Ferments and Culturing…How I love Your Ways

January 31, 2013 by 2 Comments
It may not look like much, but the fermentation and culturing happening here fuels our kitchen!

It may not look like much, but the fermentation and culturing happening here fuels our kitchen!  Shown here:  water kefir, ginger bug brew, raw milk yogurt in yogurt maker, sprouted brown rice incubating in second yogurt maker and fermenting with added water kefir.

I’ve been in the very good habit lately of leaning heavily on lacto-fermentation to pre-digest the foods our family eats.  Culturing, fermenting, sourdough-ing, kraut-ing…our kitchen has been a hotbed of activity, but not always a lot of elbow grease on the family’s part.

After spending the better part of this last year reading and re-reading The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz, I’ve felt compelled and encouraged to just sit back and let the bacteria do a lion’s share of the digestive work, so we don’t have to.  (The digestive equivalent of comfortably reclining, quaffing champagne and noshing bon-bons.)

And it has been a good move!

We had decided some time back to work on incorporating some grains back into our months’-long grain-free diet, and as with any move to eat grains, we did so with the expectation that they would always be properly-prepared by a long, warm-water soak before cooking.  The removal of various anti-nutrients by this simple first step is paramount to getting more nutrition from the grains, and mitigating the mineral- and protein-leaching that consuming unsoaked grains can lead to.

But adding in a little fresh culture to that warm, long watery soak–by way of  whey from yogurt or kefir, or a splash of water kefir–provided  the additional benefit of allowing the cultures to pre-digest the complex carbohydrates in the grains, leaving us with much more digestible simple sugars.  Yay!  And everything took on that wonderful, slightly-tart flavor of sourdough (and once a palate gets a taste for sourdough, anything less tastes bland and simple)–Yay again!  But possibly best of all, the grains didn’t feel like a brick in our bellies–even pancakes and hot cereal have been very well-digested, where we are full, but not at all bloated or logy.  Yay!

At one point last week, I counted 9 different ferments happening in our kitchen.  And while that certainly seems like a lot, it’s important to remember that the process of creating lacto-fermented foods requires time.  Rome may have not been built in a day, but culturing a quart of milk to become yogurt takes about a third of a day, and that’s a little longer than simply picking a container off the shelf at the grocery store.  But the benefits are innumerable if you do allow the time for your homegrown cultures to go to work for you.  Most commercially-prepared yogurt goes through a hastened culturing process, that does not allow for the more complete conversion of what are for many troublesome milk sugars (lactose)  into the gut-benefiting, probiotic bacteria.  And, if you have access to raw, grass-fed milk, then you are able to make a very nutritious food, indeed.

Similarly, making fermented veggies at home–most widely-known as sauerkraut–allows you to make a condiment teeming with beneficial bacteria, with the ingredients you choose.  Many people have issues with thyroid function–whether it be diagnosed or sub-clinical–and consuming raw sauerkraut of cabbage can actually further dampen thyroid function.  It turns out that the fermentation process does not degrade the thyroid-dampening effects of brassica-family vegetables, of which kale, cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower and many others belong.  Now, a little raw or fermented brassica veggies isn’t going to squelch most people’s thyroid activity.  But if a person is inclined to eat a few spoons’ full of fermented veggies in a day (read:  me), then, making a kraut that leans more heavily on other types of vegetation–zucchini and other summer squashes, carrots, cucumbers, onions, garlic, chard, lettuces–might be a good option.  Again, this just takes time to let those good bacteria do their good work for you.

And there are more ways we’ve been using the cultures…to make bread, to prepare beans for cooking, as a base for refreshing and calming drinks, in making pancakes, and even as skincare!  The ways to use them are only as limited as our ingredients on hand and our imaginations.  I’d love to hear from you on what you’re culturing and fermenting, what your favorite cultured foods are, how you’re using these foods in your life.  Please leave a comment or contact me–there is always more to learn and share!

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A modern spin on the Tale of Fish and Loaves (or how a tablespoon of cultures and 2 chickens helped feed 65 people)

August 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment

One of the most compelling aspects of preparing foods in a traditional manner is the magic that can be wrought with a little elbow grease, some on-the-fly moves, and the right amount of time.

I just finished presenting to a group of healthcare practitioners at Systemic Formulas Sunshine Symposium.  As with everything that comes from Systemic, it was an excellent event, where I learned more about advances in natural healing than seems reasonable in a 3-day window!  And I was absolutely delighted and very honored to be included in the list of presenters this year.

As I began my deliberations on WHAT I would talk about (no surprise–traditional food preparation techniques and the healing benefits of using these types of foods), I quickly got to thinking about HOW I could enliven my PowerPoint presentation.

Certainly I’d put lots of (hopefully!) compelling statistics on the decline in health, how our diets have changed in very short window of time, techniques on how to do some soaking and some culturing…but I wanted a little “Pow!” to drive those points home.  And, there is nothing like letting people see, taste and smell some good, nutritious food to get them on board with making good changes in their own kitchens!

So, knowing that I would be in a standard hotel room (read: No kitchen, nor kitchen-y tools), with rather limited access to the Systemic Formulas’ kitchen (there’s not much time to cook when you’re busy learning in the classroom for the better part of a 10-hour day), I quickly sorted out that some tasty homemade kraut or raw milk yogurt wouldn’t likely make the cut.  I needed something that would take care of the bulk of its own preparation, without a lot of effort or time from me.

So, what I settled on were two options that I knew I’d be able manage with these parameters, using as little from home as I could, leaning more on what I’d gather from local stores.  And what seemed to make the most sense were organic, pastured chicken bone broth and apple juice naturally fermented with water kefir.

Now, mind you, the staff at Systemic feeds us like family, using excellent ingredients that fulfill the diet based on their founder, Doc Wheelwright‘s, Pro-Vita principles.  So, my offerings were not going to be the mainstay of the meal, but rather healthy adjuncts to the offerings.  Regardless, I wanted to share something that would be nutritious and likely rather different than what most would usually consider lunch faire.

So, I brought a tablespoons’ worth of my raw water kefir grains in a small container, tucked safely in the clothing in my luggage.  And, once I settled in to my room, I walked to the nearest store and purchased a glass carafe, unfiltered apple juice, bottled water and organic Demerara sugar (and then I called the good folks at the Marriott Ogden and asked for the shuttle to help me get all this back to the hotel!)

