Grains, Gluten, Quinoa & Mold - My Story So Far....

The very first time I ate QUINOA…..I didn’t feel right. Only I couldn’t fully explain that feeling, it was just a weird sense of something not sitting well in my stomach. Then, I went to bed later that night and had strange disturbing dreams as if I’d eaten something that didn’t suit me.

I’m an Intuitive by profession and I place a lot of stock in my dreams. I rely on them to inform me of general goings on in my body and throughout my life.

So…..I got up the next morning and ‘knew’ it was the quinoa that wasn’t right. I remember saying to someone that week…..I don’t like the quinoa it gives me nightmares and the energy of it is all wrong.

Just something wrong about it – but at the time, I had a young child, I was a student and I was working part time in my clinical practice so I didn’t spend much time looking into it. I just didn’t want to use it in my cooking!

However, time moved on and so did I, this was probably sometime in 2004 -05. I didn’t go out of my way to eat quinoa nor did I go out of my way to avoid it either. If it was there in front of me (at a friends house for instance) I usually ate it, however, I never forgot that very first strange encounter and those ‘feelings’ did not go away.

A couple of years later, because we had been gluten free for so long, I decided I wanted to make some bread. Of course, the only few options open to me where making bread from several types of flours at the same time, to get the dough to hold together.

One of those flours I ended up experimenting with was Quinoa flour. At first I was just happy to be able to make some sort of a bread for the family. But then….I noticed a peculiar thing about the quinoa that I wasn’t seeing on the other flours.

I mean, perhaps (it is!) it was there on all the different types of grain in varying degrees, however, on the quinoa I was seeing it, and tasting it…..

In fact, the very first time I noticed something – I had opened the top of a bag of Quinoa flour, used a couple of cups of it from the top half of the package. When we ate the bread, I remember saying; this tastes funny.

I was re-assured everything was fine, put some jam on it and it will be grand. When I went to make the next batch of bread a few days later and dug more deeply into the package – I could see a greenish looking flour and it now smelled more strongly of mold.

That was what I was tasting! I quickly threw out the package and chocked it all up to just one of those random things….that is, until it happened again this time with a bag or box of quinoa grain. I noticed they tasted ‘off’ and examined the grains deeper down into the box and found this same dark green mold.

This one I took back to the health food shop, where I was re-assured it must have been a rare occurrence but that quinoa was perfectly safe to eat. Then it happened a third time – again with the flour I was desperately trying to use to make bread.

By this time in my life, I had eaten my fair share of so many different types of grains -  (wholegrain, flakes, flour etc.), yet never encountered this anywhere else and was having nothing more to do with the quinoa.

The reason this became an issue was because, during that time I was exhibiting symptoms of mold toxicity from all of these non typical grains I was using while I was vegan (sugar free, dairy free, wheat free, gluten free, meat free, Night Shade free and so forth) and I knew my system was not used to the types of molds found on these grains I was not accustomed to eating.

At the time we were using Amaranth grain and flour, coconut flour, quinoa flour and flakes, grains, gram flour, rice flour and flakes and so forth – each of which was new to our systems. Any grain, as well as nut and seeds contain a high amount of molds. Perhaps it was the entire combination of all of these items in our diets that caused some of these problems?

However, we did not eat bread that often or use the flour on a daily or even weekly basis as it was just too much work to make the breads stick together. Besides we were quite happy with our diet and had adapted quite well to a general whole food vegan diet.

Some of the symptoms I had at the time were;

Pins and needles in my hands & arms

Tiredness

Weight gain (without diet change)

Headaches

Rashes

Joint pain & muscle aches

Fever & chills

I just started to not ‘feel’ well. These symptoms were not there all of the time – they would come and go. It was just often enough, that I knew something was not right and I needed to get to the bottom of it. Once I realized I was eating moldy quinoa – I was able to trace back the worst symptoms to the days following eating this stuff!

In some ways, I think I am still not 100% over the effects of these molds and I would not ever go near quinoa again. I am also a little more cautious with all grains – we eat them and now enjoy our sourdough breads, rice and oats; but I am watchful of any ‘new’ untried grains on our digestive systems!

