serotonin for breakfast

living and eating mindfully


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Candle Cafe West

Hey friends!

Recently, it seems that my opportunities to dine out have become more and more rare. Even though I haven’t been there for terribly long, it seems the more time I spend working at a restaurant, the more often I want to come straight home to my kitchen/laboratory to come up with something inspired. I find the beautiful, high-quality ingredients I get to use on a daily basis for my handicraft tremendously inspiring. However, whenever it’s time for me to catch up with a friend over lunch or spend a relaxing evening out post-yoga, there are a handful of places that I can always count on to keep me coming back again and again.

I first visited Candle Cafe on the Upper West Side shortly after their grand opening this spring. I adore Candle 79 for special occasions, and while my personal experiences at Candle Cafe East have been less than stellar, mostly related to the service, I was really glad to have another potentially awesome vegan dining destination convenient to my apartment and usual stomping grounds. Candle West has turned out to be my favorite of the three!

Inside, the decor is similar to Candle 79- lots of earth tones and elegant-but, with a special golden touch:

Typically, I have visited during weekday lunch hours when there is lots of light coming through the big front windows, but I’ve also enjoyed a few dinners in the evening as well. Service is always fantastic, and I always find that I am pleasantly surprised at how quickly my food comes out.

One thing I look forward to most at Candle West is the amazing texture and flavor of their tofu and tempeh. Whoever is back there on the soy protein station is a real genius. Case in point:

The chipotle tofu is served with a quinoa pilaf, sautéed greens, black bean sauce, and topped off with an avocado mango salad. The chipotle rub on the tofu is really delicious, and it’s something I’ve enjoyed recreating at home. When craving something hearty that won’t sit too heavily, this is a great dish to order.

Another favorite, also from the gluten-free menu is the mole tempeh. I believe it is currently being served with roasted fingerling potatoes, but at the time I ordered it, there were whipped sweet potatoes. Accompanied with sautéed greens and an avocado salad, the mole sauce on the tempeh is the perfect balance of chocolatey sweet with a kick.

Although they are not part of the gluten-free menu, I’ve also enjoyed the seaweed soba noodle salad, the grilled kale salad (grilled greens=true love), and the awesome cajun seitan sandwich.

One of the best dessert-y things I’ve had lately ever is their mocha maca latte. Holy smokes. I want one everyday. Coffee, chocolate, maca, and coconut…all in one glass! This smoothie reminds me of the insanely delicious milkshakes served at Chicago Diner, and it might just win. I’d have to do a side by side comparison. Nah, that’s just an excuse to drink two milkshakes. :)

If you haven’t had the chance to try out the latest Candle installment on the Upper West Side, be sure to stop by for a wonderful experience with seasonal and organic vegan cuisine!

xo


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Dolmas on my Grill

Every year when the dog days of summer are nearly upon us, the Greenmarkets are burgeoning with tender lettuces, fragrant stone fruits, unusual melons, and crisp summer squashes. We gear up with our reusable shopping bags and sunglasses, prepared for our trek to Union Square and its wagon circle of pointy white tents. Through the urban sun-powered oven, we slowly make our way from stand to stand, dodging the dog walkers, double wide strollers, and the absentminded passersby. Despite the apparent beauty of farm fresh local produce that constantly provides me inspiration, sometimes I find myself drawn like a moth to fluorescent lighting to the perfectly air-conditioned aisles of Fairway on the Upper West Side. I find myself crossing figs off of the theoretical shopping list. Most recently, the reach-in upstairs provided me with a pint of the brown turkey variety. With skin the color of aubergine and chartreuse-tinged earth, the perfectly ripened figs have a musky sweet aroma and a slight yield to the touch. Once sliced in half, the sparkle of tiny seeds is surrounded by succulent rosy-hued flesh.

Marinated briefly in red wine with toasted cumin and coriander, I grilled the figs before wrapping them inside grape leaves with an astonishingly tasty spring onion and rosemary rice pilaf. Not to skimp on using the grill when it’s been taken out of its storage location, I grilled the completed stuffed grape leaves. I devoured most of this recipe by myself and without regret, ignoring the rest of what I had prepared for dinner for the evening. Not to sound totally audacious, but these grape leaves were some of the best things I have ever tasted. Please, I beg of you, enjoy them!

