Allergen friendly baking

Author: Kristin Lipin

Allergen free/friendly baking begins with the flour substitute, and I’ve tried several. It’s important to note that no one flour (rice flour, tapioca starch, etc.) will replace traditional wheat based flour; you have to use a blend, either one that you mix yourself or a premixed one. You also will need to include xantham gum—a plant gum that “provides structure and elasticity.” (Pascal 10)

I’ve used (and have in my cabinets now) Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix (containing brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, baking powder, fava bean flour, and sea salt), Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (containing garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, and fava bean flour), as well as all of the individual flours mentioned. When I first began baking gluten free (GF) I used the two flour mixes found in Bette Hagman’s The Gluten Free Gourmet Revised Edition: GF Mix, a blend of white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour (also known as tapioca starch) and Four Flour Bean Mix, a blend of garfava (garbanzo and fava) flour, sorghum flour, cornstarch, and tapioca flour. Both of these exchange cup for cup with traditional flour and are better than some, but can be a little grainy and typically make very dense breads and sweets as do most GF mixes (Hagman 38-39). Now I primarily use the mixes recommended in Cybele Pascal’s The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook; (find it and other helpful baking tips here http://www.cybelepascal.com/?page_id=99) she has one for baking breads that contains millet flour, tapioca starch, sorghum flour, and potato starch (158) and one for all other types of baking that is made of superfine (very important) brown rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch (19). These mixes as well as the recipes in this cookbook have changed my perspective on allergen free baking; I’ve been pleased with every recipe I’ve attempted from this book from Blueberry Boy Bait—a fabulous blueberry coffee cake (49) to Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies (54); from SunButter Greenies—wonderful cookies made with sunflower seed butter, maple syrup, and chocolate chips (70) to Fudge Brownies (86). I’ve also made most of the cupcakes in this book and a few of the cakes—all with rave reviews from people who are able to eat what they please. In addition to the recipes in the cookbook, I’ve made several “normal” recipes by substituting for the flour (and possibly the milk and egg) with great success. Although I do occasionally use the premixed baking mixes for convenience, I always go back to Pacal’s mixes—they have the best texture and consistency of any that I’ve used. I also really like that they are whole grain and contain no additives or preservatives; and, because there are no eggs or dairy in any of the recipes in her cookbook, they’re all cholesterol free as well. Although I’ve determined that these are my favorites, I definitely recommend trying several to see which you prefer. Some of the sites I suggest are:

Gluten Free Cooking School http://www.glutenfreecookingschool.com/archives/gluten-free-all-purpose-flour-mix/

Ellen’s Kitchen http://www.ellenskitchen.com/faqs/glutfree.html”

Celiac.com http://www.celiac.com/categories/Gluten%252dFree-Recipes/Gluten%252dFree-Flour-Mixes/

Living Without http://www.livingwithout.com/resources/substitutions.html

Works Cited

Hagman, Bette. The Gluten-Free Gourmet. New York: St. Martin’s, 2001. Print

Pascal, Cybele. The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook: How to Bake Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, and Sesame. Berkeley: Celestial Arts, 2009. Print.

Eat organic to prevent poor health

Author: Melissa Herrington

Lately when I go to the grocery store, I find myself spending a long time in the produce section.  I hear from Yahoo! News, the doctors on T.V., the First Lady, and some of my closest friends which fruits and vegetables are the best choices to enhance memory, speed weight loss, give vitamin boosts, and help with digestion.  I just want to make the right choices!  In trying to do so, I always choose organic food because I have seen what pesticides can do.

Last summer my dad mixed a batch of herbicide and sprayed around all of our houses.  My dad told me that I didn’t need to let my dogs outside until the stuff dried!  I was a little freaked out but the chemicals worked like a dream.  The grass around the base of my house was dead and didn’t grow back for a long time, which saved me a lot of trouble.  But what consequences are there to the soil, or to the air, or to my pets, or to me?  What are the consequences of eating food doused with pesticides?

My husband was in the military for several years and when we go camping or to an outdoor function he always says that he wished he could get his hands on the bug repellant that was standard issue when he was in the National Guard.  Then, invariably, he’ll tell the story about how he sprayed his clothes and his gear with straight DEET and wasn’t bothered by a bug the whole time he was in the woods with his platoon.  He’s said, “The stuff stays on your clothes for, like, thirty washes.”  He seemed amazed.  I know that bug repellent is necessary in the fight against pests, but how powerful are the chemicals we are using?  What can pesticide do to us when we ingest it along with our food?  Dead grass and dead bugs are proof enough for me to belief that the healthful choice is always labeled ORGANIC.