April

My lovely Sourdough breads that makes me feel great! 

Food for the Soul

What to eat today….

I remember a time when it was such a chore to prepare, cook --- no it was a chore to even think about what to prepare or cook for a meal. It was as if my mind was stuck and I couldn’t even think clearly about what I would like to eat.

Perhaps part of the problem back then was that I was so busy (distracted?) by all the other stuff in my life. At the end of the day I really didn’t have any energy left to do much about nourishing myself, let alone anyone else. 

But another thing that was happening which was probably far worse was that I really wasn’t thinking all that much about the food/meals/nutrition I ended up putting into my body. 

A meal was prepared just to get something on the table most days. Things were rushed, I was tired, food was a hassle, eating was a mindless activity. Life was an ordeal.

Then, when I absolutely had no choice in the matter and had to start carefully considering exactly what went into my body for each and every meal to make it count (because the way I was living had made me sick)…then my eyes and my world opened up.

I allowed my intuition, (not advertising, imbalance, tiredness, peer pressure or worse – indifference) to dictate the needs of my body, mind and spirit. Nourishing myself has since become a multi-dimensional approach to far more then just staying alive –

It’s a process of paying attention, listening and thoroughly engaging with my food and the environment it comes from. I am feeding my body, mind and soul through the food choices I make each and every day.

So, that’s why I feast some days, fast other days and eat normally any days in between. My relationship with eating and food has become a spiritual experience – one that only asks of me to be present and involved with the food on my plate. 

Spiritual for me means being alive….

April

Yarrow 

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls - Winter Treat

Cinnamon Rolls with a twist….Sourdough 

A couple of weeks ago I was off my fast and really wanted something nice – sweet and winterish - to have with my morning dandelion coffee. The only thing I could come up with on the day was some sort of a Cinnamon bun or roll. 

It had to be sweet, gooey, spicy, soft and sticky…..are you with me so far? You know the type of rolls that are melted inside yet the bread dough is nice and soft. Oh, and the fragrance, it had to smell sweet, like cinnamon and a little bit like baked bread.

Fasting does that to you! Your tastebuds are clean and alive - only a very specific taste would do (or in this case a food memory). 

Off, I went to find my recipes, however when I looked through each of my books I could only find mention of cinnamon buns made with fast acting yeast or a packet of this or that kind of yeast. 

And this is absolutely out of the question for me. 

It has to be wild fermented sourdough in this house. I work with so many wild fermentation projects – my Rebel Juices fermented drinks, my Apple Cider Vinegar, my sourdough starter, my yogurt and my various fermented vegetables and I won’t risk contamination or compromise on the taste.

So, taking what I thought might be a rough idea of a basic recipe – it can’t be that difficult, right? I put some flour into a bowl (yes, for those who know me, I just throw things together and hope for the best!) some sourdough starter, a little soft butter, an egg, some yogurt and milk, then sugar and water.

I left this to rise for a few hours, like you would a sponge for any other sourdough bread. Once it was risen enough – it did look a little different from a regular sponge starter – I took it out and kneaded it with more flour, into a soft dough. 

Next, I rolled it out flat onto a floured surface and then buttered it (the entire large piece of dough) with my Cinnamon Honey Butter. So far, so good. It smelled like cinnamon and was starting to take shape.

Then, leaving the edges free of the cinnamon butter, I rolled the dough up as tightly as I could all the while pinching any loose ends together. Once I had a cinnamon log, I gently cut sections off for the rolls.

These were placed into an oiled pan and arranged tightly in a circle – just for effect! I happen to like swirls…..LOL

And that was it – the pan of cinnamon dough was let rise again for another hour or so, then popped into a hot oven….it was lovely! Sweet, warm and spicy – just what winter should be all about.

April

Cinnamon Rolls - made with sourdough

Nothing to Waste….

I was reading something a couple of weeks ago about some major supermarket and the enormous amount of waste created each week when they dumped all that out of date processed, over packaged, sterile food.  

