkshire accent and perhaps swat at you with a tea towel. I remember asking Mum to get one for me.  Mine were almost as yummy as hers but not quite!

Here's the dough ready to roll out.  I used sultanas chopped up into smaller pieces because I didn't have currants but really wanted to cook this recipe :)

 Cutting the dough into rounds...

 Warm Currant Cakes sprinkled with sugar and ready to eat...

 I also baked what my recipe book called British Flapjacks.  These were easy and had just three ingredients - sugar, butter and rolled oats.  They came out crispy and a bit caramelised.  The children love them, but when I tried one I felt like I had a mouthful of butter. Of course, that's because I did have a mouthful of butter and sugar!  I think this recipe is one that I will leave to the past!

 Mum, if you are reading this - don't you think these are just like Grandmas?

Do you have baking recipes handed down from past generations?

Weekend Baking...and eating :)

After a bit of a sleep-in this morning and because I am not feeling completely well, I had a slow start to the day and didn't achieve much. Sometime after lunch, my desire to eat something yummier than some plain rice crackers (all I could find to snack on) overtook my desire to sit around and do not much more than read the newspaper.

I dug out the cookbooks for inspiration and, happily, gathered some momentum as I measured and mixed.  First up was an oat and choc chip slice, especially for the kids.  I have switched from using packaged choc chips and now use sweetened cacao nibs instead.

 Next a recipe for Butterscotch Curls in my Womens Weekly Old Fashioned Favourites cookbook took my fancy.  It calls for copious amounts of butter and sugar and so seemed completely appropriate for a cold and windy Saturday afternoon.

Here is the pan prepared with butter, sugar and pecans...

The dough rolled out ready to be smothered in more butter and sugar.

  

Cut into rounds and placed on top of the prepared base.

 

Ready to eat with a cup of tea :)

Weekend baking wouldn't be complete without some music to cook to and I was listening to Sometimes the Stars by The Audreys.

 

I may still quickly throw together a batch of vanilla icecream for the kids.  This is my easy recipe:

Blend 1/3 cup water, 2/3 cups sugar and 1 cup powdered milk in a blender.

Add 1 egg, approx 150ml cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence and enough milk to bring it up to 1 litre. Blend well.

Place in a sealed container and freeze for 30 minutes. Stir and pour into an icecream maker. Process in icecream maker for 30 minutes then return it to the freezer.