Grilled Grape Leaves Stuffed with Marinated Figs and Spring Onion Rosemary Rice Pilaf

45 minutes

Serves 6-8

First, put 1 c jade rice on to cook with 2 c vegetable stock, then prepare the remaining components.

For the marinated figs:

  • 1 T whole cumin seed
  • 1 T whole coriander seed
  • 8 fresh figs, stem trimmed and cut in half
  • 1 c red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • Celtic sea salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat a dry skillet over medium-low, then gently toast the cumin and coriander seeds. Stir constantly and remove from heat when fragrant, no more than one minute. Add the toasted seeds to a coffee or spice grinder. In a bowl, sprinkle the ground spices, salt, and pepper over the fig halves, then cover with red wine and olive oil. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, but whatever you do, do not let them sit in the wine overnight. If using an indoor grill, preheat it. Meanwhile, make the rice pilaf below. When the grill is ready, place each fig cut side down on the grill until marks appear. With my grill, this was about two minutes. Set aside to cool enough to handle.

Spring Onion Rosemary Rice Pilaf

  • 3 c cooked jade rice
  • 2 T regular extra virgin olive oil plus an additional 2 T of a finishing extra virgin olive oil (something amazingly fruity)
  • 1 very large spring onion bulb, small dice (about 1 c)
  • 2 T fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt, to taste (enough salt to make the pilaf highly addictive)

In a skillet over medium, heat 2 T of the olive oil, then sauté the spring onions until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the rosemary for another 2 minutes, then remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, including and especially the finishing oil.

Now, get yourself another bowl, place a hunk of stuck together grape leaves in it, then cover with water. It should be easier to pull them apart now. Find the ones that are as whole as possible and arrange the desired number on your cutting board. Place one heaping tablespoon of the rice mixture in the center of each grape leaf, cut the fig pieces in half, then place the quarter fig on top.

Roll up the sides as if you were making a burrito. Thusly:

Holding the bottom edges and using your fingers to keep everything in place, roll the grape leaf tightly until it resembles this:

As you can tell from the picture, you are going to put the whole dolma package onto the grill until marks appear. For me, this was another 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, then ENJOY!

Notes: If you aren’t planning to enjoy all 32 dolmas immediately, go ahead and wrap them all to store. You can do the final grilling as needed rather than having to set up the grape leaf assembly line a second time.

xo


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Vegan Chopped!

Hey friends!

How’s it going?

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve had the blog down while I’ve been working on some major changes to the mission and structure of the site. However, I was perusing Facebook on my lunch break the other day and discovered that The Post Punk Kitchen is hosting a virtual vegan Chopped competition. Even with the renovations under way, I had to create something delicious in hopes of WINNING and post it here for your viewing pleasure.

If you aren’t familiar with the show Chopped, the premise is that chefs compete to make a dish using four mystery ingredients in less than forty minutes. The ingredients normally do not complement each other very well or they are so obscure that most chefs have not had much exposure to them. The actual show is not vegan friendly, unfortunately, so it’s nice to have a go at it myself! For this round, our secret ingredients are canned black-eyed peas, bittersweet chocolate, fresh mint, and blackberries. Niiiiiice.

The first thing that popped into my brain when I read the ingredient list was SOUTHERN. Black-eyed peas are eaten in my family alongside something green, like collards, for New Year’s good luck and financial abundance. Blackberries are also typical of southern food, and well, chocolate goes with anything. The order in which I have written the instructions below is to enable you to prepare the dish in under 40 minutes so no time is wasted. To aid with the speediness, be sure to set out all the ingredients you need ahead of time for quick and easy access.

I was really, really pleased with how well all the flavors complemented each other in this dish. The peas are amazing, I have to say. The sauce is something of a hybrid between a barbecue and a molé, and it’s very surprising how wonderfully the chocolate and stout beer fall in rank with typical baked bean ingredients. You would never know that the cornbread is gluten-free and the chutney, though simple to make,  is totally a condiment rock star. I love collards any day of the week, but with the blackberry balsamic, you will probably want them for every meal. Just sayin’. :)

Chocolate Stout Baked Black-eyed Peas

Gluten-Free Skillet Cornbread with Fire-Roasted Fresh Corn

Mint Jalapeno Chutney

Sautéed Collard Ribbons Tossed in a Blackberry Balsamic Vinagrette

Image

Chocolate Stout Baked Black-eyed Peas

  • 1 15 oz can black-eyed peas
  • 55 g bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped (1/5 of a Scharffen Berger baking bar)
  • 3 T tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 T Dijon mustard
  • 2 T molasses
  • 1/3 c stout beer
  • 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1/4 c turbinado sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
  • pinch cayenne