It’s a shame it was created in the first place – that is perhaps the biggest waste – of raw materials. But, alas it exists and then it goes to landfill one way or the other. Because lets face it, lots of times this food might be bought and taken home only to end up in the rubbish bin there.

Which leads me to another issue – what is it with needing a rubbish bin? We haven’t had one in years and don’t need one. Because we go out of our way to not create waste. Everything is used, nothing is thrown out and certainly everything is eaten.

So, this week we are fasting. Actually, today is day 8 of our before Christmas detox and of course I have been steadily clearing out the supplies of food in case anything might be ready to go off, but I also enjoy cooking ahead at this time of year.

Yesterday I made a huge pot of Nightshade free pasta sauce with pumpkins, courgettes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, seaweed, beetroot, spices and so forth. Then from that sauce I made large trays of lasagna, long grain brown rice cooked in the vegetable juice, and extra sauce for other meals. 

Next, some over ripe bananas and left over coconut balls went into a lovely winter spice banana bread. All of this went into the freezer for when we are done our fasting. These meals also used up any cheese left over in the fridge so it too wasn’t wasted. 

I do remember those days when anything that wasn’t eaten quickly enough or was forgotten in the fridge went out into the bin. It was never a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Now, with the animals to be fed along with ourselves – there is a use for everything. Our goats love the pumpkin seeds and vegetable peelings, the turkeys enjoy left over nettles and herbs from tea, the ducks and chickens fight over any bread and the dogs eat everything else.

Seeing how this all works gives me hope that perhaps inside our guts it’s all working just as well – It’s kind of like a little ecosystem!

April

Honey Cinnamon Oat Crunch & Toasted Muesli now available at Rebel Foods Stall

April Danann's Mung Bean Burger Recipe

As promised.....here is my recipe for Mung Bean burgers....I posted this sometime last year, but have updated it and here it is again. These are the absolute best bean burgers ever (yes, I know it's my own recipe! LOL) and is something I have made for my family for years....now available at my market stall in Skibbereen on Saturday's. 

Oh, and these are best served with homemade mayo or honey mustard for dipping....

Mung Bean Burgers

1-2 cups of dried mung beans (or more if you want more burgers!)

3 cloves garlic

2 cups or more of chopped vegetables (onions, broccoli, scallions, leeks, etc.)

1 cup of cooked or raw chopped  fresh herbs or spinach

½ cup of grated carrot

Spices and Sea Salt

Olive oil

Sunflower oil for frying or baking

o Soak the mung beans for 48 hours (or until sprouted) in lots of water. Drain, rinse the beans and discard the soaking liquid. Put all the mung beans, raw or cooked herbs or spinach, spices (coriander, cumin, black pepper) and raw garlic in a blender or food processor with a little olive oil. Blend or process until you have a smooth and light batter. Transfer the batter into a deep bowl.

o Stir in chopped vegetables - scallions, onions, leeks, grated carrot, chopped cooked spinach, herbs to taste and cilantro if desired. Use the vegetables you have on hand- sometimes I use grated pumpkin or squash, and cooked green lentils.

o Using a frying pan, cook as you would a pancake- spoon some of the mixture onto the pan and flatten with the spatula, fry until crispy on each side then place onto newspaper to soak up oil – sprinkle with salt.

o   Or the mixture can be placed into an oiled pan and placed in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. I spread artichoke pate over the top when I bake it, to give it an added taste.

o   These burgers change as the vegetables you have on hand change and also you can vary the amount of vegetables you add in- we like it chunky with lots of onions and the spinach makes it moist. These are great served with a rice stir-fry and onion rings made with spelt/gram flour batter on a Saturday night in with the movies!

These can be frozen and will keep for a couple of days in the fridge....they taste great re-heated under the grill for a few minutes to crisp them up. We also make cheese bean burgers with lovely local smoked cheese.....(sigh).

Enjoy (and come visit me at my market stall)

April

This Much I Know.....Food, Health and Healing

No, thanks, I can’t eat/drink/use that very natural good for you food – it might interfere with my medication….I thought I had heard it all…but to steer clear from ‘health’ because your medication is far more important is really interesting – well, it is for me anyway….and I will tell you why.

