Saturday 1 September 2018

September 2018: gluten





According to Science Magazine (September 27, 2002), gluten in grain is not fully broken down by the digestive enzymes which are normally present in the digestive track. But there is one bacterial enzyme which does break down gluten, and this enzyme is found in sourdough culture and fermented foods. 
However, fermenting takes time. Which is why, these days, it has been replaced with the quick-rise, fast-buck, plastic-wrapped mush which they now call bread.
Our ancestors soaked or fermented their grains but these days, speed is of the essence. On top of this, today’s wheat is a far cry from what it was 50 years ago. It has been cross-bred to make it hardier, shorter, and better-growing. It has been irradiated so it will keep. None of this has benefited us who eat it: on the contrary.

Grains require careful preparation. They contain anti-nutrients which can cause health problems: phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, tannins, complex sugars and gluten can all cause allergies, digestive disorders, even mental illness.
Anti-nutrients are part of the seed's system of preservation: they prevent sprouting until the conditions are right. Because plants need moisture, warmth, time and slight acidity in order to sprout. Proper preparation of grains imitates this, which is why grains always used to be soaked or fermented.
This neutralized the phytic acid and the enzyme inhibitors; the vitamin content increased; tannins, complex sugars, and gluten were partially broken down into components that are more readily available for absorption [1].

And then there is coeliac disease. How is this different from gluten intolerance?
To develop coeliac disease a person must inherit the genetic predisposition, consume gluten, and have the disease activated. Activation triggers include stress, trauma and possibly viral infections. This can cause permanent damage, whereas Gluten Intolerance causes symptoms bout only until it gets out of your system. Gluten intolerance is only that: an intolerance of the body’s inability to handle gluten. Whereas coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition that is triggered by consuming gluten [2]. 

Another idea altogether is that both the increased gluten intolerance and coeliac disease may be caused by the current unbridled use of antibiotics and antiseptics which destroy the healthy probiotics in our intestines. This can be helped by eating food with probiotics. Says Case Adams in his book ‘Probiotics’ [3]. Probiotic food [4] often reduces the damage caused by the inflammatory response to gluten, as the enzymes it produces, break down gluten into non-toxic constituents.

If you live in the USA there may be yet another cause for your trouble: they drench the wheat fields there with Roundup several days before harvest, as this allows for an earlier, easier and bigger harvest ….. [5].

So what can you do other than hunt down the gluten-free aisle which may well lack gluten, but not necessarily all the other rubbish? 
There is no harm in trying properly fermented bread and see whether your symptoms disappear. Buy bread from a local baker. Paying a bit more is worth it. Find a wholefood shop. And did you know that stale bread is much easier to digest than fresh? Because you have to chew it more,  so producing saliva which helps it on its way.
And for natural coeliac disease remedies, see [6].






PS And don't fall too easily for that flu jab! Here is a quote from the New Scientist of the 6th of January 2018: Very recent observations suggest that past vaccinations may sometimes mean worse flu in years when the vaccine doesn’t match closely the circulating virus.” (p.30). Which is what I always suspected ..... Look after your immune system and things won't get too bad (see the Thought for July 2017).
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EAT:
veg: celeriac, turnip, beet, broccoli, cabbage, calabrese, carrots, cauliflower, chard, fennel, kohlrabi, runner beans, salsify/scorzonera, spinach, tomatoes, Jerusalem/globe artichokes, brussels', chicory, endive, swede, celery, corn salad, leek, peas/mange tout, courgettes, marrow, pumpkin/squash, (white) radish, rocket, spring onions, watercress, sweetcorn.
meat: rabbit, goose, grouse, guinea fowl, partridge, pheasant, wood pigeon, duck, venison, squirrel.
fishcrab, clam, cuttlefish, lobster, mackerel, mussels, scallop, sprats, cockles, black bream, gurnard, winkle, pollack, grey mullet, American signal crayfish [7].


SOW:
broad beans, land cress, round seeded peas, chinese leaves, corn salad, winter purslane, winter lettuce. For successful winter growing, most seeds need to be sown in late summer/early autumn: see [8].
Plant rhubarb sets; spring cabbage; garlic; autumn onion sets if the weather is good. The garlic has to be an autumn-planting variety. Don't use your old cloves! Plant out spring cabbage and, in South England, cabbages and winter/spring lettuce.
For successful winter growing, most seeds need to be sown in late summer/early autumn: see http://www.verticalveg.org.uk/winter-growing-its-time-to-plan-and-sow/.
What else can you still do in the garden? See http://www.thompson-morgan.com/what-to-do-in-the-garden-in-september.


