Fortunately, I found a way to pull all the gluten free related videos from YouTube.com into one location and incorporate it into a new feature we have just added to this site called the “Gluten Free Video News” page.

It is all set up and can be accessed by clicking the new video graphic in the Right Hand Column of this page. (I’ve included a “click-able” copy of that graphic above, so you know what you are looking for.) Check it out.

Ten Videos On Each Of Ten+ Pages:
Once you open the Video News Page, look to the bottom and you will see a set of numbers 1,2,3,4,5… etc. Each number is “click-able” and each brings up a whole new set of ten videos.

If that’s not enough, consider that there are new videos being submitted everyday. Topics covered include everything from gluten free recipes and cooking demonstrations, through to discussions on celiac, diagnosis, gluten free diet, interviews, etc.

Keywords Feature:
Another feature that is helpful to know about is related to the list of “key” words in the top left hand corner of the video page. You’ll notice that each one of these words is “click-able”.

Once clicked, the videos are rearranged in order to make videos related to that word a priority. You will then see those particular “keyword”-related videos listed first.

Search Feature:
Similarly, you can enter your own gluten-free related “keyword” into the Search Box at top left of the Gluten Free Video News page. New Videos will then be streamed in related to that particular word.

To get back to this main blog page just click on the link at the top “BACK TO BLOG”

Have a play around with it till you feel comfortable, and then check back often. It’s a great resource. Write a comment about what you think of it.

To Your Health and Gluten Freedom,
Sven

As is the case with all kinds of flours, the only difference between the “plain” and the “self-raising” flour, is that the self-raising has had chemical leavening agents (baking powder) added to it that causes it to rise (this process was first invented back in the mid-1800’s B.T.W.).

What You Need To Know About Baking Powder:

Typical quantities of baking powder used in a recipe would be as follows:
100grams of flour,
3 grams of baking powder
and just a pinch of salt (up to 1 gram).

The basic formulation for baking powder itself, varies, but it commonly contains sodium bicarbonate (an alkali) combined with a starch (to keep it dry) and some form of acid salts such as cream of tartar or certain aluminum salts. (Here is a LINK to ingredients used in common baking powders plus more fascinating info) 

It’s the body’s excessive exposure to aluminum salts that are of BIG concern. These are usually found in what are called “double-acting” baking powders and should be avoided. Studies have presented compelling evidence of aluminum being directly linked with senility and Alzheimer’s, just to name a few. (Other aluminum-containing formulations are found quite commonly in underarm deodorants as well).

Because baking powder has become such a normal part of modern cooking, it is not really thought of much as a “chemical”. Still, a food it is not, so we prefer to minimize, or eliminate its use, entirely. When you do use it though, be selective as to which one you use as there are many different formulations.

You can, however, make your own.
(at least this way you can make an informed choice as to what you put in there).

How Are Gluten Free Products Made Lighter?
To de-mystify the whole process, the basic method of making any cooked dish lighter and fluffier, is by causing little bubbles to form within the mixture that you are going to bake. We can do this ..

How To Make Your Own Baking Powder:
When we mix together an “acid” substance with a “base” substance we always get some kind of volatile reaction between the two. It is this that creates the desired effect (formation of bubbles). Remember from high school chemistry days?

This chemical reaction can be achieved with many different ingredients (producing mild to explosive results). The acid-alkaline combination, most common to cooking applications, are cream of tartar and baking soda in the ratio of about 2 : 1.  There are other food acids that can be used as well, but we’ll leave that for another time.

What If I Don’t Have Self-Raising Flour?
Of course, if a recipe calls for self-raising flour, and all you have is Plain Flour, remember that you don’t need to go running out to the store to get some. Just make your own.

Follow the recipe instructions as stated, with the one addition of adding your home-made baking powder in the proportions suggested towards the beginning of this article. Alternatively, follow Luci Luck’s formula, as suggested in the short video below:

                         1 tsp of Baking Powder + 1/4 tsp Salt for every 1 Cup of Flour Used.

 The Challenge Lies In Holding The Bubbles:
With gluten-containing flours like wheat, rye and barley, it is the chewing-gum-like gluten which forms during the kneading process that very efficiently traps the bubbles and thus the whole mass begins to expand and rise. It is a whole other story with gluten free flours, however.

Because of the absence of this elastic gluten, in flours such as rice, buckwheat, potato, soy, etc., we have to employ other creative methods to maximize the “bubble carrying capacity” and elasticity of the mixture.

Each flour has its own unique taste and properties when cooked. It is how to blend these to enhance and compliment one another to a specific goal that has been the center of so much attention from manufacturers and home cooks alike. 

Many Advances in Gluten Free Products:
To the delight of celiac and others choosing to eat gluten free, this experimentation has come a long way in the past few years. Companies such as Orgran – Natural Gluten Free Foods for example (now in over 50 countries), have an amazing selection of gluten free, packaged goods and mixes suitable for most applications.

As convenient and handy as any commercial, processed food may be, however, it is still important to keep things in perspective and to continue to find ways to develop ones own cooking skills at home, using whole, natural ingredients. The rewards of continuing to move in this direction return so much more than becoming dependent on the other.

Providing continued support in rising to the challenge of living healthy and gluten free.
Warmly,
Sven

I want to start by saying that we have some potentially shocking scientific references in this article that may open up a whole new world for you.

The “Cereous” Business Behind Preparing Oats Properly.
In PART 2, I was “monkey-ing” around a bit, attempting to get the point across, that traditional wisdom has a lot to offer us in terms of how we can prepare our day-to-day foods. That this age-old approach may hold valuable keys to have contemporary consumers THRIVING instead of just surviving.

Using our oats theme as an example, today’s article weaves in some of the many scientific studies which confirm the transformative processes of soaking, fermentation and cooking.