Many years ago – I was on a path that was taking me nowhere. I had a fairly good diet, lived close to nature, raised my own food as much as possible….used some herbal medicines…but I kept fooling myself that it was enough.

I could use the ‘medical system’ when it suited me, dabble in herbal medicine and otherwise remain healthy as I was. Boy was I wrong! I found out there is nothing healthy about taking any kind of drug – in fact, it interferes with and causes far more issues then it ever solves.

I spent years thinking I could take the best from both worlds. Well, duh! You can’t take the best from both worlds when there isn’t a ‘best’ in one of them. Chemicals, synthetic substances and drugs are not ‘medicine’ – they don’t cure or restore health.

The only mask the symptoms, push down and otherwise interfere with any healing our bodies are trying to do. And this is a dangerous game to be playing as well…removing symptoms is like asking your body to stop talking.

So that you can stop listening…..

It’s quite a situation to be in actually – there is nothing normal, natural or healthy about using any kind of chemical, drug or synthetic hormone. We will only end up with far more problems then we started with.

Only food, water, exercise, stress reduction and creating a healthy environment can achieve any kind of thorough, lasting, deep healing of the body, mind and soul. Ask me how I know….

April

Our Muscovy drake...

Fasting Has Changed My Life...I Now Have One!

Today is a fast day for me, tomorrow will be a normal food day….in a few days (Summer Solstice) there will be a couple days of feasting. Each week and every day brings something different to the table….

Because I am eating this way, I look forward to my food like never before. Even a bowl of porridge takes on a new meaning when you are truly hungry – and I fill up faster. I am satisfied after eating less.

My stomach empties out on the fast days (I usually just drink water and herbal teas), providing extra energy for detox, repair and rebuilding reserves. I work out as usual – feeling better and more myself –perhaps because I can actually ‘feel’….

My digestive system isn’t stuffed with food (all the time) – it’s a cycle of eating that has brought me back to myself in so many ways; old and new. I have discovered there is a spiritual element to eating that I never even knew existed….

Oh and the feast days! When following the Celtic or Pagan Calendar there are many feasts throughout the year. When you add in birthdays and a couple of other celebrations…there is something to plan for every few weeks.

Right now we are gearing up for the Summer Solstice or Midsummer as we know it here. This is a BIG deal for us and we have been planning our menu for weeks. Of course everyone wants a BBQ – so we are hoping the weather will cooperate too!

Fasting before a feast is not an issue at all…in fact – I think I have moved beyond my food ‘issues’ because I have permission to eat what I want, when I want it and as much as I want, during our feasts.

Of course, I’m not going to eat rubbish on my feast days either; my cleaned out digestive system enjoys organic, natural, wholesome, homemade, unprocessed and wild harvested food.

Anything I can raise, grow, make from scratch or dig up – is on the menu!

It’s hard to hang onto thoughts of deprivation when you have 3 or 4 days of non-stop cooking, baking and eating to look forward to. Once the feast is winding down I am more then happy to return to a fast day and normal eating, mostly because I am tired of all that food. LOL

Fasting has become an easy ‘out’ for me. On these days I get a breather…time to think, do some things I keep putting off – be creative and savour the feeling of a day off from eating and watch (feel) my body get stronger.

Since I started eating this way (food, fast and feast) I sleep more soundly, I wake earlier, I am less obsessed with food or eating. I think about food all the time (it’s what I do) however, those thoughts are on a far healthier level.

I am slimmer now and find it far easier to maintain a normal body weight. I work out nearly every day in some capacity (free weights, walking, Yoga etc.) – short term, intermittent fasting even enhances physical activity.

On my food days, I am the one ‘in control’ of how much I eat and when to stop. I find eating earlier in the day might be nice one day…or a big meal after a fasted workout is great too.

Everywhere I go people mention to me how healthy I look. I don’t feel tired, I have more then enough energy to do what I want to do and I feel younger then my years.

Actually…it’s far easier to take care of myself because I am eating this way then ever before. Life has found a gentle rhythm bringing my body into balance is, and I have found all this, by following a natural cycle of eating.

April

The Pagan Diet