Back in my room, I started the slow-yet-hopeful process of paving the way for some water kefir in a few days’ time.  Beginning with heating the water in the in-room coffee maker, I next melted the sugar into it, poured it into the newly purchased carafe, tempered the heat with room temperature water, and then finished with adding the water kefir grains to the sweet, warm solution.  And then I crossed my fingers in hopes that in my 3-day window, I’d create the right environment for my transported kefir grains to do their alchemical magic, turning sugar water and apple juice into a richly-probiotic beverage for everyone to share.

The next morning, Nate from Systemic escorted me to the local natural foods’ store, where I made a quick purchase of two pastured, organically-raised chickens, some apple cider vinegar and sea salt.  Returning to Systemic’s headquarters, the wonderful kitchen staff  shared a couple of locally-grown onions for the broth and helped me settle everything into an industrial-sized crockpot, which I set on a 4-hour heat, then reduced to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, to continue simmering over a 24-hour period.

By a couple hours into the cooking, the entire area of the kitchen and dining room was swimming in the delicious aroma of homemade chicken broth–is there anything better?

Returning to the hotel room that night, I peered into my  water kefir carafe, sniffing hopefully for a hint of tartness, the tangy hit of lacto-fermentation.  I’d left the carafe to warm in the sunny window sill all day, but there appeared to be no obvious signs of kefir kefiring.  ”Well,”  I thought, “even if this doesn’t take off, at least I’m the only one that knows about it–thankfully I’ve not mentioned this to any of the attendees.”   Adding a little more warmed sugar water to the mix, I placed the carafe into a warm water bath to keep any possibility of culturing moving forward in my cool hotel room.  After a while, I removed it from the water and wrapped it in a towel for insulation.  Then I went to bed.

The next morning–the morning of my presentation–I hopped out of bed and immediately checked on the water kefir.  As I jostled the container to remove the lid, I noticed the wonderful tell-tale bubbles rising along the sides of the liquid–Lacto-fermentation!  Sure enough, as I pulled back the lid, I could smell the lively, pungent smell of kefir in action!  The only caveat was that I only had about a quart’s worth of water kefir–certainly not enough for all the attendees to have a taste.  I immediately added the apple juice to the mix and put the carafe back into a warm water bath while I got ready for the day, keeping my hopes high that there was enough lively culturing and the right temperature to begin consuming the newly added sugars and minerals from the apple juice.  As I left the room, I tucked the carafe in a towel and carried it to the car.

Upon arriving at Systemic’s headquarters, I placed the glass carafe in a warm spot in the kitchen (one of the unused back burners to the very busy stove and oven.)  I next asked the staff to help me with removing the flesh and meat from the long-simmered chickens, leaving behind the bones, adding a little more sea salt, vinegar and boiling water to the broth–the staff was my saving grace to pulling this last bit off, as I had to begin my presentation in a few minutes’ time!

Following my presentation, and then sitting in on a great talk given by Dr. Daniel Pompa, I ran back down to the kitchen, just in time to see the most beautiful golden broth being ladled into a festive punch bowl!  What a delight!

Next to the water kefir.

Had it had enough time to ferment the sugars I’d just fed it a few hours’ prior?  What if it was too sweet, more of a warm, sugary apple juice than anything resembling a probiotic beverage?  There was no time to bother with hand-wringing; I could see the attendees lining up along the lunch tables.  With hope in my heart, I began dropping in ice cubes to bring down the temperature a little–and as the ice hit the liquid, frothy, fizzy bubbles shot to the top of the carafe, the wonderful signs of a beverage lacto-fermented!  It worked!

We arranged everything out front, at the end of the food lines.  From a tablespoon of kefir grains and two chickens, there was about a gallon and a half of apple juice water kefir and two huge punch bowls of broth…folks got a “shot” size of the kefir, and as much of the broth as they wished.

And from these small beginnings, I received some fantastic feedback–”We’ve been eating the exact same foods for the last 3 days, and come afternoon, we just hit the wall with the fatigue of sitting and learning all day.  Today, we ate the same foods again, the only difference was the kefir and the broth…and we never hit the wall!  We feel great!”  And, “I was so full from the cup of broth, that I only had half as much food as normal!”  And, “The broth was so good–I had three cups!”

So, if you’re wondering if you can make this kind of food at home…if you’re wondering if it’s worth the effort…if you’re wondering if it will have an impact in your health…I share this little story with you to say, yes, it is most definitely something you can do, and, yes, it is most definitely something you should do.

Bon appetit!

 

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Adding Some Soaked Grains Back into the Diet…

June 8, 2012 by 5 Comments

Soaked and sprouting quinoa, draining in the colander (Yes, it is correct that it is not a "true" grain, but rather a grain-like seed...but we use it in a grainy way!)

I really like the concept of balance.

Whether it is in making sure the kids get equal portions of yogurt and eggs, or of maintaining our health with a mix of proper rest, creative outlets and hard work, or of mixing in the social world and its counterpart, reflection and quiet, there are so many ways that I find myself looking to hit that just right note of balance in the Yin and Yang of every aspect of our lives.

And sometimes, I find myself stepping back from lifestyle choices, and asking, “Is this the most balanced way I can approach this?”  I am a firm believer that to really adopt a change in lifestyle, one has to hang out in the deep end of change for a while before moving back to the moderate depths, where you can find your footing and stop working so hard in effort.  But you’ve got to flex your mental muscles a little bit, learn some new moves, before you get there.  Otherwise, it is much too simple to return to old habits and there won’t be staying power to incorporating the new ways of doing things in a larger life experience.

Anyone who knows me knows that the arena of food and nutrition is a place where I’ve ventured off into the deep waters many times, in the pursuit of knowledge and self-improvement.  And sometimes I’ve stayed in the deep a good, long while…my 14-year commitment to being a lacto-ovo-pescarian being one foray.  I think it’s important to really try something on–it can bring change within us that we’d never known otherwise, and at the very least, it makes us deeply empathic, verging on sympathetic, to others’ similar experiences.

And, I also believe that it’s hard to appreciate how various choices make us feel without having first experienced something very different.  My years of pescarianism, practiced in a manner that left me very deficient in solid nutritional components, have helped me to deeply appreciate that with solid, satiating nutrition how good it is to feel calm, nourished and…balanced.  I have an understanding of this that is reflected in so many years of not feeling this way.