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Set up a double boiler on the stove top to melt the bittersweet chocolate. While the chocolate is melting, drain and rinse the peas, then place them in a ceramic baking dish. Whisk all the remaining ingredients together in a bowl, stir in the chocolate once it is melted, and taste to make any adjustments. It should taste like heaven and angels. Pour the sauce over the peas and bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile…

Gluten-Free Skillet Cornbread with Fire Roasted Corn

  • 1 1/2 c unsweetened, plain almond milk
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/4 c cornmeal
  • 1/4 c + 2 T garbanzo flour
  • 1/4 c potato flour
  • 2 T tapioca flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 T turbinado sugar
  • 1/4 c coconut oil, plus extra for greasing
  • 1 ear of fresh corn, husk and corn silk removed

In a measuring cup, whisk together the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside to curdle. Over a gas flame (or on a grill perhaps) use metal tongs to hold the ear of corn until it has a nice even layer of char on the outside. This will take no longer than three minutes. Set aside the corn to cool while you whisk together all the dry ingredients. Take out a cast iron skillet and grease lightly with coconut oil. Preheat the skillet over medium while you combine the dry and remaining wet ingredients. Cut the corn away from the cob, then fold into the batter. Spread the batter into the skillet and let it sizzle for about thirty seconds. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out cleanly.

Onward…

Mint Jalapeno Chutney

  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and pith removed, minced (wear gloves!)
  • 2 apples, diced (skins are okay)
  • 1/2 c agave nectar
  • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • pinch Celtic sea salt
  • 1/2 c fresh mint leaves

In a sauce pan over medium-high, heat the oil and add all the ingredients except for the mint leaves. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes (prep the collards and make the vinaigrette during this time), or until the apples are soft and translucent. Remove from heat then add to a high speed blender with mint leaves. You may need to add more agave nectar. Taste and make adjustments as necessary.

Sautéed Collard Ribbons tossed in a Blackberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

  • one bunch collard greens, ribs removed
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil for the pan
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

For the vinaigrette:

  • 1 6 oz container of fresh blackberries
  • 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar
  • 2 T aged balsamic vinegar
  • 2-3 T agave nectar, to taste
  • pinch Celtic sea salt

Take four or five collard green leaves once the ribs have been removed and stack them on top of one another. Roll the lengthwise like a cigar then cut the roll into 1/8 inch strips. Repeat with remaining leaves. In a large frying pan, heat the 2 T of olive oil over medium low. Add the garlic and stir for about thirty seconds, being careful not to burn. Using a pair of tongs, wiggle the collard ribbons around to get them evenly coated in oil. Sauté for two to three minutes, or until the collards turn bright green.

For the vinaigrette, blend all the ingredients on high and make adjustments to taste. Keep separate from the collards until serving, then toss as needed.

Serve and enjoy!!

xo


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Maimonide of Brooklyn

Hey friends!

This afternoon I had the wonderful pleasure of venturing out to Brooklyn for some food nerd fun times with my good friend Johann. I’m sad to say I have my moments where I fail at being a decent New Yorker, especially in my exploration of the non-Manhattan boroughs. However, thanks to fantastically unique places to eat like Maimonide of Brooklyn (MOB), all that is going to change for me. So, whatever your plans are for dining out in the near future, whether you live the NYC area or plan to visit, make a point to head over to MOB, where you most assuredly will enjoy the flavorful and innovative vegetarian and gluten-free options in an exquisitely quirky dining space.

When you enter the restaurant, your eyes will be met with a lot of fun visual stimulus. The chairs surrounding the large communal tables are playfully mismatched, while the walls are as you can see below:

RIP wall for vegetables. Carrot died for soup, avocado died for guacamole, etc. :)

The musician in me wants to point out the Brooklyn Bridge arch motive, as we will be seeing it again shortly.

Makes you want to come in a read a good book, right? At the very least, you’ll have your very own Maimonide comic to enjoy after you’ve perused the menu.

When you sit down, you find your silverware and extra napkins are in a drawer built into the table. Everyone also receives complimentary warm and salty kale chips.

