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Gluten-free

Breakfast Rut: Unique Ideas for a Gluten-Free Breakfast

December 30, 2014

I am always surprised and happy to hear when I find that people actually read my blog (besides the ones I beg to read it). The other day, I got an email from my friend Leslie. Not only does she read my blog (woohoo), she has switched over to a grain-free diet and is looking for some ideas (from me!). The problem? A breakfast rut. She has grown tired of eating the same “lame eggs” every morning.  She wanted to know how she can spice it up a little.

That’s a great frickin question. And not an easy one when you’ve gone grain or gluten-free.

I bet I can safely say that most of you have been eating grains for breakfast all your life. At a young age, you were taught to eat a “breakfast of champions” (i.e. Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, Corn Flakes, {Fill in the blank with your favorite}). If your mom really loved you, you’d get to chow down on a toaster treat of some kind – a Pop Tart, a Toaster Strudel, an Eggo. 

When you got a little bit older and more mature, you respectably ate your bowl of Total, Kashi, Smart Start OR Special K if you were on a diet. Or you happily microwaved a bowl of instant oatmeal to eat at your desk alongside your coffee. Or if you were REALLY lucky, your office brought in bagels and cream cheese (free breakfast, heck yeah).

So once you go grain-free, there is seemingly only one other option. The incredible edible egg. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE eggs. They are nutrient-dense, high in protein, Omega-3s and good fat (please eat the yolks!). But yes, just like any of my food obsessions (I once ate almonds every day for a year straight – Eck), they can get old. 

Let’s spice things up a little and think outside the shell. 

Super Human Smoothies  

For the longest time, I was against succumbing to the smoothie craze. I’m not quite sure why, but it just seemed like a lot of work and a whole lot of noise. Then my mom got me a NutriBullet and I crossed over to the dark side. Soon I realized that it’s the opposite of a lot of work; it’s actually way quicker and easier than any other breakfast I make. And yes, it is loud, but it goes by fast.

The trick is, I don’t just stick to fruits. As good as it can be, fruit alone is not going to keep you going for the rest of the morning. Plus, it can be pretty high in sugar. So I’ve gotten adventurous with my smoothies. I’ve embraced greens, proteins and fat, pulverized into one delicious glass. And I’ve added what I call my boosters for extra flavor and nutrients. I love to play around with different combinations, and I highly recommend you do the same until you find what suits you best. The following are ingredients that will take your average fruit smoothie, and transform it into a protein-packed, energy-sustaining, grain-free super human breakfast.

Greens: Spinach, Kale, Collard Greens, Swiss Chard, Romaine

Good Fats: Avocado, Coconut oil, Coconut butter, Coconut flakes or shreds (unsweetened), Coconut milk, Almond butter, Sunflower seed butter

Protein: Protein powder (I love RAW protein and Tera’s Whey), Brazil Nuts, Macadmamia Nuts, Cashews, Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds

Boosters: Flax seed, Chia seed, Cacao powder, Goji berries

Fruits: Beets, Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries

Here is one of my favorite combos of late:

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of greens
  • 1 beet
  • ½ cup of frozen blueberries
  • 1 tablespoon coconut flakes
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds or flax seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cacao powder
  • 1 cup coconut water + add more water for desired consistency


    Tip: I don’t like my smoothies too sweet, but if you do, try adding 1-2 dates for a natural sweetener

Directions:

  1. Throw all ingredients (in order) into your blender or Bullet.
  2. Blend for about a minute.
  3. Stick a straw in it and drink it right away or throw it in a to-go cup and drink it on the way to work.

Buckwheat Breakfast

Contrary to what you may think, Buckwheat actually has no wheat in it. Buckwheat is a seed. It’s related to rhubarb and sorrel and is so very good for you. I wrote about this baby awhile back and I still have a lot of love for it. You do have to prep it ahead of time, but once you’ve made a big batch, it’s very little work in the morning. 

Here is the recipe for my Buckwheat Breakfast.

