A special thank you to reader Melina V. for sending in this amaranth recipe she found!

Apple Cinnamon Amaranth Grits

Ingredients:

1/2 cup amaranth grains
3 cups water (at least)
pinch of salt
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
2 teaspoons agave syrup

Directions:

Heat a dry pot on medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add amaranth. Shake the pot to keep the amaranth moving, otherwise it will burn. Put the lid on because the seeds will start popping. (This will smell incredible).

When a good amount of the seeds are popped (half?), add hot water to cover by about an inch. Stir well and add a pinch of salt. I keep hot water handy in a kettle while I do this so that I can keep adding hot water as needed without brining down the temperature.

Set your timer to 30 minutes and turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir frequently, adding hot water when the mush gets too thick.

When the 30 minutes are over, turn off the heat, stir in the apple sauce (sweetened, unsweetened, flavored,… your choice), and serve with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon sugar and 1 teaspoon of agave syrup drizzled over each of the two servings.

I never knew what to do with the amaranth that was sitting in my kitchen, except add it to bread. I also never liked it in salty dishes. It is pretty healthy since amaranth has a great nutritional profile.

This would probably also be good with some soymilk or soy yogurt stirred in or some dried apple bits or other dried fruit cooked with the amaranth. You could possibly add some seeds or nuts to this, too.

Serves: about 2

Preparation time: less than 1 hour

After continued pressure from consumers, Starbucks has annoucned that it will supply only rBGH-free milk in their US stores by December 31st of this year!
This is a huge step in public health advocacy, as Starbucks is a significant supplier of America’s dairy consumption. Starbucks yield to consumer concern is sending a loud message to the Dairy Industry: Americans do not want added hormones in our milk!

rBGH is a genetically modified, artificial hormone added to dairy cows to encourage milk production. The amount of milk a cow fed rBGH is able to produce is around 7 to 8 additional gallons per day. However, the risk of mastitis (pussy inflammation of the udder) increases by 25%, necessitating additional antibiotics and contaminating the milk supply with both puss and excessive pharmaceuticals. Yes - there is an allowable amount of puss permitted in your glass of milk.

In addition to causing greater suffering and drugging of dairy cattle, rBGH is suspect in human cancers of the prostate, breast, and colon and is consequently banned in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and all 27 countries in the European Union.

Please express your thanks to Starbucks for taking a step to ensure quality beverages and for responding to consumer concerns. Click here to send Starbucks CEO Jim Donald a thank you, on behalf of Food and Water Watch, a public advocacy group.

More info on safety concerns of rBGH.
Wikipedia’s definition and discussion of rBGH.

I’m sitting here, outside Da Vinci’s, finishing a chocolate blackberry muffin.
(I can hear some of you now: she eats chocolate muffins??!?!)

No, I haven’t gone on a gluten/dairy bender. I cannot say I haven’t been tempted! After noticing that the almond milk I have been using contains soy lecithin, I nearly threw in the towel in frustration. But rather than commit digestive suicide, I chose to hunt down a little known Seattle treasure, Da Vinci’s Cafe and Bakery.

Nestled in a relatively unattractive part of Greenwood, Da Vinci’s truly is a haven for the food intolerant. A dedicated gluten-free bakery, they have left no stone unturned, offering delectables for vegans, dairy intolerant, soy intolerant, and nut allergies. All items are gluten and peanut free, and varieties abound for those with other food intolerances. A big complaint about gluten-free goods is that they are gritty, dry, and tasteless. I assure you the chocolate muffin I just scarfed down was none of those things.

Traffic is pretty solid here for a Thursday afternoon. The five space parking lot became filled with my vehicle’s entrance, and there were several people inside eagerly chowing down on various baked goods and lunchtime offerings (quiche and pizza, to name a few). I walked up to the counter to stand in line after quickly scoping the place out (allergy-focused books on the book shelf, ingredients predominantly displayed next to the bread shelf) and was greeted by a young girl who asked if she could be of assistance. I informed her that I needed something soy, dairy, and gluten free. She was quickly able to point out several options. The owner behind the counter piped in once she was finished with her customer, informing me that everything is gluten free, and that there is a terrific soy-free French bread available on Fridays (just may have to come back tomorrow…)

The bane of my existence has become soy lecithin, which is everpresent in anything which may need emulsifying (chocolate, dressings, my freaking almond milk). While some ingredients did contain soy lecithin, I was able to find both sweets and savories that qualified with my new dietary restrictions. Now when I get irritated at the limitations and want to bury myself in a brownie, I have someplace to go.

Thanks, Da Vinci’s!

For awhile, I’ve suspected I’ve had food intolerances. Specifically, certain highly refined soy products have come to cause severe GI distress. I’ve stayed away from tofu, soy dogs, and Bamboo Garden for quite some time - at least if I plan on being social the next 36 hours.
More recently though, I have suspected other intolerances. For instance, I have to clear my throat of what I call the “mucus plug” when I have dairy products. When I gave up wheat for a month, I noticed how bloated it made me when I ate it. It also does wacky things to my alertness.

With greater education on digestive issues in the last year, I’ve become increasingly aware of how poorly my own digestion is (and has been for many, many years). I finally buckled down and decided to get tested. I chose Enterolab as the research validity of stool testing has impressed me and it was not necessary to convince a doctor to let me get tested. One of the problems of allergy testing is accuracy. Even blood tests are only about 50% accurate. The theory of stool sampling is that you find inflammation right at the source and before the gut is so damaged that the inflammatory immunoglobins leak into the bloodstream.

I received my test results a few weeks ago. Unsurprisingly, my immune system is reacting to gluten (which means wheat, rye, spelt, kamut, barley, and most oats), soy, and dairy. I tested negative for eggs and yeast.

Initially, I have to say I feel blessed. My clients have taught me so much about intolerances and in helping them cope I have learned a great deal about what is available. Were it not for them, I would have been in an absolute panic.
When I started reading labels, I began getting a little cranky. When I realized my major seasoning - tamari - was no longer an option, I got a little more cranky. So I had my old-standby college meal - whole wheat macaroni and cheese with soy hot dogs.
Hey - I never said I was above emotional eating!

With my naturopath, we have devised a plan of action. For the next month, I’m following a strict elimination diet to see what improvements can be made. She recommended this first to more accurately determine how food is causing dysfunction without the variables of supplements and probiotics. Then we will delve into an extensive gut repair regimen to facilitate tissue repair and recolonize with friendly bacteria. I will also be experimenting with NAET, an allergy elimination technique which has been touted to remove allergies and cure asthma. I don’t know much about it yet, but am excited to learn what it has to offer and see how it works for me.

I will likely be wary of gluten, soy, and dairy for the rest of my life, but I am hoping to be able to come across the every once in awhile without negative consequences. I feel confident that with some time and attention this is entirely reasonable. The human body has incredible capacities to heal and rejuvenate when given the chance.

Stay tuned for more developments!

This fascinating Photo Essay from Time Magazine explores the common foods eaten in a family each week across the globe. Included is price per week on groceries and favorite meals. A fascinating window into different cultures (and the pervasiveness of soda) across the world. Photos have been taken from the book “Hungry Planet” - a coffee table book on my wishlist for about a year now.

What The World Eats - Part 1:

What The World Eats - Part 2:

Courtesy of Time Magazine, this quick slide show explores some common appetite stimulators:

Photo Essay: What Makes Your Eat More Food