For our meal, we started out with the Dry Cured Fennel and Sage Saucisson, which consisted of sun-dried tomato, porcini mushroom, and sunflower seeds, served over the house made gluten-free MOB bread (it’s typically on sourdough), with aioli and pickled radishes.

One of the things I miss most about my gluten eating days is a nice hearty sandwich with some kind of meaty something-mushroom, tofu, etc., balanced out with a brightening condiment of some kind. The saucisson had quite a sophisticated flavor: this ain’t Tofurkey, my friends. The fennel is sharp against the briny sun-dried tomatoes; it’s a classy party in your mouth. The MOB bread is similar to socca, and I liked that it wasn’t as oily or dense as the socca I’ve had. It was something in between socca and focaccia, made from garbanzo, fava, and sorghum flours, but most importantly, it was a lovingly textured vessel for the saucisson and aioli.

We also shared the Quinoa Salad, seasoned with lots of toasty cumin, pumpkin seeds, candied beets, avocado, scallions and mint, dressed with lime.

I have strongly affectionate feelings all the individual components of this salad, and it was quite nice to enjoy them complimenting each other. I couldn’t taste much of the mint, but I really love me some cumin, especially in combination with beets and avocado.

For our main dishes, I had the Iron Man MOB with roasted shiitakes, sautéed kale, horseradish aioli, and parsley. What a great open-faced sandwich. Love, love, love. I would have liked more horseradish in my aioli, but I didn’t feel like I was missing out on flavor regardless.

Yeeaahhh. Awesome servingware, too.

Johann had one of the daily specials which was a sweet potato and cashew-based mac and cheese with smoked almonds, St. George mushrooms, asparagus, and watercress. I didn’t try this one since it wasn’t gluten-free pasta, but Johann enjoyed it, especially the smokiness of the dish.

Finally, we also shared some fiddlehead ferns and ramps, sautéed in white wine and olive oil with dill, compliments of Chef Neal Harden. These guys were freaking delicious. I will most definitely be preparing ramps and fiddleheads this way in my home in the future.

Overall, I had such a great meal, and the 45 minute trek to Brooklyn from my apartment will be time well-spent in the future. Bravo on such a cool concept, warm and friendly service, and a totally creative design. Thank you Chef Neal and staff for the experience!

What are your favorite restaurants with totally awesome concepts? I want to know! And please let me know how you like MOB.

Their menu can be found here.

Happy dining!

xo


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Roasted Cauliflower Corn Chowder

Hey friends!

I enjoyed hearing your feedback from yesterday’s post on coconuts. I plan to do more videos in the future! I’m open for recommended topics, as always, so feel free to send me a message.

Today I have an easy and flavorful soup recipe to share with you! My roasted cauliflower and corn chowder gets an added dose of creaminess from blended cashews. It’s spiced with Indian flavors-cumin, coriander, and a pinch of cayenne-as well as a subtle hint of lemon to brighten things up. It’s an incredibly comforting combination of flavors.

Roasted Cauliflower and Corn Chowder

30 minutes

Serves 4

  • 4-5 c vegetable broth (low sodium if using store bought)
  • 1 medium-sized head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 2 ears of fresh organic corn, or 3/4 c frozen and thawed
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp (plus a little extra for roasting) extra virgin olive or coconut oil
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt, to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 c raw, unsalted cashews, soaked for one hour minimum**
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • finely minced cilantro for garnish, optional

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In an appropriate roasting pan, toss the cauliflower florets with the oil, using a spray bottle if you have one on hand. Season with salt and pepper. Give it a toss, then roast for 15-18 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Meanwhile, set up your mise en place. Mince the garlic and set out all the remaining ingredients. Remove the husk and silvery hairs from the corn. Using metal tongs, give the corn a slight char over a gas flame. Once cool enough to handle, cut the corn from the cob and set aside. If you have an electric stove, take your stock pot and add 1 tbsp of oil. Cut the kernels from the cob, then over medium heat, sauté the corn until it is slightly brown, 3-5 minutes. Once you’ve browned or charred your corn, add the remaining oil to the stockpot. Over medium-low heat, cook the garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute, being careful not to burn. If the corn wasn’t already in the pot from before, go ahead and toss it in. Add the cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper. By this time, your cauliflower should be close to being finished. Once it is sufficiently roasted, add it to the stockpot, then cover with vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then cover, set heat to low and simmer for about five minutes. Add the soaked cashews, then remove from heat. Using your choice of blender, puree the soup until totally smooth. Give your 1/2 lemon a squeeze, stir, then taste for salt, pepper, and cayenne levels. Adjust if necessary, ladle into bowls, and garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy!

xo


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Coconuts of Wakefulness

Hey friends!