And, to that end, in the name of balance, I did step back from a decision to totally remove grains in the name of seeing how I felt doing so.  It was in going so far in one direction that I came to see very clearly how I’ve used grain-products as a lazy energy crutch throughout my life.  A bowl of cereal here, some toast and butter there, a platter of pasta to share at dinner.  I realized how much nutrition I was cutting out by way of putting refined grains in the place of deeper nutrition sources.

When grain products are removed, something has to go in their place.  Certainly, that could be any number of things.  For our family, that meant more produce, notably more vegetables, especially squash, sweet potatoes and yams.  It also meant more nut flours, from soaked, dehydrated and ground sources.  And we ate many more coconut products–from flour to cream to flakes.  We also used the seed-like grains, amaranth and quinoa.  Cooking with these types of foods has been a big learning curve (one never appreciates all that gluten can do as relates to binding and shape until there’s not a speck of it in sight!), and I am very grateful for what it has done to broaden our perspectives on food and for the greater range of nutrition it brought to our plates.

But, as mentioned at the outset of this piece, I believe in balance.  And totally eschewing all grains is something that doesn’t seem moderate to me.  So I began looking more closely at the traditional methods of grain preparation, most notably as found in Nourishing Traditions, but in various blogs as well.  Our family line is of European descent, and I know traditionally-prepared grains are a food source my ancestors employed.  And by incorporating the techniques that lend themselves toward better assimilation of the nutrients that are stored in these foods, I felt that I could test the waters and see how we all responded to the inclusion of some of these foods in our diet.

Before we removed grains from our diet, we ate organic, commercially-prepared grains, either in a sprouted form (bread or tortillas), as chips, or as gluten-free options (bread, waffles, English muffins.)  We didn’t do much in the way of traditional preparation of whole grains–meaning, if I made rice, I simply rinsed it then cooked it.  Same for oats, corn meal or buckwheat, or any other whole grain.  We were eating foods that, for the most part, were not well-prepared to support their digestion and assimilation into our bodies.

But the traditional methods involve soaking the grain in warm water, with a little bit of an acid medium, for about 7-12 hours, generally.  By doing so, many of the anti-nutrients, enzyme inhibitors, complex carbohydrates and difficult-to-digest proteins (such as gluten and phytic acid) are broken down into much easier components that our bodies can handle. while at the same time increasing the enzyme activity of the grain, making their digestion much easier.

The above-mentioned acid medium can be fresh lemon juice, raw apple cider vinegar, whey from fresh yogurt, or even a bit of yogurt or kefir, though research has shown that the calcium in the dairy can inhibit physic acid reduction, thus, inhibiting the bioavailability of some minerals.  The other side, though, is that the healthy bacteria (and yeast, in kefir) will use the carbohydrates in the grains as an energy source, thus, predigesting the sugars and reducing them in the final product.  Since our family eats plenty of vegetables and grass-fed meats–both great sources of minerals–I tend to use the bit of yogurt or kefir, though not always.

Additionally, warmth and time are needed for proper breakdown–starting with water in the 110-140 degrees Fahrenheit range, left at room temperature (70-80 degrees Fahrenheit), for at least 7 hours, gives a very good foundation for proper assimilation. And if the grains are especially big (rice, spelt, kamut), then opening up a little more surface area is a good idea.  I use a coffee grinder, and give a quick spin of the grains before soaking–just enough to break up the grain a little and expose more of its structure to the water.

And, so, what have we been cooking?  I like to rotate, so that we’re not eating the same thing, day-in and day-out.  All our grains are organic and I purchase them in packaged, small batches, so that they’re fresh to begin with, then I keep them in my freezer so there is no concern for oxidation.  We’ve been using gluten-free rolled oats, spelt berries, quinoa, amaranth and steel cut oats.  I’ve got some buckwheat and kamut that I’ve yet to prepare, but these others have made for lovely, small sides to meals, or as a component of a casserole or patties, or even as a base for pancakes.

Needless to say, this all requires a few extra steps, though it’s far from difficult.  But these steps, coupled with a tart flavor profile (thanks to the healthy bacteria consuming the sugars in the grains) and the richer texture of whole grains, lends itself toward less consumption of these foods than we were eating before we took the grains from our diet.  They constitute maybe 10-15% of our total consumption.

And that is a balanced answer.

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Spring is Here!

February 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Blasts of Spring color in Sedona’s fauna

Spring is here again–have you noticed the days incrementally growing longer as we’ve reached the Spring Equinox?  Certainly I’m biased because of my education in Asian medicine, but what better way to honor Spring than to understand what it means in a global perspective, as presented through the prism of Chinese Medicine?

So, as you begin to feel the burgeoning of the much-anticipated growth that has been stored in the deep roots of plants through the cold, winter months…as you feel the need to open long-shut windows to let in a little of the clean air of a cool, sunshiny day…and as you begin to note the shift in the fresh offerings in the produce aisle at your local grocer…keep in mind how you feel this shift in energies.  May this list of characteristics of the Spring season pique new awareness of the world at large, and within yourself!

Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Spring Season

  • 5-Element Designation:  Wood
  • Organs of the Wood Element:  Liver and Gallbladder
  • Color of the Wood Element:  Greens, browns
  • Emotions of the Wood Element:  Anger when out of balance
  • Tissues of the Wood Element:  Tendons and ligaments
  • Senses of the Wood Element:  Eyes
  • Climate associated:  Wind
  • Taste associated:  Sour
  • Smell associated:  Rancid when out of balance
  • Sound associated:  Shouting

As you might recognize here, the Spring time is when life capitalizes on the reserves that were stored through the dark days of winter, and is ready to push forth into the beginning of another cycle of life.  This requires a strong foundation of energy to support this effort, and if a plant or animal (human included) has allowed for rest and recovery through the quietude of winter, then the reserves  should be replete to support this effort.

However, given that most modern humans do not follow the lead of the hibernating bear, resting more deeply in the short, cold, dark days of winter, many of us come to Spring’s doorstep lacking in reserves for beginning another year.

If this sounds like you, then you might consider the following:

Rest!  Do your best to be to sleep by 10 o’clock each night, and allow at least 7 hours for a full-night’s sleep

Don’t push your reserves through the use of coffee, tea and other stimulants.  Instead, eat meals rich in cooked and raw vegetables, healthy proteins and nourishing fats.  This will replenish much-needed minerals, vitamins and fatty acids.