Sweet Potato Porridge

I always keep a batch of cooked sweet potato rounds in my refrigerator so, for me, this was a quick breakfast idea. I love having them on hand because they keep me from snacking on chips and they are sosatisfying. Awhile back, when I was craving something gooey and buttery, I invented this crazy combination for a snack. But it occurred to me recently that there is no reason that this couldn’t be a perfectly nutritious start to your day. This recipe is very flexible so don’t feel chained to my ingredients below. Anything warm, savory and winter-like would be a great addition. I have a feeling butternut squash would be awesome, but I haven’t tried it yet.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree 
  • ½ banana
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • Dash of cinnamon
  • Dash of pumpkin pie spice
  • Toasted pecans

Directions:

  1. Sweet Potato Rounds: Wash 2-3 sweet potatoes. Slice them into 1/2 inch rounds (I leave the skins on for the extra nutrients), brush with coconut oil, add a dash of cinnamon, turmeric, S&P, cook at 425 for 12 minutes, flip over rounds and cook for 12 more minutes.


    *I strongly encourage you make these ahead of time*
  2. Mash together sweet potato rounds with remaining ingredients into a bowl.
  3. Sprinkle with toasted pecans and a bit more cinnamon.
  4. Dig in with a spoon.

Breakfast Salad

So I know I said I’d give you an alternative to eggs. But I almost guarantee that you’ve never had your morning eggs like this. Eggs are good. But they’re even better when you add greens and good fat.

I ran out of lettuce so this is just the avos and the 'matoes, but you get the idea. 

 

I ran out of lettuce so this is just the avos and the ‘matoes, but you get the idea. 

Ingredients:

  • A plate of spinach or greens of your choice
  • 2 fried eggs
  • ½ avocado, chopped into pieces
  • Handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Dash of Italian herbs (or fresh chopped herbs if you have the time)
  • Dash of Hot sauce (Some like it hot J)

Directions:

  1. Fry your eggs – I do them over-easy because I love puncturing them so that the yolk spills out on to the other ingredients.
  2. Plate your greens – I like to chop mine up so that I can put together the perfect bite of greens, egg, avocado and tomato on my fork.
  3. Slice your avocado in half. While it’s still in the skin, make cuts going vertical and horizontal until you have an avocado grid. You can easily scoop it out of the shell from there and spread out the pieces onto your salad.
  4. Chop up your cherry tomatoes and throw those on top of your plate.
  5. Drizzle your olive oil and add your dash of herbs and hot sauce.
  6. Pierce the fried eggs so that the yolk spills over the salad and mix everything together for one ridiculously good bite.

 

My dearest Leslie – I hope this helps! Please let me know if you give any of them a try. Also, if anybody else has any ideas for Leslie please comment below.

Cheerio! (not the cereal)

Healthy Body

Happy Stomach Series: Part IV – What’s Up With Grains and Gluten?

September 1, 2014

Hello friends. We’ve made it to the last part of the Happy Stomach Series. We've talked about not drinking water with meals, dove into good bacteria with fermentation, and challenged our overly processed diet. I am so excited to report that I've received posts, texts and words from a handful of readers who told me that these tips have made them feel better. Please keep them coming! I want to know your health queries so I can obsessively research them for you.

Anyways, I couldn’t think of a more fitting ending than exploring the infamous offender of all digestive woes:

GLUTEN.

If gluten is the enemy, then “gluten-free” is our new hero. The phrase is popping up on food labels and restaurant menus left and right. Everybody and their mother suddenly has a gluten intolerance. But ask most people what it is and why it’s bad, and they won’t have a good answer for you. Why? Because we’re confused. Where did this mystery ingredient come from? Why is it suddenly such a problem? Is it an epidemic? Do we all need a gluten-free diet?

I don’t know about you, but I could use a refresher course. Starting with, what the hell is it?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat and grains. It's the sticky GLUe-like part that holds together the nutrients, helps dough rise and provides chewy goodness to breads. 

Right off the bat, it sounds pretty wonderful, right? So why is it so bad for our digestion?

Well there's this thing that they've discovered called "gluten sensitivity." This term covers a spectrum of disorders, from the minor-ly agitated stomach, to the majorly endangered celiac-diagnosed. In all of these cases, this glue-y gluten has an adverse effect on the body.

Symptoms include bloating, abdominal discomfort or pain, diarrhea, constipation, muscular disturbances, headaches, migraines, severe acne, fatigue, and bone or joint pain.

The thing is, the research is still very young. And although the medical community has figured out a way to test for celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity is a little more open for interpretation. Supposedly, all you need to do to test for gluten sensitivity is eliminate gluten from your diet. If your symptoms go away, Congratulations! You are gluten sensitive. 

It's so subjective. So abstract. Sounds like a hypochondriac's dream. I had a hard time believing in these claims. And an even harder time when I noticed all of the processed gluten-free goodies popping up in grocery stores everywhere (a topic for another day).