How is your week going so far? Today’s post is all about coconuts! Why do they get so much hype these days anyways?

The young Thai coconut will be our focus, which looks quite different from the mature brown coconuts that typically come to mind. The young Thai coconut has a green covering when harvested, but usually when purchasing them at the store, this covering has been removed to reveal a white husk with a pointy top:

Source

Fun Coconut Facts:

  • Coconut water is one of the highest natural sources of electrolytes.
  • Coconut water chemically resembles human plasma so much that in times of war, it has been used as such in emergencies!
  • Coconuts are immune system enhancing foods, as they have antifungal, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties.
  • The medium chain fatty acids that are found in coconut flesh are more readily used for energy than other types of saturated fat. Thus it is believed they are able to boost sluggish metabolism.
  • Coconut fat in its myriad forms is thought to help balance blood sugar, which is particularly useful for people with hypoglycemia.
  • Coconuts aid your HDL or good cholesterol, which in turn helps to stabilize your hormones.
  • Coconuts are fantastic for your skin and hair…you can use extra virgin coconut oil topically and/or ingest it to experience its beautifying effects.
  • Coconut oil is really The Oil you should use for cooking, as it is stable at much higher temperatures than other oils, thus you can rest assured you won’t be consuming trans fatty acids every time you sauté or roast.

Source

You’ve probably all seen coconut water for sale at the end of your Bikram yoga classes or near the checkout line at Whole Foods, which can be refreshing in a pinch. However, unless the the manufacturer specifies otherwise on the label, most bottled brands pasteurize the water, which significantly reduces the health benefits you were probably wanting in the first place! If you do find an unpasteurized version with all the beautifying enzymes intact, it’s probably ridiculously expensive. Fret not! You can purchase young Thai coconuts at a fraction of the cost in Asian markets and natural food stores. When selecting a coconut, choose one that is not cracked or moldy on the outside. If you open it up and find that the water has a reddish tint, then unfortunately you have come across a rancid coconut. Toss it. (That has only happened to me once).

So, I made you a video so you can open them up without fear!

Follow me to YouTube.

Finally, try this delicious and simple recipe that uses young Thai coconut flesh to make a luxurious tropical pie…

Raw Mango Chiffon Tart with a Pistachio Lime Tarragon Crust

20 minutes, plus time to set

Make one 10 inch pie, but seriously, don’t put it in a pie plate…put it in a regular tart shell or mini tart shells and it will hold up much better!

If you only have a few mini tart shells, you can put the remaining crust and filling in containers and quickly assemble as needed. The crust also makes an excellent Larabar and the filling is really delicious on its own!

For the crust:

  • 2 c shelled raw pistachios
  • 1 c shredded coconut (the small flakes, not the bigger strips)
  • 1/2 c fresh dates, pitted
  • 3 tbsp finely minced fresh tarragon leaves
  • zest and juice of one lime
  • 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt

For the filling:

  • 4 champagne mangoes, peeled, de-stoned, and cut into large dice
  • flesh of one young Thai coconut
  • 1/4 c coconut water, or filtered tap water
  • 1 c raw cashews, soaked for a minimum of one hour, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 c Irish moss paste (learn how to make it here)
  • 2 fresh dates, pitted

First, in a perfectly dry food processor bowl, pulverize the pistachios until they are a fine powder. Add the remaining crust ingredients, and process until thoroughly combined. Using your fingers, press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan(s).

In a high speed blender, combine all filling ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour the filling into the shells and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour to set. Serve and enjoy!

Some thoughts for the day:

“In the garden of gentle sanity. may you be bombarded with coconuts of wakefulness.” -Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

I adore that quote. Instead of viewing the coconuts that fall on our heads during life as something to fear, we would be better served to view them as opportunities to wake up! Having the rug pulled out from under us, normally results in falling face first into the ground, wondering why the Universe is out to get us today. What if instead we leaned into the discomfort of uncertainty, and allowed ourselves to understand the reality of our circumstances? Being swept up by emotional responses and black and white thinking robs us of our ability to see situations with the clarity that may enable us to come up with our best course of action. (or non-action, as the case may be).

