Body Essentials Nutrition & Massage

I remember when I used to think it was the wine that made my husband feel sick every Sunday night after the big family dinner.  Later, when he tried an elimination diet, we realized the cheese and crackers appetizer was the real culprit! 

Yes, gluten and lactose intolerance often go hand in hand because the intestinal damage caused by gluten impacts the body’s ability to absorb lactose as well.  So for those of you who are following a gluten free diet, but still have occasional symptoms, consider avoiding dairy also and see if it helps.

One day recently, after three years of soy cheese, soy yogurt, and soy ice cream, my husband decided it would be worth the consequences to eat some regular cheese.  So he did…..and nothing happened.  Then he had more the next day….and still felt fine.  How could this be?

According to Dr. Peter Green’s book “Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic” and discussions at the 2009 Bellingham Gluten Intolerance Group Conference, the intestine begins to heal once it is no longer being repeatedly exposed to gluten.  After enough time, the body’s ability to absorb lactose eventually returns. 

In my husband’s case, it was three years later.  Now we’re happily back to regular cheddar in our corn tortilla wraps and goat cheese on our rice crackers (KAME brand rice crackers are sooooo good!)  Haven’t pushed the envelope yet with regular milk and yogurt (remember that cheese is comparatively lower in lactose than milk and yogurt overall). 

But that’s okay – I feel no need to go back to regular ice cream ever since we found Almond Dream non-dairy ice cream - it’s made from almond milk and in my opinion it’s better than regular ice cream anyway!

I recently got married on July 24th, 2010 to the man who inspired me to learn about gluten free eating.  We planned a great gluten free buffet menu for our guests and our family worked hard to pull off a fabulous meal!

Gluten Free Wedding Cake from Sweet Cakes in Kirkland, WA

Melissa and Eric Olson’s Gluten Free Wedding Buffet Menu

Hors D’Oeuvres:

Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Ball Skewers

Hummus with Rice Crackers

Gourmet Olives

Entrees:

Grilled Northwest Salmon

Spicy Honey-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Chilled Roast Summer Vegetables Mix

Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Walnuts, & Craisins

Herbed Baby Potatoes

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Lime Juice and Queso Fresco

Our gluten free wedding cake was from Sweet Cakes in Kirkland, WA (425-821-6565).  We chose the lemon cake with raspberry filling and no one even guessed it was gluten free.  As Chelsea Clinton has shown, gluten free wedding cake is a hit item – I like to think she got the idea from me!

My mother-in-law was cleaning out her cupboards recently and asked me if she could toss the small bag of xanthan gum we had left at her house last fall.  “No,” I said, “that bag was $13.00 and it will last awhile longer!  Keep it to make a gluten free dessert for us at Christmas!” 

Xanthan gum is an essential component of a gluten free cupboard.  It is a powder derived by using a bacteria to ferment the glucose or sucrose sugar in corn.  The idea of a bacteria being involved may sound scary to some folks, but it is not harmful, unless you happen to be allergic to corn. 

Xanthan gum is used 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp at a time in gluten free baking recipes.  Gluten free flours are missing wheat gluten, which is what gives baked goods their texture and cohesiveness to prevent crumbling.  Xanthan gum provides the same properties for gluten free baked goods – without it you end up with a crumbly mess.  Xanthan gum is also commonly used as an emulsifier in commercial salad dressings and sauces.

Xanthan gum can be kept for several years.  I just keep it on my pantry shelf in its original bag, sealed with a twist tie as I can use it up in about 6 months.  In my mother-in-law’s case, we suggested she store it in the freezer since she will only really be using it when we come to visit. 

Click here to see a good rule of thumb guide from Bob’s Red Mill for how much xanthan gum to use when converting baking recipes to gluten free.

Back in May, I shared the gluten free restaurant options I have found since moving to Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.  I continued to explore further since then and have successfully found even more gluten free friendly establishments worth trying. 

Last Thursday, we went to a place called Ortine (622 Washington Ave, between Dean and Pacific St.) to see an outdoor screening of “The Witches” on their back patio – and guess what?!  They had gluten free pizza ~ personal sized for $12 with goatcheese, carmelized onions, and spinach toppings. 

Walking home afterwards, we found Bards Tale and Redbridge gluten free beers (6-pack for $9.99) at Brooklyn Beer and Soda (648 Washington Ave, between Dean and Bergen St.)

Rounding the corner, I literally squeeled when I saw that Pequena had FINALLY opened their second location (601 Vanderbilt Ave, between Bergen and Dean St.)  Since Mexican food is traditionally gluten free (ie. real corn tortillas, rice and beans), there is plenty to choose from here.

A good gluten free brunch option has been the ongoing frustration for us as you really can only eat eggs with potatoes at the diner every so often.  We had walked by Milk Bar many times (620 Vanderbilt Ave, at corner of Prospect Place) and seen people eating lots of yummy brunch dishes, all of them involving some type of baked bready item.  But turns out there is ONE gluten free entree on their menu: Cold Rice Salad, which consists of rice, tunafish, chopped egg, parsley, olives, capers, tomatoes, olive oil and lemon juice: 1/2 order for $9 or full order for $11.50.  Sunday Brunch may be back in my life again! 

BTW, I just learned that Kix cereal has altered their ingredients to be gluten free now too – they’re using corn bran for fiber and no malt flavoring either.

Fennel Cakes

This is the first year I’ve had the chance to try out gardening in the community garden on my street.  I was lucky enough to inherit quite a few plants that were already growing there – collard greens, oregano, lemon balm, and fennel.