Is it really possible that so many of us have been silently suffering with digestive issues all this time, and only now that we have pinned a culprit are we admitting the problem?

The question on my mind is:

Is gluten bad for every body's digestion?

Short answer: Possibly

Long answer:

It is if you have gluten sensitivity and just don’t know it. 

Gluten sensitivity is predicted to be severely under-diagnosed (1). Most people have gotten so used to indigestion and the other problems that come with gluten that they don’t recognize it as a problem. In this regard, the gluten-free craze is a good thing because it’s causing people to question their bodies’ ailments. Unfortunately, while celiac disease can be tested, gluten sensitivity cannot. Gluten elimination is the only way to diagnose. If you are experiencing the aforementioned digestive symptoms after you eat, it is recommended you try eliminating gluten from your diet for at least 30 days.

It is in this day and age because gluten isn’t what it used to be. 

We don’t eat the same wheat that our parents ate. It may look the same, but it does not act the same. In order to get our wheat to grow faster and grow more, we have hybridized the grain, making it ridiculously resistant to bad weather and parasites. An estimated 5% of the proteins in this tougher grain are brand new! And these shiny new proteins are the ones causing adverse reactions in the human body (2). 

Besides the way we grow it, the way we prepare it is also different. Grains used to be soaked, sprouted, fermented and baked using slow yeast. You remember the benefits of fermentation? This process actually helps digestion and increases nutrient intake. That is not the case in our bleached, quick-bake wheat today. Basically, it's not only more dangerous, but less nutritious. 

So we've got this weather-resistant, quick-rising, de-nutritionized wheat. And you know what we're doing with it? Eating more of it! It's in our breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts. You'd be hard-pressed to find an aisle of the grocery store or a menu at a restaurant without wheat. We grew up on it. It's a major part of our diets. And it's almost impossible to avoid. 

But our grandparents and great grandparents weren’t snacking on chips, crackers and granola bars throughout their day. They were eating home-cooked meals filled with meat, veggies and non-hybridized bread. I wonder, did people pop Tums back then as much as they do now? 

It's not. But there are other things in grain that are bad for you.

By nature, grains contain toxins that slow down their growth on purpose to protect them from potential invaders (like birds) until they get the nutrients they need to grow (water and soil) (3). Besides gluten, these toxins include lectins and phytates. Lectins have the ability to damage the gut lining and trick you into thinking that you're always hungry (carb cravings). And phytates bind to nutrients, robbing them from your body. 

It’s not if you feel no negative reactions to eating gluten (I’m a genius, I know).

I highly doubt you would have read this far down if this was the case. But if you don’t have digestive issues after a sandwich, pasta, cracker or cookie, then you’re a lucky son of a bitch. 

Bottom, bottom line:

The other day, I was talking to a parent of a child with celiac disease. I offered my apologies, admitting that it must be hard for the 10-year-old. In response, the parent said to me,

"Hey, it's alright. Because of her celiac, she is one of the healthiest kids in her class. When you eliminate gluten, the only options that are left are the healthy stuff. And she loves it because it's all she knows."

Sure, I believe there are people out there who will continue to ingest gluten and be just fine. However, is it possible that if we all reduced the gluten in our diets that we could be better than fine? When you eliminate gluten, you replace it with veggies, proteins and good fats rather than wheats and grains. The health benefits in the former greatly outweigh the latter.

I’m never one to completely eliminate anything from my diet (unless I was forced to because I was diagnosed with celiac disease). But in the last 6 months to a year, I have decreased my gluten intake quite a lot. I’ve replaced crackers with Flackers (this awesome cracker made from flax seeds), sandwiches with salads and oatmeal with eggs. And you know what? I feel a TON better and so does my digestive system. Oh yeah, and I have lost weight. A nice little side effect.

Of course, I am far from a controlled experiment. Do I feel better because I am gluten sensitive? Or because I stopped eating the 21st Century’s warped version of wheat? Or maybe it’s because I’ve almost completely eliminated processed foods from my diet. Either way, it’s all good things. And I figured it out by listening to my body. I highly recommend it. 

What do you think?

1. http://www.celiaccentral.org/non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity/

2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-myers-md-/effects-of-gluten-on-the-body_b_3672275.html

3. http://paleoleap.com/what-is-wrong-with-grains/ 

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