Kristi Whitley

Healthy Living

I just received my November issue of Dr. Russell Blaylock's newsletter dedicated to the subject of grains. It reminded me that next to sugar, wheat and it's glutenous relatives are the second most poisonous food. Grains are the most prevalent food in our diets and wheat is the most prevalent of the grains. Don't stop reading now, there is hope. I will leave you with several substitutes for wheat that you can definitely live with. 

My functional medicine doctor took me off wheat the first day she saw me. She didn't know a single thing about me but said that whether I was allergic to wheat or not it was too inflammatory and would irritate the GI tract none the less. She was right. My fibrinogen (a blood marker for inflammation) went down 50% and my C-reactive protein (another inflammatory and cardiovascular risk marker) went down 90% after stopping wheat. Dr. Blaylock says that gluten sensitivity is linked to many diseases including depression/anxiety, migraines, reflux, IBS, dermatitis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, auto-immune disease, thyroid disfunction, and even type 1 diabetes. He also says that it may effect up to 40% of the population. I would add that, if you frequent the doctor's office, you are in the 40%. 

Dr. William Davis who wrote Wheat Belly said that we are not eating the wheat of our forefathers. The hybrid of wheat the world consumes now has a hundred times more glutenous protein than the ancient wheat grown in biblical times. In fact, the hybridization of wheat has out paced our adaptive ability and that is why so many more people than ever have Celiac disease and other diseases caused by wheat. He attributes America's pot bellies, muffin tops, and man boobs to our over consumption of wheat. His book gives testimony after testimony of patients that have been cured of heart disease, diabetes, and other malaise after stoping wheat consumption. 

Add to the destructive nature of wheat it's addictiveness. Dr. Neal Barnard wrote in Breaking the Food Seduction that gluten breaks apart during the digestive process into compounds that have a variety of mild opiate effects. That means, the more you eat the more you want. Not good. 

If you suffer from any allergies you will benefit from stopping wheat. I never took daily allergy meds again after stopping wheat. It is one of the top five allergens. 

Don't dispair, there is life without wheat! But don't fall into the marketing trap of buying all things "Gluten Free". I avoid products that say this because they are filled with sugar, fat, and every other poison except gluten! Just buy food whole, not prepackaged. These are the safe grains: oats, guinoa, millet, organic, non-GMO corn, rice and wild rice, teff, amaranth and sorghum.

My favorite gluten-free products are rice tortillas by Food for Life, Multi-Seed crackers by Crunchmaster, Organic Brown Rice cakes by Lindburg, Organic Corn Tortilla Chips by Xochitle, and Millet and Flax bread by Sami's Bakery. 

I make my own pancakes and muffins from oats that I grind in the food processor, corn bread fritters from corn meal only, and when frying I use cornmeal or garbanzo bean flour for the coating. Here are a few recipes to keep you from losing your mind while giving up wheat. 

Waffles or Pancakes
 
3 1/2 C water
1 banana
1/2 C dates
2 C rolled oats
2 C corn meal
2 T baking powder (mix with dry ingredients)
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla
 
Put in blender until mixed.  Make pancakes or waffles.
 
Blueberry Muffins
 
These nutty, subtly-sweet, brownie–textured squares are a deviation from my Figgy Bar recipe. I keep single-serving applesauce cups and apple juice bottles on hand just to make them both. I use the empty applesauce cup to “measure” the juice and agave nectar.  I use the term “measure” loosely.  I made these in muffin cups and I like their shape texture and portability.
 
2 cups rolled oats
½ cup walnuts or pecans
½ cup dried unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ounces applesauce (one single serving container)
4 ounces agave nectar
6 ounce apple juice pack
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ banana
1-2 cups frozen blueberries
 
In a food processor, grind ¾ of the oats and place along with the rest of the oats in a large mixing bowl. Coarsely grind the nuts and add them to the oats. Add the rest of the dry ingredients. Puree the banana with the apple juice in the food processor and add to the dry ingredients.  Mix all the wet ingredients except the blueberries into the oat mixture blending thoroughly. Finally, stir in the blueberries. 
 
Spread the batter into an 8x8 baking pan or pyrex , or use an ice cream scoop to place into muffin tins.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
16 servings.

Corn Fritters
From Food TV and Ria Brown
 
2 cups yellow corn meal
1 t baking powder
1 can coconut milk
¼ cup unsweetened original Almond Breeze
1 onion, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 ½ t slap ya mama seasoning or salt and pepper to taste
½ cup vegetable oil for frying
 
Mix ingredients together.
 
Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to cover bottom and when the oil is very hot spoon the batter into the pan.
 
When the edges are brown and the center begins to firm up, flip the patties and cook on the opposite side. Adjust heat as necessary to get the batter cooked all the way through without burning the outsides. 


Please share your gluten-free secrets with me by reply email. Also, if you would like more info on this or other topics I've written about please don't hesitate to email me at kristi@kristiwhitley.com.
All the best,
K
 
Proverbs 19:20-21
Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Ditch the Wheat