Pesticides that are used on food are classified into groups.  Insecticides manage insects, rodenticides manage rodents, herbicides manage weeds, fungicides manage molds and fungus, and antimicrobials control bacteria. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)  Chemical pesticides, of course, are made of chemicals.  They affect the nervous system of the pest they target.  Biochemical pesticides are made from naturally occurring microorganisms, modified genetic material introduced to plants, or non-toxic natural substances that ward off pests rather than kill them. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency acknowledges that studies show that pesticides can cause health problems.  Birth defects, nervous system damage, and cancer are all long-term effects of pesticide exposure. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)  They also acknowledge that most of the food we eat is grown using pesticides. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

The ORGANIC label does not only mean that pesticides are avoided, but that antibiotics, growth hormones, and synthetic fertilizers are not used.  Organic food is closer to the natural state of reaping and sowing than most of the other food we consume.  One of the consequences of choosing to consume mass-produced meat, fruits, and vegetables is consuming chemicals and biochemicals.  Because pesticides have been so widely used, there are chemicals in our water, air, and soil.  But, making a conscious choice to choose organic food will lead to better health for you and your family.

Works Cited

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. About Pesticides. 14 November 2011. 14 November 2011 <http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/types.htm>.

—. Accessing Health Risks from Pesticides. 16 February 2011. 14 November 2011 <http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/riskassess.htm>.

—. Pesticides and Food: Health Problems Pesticides May Pose. 16 February 2011. 14 November 2011 <http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/risks.htm>.

—. Pesticides: Health and Safety. 16 February 2011. 14 November 2011 <http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/whatrpest.htm>.

Eat local to benefit your community

Author:  Melissa Herrington

Have you ever been to your local farmer’s market on a Saturday morning?  Being awake early makes you feel like you’ve already accomplished something, and you feel like the day is full of promise.  You go to the square, or pavilion, your building that houses all of the gorgeous food and you breathe in the smell of earth.  The peddlers may be dressed as though they were already in the garden, or maybe they are dressed up, but as you walk by their tables mounded up with fruits and vegetables, breads and canned goods, you think to yourself, “What great bounty is before me!”

The average American consumes:

273.2 lbs of fruit a year

415.4 lbs of vegetables a year

32.7 lbs of eggs a year

73.6 lbs of chicken a year

110 lbs of red meat a year

(Howard)

One reason to buy local food is to cut down on fuel emissions.  Food miles are defined by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary as “a measurement of the distance food has to be transported from the producer to the consumer and the fuel this uses.” (Dictionary)  Studies show that 11% of the emissions harmful to the environment are incurred during transportation.  The majority of emissions, however, are incurred during the production phase of food. (Weber) In my experience, local farms are usually small family businesses that, if they do have a large crop, are still much less industrialized than a corporate outfit.  Buying from local producers cuts down on the amount of money used in transporting the goods and in manufacturing the goods for consumption.

When the Food and Drug Administration investigates food borne illnesses, they have a process they follow.  They go to the source of the food, the farm.  (Close your eyes and imagine a big farm in, let’s say, Iowa.)  Then they go to the processing, packing, or manufacturing plant. (Now think about the freighters that drove from Iowa all the way to somewhere in Arizona to drop of the goods that will be milled or washed or pureed or mixed together in the sterility of the factory.  The factory employs many people who may or may not be as hygienic as you.)  Then, they investigate the distribution center by which the product is shipped to its final destination, your tummy. (Think now about how many hands were on your food before it made it to the store and all the hands that were on it after it got there.) (Administration)  Another reason that buying local is good is that you know where your food comes from.  There are less people involved in the manufacturing of your food when you purchase from a local business or farm.  And, if there were a contamination of any kind, it would be easier to track the source and fix the problem.

Another reason to purchase food locally is because your local economy needs it.  Purchasing from local farms or businesses aids in job creation, helps to keep money in the local community, provides the means for local businesses to be charitable, produces more choices for the consumer, reduces the environmental impact of capitalism, encourages better customer service, saves tax dollars, and promotes entrepreneurship throughout the community. (Robinson) Local farm owners care about the community.  The local farmer wants to know his or customer; they want to have conversations about the food they grow.  They take pride in feeding those close to them.  They don’t do it to get rich, but to provide a service.

