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Celiac.com 11/06/2020 - Discussion of Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance often centers on symptoms, gluten-containing foods to avoid, and medical treatments. But did you ever wonder why gluten negatively affects us? And did you ever think that there just might be a single cause for a multitude of modern diseases? A Very Brief Human Dietary History Thanks to modern archeology, we know that humans have inhabited this big blue ball for more than two million years—and we know both the types of foods consumed by our ancestors and the means used to obtain them. For the overwhelming majority of that time, our subsistence method has been that of the hunter gatherer. Only within the last ten thousand years, at most, have humans consumed the gluten-containing products of agriculture, transitioning from what is sometimes called the Paleolithic, or hunter gatherer, period to the Neolithic, or farming and ranching, period (That’s ten thousand years if your genes happen to be from the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East. That number shrinks to about one or two thousand if you are of northern European descent—and even much less than that if your genes are from African, the Americas, or another origin that has recently shifted to Neolithic food production and consumption). So what does this mean? It means that humans have been consuming agriculture-derived foods at most for one half of one per cent of our time here on earth. It means that grains (gluten-containing or not) aren’t natural food for human beings and that, not surprisingly, there are negative health consequences for consuming, in volume, anything outside our natural range of foods. But wouldn’t humans have consumed wild grains, at least in times of scarcity? First, the idea that hunter gatherers frequently experienced scarcity is exaggerated. The idea is based on studies of modern hunter gatherers who have been forced to the fringes of habitable land by modernity. More recent evidence shows that our ancestors did not live that way. In fact, science has not only shown a general abundance of food among pre-modern hunter gatherers, it has also revealed that, in contrast to our own, these people lived lives of comparative leisure. Second, all grains are tiny grass seeds that require quite a bit of labor in order to extract minimal energy. Wild grains were even smaller and less energy dense than today’s grains. Given the abundance of game, fruit, nuts, and other food sources during the Paleolithic, it would take a lot of work for relatively little reward, even if these wild grains were considered a desirable food. One would have to be rather desperate to even try to rely upon grains as a primary food source. (This may be exactly what happened 10,000 years ago, perhaps due to widespread population growth or famine, leading our ancestors to abandon the Garden of Eden and pick up the plow). But haven’t we evolved since the adoption of agriculture to tolerate gluten-containing grains? Well, obviously the subscribers to this newsletter haven’t! While it’s clear that celiacs and the gluten intolerant should abstain entirely from consuming gluten-containing foods, frankly the concept that any human ought to consume any grain in any form, gluten-containing or not, is debatable. No doubt some adaptation has occurred for those populations who have been exposed to the products of agriculture long enough—but who knows how long it would take to develop full tolerance? And at what price in terms of numbers of years and numbers of human lives? It may be true that some grains such as rice may be less harmful to human health, but it is clear both that human adaptation to cereals has been partial at best, and the best diet for all human beings is still one that most closely mimics what we’ve been eating for millennia, the hunter gatherer or “paleo” diet. So what did our ancestral diet look like? While humans have consumed a remarkably wide range of foods as hunter gatherers, there are some constants. First, although it may make some of our vegetarian friends uncomfortable, humans have always been omnivores and therefore meat eaters. Science has shown that the enlargement of the human brain was consequent with increased carnivory. And while there is some debate as to which vegetables (and how much) were consumed by our ancestors, it is clear that until very recently we never consumed modern staples such as corn (which is really a grain not a vegetable) or legumes (including peanuts!). There is also considerable debate about whether tubers are paleo since they require cooking, which came on the scene relatively late. But very few Paleolithic dietary experts will deny that leafy green vegetables are a safe and healthy bet. Fruits were, by and large, only consumed in season and, unlike most modern examples, were always high in fiber and low in sugar. True nuts were also available only in season. Now comes a shocker: Dairy was very rarely consumed if ever before the Neolithic revolution. As paleo author Ray Audette put it, you try milking a wild-eyed wildebeest! Milk is something that was only sourced directly from the mother’s breast for the first few years of life—more than sufficient calcium was obtained from the diet. The paleo diet We all know that gluten is the direct cause of celiac and gluten intolerance. We know that we can avoid symptoms by simply avoiding foods and other gluten containing products. But using light shed by modern anthropological discoveries of the natural, ancestral human diet, we can now apply the paleo template and see why gluten affects us as it does. It’s not difficult to see that our newfangled Neolithic diets are causing not just celiac disease and gluten intolerance, but potentially a host of other diseases caused by dietary divergence from our evolutionary past. Resources: Books: The Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain; Neanderthin by Ray Audette; Protein Power Lifeplan by Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades (a very poorly titled but strong book that deserves to be read cover to cover, especially the chapter on gluten intolerance entitled “The Leaky Gut Syndrome”); The Rosedale Diet by Dr. Ron Rosedale; Dangerous Grains by James Braly and Ron Hoggan Published Research: Cordain, L., Cereal Grains: Humanity’s Double Edged Sword, World Rev Nutr Diet. 1999;84:19-73.