RECIPES


EASY GARLIC and LEMON BROCCOLI
450g broccoli separated into florets, 4tsp fresh lemon juice, 2tblsp water, 3tblsp butter, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 pinch salt, 1tsp black pepper. 
Stir 2tsp lemon juice into the water, add the broccoli. Cover and steam until the broccoli is bright green and tender, 10-15 mins. Meanwhile, sauté the garlic in the butter, add salt. Drain the water from the cooked broccoli, sprinkle with 2 more tsp lemon juice and the garlic. Season.

LENTIL DAHL   
200g uncooked lentils or ab. 500g cooked, 1 large onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tin tomatoes (or 2 large fresh ones), 5 tblsp oil, 1tsp cumin seeds, 1tsp coriander seeds, 1/4tsp turmeric, cardamom, 1l water.
For the vegetables: 300g carrots, turnips or runner beans, maybe some spinach or broccoli.
Cook the spices dry in a thick bottomed pan for 2 mins, stirring regularly. Put in a pestle and mortar: crush. Slice the onion, crush the garlic and sauté in the oil, covered, for 5 mins. Add spices and cook for another 2 mins. Add lentils, 3/4 of the water and most of the chopped veg: add tomatoes and spinach a bit later. Cover and simmer gently for 1/2 hr. Check and stir regularly. Add more spices if you like. If it looks like drying out, add a little more water.


MARINATED MACKEREL (or any fish I suppose)
Mackerel fillets for 2, juice of half a lime, coriander leaves, freshly ground pepper, butter/oil.
Cut the mackerels into a few large bits, cover with lime juice, half of the coriander and the pepper. Leave for an hour or more, stirring every so often. Cook as normal, strew with the rest of the coriander. Lovely! 


BRAISED FENNEL for 2
1 large, 2 medium or 3 very small fennel bulbs; 2tblsp fat, 120ml chicken stock, 1/2tblsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1tsp fennel seeds
Cut stalks and fronds from the fennel, leaving only the bulb(s). Save those for salads or garnish. Cut the bulbs in half lengthwise, and except for very small ones, cut in half again. For large bulbs, cut in half lengthwise and then cut each half in four wedges lengthwise. Melt fat, add fennel in one layer, and brown for 8 mins each side (or until each side is lightly browned). Add stock, cover and simmer for 15 mins. Drain, put on plates. Spoon lemon juice evenly over the fennel and sprinkle with seeds.

For more September recipes, see other years (click on 2018 on the right hand side, and then on September). Or go to https://thoughtforfoodaw.wordpress.com, which still has eight recipes for this year.

We also have an alphabetical index of subjects, which you will see if you click on this month, in the top right hand corner.
Next month: changing habits.



[4] see the Thought for April 2017.


September 2017: number two



NUMBER TWO



In August 2016 I wrote about number one: urine. You must have been holding your breaths for a long time, waiting for number two. Here it is!
“All disease starts in the gut” said Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, so it’s worth paying attention. 

The food you eat, normally takes from 18 to 72 hours to pass all the way through. Most people go once or twice a day, but whether it’s three times a day or three times a week, as long as you are happy with it, it’s ok. You'll know if you're constipated, because you'll feel gassy and bloated and strain a lot to produce unusually hard stools.
The following symptoms show that things may not be quite right. Don't worry too soon though, for food colouring and medications can also affect the look of your poo.