Start your day with a protein meal  A couple of free-range eggs sauteed in ghee with greens, a dollop of plain yogurt, a spoonful of soaked seeds, sitting upon a mixed green salad will provide the energy you need later in the day.

Use a little more of the sour flavor in your cooking  In Chinese Medicine, sour has an astringing quality, which helps to preserve the body’s essence and energy.

Exercise moderately   This is a great time to take a 20-minute walk daily, and to do interval training 2-3 times a week.  You’ll get your lymph flowing and burn some of your winter fat, while not causing too much oxidative stress in your tissues.

Keep yourself warm!  Don’t waste your energy shivering–wear the proper clothing so that you are comfortable, rather than pulling on your body’s reserves to keep you comfortable.

Eat foods and drink liquids that are warm, or at least room temperature  Avoid iced and cold foods.  This further pulls on the body’s reserves.

Have an acupuncture and moxibustion treatment to relax and warm the body and balance the system as a whole.

Consider supplementation that nourishes the body  This is best done under the supervision and guidance of a trained professional, to better ensure that the supplements chosen are correct for your needs.  If you would like my help with this, feel free to contact me.

By no means exhaustive, I do hope this list will help you to meet the coming Spring in great health, prepared for another year circling our sun.

 

 

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Ancestral Eating in Modern Times

February 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

 

Countless generations have lived off the bounty of the rivers and forests of what is now the great state of Montana. Let's go fishing!

In our family’s journey of health, eating more whole, organic foods has been a cornerstone of our efforts.  And over the years, as we’ve learned more and gone further into the process, notions about eating more as our ancestors ate have continued to surface.

 

From the standpoint of evolution, the last 40 years of my life don’t even constitute the blink of an eye.  And when I consider the changes in the standard American diet in that window of time, I am amazed.

 

Statistically, when I was born in the early 1970’s, Americans consumed approximately 119 pounds of sugar, per person, in a year.  That is a lot of sugar—statistics taken for the end of the1700’s showed average consumption at less than 20 pounds per person, per year.

 

Compare these figures to current statistics—the most recent in 2003.  In less than 300 years (maybe the blink of an eye in terms of human evolution), we have increased our sugar consumption to an average of 142 pounds per American, per year.  That is about a 700% increase!

 

So, I don’t know about you, but I don’t see how there is any way that our bodies could have evolved in this incredibly short (4-5 generations’ worth) window of time to handle this onslaught of sugar.

 

As I’ve studied more on eating whole and organic foods, this issue of what most Americans eat (sugar!) and how our bodies handle it, has been continually raised.  And terms like “ancestral eating,” “hunter-gatherer diets” or “Paleo diets” have usually been part of the discussion, too.

 

When I take a cursory look over the course of human evolution, I can certainly understand why many do bring up the tenets of ancestral eating in helping to chart where the bulk of our nutrition should come from.

 

My introduction to it was by way of The Maker’s Diet, by Jordan Rubin.  In this book, Rubin shows how he used foods and food preparation techniques referenced in the Bible to heal a chronic, undiagnosed, life-threatening illness.

 

He discusses the importance of using organic, grass-fed, cultured, whole-fat, raw (when appropriate), unadulterated ingredients to make very nutritious meals.  I was so moved by the information in the book that I immediately began making changes to our family’s diet.

 

And I felt like I had been gifted a handbook to share with my acupuncture patients on how they could take care of themselves with diet.  My one caveat as I shared the information with patients was that the book referenced the Bible throughout—for some people, this was a detraction from an otherwise useable and pertinent roadmap to whole-food nutrition.

 

Because of this hiccup, I like to call this manner of diet “ancestral eating,” and that seems to be a happy medium.  But, as I’ve continued to study this, the other issue that has arisen is how ancestral is ancestral?

 

I look at the information my grandparents shared with me about the foods they ate in the American South—greens, herbs and other vegetables grown in the home garden, supplemented with meat, dairy and eggs from hens, hogs and cows also reared either on the property, or from a neighbor’s farm.  Baked items were made with fresh eggs, fresh milk, fresh butter and/or lard—no preservatives, artificial colors or flavors, nor GMO-grains.

 

That diet alone, only 3 generations’ old, is much more balanced and healthy, I would dare to venture, than what makes up the standard American diet today.

 

If we look back further, to Biblical times, we see the use of whole grains, fresh oils, fresh produce grown and consumed in its proper season, or dried or preserved for later consumption.  Animals were consumed in their entirety—nothing was wasted, which made for a much more balanced nutrition profile than simply consuming the muscle, as we do today.  And the meat was from animals grazing on the fauna and food sources appropriate to their needs, making for a healthier meat product.

 

When we travel back even further, to Paleolithic times, we can look at the hunter-gatherer ways, which relied heavily on consuming the entire hunted animal, as well as the fibrous vegetation available on the land.  This time was before cultivated agriculture and the production of grains, meaning that the concentrated carbohydrate source of grains was not part of the equation of Paleolithic man’s nutrition.

 

In the whole scheme of evolution, the length of time from the Paleolithic era to the 21st Century, is but a blink of an eye.  And the more I study this, the greater my appreciation for keeping carbs low in the diet—researchers are saying that our body functions most optimally on about 72 grams of carbohydrates a day—a far cry from the 300-400 grams most Americans consume daily.

 

And what is the outcome of not keeping our carbohydrates in a range our pancreas, cells, liver and digestion can handle?  As the availability of carb-rich convenience foods has increased, so too have chronic, inflammatory, often deadly illnesses—cardiovascular disease, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, cancer, Alzheimer’s and dementia are but a few.

 

The American Cancer Society states that 1/3 of all cancer deaths related to nutrition, physical activity, and overweight or obesity, could be prevented.  And in the US, we spend more money on diabetes than any other disease—as a country, it cost us more than $200 billion in 2008 alone.

 

These are truly frightening statistics—watch this CDC graphic to see the annual explosion of obesity across the nation, from 1985-2010.

 

You may wonder what was happening in this short, 25-year period, that spurred this fire of overweight on.  Certainly, our increasing reliance on computers and technological gadgets took away some of our calorie burning—we all know how easy it is to use the remote, to stay in and watch a movie at home, or to while hours away on our computers.

 

But an even bigger factor has been at play—our food selections.  The rise of the notion of “fat = fat” in the mid-1980’s and early 1990’s gave rise to an explosion of non-fat, high-carb convenience foods.  And we ate them with abandon!  There were fat-free cookies, cakes, sauces, even “butter!”