There are more reasons than just those mentioned, of course. The humane treatment of livestock, the nutrient value of a food that is not packaged and overly-manufactured, and the taste of fresh food in season are additional reasons to buy locally. Think about the beauty of the colors of the produce you see in a grocery store. Then think about how vibrant those colors would look in the full view of the sun, instead of under florescent lamps. The consequences of buying from the local farmer are fresh eggs, fresh meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, good customer service and peace of mind.

Works Cited

Administration, Food and Drug. FDA: Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Assessment. 19 10 2011. 14 November 11 <http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/ucm235425.htm>.

Dictionary, Oxford Advanced Learner’s. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 2011. 14 November 2011 <http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/food-mile>.

Howard, Rich. Food Consumption in America. 2006. 14 November 2011 <http://www.creditloan.com/blog/2010/07/12/food-consumption-in-america/>.

Robinson, Nandi. Why Buy Local? . Assessment. Lansing: Michigan State University, 2010.

Weber, Christopher & H. Scott Matthews. “Food Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the United States.” Environmental Science and Technology (2008): 6.

Eczema: what’s really going on

Author: Tiffany Harris

Wow! Eczema has been a part of my life for the past three years. I have had to deal with this condition through two of my children. And let me tell you, my experience with eczema has caused me more stress than finances and family combined! The condition itself is stressful but the treatment for it is also very stressful. My oldest daughter who just turned 4 has been dealing with eczema since she was 4 months old. Her eczema is linked to food allergies. For the most part, as long as she stayed away from the foods that she is allergic to, her eczema was less severe. There were still a lot of sleepless nights with her eczema though. The horror came with my now three year old. She has suffered from eczema since the age of 1. The first year and a half was a complete nightmare. Afraid of the possibilities that she may have the same food allergies as my oldest daughter, we kept her away from all of the foods that triggered my oldest daughter’s eczema. Even with that prevention, her eczema was 100 times worse. Her skin felt just like sandpaper; just absolutely rough with no life what so ever. I was told time after time again that the key to battling eczema was to keep the skin moisturized. I will tell you this, over the course of 2 years; I have spent over one thousand dollars on different moisturizers. Yet her skin would not retain any moisture. After her baths, I would slather her skin with creams, moisturizers, etc and within 20 minutes it would be right back dry. If you are familiar with eczema you will know that the drier the skin is, the more it itches. My daughter would literally claw at the hands, knees, ankles, and feet until they bled. That’s not all either; all of this would take place in the wee hours of the night. This was very frustrating because nothing worked and it killed me to see my child suffer. She would cry while clawing her skin. She would say “Mommy I itchin” “Mommy I itchin”. It was very hurtful to see. I took her to the doctor for her eczema for the entire year and a half until recently I took her again. I looked that doctor in the eyes, took off my daughters socks and shoes and pants; showing the doctor the weeping lesions that were remnants of her clawing; and I told her to please help me. In addition to her eczema, my daughter was continually sick with ear infections. She also breathed through her mouth only. These factors caught this particular doctor’s attention. She ordered her to see an allergist and to be seen at the ear, nose, and throat clinic. After all of these appointments, a very good doctor figured that all of these issues correlated to why her eczema was so bad. My daughter’s tonsils were so big that they almost touched each other. Her tonsils were the reason why she breathed through her mouth only. It was very uncomfortable for my daughter to breath with her mouth closed. The breathing issues resulted in sleep apnea, which overnight, caused stress, which caused her extreme eczema flare ups. The doctor also realized that by my daughter breathing through her mouth only, she was not breathing in enough oxygen, which was the reason why her skin was always so dry. Her skin lacked enough oxygen to retain moisture. It all made sense to me after years of torture and passive diagnosis by doctors. After it was all said and done, my daughter eventually had her tonsils removed. Her eczema and skin have improved tremendously. She doesn’t have any more of her previous issues except for her eczema; which is now manageable. The point is to give a firsthand account of personal experiences with eczema and to spread awareness so that researchers and scientist can come up with a cure or treatments that actually work. Why has eczema plagued us over the past couple of decades? I am starting to conclude that it may very well have to do with foods, vaccines, and all of the other things that are created and placed in our bodies. This is definitely one to ponder on.