If you produce
  • separate hard lumps, you lack fibre and fluids. Even if you go every day, you may still be constipated. Drink water; eat more fruit (pears) and veg, especially with magnesium (leafy greens, spinach, kale); nuts, seeds and whole grains [1]. 
  • watery, liquid stuff, you have diarrhoea - see Thought August ’15. Drink lots!
  • very loose stools, but not diarrhoea: you may consume too much fructose, artificial sweeteners, coffee, alcohol or oily foods; have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, celiac disease, food poisoning or stomach flu. For more details and causes, see [2].
  • not a lot, and/or not often - you’re constipated. Usually you can do something about that yourself, just by improving your diet. See [3]. Not enough healthy fats like proper butter, eggs, extra-virgin olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and wholefat dairy, also have a constipating effect. 
  • floaters - unless you have eaten lots of beans, sprouts or large meals, this means you don’t absorb fats. See [4].
  • pencil-thin stools for more than a few days, either you’re constipated or it could be polyps, hemorrhoids, prostate enlargement or cancer. 
  • cracked stool, with a good sausage shape but cracks on the surface, this can be due to poor diet or a sedentary life.
If the colour is other than medium-light brown, it may well be due to food dyes or particular medicines. If not, and the colour is
  • green: you eat lots of leaves, take an iron supplement or you’re pregnant. If it's not any of these, food may be moving through too fast [5].
  • yellow: you've had carrots, sweet potatoes or turmeric. If it also smells foul, this could mean excess fat, gastroesophagial reflux disease (GERD), giardiasis or coeliac disease.
  • black: you’ve had iron supplements, charcoal, bismut subsalicylate (Pepto Bismol), or dark food like liquorice, black/blueberries or grape juice. Stool can appear darker with constipation. If it’s not that, it can mean internal bleeding, particularly if it’s sticky. See a doctor soon [6]. 
  • light, white or clay-coloured, this can be due to some medicines, or bile obstruction. 
  • red: it is due to beet, tomatoes, cranberries or there could be blood in your stool, see [7].
  • explosive, seaweed-green and it’s liquid, this is a sign of clostridium difficile and happens usually after antibiotics. 
Each of the following websites gives a slightly different picture - and pictures, as well! Have a look [8].
In general: most day-to-day variations in the appearance of poo come from food or drink. Medicines too have strange effects. However, if it’s bright red, black, or pale, consistently thin or pencil-like, loose or watery, or accompanied by mucus or pus, or if you have additional symptoms like abdominal pain, see your doctor right away.
And, by the way, squatting is the most effective way to move your bowel, but failing that, when on the toilet, sit with your feet on a little stool and lean forward.
If you want some more tips about ‘going to the bathroom’, see [9]. Though some may be a bit American .... do you use an air dryer down there?


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EAT:
veg: celeriac, turnip, beet, broccoli, cabbage, calabrese, carrots, cauliflower, chard, fennel, kohlrabi, runner beans, salsify/scorzonera, spinach, tomatoes, Jerusalem/globe artichokes, brussels', chicory, endive, swede, celery, corn salad, leek, peas/mange tout, courgettes, marrow, pumpkin/squash, (white) radish, rocket, spring onions, watercress, sweetcorn.
meat: rabbit, goose, grouse, guinea fowl, partridge, pheasant, wood pigeon, duck, venison, squirrel.
fishcrab, clam, cuttlefish, lobster, mackerel, mussels, scallop, sprats, cockles, black bream, gurnard, winkle, pollack, grey mullet, American signal crayfish.

SOW:
broad beans, land cress, round seeded peas, chinese leaves, corn salad, winter purslane, winter lettuce.
Plant rhubarb sets; spring cabbage; garlic; autumn onion sets if the weather is good. The garlic should be suited for autumn planting. Don't use your old cloves! Plant out spring cabbage and, in South England, cabbages and winter/spring lettuce.
What else can you still do in the garden? See http://www.thompson-morgan.com/what-to-do-in-the-garden-in-september.

RECIPES






I haven’t tried this yet - no bitter lettuce in my garden this year so far! But it sounds good: http://tendingmygarden.com/lettuce-delicious-as-a-cooked-green/.

What to do with TURNIPS?
- Chop an onion. Slice a turnip across the fibre, thinly. Add pepper, ginger, nutmeg and/or paprika powder. Sauté till tender.
- Cook a turnip, mash; mix with applesauce 4:1, and bacon bits. Heat in a casserole.
- Cook with potatoes for mash.
- Turnip goes well with: carrot, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, paprika, thyme, savory and tarragon.

PUREED KOHLRABI
1 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil, 1 clove garlic, 1 cup stock or water, ab. 600g cleaned kohlrabi, salt and pepper, 2-4 tbsp. sour cream (grated mature cheese).
Lightly sauté minced garlic until it becomes a bit translucent. Add water/stock, and bring to a low boil. Wash kohlrabi and trim away any stems. Chop into 2cm cubes. Add to stock, and return it to a boil, then turn it down. Simmer until tender. Uncover and simmer some more till the liquid has evaporated. Mash until smooth. Add salt, pepper and sour cream, heat through, serve.

CRAB CAKES
2 slices firm bread, 225g crabmeat, 1.5 tblsp oil, 1 tsp lemon juice and some wedges, 1/2 tsp Worcestershire or soy sauce, 1 large egg, beaten, 2 tblsp butter.
Tear bread into small pieces into a bowl with crab. Add oil, Worcestershire/soy, egg, a pinch of salt. Mix gently but thoroughly, then form into 4 patties. Heat butter until the foam subsides, then cook the cakes, turning once, until golden brown.

BEAN FEAST for ONE
150g runner beans, 150g potatoes, (red) onion, egg (garlic), paprika powder, chilli or cayenne powder, cumin, coriander, butter, salt. 
Chop potatoes and cook in salted water for 5 mins, then add chopped beans. Toast cumin and squashed coriander seeds, then add plenty of butter, chopped onion, garlic, chilli and paprika powder. Just before everything is done, break the egg on top of the sautéing stuff, fry till done to your liking. Drain potatoes/beans, put on a plate, top with onion/egg mix. Or use some (leftover) meat or grated cheese instead of egg. 