 

However, as we merrily munched on rice cakes, baked potato chips, fat-free ice cream and the like, something insidious was happening.  We, as a country, began to put on weight.  And we began developing different chronic sicknesses, like Type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

 

However like so many things in life, it was hard to see because it happened while we weren’t looking.  As we ate diets that pushed our pancreases to their limits, that made us insulin resistant, that lead us into metabolic syndrome and diabetes, we didn’t see what was upon us until we started to look in our collective rearview mirror.  And it is in the looking back that we see what we have stepped into.

 

We are an overweight, exhausted, stressed and sickly country, with children whose life expectancy is projected to be shorter than their parents.  In such a short window of time, we have taken what has been an increasingly expected longer life for the next generation, and have shortened it.  We are collectively killing ourselves with our food choices.

 

Thankfully though, the human body is always ready to right itself.  There truly is hope.  My favorite saying, “Life Happens,” applies here. The predicament we are in as a country is a scenario that can be turned around.

 

It requires that we look further back in that rearview mirror, to simpler times.  You have to decide how far back you would like to go—our grandparents’ generation?  Biblical times?  Hunter-gatherer times?  Or somewhere else on this continuum?

 

Wherever you land, I’d like you to keep in mind the suggestions for healthy carbohydrate intake.  An excellent way to chart this is to use My Plate on the Livestrong.com site.

 

You will likely be shocked at how quickly the carbs add up when you look at them objectively—I know I was.

 

And, like me, you may find that the best way to come within shooting range of 72 grams of carbs a day is to simply cut out refined grains and only use sprouted and cultured grains sparingly—they are that concentrated a source of this macronutrient.

 

However, taking a portion of your diet out requires that something go in its place—like our ancestors, plan to put vegetables and fruits, healing fats and clean, building proteins there instead.  The nutrition you’ll be consuming will be off-the-charts comparatively.  In turn, your pancreas will have an opportunity to begin healing, the inflammation in your cells will decrease and you will likely begin to lose weight.

 

So, in this modern age, I believe we have more to learn from our elders than ever before, their wisdom and life experience more important for us and coming generations than in any time in history.  Using the information so readily available to all of us in this technological age, look back to look forward.

 

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Food as Our Medicine

January 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Breakfast of turkey bacon, broccolini and zucchini--just add some eggs, spring mix and avocado!

At the foundation of natural medicine should be a healthy, balanced diet.  Supplements and therapies are just that—supplemental and therapeutic means to affect change in the body.  However, it is the day-in, day-out practice of eating that is truly what makes a difference in health over the long haul. So, what does this look like from a practical standpoint?

Many years of professional and personal research, practice and plain tinkering have led me to some basic tenets that I’d like to share. I’ve found the culmination of many dietary questions being answered in clear detail in Dr. Jack Tips’ books, The Weight is Over, and The Pro-Vita Plan.

Eat mostly vegetables, and do so with each meal 

Shoot for mostly raw, with some cooked just to the point of softening.  Definitely do your best to make them organic, seasonal and local. If  not organically-grown, soak your produce for 20 minutes in a tub of clean water, with a few drops of grapefruit seed extract included to kill bacteria and other germs.  Rinse them under fresh water, then let them air-dry on towels before placing them in the crisper for safekeeping.

Raw produce allows our bodies to use the inherent enzymes in the produce to help with the pre-digestion of the meal.  Likewise, because we are not herbivores by design, we need to have the cell wall of the plants we eat partially broken down to extrude the nutrition found in the plant matter, and heating is a great way to meet this need; therefore, the need for some cooked vegetables as well.

Eating organically means the plants were grown in more nutrient-bearing soil, and that they are free of toxic residues from pesticides, fungicides, etc. Eating locally and in-season means we are eating foods that are in keeping with the biorhythm of our locale, which helps to support the nutrition needed for a given time and place.

Additionally, foods that are local and in-season can be picked at their ripeness, further enhancing their nutrition profile. This can look like a salad of mixed spring greens, or freshly made cole slaw, or a crudités platter.  Pair this with steamed vegetables like zucchini, carrots, parsnips, or sauté some spinach or collard greens with onions.  A homemade marinara sauce, full of lightly cooked veggies with onions and garlic would be a great choice, too.

Eat your heaviest meal in the morning, followed by your next heaviest at lunch, and your lightest at dinner

Eat more protein at the start of the day, and lighter carbohydrates at the end of the day.  Limit the amount of liquid (preferably water) with your meals. Our bodies run on natural biorhythms, and one facet of this is that we tend to produce more hydrochloric acid (HCl) as the day begins.  HCl has many important functions, but breaking down protein is one of its greatest.

Of the three macronutrients—carbohydrates, fats and proteins—protein is the most important for building healthy new tissue.  However, protein is also the most complicated of the three to digest and utilize.  Therefore, capitalizing on the body’s natural proclivity for protein digestion in the morning makes good sense.

Additionally, having the heaviest protein meal in the morning allows the body to digest and put to use the nutrition needed for the rest of the day, when our activity levels are highest.  A meal of softly-scrambled, free-range organic eggs with sautéed spinach, topped with a dollop of organic, plain yogurt and a side of sliced tomato and avocado will garner a balanced energy throughout the remainder of the day (even during the 3 o’clock slump!) Lunch should be a variation on the theme set out at morning, and ideally should be paced about 4 ½ hours later, allowing ample time for the digestion of the first meal.

A mixed greens’ salad with broiled, organic chicken or wild-caught fish, topped with a few soaked sunflower seeds and some sautéed vegetables from dinner the night prior, drizzled with walnut oil or cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil, some fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of herbs or garlic would make for a delightful, nutritious mid-day meal.

Finally, dinner should be the lightest meal of the day, more focused on complex carbohydrates, which are easiest of the three macronutrients to digest.  We don’t need heavy building as the day winds down—rather, it is a time of rest and recovery, and bogging down the system with a heavy protein meal leads to lymphatic congestion and disordered sleep, among other issues.  This meal should consist of sautéed vegetables, possibly with some soaked and steamed quinoa or amaranth, topped with a little butter, or possibly a baked sweet potato.  A piece of fresh, in-season fruit makes for a lovely dessert.

However, if you find that this “lightest” meal is just a little too light to make it comfortably through the evening, then do have a little protein–maybe 2-3 ounces of broiled fish with a salad, or some braised greens and onions with 2-3 ounces of turkey.  Just keep the portion size of the entire meal smaller than the first 2 meals, and complete eating at least a couple of hours before sleep.