The interesting thing about fennel is that it grows QUICKLY, much like a weed.  The young fennel bulbs are not mature enough to harvest, but I found a way to use up the fennel fronds before they completely take over my entire garden plot:   Fennel Cakes.

This recipe is gluten free and tastes great served with salmon or eggs.

Fennel Cakes   (makes 6 – 8 patties)

1 large bunch of fennel fronds (enough to fill your hand when holding the stems like a bouquet) – washed

1 cup corn Chex – crushed  OR  1/2 cup of gluten free breadcrumbs (you can make these yourself from rice bread)

1/4 tsp pepper

1 egg – beaten

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 clove of garlic – minced

1 scallion – diced

Olive oil or Pam Spray

Steam fennel fronds over a pot of boiling water for 15 minutes to soften stems.  Rinse steamed fennel fronds with cold water, drain, and pat dry with a towel.  Using a knife, mince fennel finely,  or alternatively chop in a food processor for an even consistency.

In a large bowl, moisten Chex crumbs with a splash of water, just enough to soften.  Use a fork to mash the crumbs, then season with pepper, and blend in the beaten egg.  Add the Parmesan cheese, garlic, scallion, and minced fennel to the bowl and stir well.

In a large frying pan, heat a little olive oil or Pam spray over medium heat.  Take a rounded spoonful of the fennel mixture and form into a 2 inch size patty.  It should not be too dry or wet – add a little more beaten egg if it doesn’t hold together.  Cook fennel patties in the pan until lightly browned, ~3 minutes each side.  Add more oil/Pam spray to the pan in between each batch.

I have been living in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY for nearly 6 months now and have found a few gluten free resources to share with those who are my gluten-avoiding neighbors:

• Fish & Sip  at 216 Flatbush Ave (between Dean St. and Bergen, 718-636-2256) serves plenty of gluten free seafood entrees, with potato and vegetable sides.  Great service, lots of healthy choices, and good prices too. 
• Aliseo at 665 Vanderbilt Ave (718-783-3400) is a fine-dining Italian restaurant.  The menu doesn’t say it, but they do have gluten free pasta available by request and they even cook it in a separate pot of water.  Owner Albano Ballerini has been at this location for 7 years and also owns the pizza place Amorina across the street, so tell him you would love to see gluten free pizza in the future too….(he’s “considering”). 
• The Met Foods on Vanderbilt Ave. sells gluten free pasta, rice crackers, and gluten free brownie / cake mixes.
• Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flours can be found at DNY Natural Land (322 Flatbush Ave, 718-783-0038).

These are the for sure gluten free resources I have found thus far.  If you know of any others, please share via comment!

Green Monster Smoothie *Makes 2 servings

1 banana

1 ½ cups lowfat milk or soymilk

1 pear (peeled and cored)

1 ½ cups fresh baby spinach leaves, stems trimmed off

6 ice cubes

Add all ingredients to blender and puree until smooth.  Makes a great breakfast if you want to lose weight and it’s gluten free.  Also a great way to get your kids to drink more fruits and vegetables (they won’t taste the spinach, just the sweetness of the fruit….tell them it’s the green monster!)

Insoluble fiber, also known as cellulose, is the part of a plant that can not be broken down by the body’s digestive process and therefore forms into stool to pass out of the body. By adding bulk to the stools, insoluble fiber acts like a scrub brush to help maintain the health of the intestines. Experts recommend 20 – 35 grams of total fiber daily, with the majority of it coming from insoluble fiber sources. The following foods have the highest insoluble fiber content.

Bran Flakes

There is a reason why Grandma swears by her daily bowl of All Bran. Containing nine grams of insoluble fiber per half cup serving, it is the single food with the highest amount of insoluble fiber. Try it with milk for breakfast, mixed with yogurt for a snack, or crumbled on top of a casserole at dinner. Note: not appropriate for those who need to avoid gluten! Read on for gluten-free sources of insoluble fiber.

Lentils

Lentils are a nearly perfect food as they are low in fat while high in protein, vitamins, and fiber, especially insoluble fiber. In a half cup of cooked lentils, there are seven grams of insoluble fiber, roughly 25 percent of your daily requirement.

Popcorn

Popcorn (unbuttered) is known as a dieter’s treat because it mainly consists of insoluble fiber. This means you can eat quite a bit of popcorn without absorbing many calories as the fiber just passes directly through the body and into the stool. In four cups of popcorn, there are three grams of insoluble fiber.

Root Vegetables

Insoluble fiber is concentrated in the skins of root vegetables, such as turnips, sweet potatoes and parsnips. When cooked with their skins, just a half cup serving of turnips contains three grams of insoluble fiber. A half cup serving of cooked sweet potatoes contains 2.5 grams, while the same amount of parsnips contains two grams of insoluble fiber.

Apples

Apples can vary in their content of insoluble fiber, depending on the size and variety of the apple. Most sources site a range of two to four grams of insoluble fiber in one apple. The insoluble fiber is in the skin of the apple, thus applesauce only has one gram of insoluble fiber in a half cup serving.

Almonds

In one ounce of almonds (equal to about twenty nuts), there are two grams of insoluble fiber. Nuts and seeds in general are good sources of both insoluble and soluble fibers, but exercise caution with the portion size as they also are dense in calories from fat.

The gluten free mecca Risoterria in Greenwich Village still remains the hot spot for a plethora of gluten free choices.  But here’s another place you might want to try on the East Side:  S’MAC (stands for Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese, located at 345 East 12th St).  A met up with a few friends here last month and was pleasantly surprised to learn all their mac dishes can be made with gluten free macaroni for $1.50 extra!  Just ask for the breadcrumbs to be left off too, of course.  And guess what else: Bard’s Tale gluten free beer for $6.00!