If you want to see more recipes for September, see other years (click on this month, on the right hand side). Or go to https://thoughtforfoodaw.wordpress.com, which still has eight recipes for this year.
For an alphabetical index of subjects, click on 2017 > September, in the top right hand corner. 






Next issue: please have your dairy whole! 


September 2016: forgetfulness or Alzheimer's?






FORGETFULNESS OR ALZHEIMER’S?


“Can’t remember: I must be getting Alzheimer’s” people say, nowadays, if they’re not as young as they were. 
And I sigh. Nine out of ten times, they aren’t, and the worry is not doing them any good. In fact, noone who ever said this to me, seemed anything but just forgetful. Or: very forgetful. More or less the same as me.
Alzheimer’s [1] is different. As you'll see from the following.

If you:
forget a name, word, or experience, and remember it later;
forget, but being reminded works;
effectively use tools to help you remember: notes, a calendar; 
can retrieve something which you forgot several times before;
have memory problems due to stress, fatigue, or overdoing;
keep your usual personality and behaviour;
can still look after yourself and perform basic needs like bathing, dressing, eating;
YOU ARE FINE!!!!

However, if someone:
has trouble performing normal tasks;
forgets how to do things they’ve done lots of times;
gets lost or disoriented in familiar places;
repeats stories within the same conversation;
can’t make choices, shows poor judgment;
can’t follow directions;
behaves in socially inappropriate ways:
they may be heading in the wrong direction.

Alzheimer’s develops due to a whole complex of factors, some of which can’t be helped. But there are plenty of ways in which you can influence the outcome. 
* Regular exercise: at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week; balance and coordination exercises (like yoga, tai chi). 
* Healthy diet: less sugar; more fruits, veg [2], and whole grains; avoid trans fats and refined foods.
* Mental stimulation: learn something new, do puzzles or games, read.
* Quality sleep: see insomnia Thought April 2015 (click on 2016).
* Stress management: laugh! And see Thought July 2014 (click on 2016).
* An active social life: volunteer, join a club, phone, get out, get to know your neighbours.
* Stop smoking; watch your weight; control your blood pressure, don’t drink too much.
* In general, what’s good for your heart also benefits the health of your brain.
See [3].

There is a lot of confusion about the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia - even doctors sometimes use the terms interchangeably. Alzheimer's is a type of dementia. Dementia is a general symptom and can also be caused by other disorders [4].  





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Are only girls supposed to eat grapefruits these days? Why else are they all pink? Or is something more sinister behind this? See the New Scientist article 'BITTER TRUTH', under September on the right hand side of this page. 
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EAT
Veg: broad/runner/french beans, marrow, squash, courgette, lettuce, turnip, peas/mangetout, aubergine, capsicum, spinach (beet), chard, sweetcorn, shallots, tomatoes, cauli, carrots, cabbage, beet, globe artichoke, cucumber, fennel, radish, kohlrabi, calabrese, chicory, endive, celery, broccoli, swede.
FishMackerel, sea bass, black bream, crab, mussels, scallops.
Meat: rabbit, lamb, wood pigeon, duck, goose, grouse, partridge, venison.

SOW
spring cabbage, spinach, turnips, oriental vegetables, landcress, rocket, corn salad, winter lettuce, winter purslane. Plant overwintering onion sets, garlic.

RECIPES

FRENCH BEANS with APPLE CIDER
225g beans, olive oil, 1 small chopped onion, 180ml apple cider, salt, pepper.
Cook beans till just done. Sauté onion in oil and stir till it starts to caramellize. Heat small pan over medium-low heat. Add cider, raise heat a bit and cook until the liquid is reduced and syrupy, about 5 mins. Season beans and add to onion mix, stir.

WHITE FISH, WHITE KOHLRABI and RED TOMATOES
4x175g pollock or whiting fillets, 4 small or 1 large kohlrabi, 2 chopped onions, 3 minced garlic cloves, some tomatoes or tomato puree, thyme, basil, 4 tblsp olive oil, seasoning. 
Sauté onion and garlic in half the oil. Add tomatoes and thyme, cook for 10 mins, stir occasionally till the sauce thickens. Add chopped basil, salt, pepper. Remove thyme. Peel kohlrabi, slice thinly. Cook in salted water 10-15 mins. Fry fish in the rest of the oil till done. Put on each plate: kohlrabi, fish, top with sauce.

For more recipes, see former September issues: click on 2016 at the right hand side of this page.