Don’t mix carbohydrates with proteins

The reason for this lies in a point that was made earlier—protein is more difficult to digest than carbohydrates, and when a person eats a meal that is predominately carbohydrate, with some protein, the body begins producing the enzymes necessary for carbohydrate digestion, rather than the more challenging (and very different in composition) protein digestion.  Doing so digests the carbohydrates, but leaves the proteins not fully digested, leading to fermentation, gas, improper nutrient breakdown and indigestion.

So, eat your carbs (sprouted and non-sprouted grains, breads, tortillas, pastas, starchy vegetables, over-cooked beans, fruit, milk, sweeteners) in a separate meal from your proteins (eggs, meats, soaked/sprouted/gently cooked beans, cheeses, yogurt and other cultured dairy, nuts.)

Here is a breakdown of the common macronutrients, so you can more easily decide what goes with what, and when it should be eaten

Very starchy carbohydrates—avoid consuming with proteins, but fine with moderate fats

  • All grains and grain products
  • Overcooked beans (not sprouted beans gently cooked below the simmer point)
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Jerusalem artichokes
  • Cooked and baked potatoes
  • Pumpkin
  • Rutabagas
  • Yams
  • Split peas

Carbohydrates that are medium starch, a small amount with protein should be fine, and fine with fats

  • Artichokes
  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Eggplant
  • Lightly cooked corn
  • Daikon radish
  • Jicama
  • Okra
  • Parsnips
  • English snow peas
  • Radishes
  • Raw summer squashes (crookneck, zucchini, etc.)
  • Rhubarb
  • Hard squashes (acorn, banana, spaghetti, etc.)
  • Turnips
  • Water chestnuts

Carbohydrates that are non-starchy, an excellent choice with fats and proteins

  • Most sprouts
  • Asparagus
  • Bamboo shoots
  • Beet tops
  • Bell peppers
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Chard
  • Greens
  • Cucumber
  • Lettuces
  • Onions
  • Sea vegetables
  • Scallions
  • Spinach
  • Garlic
  • Green beans
  • Tomatoes

Fats, fine with proteins and carbohydrates

  • All oils, from vegetable and animal sources
  • Lard
  • Butter

Proteins, consume with fats and non-starchy carbohydrates

  • Beans that are sprouted and cooked just below the simmer
  • Beet leaves
  • Chesses
  • Chlorella
  • Green coconuts’ milk
  • Fish and shellfish
  • Dulse
  • Eggs
  • Gelatin
  • All meats
  • Milk
  • Miso
  • Nuts and nut butters
  • Peanuts
  • Dried peas
  • Seeds
  • Seitan, tempeh and tofu
  • Tahini
  • Wild rice

              –

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Looking for healthy recipes that are always gluten-free, grain-free and organic?

January 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Look no further!

With these recipes, discover the joy of eating nutritious, tasty foods that are always gluten-free and grain-free .

Learn to make salads that eat like a meal in themselves, protein-rich breakfast foods that will keep your energy balanced, and yummy superfood snacks for when you’re on the go.

When looking over the recipes, the following is a given:

• I use organic produce, herbs and spices to the best of my abilities

• I use locally-grown produce as it’s available

• I use organic, free-range or wild-caught eggs and animal proteins

• Salt is always some type of sea salt

• If I’m using any variety of cultured dairy, it is usually prepared at home– yogurt , kefir , soft cheeses —this is not mandatory, but it makes for a very nutritious selection that I know is full of healthy flora

• Any milk is organic and raw—if you are not inclined to use this yourself, please do use organic and full-fat. And more often than not, I use goat milk

• Raw nuts are organic as often as possible, and have been soaked and dehydrated at 100 degrees—you can use raw nuts that have just been soaked and not dehydrated, but their texture will be moist and chewy, rather than crunchy

• When using stevia as a sweetener, my preferred variety is the concentrated powder, which you can find at Trader Joe’s, or most any natural foods’ store

• When using honey , I use local and raw

I hope these ideas inspire you and give you direction on making healthier foods in your own home.

Change them as needed to fit your taste preferences, or stay true to the ingredients listed to try something new.

Whatever your choice, keep this saying in mind:“Make every fork-full as nutritious as it can be!”

To help you along, I’ve included links to some of my favorite sources to help you find farmers and stores close to you.

And if you are really interested in learning many more grain-free, GAPS-friendly foods, please click here to sign up for grain-free meal plans.

Have fun, be creative and enjoy the process! Bon appetit!

Recipes to Enjoy

Savory, Smoky Grain-Free Meatballs 

Squash and Turkey Bacon Hash 

Baked Cultured Tarragon Chicken 

Nut Mayonnaise 

Sweet Pot-Souffle 

Cousin Dee’s Sweet Potato Pancakes 

Sprouted and Dehydrated Quinoa Flour 

Hazel-Coco Bread 

Sprouted Quinoa Bread 

Chicken and Chevre Salad on Mixed Greens 

Grilled Nicoise Salad 

Cabbage and Turkey Bacon Slaw 

Coconut Fish with Braised Vegetables 

Coconut Flour Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing 

Cashew Mousse 

The Dehydrator and Its Many Wonderful Ways

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Removing Grains from Our Family’s Diet…Yikes!

January 19, 2012 by 1 Comment

I decided early this summer that removing grains from our family’s diet would be a good idea.

I don’t think many husbands nor children would take this news too well, but mine live with me, and I make the food and they generally just eat what I put in front of them.

So, I told my husband my intentions, and because he’s seen me make some profound changes in our diet over the years, I don’t think he was too shocked. For the kids…well, I just did it. And after about the 14th request for rice toast, I explained what I was doing (giving them yummy, homemade foods instead–coconut cupcakes, cashew mousse, souffle, etc.), why (so they could be stronger and smarter), and that it wouldn’t be forever, just for most of the time (we still treat them to a gluten-free, organic pizza once or twice a month–and, boy, do they enjoy it!)

As with most people, my family loves starchy foods, but the press on gluten long ago swayed our ways. So, we narrowed down from sprouted wheat, kamut and spelt, to all gluten-free grains, leaning heavily on brown rice flour and the various GF blends from Arrowhead Mills and Bob’s Red Mill. And removing those gluten-rich foods did improve various issues–chronic colds, emotional ups and downs, brain fog, seasonal allergies, digestive issues. But they only improved—they didn’t go away.

