Gluten Free – Bloat Free

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• Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Gluten-Free Breakfast Muesli Cookies Recipe

A gluten free breakfast cookie recipe to restore your health.

My dear friend Pia, recently joined me for coffee. She had shared with me, the news that her doctor had recommended she try a gluten free diet for a while to deal with uncomfortable symptoms Pia was experiencing.  In preparation for our visit, I thought I had better whip up a treat that she and I both could enjoy – a gluten free one!

Like many of us, Pia’s plan to go gluten free, arose not from a gluten intolerance but a sensitivity.  For some time she had been suffering from uncomfortable tummy bloat, distension, tiredness and pain, enough to make her head to the doctor to find out what was wrong.

Her issues are among the many that arise from being sensitive to the proteins in wheat.  But you can add skin rashes, heartburn, brain fog, insomnia, gas, cramps and joint pain, to the list.  When wheat proteins cause these symptoms, it is often necessary to eliminate gluten for a while, as Pia’s doctor recommended.

There are millions like Pia, who have a gluten sensitivity.  By contrast, only 1% of the population may have a gluten intolerance.  We have eaten, and been exposed to, far more gluten than our ancestors, due to the prevalence of processed foods, many of which contain stripped grain products – grains stripped of their natural fibres and nutrients.  Sensitivity can arise as a result of the overabundance of gluten in our diet and in our environment, rather than the wheat proteins themselves.

Gluten from wheat, is also one of the few proteins that will not fully digest in the human system.  Some people never experience issues from this, but many do and going gluten free can return us to health.  But it is not without its challenges.

For example, as difficult as it is to imagine, gluten can be found in grooming products like shampoo and conditioner because gluten acts as a thickening agent.  It can even be found in toothpaste and vitamins.  When you are trying to avoid this wheat protein, it may be more challenging than just giving up bread.  You will need to look beyond the kitchen and into your bathrooms and medicine chests to root out the culprit.

I personally have found that altering my consumption of grains has made a difference to my tummy bloat.  Using my Nutritional Therapy training, I began soaking nuts, seeds, and grains to remove the harmful phytic acid. I also soak flour.  One way of doing this is through fermentation.

A good example is the sourdough making process, where water, salt, and grain flour are allowed to combine and ferment for a number of days in the presence of natural wild yeasts.  Fermentation makes the flour less likely to become a harmful substance in the body, as it does with improperly prepared grains and flours.  Sourdough is the only bread I eat.

Back to my kitchen, I pulled out some recipes I had been testing and created a gluten free, breakfast style cookie, that would go well with our morning coffee, but would not tax her digestive system.  I used Bob’s Red Mill products for the entire recipe because this company clearly states whether a product is gluten-free or not.  Most of them are.

Remember I am always listening.

Tosca Reno

PS. I welcome you to try these.  They will be featured in our upcoming Fall Cleanse, where you can join the thousands who have already removed gluten from their diets and rediscovered a flatter, happier tummy.

PSS. The release date for the Fall Cleanse is October 21st, 2016.  Your pre-order opportunity is coming soon! More details to follow.

Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Gluten-Free Breakfast Muesli Cookies

I was inspired to make these cookies for my sweet friend Pia, of Cooking with Pia fame.  She has recently gone gluten free, and I wanted to find something that would serve as a sweet treat with our coffee sessions.  This recipe makes use of gluten-free ingredients, which are sourced almost exclusively from Bob’s Red Mill.  The hearty cookie, laden with texture and health, is both delicious and easy to make.  Make a batch for a friend or store in your freezer or refrigerator for yourself. Yummy!

Yield: 24 large cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 15 minutes per dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 medium ripe bananas
• 2 eggs or flax eggs
• 1/2 cup natural nut butter of your choosing
• 2 Tbsp refined coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups GF muesli
• 1/2 cup oat muesli flour, ground from GF muesli
• 1/2 cup almond meal (ground from raw almonds)
• 1/2 tsp GF baking powder
• 1/2 tsp GF baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (for blood sugar control)
• 1/4 tsp unrefined sea salt
• 1 cup pitted, chopped dates
• 1/2 cup chopped, raw unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped

NB: all Gluten Free (GF) ingredients are Bob’s Red Mill

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl combine eggs or flax eggs.
• Mash bananas into eggs.
• Add nut butter and coconut oil, honey and vanilla, and mix well.
• In separate mixing bowl combine dry ingredients: baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats, muesli, almond meal, oat flour and cinnamon and mix well.
• Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until combined.
• Add nuts and dates and mix until just combined.
• Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop out batter and drop on prepared baking sheet.  Press down a bit.
• Place in hot oven and bake 15 minutes or until lightly golden on top.
• Remove and let cool.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.