Gluten- free and easy
GLUTEN is a complex form of protein found in just a handful of grains — wheat, oats, barley and rye — as well as some of their historical antecedents like triticale and spelt.
While most humans are able to digest gluten and extract its nutritional benefits, there are some for whom it presents severe side effects.
That syndrome is called coeliac disease, with symptoms including irritable bowel, psoriasis, autoimmune hepatitis, nutritional malabsorption, fatigue and osteoporosis. It really is an awful condition that can even reduce life expectancy.
Additionally, there is also a large number of people with some degree of gluten sensitivity or even an allergy.
The great majority of coeliac sufferers have a non- classical form, in which not all the traditional elements are there. This makes the riddle a little more complicated but solving that problem requires the same process of identification and dietary change to resolve.
Thankfully, it is relatively simple to diagnose and even easier to treat.
It is estimated that about 80 per cent of potential coeliac patients remain undiagnosed, attributing their condition to a range of factors like stress or poor diet. Yet seeing a doctor and undertaking a basic blood test could be the start of feeling significantly better.
In the event that the tests show positive gluten antibodies, simply adopting a gluten- free diet will fix those health concerns in almost all cases.
And these days, there is no shortage of delicious options available in both sweet and savoury dishes.
So if you suspect that your tiredness or general feeling of unwellness could be linked to what you eat, don’t self- diagnose and live in the dark.
Take the time to chat to your doctor. It’s a 15- minute appointment that could radically improve your life.
POPPY SEED CAKE serves / 12 Ingredients
250g walnuts
5 eggs
300g caster sugar
2 tsp natural vanilla extract
250g unsalted butter, melted
200g sour cream
500g poppy seeds
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ cup walnut brandy Vanilla frosting and walnuts, to garnish
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Put the walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and grind until a coarse paste forms. Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla, butter and sour cream, then puree until smooth.
2. Grind the poppy seeds in a spice grinder, then mix with the baking powder. Fold into the walnut mixture, then spoon into two lined 24cm cake tins. Bake for 30– 35 minutes, until a skewer can be inserted and removed cleanly. Cool on a wire rack.
3. Drizzle both cakes with walnut brandy, then spread each with vanilla frosting and stack up. Garnish with walnuts.
‘‘ THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF DELICIOUS ( GLUTEN- FREE) OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN BOTH SWEET AND SAVOURY DISHES.