Are you a fan of coconuts? Either in the literal or metaphorical sense :)

xo


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Gluten Freedom

Hey friends!

Are you having a good weekend? Mine has been full of cross-dressing as an 18th century man while performing  in Don Giovanni. Just another day at the office.

It’s the gluten-free revolution that has caused me to suddenly dress like Benjamin Franklin!

My hat is pretty much the most exciting thing that has ever been on my head.

In other news, it’s become painfully obvious to me that I really should not eat any gluten-containing foods. Period. It’s been a bit of a struggle for me to commit to going totally gluten-free for some reason. I rarely eat it, but then every once and a blue moon, I’ll have a tartine at Le Pain Quotidien or panini from Peacefood Cafe, perhaps. Then, without going into too much detail, my insides get angry, and it’s very blatant that I’m having a reaction from what I ate. It’s strange because I used to eat gluten-containing foods daily in the not too distant past, usually sprouted wheat bread for sandwiches, and to my knowledge, I didn’t pay for it to the extent that I do now. Furthermore, I’ve been reading quite a bit about it lately in Mark Hyman’s new book, The Blood Sugar Solution, which you MUST read, by the way. One statistic I keep coming across again and again is that 99% of people who have a sensitivity to gluten have no idea, and it’s possible that up to 75% of the population is sensitive to it in the first place. Even if I wasn’t sensitive to it, I feel that it makes sense for me to eliminate it from my diet. Here’s why:

-Gluten is known to be highly addictive. Yeah, you know it is, fellow carboholics…

-What nutrients do we get from gluten-containing foods that we can’t get anywhere else? Um, none…

-If you aren’t consuming organic wheat, you are most definitely taking in a host of pesticides.

-If you are even marginally sensitive to gluten, it causes inflammation, which may in turn appear as leaky gut syndrome, insulin resistance, and a laundry list of other potential problems and their corresponding chronic diseases.

Besides the obvious autoimmune disorder, Celiac disease, there are grayer shades of gluten sensitivity that can appear as inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, PCOS, osteoporosis, autism, thyroid disorders, and so forth.

What about the symptoms that aren’t full blown chronic diseases? Well, there can be fatigue, achy joints, excess abdominal fat, elevated LDL cholesterol levels, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, gas, skin issues, congestion, anemia, mouth sores, irritability, cramps, and so on.

So for me, anyways, even if my internal organs weren’t throwing a fit, I think it would be best to avoid it completely.

The good news is that it’s pretty simple to determine whether or not you are sensitive to gluten by means of an elimination diet. For a minimum of two weeks and preferably six weeks, eat absolutely nothing containing gluten, and just observe. What are you craving? If you are craving bread, you may have a candida overgrowth issue. What is your energy level like? How is your gut treating you? Have you lost any inches around your midsection? Then, if you still aren’t convinced one way or the other, go ahead, eat a piece of sprouted wheat bread or that whole wheat pasta. What happens next will probably make it very clear to you whether or not you would be best suited to avoid gluten.

What is gluten anyways? Contrary to common belief, gluten is a protein, and not a carbohydrate. It’s what makes pizza dough stretchable, gives croissants their fluffy structure and bagels their chewy texture. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and triticate. While some people with a gluten allergy cannot eat oats, others may find that oats certified to be free of any cross-contamination may not be problematic. If a food is processed or packaged, there is a very high likelihood that it contains gluten. However, if something is labelled gluten-free, it doesn’t by any means make it a healthy choice. If it comes from a package and has a list of more than five ingredients, definitely put it back on the shelf. Be sure to examine the nutrition facts to determine whether or not a gluten-free food has an excess of sugar, sodium, or any artificial sweeteners. Also, gluten-free foods and vegan foods are not the same thing, so if you are preparing food for yourself or someone else who has those dietary preferences, be sure to read the ingredient list mindfully.

Finally, be sure to explore your higher-quality gluten alternatives for flours and grain dishes. Here are a few examples:

-buckwheat

-amaranth

-millet

-quinoa

-brown rice

-teff

As always, the recipes I post will continue to be gluten-free, so if you’re feeling inspired to give the elimination diet a shot, you won’t be without resources. Please feel free to share any observations you make and any questions you may have!

Have you tried going gluten-free? If you’ve already been gluten-free, what were the factors that caused you to make the change?

I’d love to hear from you!

xo

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