So, we’ve slowly but most surely been cutting back on the grains. As I continued to use them, I tried to assuage my concerns over the use of grains by using sprouted brown rice flour, reasoning that the carbohydrates that are in regular brown rice flour are less concentrated in the sprouted variety, as the rice sprouts and uses them for the energy to begin the life process again. And we used quinoa flour, and amaranth flour—grain-like seeds are also less carb-rich, and have a fuller fat and protein profile.

However, my husband and son are definitely more sensitive to carbohydrates than most (and my daughter is along for the ride because she lives with us), and that is why I thought we should just bite the proverbial bullet and remove those grains from our diet. In the end, there was one article on Dr. Mercola’s site that I came across that summed up all the floating strings of press I had been reading on the effect of grains in the diet, and their inflammation-promoting tendencies.

Then, a week later, I found Dr. Loren Cordain’s latest Paleo-Diet cookbook at our local library…and all my fuss and hand-wringing about removing grains went away. I felt like this was something we were ready and prepared to do. So, we did.

And, it has been alright! In fact, it’s been great. My husband and our kids are all busy, physically and mentally, so having food on hand for them to grab and go has been essential.

Thankfully, a neighbor shared a bushel of apples from her mother’s trees. So, this week, I’ve been keeping them in snacks with apple chips I made in my dehydrator , dipped in raw almond butter and sprinkled with cinnamon. They love it!

They’ll also snack on sweet potatoes—I sprinkle them with sea salt, clarified butter, ground nutmeg and soaked and dehydrated walnuts, all mashed together as a snack. That one is so simple—I just steam a few pounds of sweet potatoes and store them in the fridge, with their skin on, until I’m ready to use them.

Of course, there’s also fresh produce with raw cheese or homemade yogurt , sweetened with a little raw, organic sugar and vanilla–they love both.

Certainly, feeding my family the array of nutrients found in the foods we’ve used to supplant grains–sweet potatoes, yams, coconut flour, hard squashes–are offering up large amounts of fiber and macro- and micronutrients that are not found in the usual tortillas, pasta or bread. So, that is wonderful in itself.

And the dividends I’m seeing–less frequent and certainly less severe colds, no seasonal allergies this autumn, more emotional stability, clearer thinking, better digestion–without question make my efforts worth my while. I do have to stay prepared, with the above-mentioned types of foods on hand–it’s not quite as simple as pulling a loaf of rice bread from the freezer.

But, honestly, it’s not that much harder.  And my recipes here are but an introduction.  I love them, and I’ll keep adding to the site as I create new goodies, but for an extensive meal-planning tool, visit Health, Home and Happiness–Cara’s recipes and tips are excellent!  Look under “Menu Subscriptions” and “Grain Free Cookbook” for extensive information.

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Breakfast Foods–Your First Line of Defense to Come What May

January 19, 2012 by 2 Comments

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day—I’ve tried it many ways, from frozen waffles drenched in imitation maple syrup or cold cereal floating in homogenized, pasteurized low-fat milk (oh, the folly of youth!), to an apple with a handful of raw almonds and a cup of tea (left me full for a bit, then ravenous later), to something including eggs, sautéed veggies, a pinch of spring greens and a slice of red pepper, maybe some uncured turkey bacon or free-range chicken sausage, topped with avocado slices (rocket fuel!)

Having run the gamut of options as they regard to breakfast, I have come to find that something less sugary, more savory, with healthy fats, raw and cooked produce, and a good amount of protein is the way to go. Being mindful of these components has delivered regularly on keeping blood sugar balanced, thoughts clear, cravings down, mood bright and energy even (both for the adults and for the kids, who are very busy with their schoolwork.)

I do tend to wake early to prepare everyone’s breakfast—I like not being rushed, and the extra time allows me to think more clearly on adding a little variety each morning. I don’t want the same, nutritious dish to become white noise to our bodies. It’s good to mix things up a bit each day.

So, on a given morning, I might make up a pot-souffle , using organic eggs, unsweetened almond milk, and sweet potatoes or winter squash—these I’ve steamed beforehand and have ready for use in the fridge. Or, I might make a veggie scramble, using sautéed zucchini and spinach, a little goat cheese and organic eggs. Plainly scrambled eggs are always a hit, too—the kids love when I slow-scramble them, so that they stay soft in texture.

With the protein entrée complete, an accompaniment of organic, nitrite- and nitrate-free poultry bacon or sausage is always welcomed—and these tend to be pre-cooked, making a quick re-heating in the pan or pot used for the egg dish easy, and cutting down on clean-up. One or two pieces go a long way in terms of taste and adding a little more protein.

For the grown-ups, I put a little sauteed veggies (whatever greens are in season are wonderful), over a pinch of salad greens, or pair them with a few slices of raw veggies.  This way we get enzymes to help with pre-digestion, and the nutrition of cooked veggies, where the cellulose wall has been broken down through some cooking.

I always have a side of fresh, organic, seasonal fruit slices or fresh berries—not too much, maybe the equivalent of a piece of whole fruit. Since we don’t do commercially-prepared toast or cereals, I like having a little bit of sweetness and carbs, and the kids love it.

But, what if you’re in a rush each morning, trying to get many things done in a short window of time?

If it’s happening every day, then I’d encourage you to go to bed a half-hour earlier so you can wake up a half-hour earlier and get a more balanced start to your day—starting the day in a frenzy is a rough way to begin any day, and if it’s a regular pattern, then you’re shooting yourself in the foot before it’s even left the house!

But, sometimes, even with the best of intentions and planning, things can go awry—the alarm clock doesn’t go off, an emergency clean-up after a pet consumes your time, an unexpected, lengthy phone call pulls your attention for the morning.

We’ve all had those mornings.

So, when your time has been consumed in something other than the creative pursuit of a tasty breakfast, it’s great to have on hand some items that will meet your nutritional needs and keep you going.

Here are some ideas:

• A slice or 2 of raw cheese , some raw nuts , coupled with a piece of organic fruit

• Plain, organic yogurt sweetened with a teaspoon of raw, unprocessed sugar or local, raw honey and a little vanilla extract, with some superfood powder mixed in, topped with a few raw nuts

• Sliced raw veggies (bell pepper, carrots, celery, jicama) with some raw cheese and a boiled egg or two

As you can see, these options are focused on giving you protein, healthy fats and vitamins and minerals—they may not be as inviting as a steaming plate of scrambled eggs or soufflé, but they will give you good nutrition in a little bit of effort.