Celiac.com 04/15/2016 - I was surprised by how many people I know who had never made quiche before. It is one of those recipes that you cannot go wrong with and it is a great way to use up some extra vegetables or meats you have left over in your fridge. This paleo quiche recipe is specifically for a beginner. I normally add a lot more elements to my quiche but this one is basic and easy to follow and easy to add to. A typical quiche can provide about 8 servings too which means one dish for a whole family! Quiche is delicious for breakfast or lunch. My grandson even loves it. He likes picking out the vegetables and squishing them with his tiny fingers. Like I said, this is a very basic recipe for quiche. Try it out first so you get the hang of making it. Then you can really go for it and add bacon, peas, cheese, mushrooms, etc. Anything you would want to put into an omelet can be put into a quiche. Always ensure all vegetables and meats you use in your quiche are precooked before placing into your quiche shell or they will ruin your quiche big time. This quiche is good both cold and warmed up. You really can’t go wrong! Ingredients: Crust Ingredients: 3 cups Almond Flour ½ teaspoon Oregano (coarsely chopped or dried) ¼ teaspoon Sage (chopped fine or powdered) ½ teaspoon Baking Soda ½ teaspoon Salt 2 Eggs ¼ cup Melted Butter Filling Ingredients: 7 Eggs ¼ Onion minced 1 Zucchini Grated 1 teaspoon Butter Directions: Preheat oven to 350F degrees (convection). In a bowl mix all crust ingredients together (should be pretty sticky and solid). In a 9″ tart pan press dough on sides and bottom evenly. Make sure there are no cracks for the eggs to seep out. (You can also use a pie dish or anything you have access to. Just make sure the crust is evenly distributed so it can cook well. Should be ¼″ – ½″ thick.). Place in center of oven for 10 minutes (while the crust is cooking start on the filling) Do not overcook crust. Its better to under cook it than overcook it, so if after 10 minutes you aren’t sure if it is done just take it out. Place onion and zucchini in a skillet with butter. Cook on medium heat until softened. Once crust is out of the oven, evenly spread onion/zucchini mixture on top of the cooked crust. In a bowl crack all 7 eggs and whip with beater or fork. Make sure eggs are mixed well. The more you beat them, the fluffier your quiche will be. Pour eggs on top of onion/zucchini mixture. Place pan back into center of oven for 22 minutes. Eggs should be fully cooked through when done. You will be able to feel with your finger if the quiche is done. Take out and let cool (place on top of stove or on cooling rack). If you used a tart pan, let the quiche cool before removing from pan. If you used a pie pan you can cut quiche directly from pan. Enjoy! Note: When eggs are used in any recipe and not specified in terms of size, always use large and NEVER use jumbo. The jumbo eggs can turn your muffins into wet mush, your cookies into un-rollable goop, and on and on. Always use room-temperature eggs. It’s taken me a while to perfect this recipe.

Celiac.com 03/08/2016 - I bake frequently using a variety of flours. This, gluten-free paleo bread with dried fruit and pecans is a recipe I devised when trying to create a sweeter bread with virtually no grains. That's right, no grains! I used almond butter in place of the majority of the flours which makes this paleo bread extremely hearty. It pairs very well with an afternoon tea or with some free-range scrambled eggs for a nourishing breakfast. Bread is one item that many people find hard to give up. Oprah also talks about how much she loves her bread! I don't feel anyone should have to give up flavor. I enjoy working up recipes that are tasty and healthy so we can all enjoy them while living a long healthy life. A truly high quality of life. I incorporated fresh (or home-roasted) nuts and dried fruit into my recipe but you can omit them if preferred. My celiac and paleo family enjoy every bite, including the nuts and fruit surprises in each and every bite. Children love the heartiness of this. The sooner flavors and textures are introduced to a child at the proper age, the more they can get accustomed to a variety as well as the multitude of nutrients in a recipe like this. I hope you enjoy! Ingredients: ¾ cup almond butter, mixed well 4 large eggs (room temp) ¼ cup tapioca flour ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon cider vinegar ¼ cup dried blueberries (sugar-free) ½ cup raisins (I used ¼ cup Golden and ¼ cup Thompson Seedless Raisins) ½ cup cranberries (I find it hard to locate sugar-free) Coconut oil for greasing pan Directions: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place rack in center of oven. Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil or oil of choice. In one bowl add the almond butter and eggs. Whip on low and then medium and then high, getting a really frothy thick mix. Lower the speed and add 1 teaspoon cider vinegar. Increase speed a few more seconds. In a second bowl combine the tapioca flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Sift well. Add the second bowl with the dry ingredients to the first bowl with wet ingredients, folding in and mixing (do not over mix). Add in blueberries, raisins and cranberries. Pour into greased loaf pan and spread evenly. Optional: For a sweeter breakfast bread, I will add 3 tablespoons sugar-free raspberry preserves. Swirl in gently along the top of the bread creating a marbled effect. Immediately place in oven and bake for 25 minutes. Turn the baking pan around and bake for another 25 minutes. Test bread by placing a clean knife in center of loaf. If it comes out clean, it is done. If knife does not come out clean, turn down oven to 325 degrees. Bake for 5-15 minutes more, checking frequently with the knife test. Take out when moist but not wet – Paleo breads will continue to “bake” outside the oven. Homemade baked Paleo breads always taste better the next day as opposed to fresh “wheat” bread hot out of the oven–interesting! Let cool then remove from pan. NOTE: This bread freezes well.