Have fun with your breakfast—it is the springboard from which you’ll get through the rest of your day. Make it tasty and full of nutrition so that you’ll be primed no matter what comes your way!

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For the Love of the Various Cheeses!

January 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Cheese is a hot topic at our house—but I think that’s the norm, isn’t it? I have yet to meet a man or a first-grader who doesn’t list one of the countless cheeses as a top-5 favorite food.

And I’ve watched many a woman pondering, hovering, at the dairy cooler at Trader Joe’s  —“Should I go with the gouda, or goat brie? Maybe I should give this Camembert a try—I wonder how that would be with fruit?”

It’s serious business.

So, when I say it’s a hot topic at our house, I really do feel like I’m preaching to the choir. It’s just that on this issue (as numerous others), I feel like we’re singing a little different song.

Given my findings on the differences in the digestibility of different types of milk, I’m not one to run to just any grocery store and pick up just any old fromage. Often, I’m looking for something made from goat’s milk or a raw cow’s milk—both of which are rather tough to come by in the standard dairy aisle.

Studies have shown that goat dairy is much more digestible for most people than cow dairy, even when both are pasteurized (the pasteurization process for any type of milk, used to kill unwanted bacteria, also destroys inherent enzymes that would otherwise be present to help digest the milk. Pasteurization can also alter the proteins and sugars in the milk.)

This digestibility factor is huge, especially when one considers the amount of cheese that most families eat. In our family, it’s a part of lunch generally, is often handed out as a snack with a piece of fruit or a carrot, and sometimes even makes its way to the dinner plate.

If I’m feeding my family something that is a challenge for them to digest, multiple times a day, then I’m not doing anyone any favors.

Enter the goat—its milk has many factors that tend to make it a better choice for regular consumption. Here are a few reasons why:

• It is much lower in a substance called alpha-S1 casein, a protein that is a major allergen in cow’s milk.

• It naturally has much smaller-sized, evenly-dispersed fat globules than cow’s milk, which leads to a naturally homogenized milk (commercially-prepared cow’s milk is mechanically homogenized, a process that takes butter fat and transforms it into tiny spheres of fat containing a potent digestive enzyme that pass intact through the walls of the stomach and small intestine without first being properly digested. Once these enzyme-containing spheres enter the blood and lymph, the enzyme can come free from the fat and cut whatever vessel it is in. These micro-injuries to the vessel wall require cholesterol to repair the wound, leaving behind cholesterol plaques—hence, hardening of the arteries and other cardiovascular damage as the end result.)

• This natural homogenization of goat’s milk is due to the fact that the milk does not contain agglutinin, and when fat globules are not bunched together, they’re much easier to digest (and they don’t offer up the mechanical-homogenization problems listed with homogenized cow’s milk.)

• Goat’s milk also contains different types of fatty-acid chains—it’s higher in short- and medium-chain fatty acids than cow’s milk, which are more easily digested in the intestines.

• Goat’s milk tends to pass much more quickly through the stomach than cow’s milk, likely due to how its proteins react with the stomach acids—it creates a softer curd in the stomach than cow’s milk, making it more digestible.

(For more information on the effect of pasteurization on milk, see Ultra-Pasteurized Milk. This link will open to the Weston A. Price Foundation’ssite, an invaluable tool in understanding the effects of modern diets on our health. It’s also a great starting place to find sources of raw milk in your area.)

Thankfully, our family enjoys the taste of the various goat cheeses—2 staples are the imported Dutch gouda and the pre-sliced Dutch from Trader Joe’s. And I also love their goat brie—it’s a dream melted with fresh strawberries on the side.

But we also enjoy raw cow varieties—the issues related to homogenization and pasteurization are moot, making these choices much easier to digest.

Again, I really like the raw Gruyeres and Emmantelers from Switzerland and found at Trader Joe’s—although they’re not organic, they are rBST-free. And we are big fans of all the Organic Valley raw offerings, though these are quite a bit more costly. There are also raw artisan selections, crafted in smaller batches, that are a true treat when we find them.

Where do you find these types of prepared cheeses if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods nearby? Try using these tools to find sources near you (each of the following will open to new pages): Azure Standard natural food co-op is a great resource in the western United States; and the Coop Directory Service is a great locater of natural food cooperatives in your area; finally,Greenpeople.org lets you enter your zip code or region to find nearby cooperatives and natural food stores.

Once you’ve located a source, if you’re using a raw cheese, have gone to the trouble to procure it (and have likely paid a premium for it), keep it raw. Don’t cook your raw cheeses—you’ll destroy those lovely enzymes. Use a pasteurized goat’s milk cheese for that purpose (such as in an omelet or over steamed vegetables.)

My favorite cheeses, though, are made from scratch, using raw milk, sea salt and healthy cultures. It takes time to do this, and there have been many an instance where I ended up with a gallon of a cultured dairy delight that more closely resembled yogurt than cheese solids and whey. So, sometimes things turn out differently than I might have expected, but I’m never disappointed—just surprised!

There is something so very satisfying to my soul in taking fresh, raw milk that I’ve just received from a local farmer , pouring it into a big pot and adding cultures and rennet to make a lovely, homemade cheese. It just feels right—might be my Scotch-Irish DNA singing to me.

And should you decide to make your own cheese—well, let me tell you, folks are going to think you’re doing something mighty special at your house. And you will be. But the beauty of making cheese, especially a soft cheese as I’ve made time and again, is that it makes itself—just give it good ingredients, let it sit for a while, then separate the curds from the whey. (To this day, one of the dearest compliments I’ve received was when a neighbor tried my cheese. She’d lived for years in Italy and was familiar with hand-crafted food—and when she took a bite and smiled, “I haven’t had something this good since I lived in Italy,” I was over the moon!)

Cultures for Health  is an excellent resource for recipes and all the ingredients you’ll need (less the milk!) to make your own. From the reasons why you should bother, to supply lists, to the pros and cons of raw vs. pasteurized milk, to storage and aging, you’ll be in the know on making this delicacy at home.

I encourage you to consider these points and suggestions when you make your purchases—it may take some effort in finding a source near you, but the rewards are there, and once you get your sources down, it’s much easier.

And most definitely, do consider making your own cheese, at least once. Let me know what you learn, how it turns out and any other tidbits you feel like sharing. I look forward to hearing from you!

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