Celiac.com 12/12/2019 - In addition to highly rated recipes for amazing gluten-free pancakes, our list includes great paleo, dairy-free, and vegan pancake options. Whether you're going savory or sweet, traditional or buckwheat, blueberry or banana, this list of amazing gluten-free pancakes will help to make your breakfast, and even lunch and dinner, delicious and reliably gluten-free. You can also consult Celiac.com's Gluten-Free Forum for some tips and insights on great gluten-free pancake recipes. Speaking of the Gluten-Free Forum, someone posted a recipe for really good gluten-free Finnish pancakes called Pannucakakku. And even though I'm pretty sure that 'Panncakakku' is plain old Finnish for 'pancake,' I just can't resist the fun of saying it. Amazingly Easy Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancake Recipe Buckwheat pancakes are so good, we mention them twice on this list. These buckwheat love cakes are sure to deliver gluten-free breakfast deliciousness. Bob's Red Mill Paleo Pancakes There's no evidence that cavemen ate pancakes, but I'm pretty sure they would have loved these gluten-free paleo delights from Bob's Red Mill. Dutch Baby with Fresh Berries, Mascarpone Whipped Cream and Lemon What's a Dutch Baby, you ask? Well, aren't you in for a delicious discovery. Dutch Babies are big, bubbly pancakes cooked in cast iron. If you've never had one, then fasten your seatbelt. This recipe from Bob's Red Mill delivers a gluten-free Dutch Baby and then turns a corner with Mascarpone cream and lemon. You can thank me later. Easy Gluten-Free Pancakes (Dairy-Free & Vegan Option) When in doubt, aim for the bulls-eye. In this case that's a traditional style gluten-free pancake. These can also be made dairy-free, or vegan. Gluten-free Banana Pancakes (Gluten-free & Vegan Options) Banana pancakes hold a beloved place deep in the hearts many breakfast lovers. These gluten-free banana cakes are not only delicious, they can be also made vegan. Hearty Oatmeal Pancakes with Flax and Chia Seeds Looking for some hearty breakfast cakes to see you through until lunch? These gluten-free cakes are packed with oatmeal, flax, and chia seeds for extra energy and nutrition. King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes Does anybody not love blueberry pancakes? Maybe, but I'm not sure we can be friends. These gluten-free blueberry pancakes from the King Arthur website are sure to please. And yes, you can even omit the blueberries for delicious plain gluten-free pancakes. Oprah Winfrey's Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free "Larry Gordon" Pancakes Okay, so this is a bit of a teaser. Oprah will feature this recipe in O Magazine, so it's not included just yet. However, these gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free cakes are definitely on our radar screen. They are so enticing that celiac.com did an article on them. And, we added an extra recipe below, just to be fair. Really Good Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancakes Despite it's name, buckwheat is gluten-free and great for baking. Buckwheat flour pancakes are a great way to enjoy a delicious, nutritious gluten-free breakfast. Savory Gluten-Free Pancakes with Fresh Peas Savory pancakes make a great lunch or dinner twist. This gluten-free version combines scallions and peas, but feel free to use your favorite veggies as desired. Serve them warm with butter for a yummy spin on lunch or dinner. Swedish-style Gluten-Free Pancakes The Swedes know a thing or two about pancakes. These delightfully thin gluten-free cakes are cooked in the oven, and sure to please.