For the celiac, or those concerned with the contamination of their oats with other gluten-containing grains, it has been suggested that “rolling your own” oat grain is the ideal solution. This way you can not only sort through and pick out any offending, alien grain, but you also gain the added benefit of freshly rolled oats.

The hand-picking idea sounds great in theory, but how practical is it ?

Even for the most adventurous, this task may prove to be more of a challenge than at first thought.  Have a look at the photo comparing the whole oat kernel with that of the wheat kernel. Can you pick the difference? The contrast between these two grains would also vary depending on the varieties used. My guess is, though, that this example would be fairly representative of the challenge you’d face.

Think about it. Would you be willing to sort through ¼ cup per person of whole oats, looking for the odd stray gluten-containing grain? If you were cooking only for yourself (and you had the time), maybe you would be motivated enough to give it a go.

Rolling Your Own Oat Flakes
Taking the time to work with basic, raw ingredients, definitely has its advantages in the gluten free way of life. Flaking our own oats is an especially satisfying process that I love to do myself. I created a little (2 min) video here to show you how it is done in our home. Check it out.

To start, just click the “play” arrow at the bottom left of the little TV screen below.

Do I REALLY have to resort to this ?
Will picking through every grain and making everything from “scratch” guarantee a totally gluten free meal ? You’d like to think so, but this is not necessarily the case. As those who are extremely sensitive to gluten can attest, mistakes happen, undesirable influences can creep in, and new circumstances can arise at any time. 

Eliminating certain grains from the diet is not the only strategy available to deal with potentially “abrasive” foods in the gluten free kitchen.

What else can I do then ? 
Draw upon the wisdom of past generations. Start to discover and experiment with certain cooking and processing skills developed over thousands of years. In fact that is what this whole series on oats has really been about. You could say that we are promoting a “culture-al revolution” (pun intended). 

What I mean by this is a return to the use of fermentation and natural culturing techniques to assist us in preparing and processing our foods.  Doesn’t it just make sense to use everything we have at our disposal to transform the raw materials into foodstuffs suitable for human digestion ?

As I have emphasized in Parts 1 and Part 2, traditional cultures have known and practiced these techniques for centuries, but now modern science is finally confirming their value and identifying many of the mechanisms involved.

It is my personal belief that this information is
POTENTIALLY LIFE CHANGING,
not just for the celiac and those with
compromised digestive and immune function, but, ultimately,
for anyone and everyone who wants to be truly nourished. 

What About The Science?
Here are a couple of brief extracts from scientific studies, of particular interest to the celiac, providing strong evidence as to the value of these traditional practices.

Study 1
Sourdough lactobacilli and celiac disease - Gobbetti M, et al., Food Microbiol. 2007 Apr;24(2):187-96. Epub 2006 Sep 12.

Extract …… “As shown by studies in vitro on celiac intestinal tissue and in vivo on CD patients, the bacterial proteolytic activity is rather promising not only as currently demonstrated for eliminating traces of contaminant gluten but probably also in perspective for the manufacture of tolerated baked goods.”

Study 2
Proteolysis by Sourdough Lactic Acid Bacteria: Effects on Wheat Flour Protein Fractions and Gliadin Peptides Involved in Human Cereal Intolerance - DiCagno, et al., Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2002, p. 623-633, Vol. 68, No. 2

Extract ….. ”this study is the first to show that selected sourdough lactic acid bacteria have hydrolyzing activities towards prolamin peptides involved in human cereal intolerance

Study 3
Sourdough Bread Made from Wheat and Nontoxic Flours and Started with Selected Lactobacilli Is Tolerated in Celiac Sprue Patients - Raffaella Di Cagno, et al., Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2004, p. 1088-1096, Vol. 70, No. 2

Extract …… “After 24 h of fermentation, wheat gliadins and low-molecular-mass, alcohol-soluble polypeptides were hydrolyzed almost totally. ……… The minimal agglutinating activity was ca. 250 times higher than that of doughs chemically acidified or started with baker’s yeast. …….. These results showed that a bread biotechnology that uses selected lactobacilli, nontoxic flours, and a long fermentation time is a novel tool for decreasing the level of gluten intolerance in humans.”

In other words, certain ferment cultures essentially neutralize the toxic aspect
of the gluten molecule that is at the core of the allergic reaction in the celiac.

I have listed only three of a series of similar studies confirming the extraordinary transformative powers of these natural fermentation processes. Combine the findings of these with results from the 2007 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology (mentioned in Part 1 of this series of articles) and it is easy to start developing an interest in considering the possibilities.

A Strong Case For Oats In A Gluten Free Diet
What do you think NOW about the appropriateness of oats in a gluten free diet ? Especially if this food is prepared according to the traditional methods mentioned throughout this series of articles ? 

As an aside, I must say, that these results have not been surprising to us. During the many years that we taught and practiced traditional sourdough bread baking and sold these same breads from our store, we have had very positive feedback. On numerous occasions, individuals who were gluten sensitive, reported to us that they did not have a negative response when eating these fermented breads. 

I realize that anecdotal evidence like this, on its own, is nothing to prove any particular point conclusively, but, when supportive scientific evidence as compelling as those mentioned above, are on the rise, then … 

I’d say it is definitely cause for more than just optimism.

Amidst the climate of a dramatic increase in allergic and other food and chemical sensitives, I regard this information as a clarion call to encourage a re-evaluation of our reliance on modern food processing methods in favor of traditional, self-empowering methods ready and waiting to be used in our own kitchens.

Traditional fermentation methods help 
Make available more nutrients and
Sublimate or eliminate more of the anti-nutrients.

For the celiac, gluten intolerant, or others who have some other form of compromised digestive or immune function this is an especially important message.

As we have strayed more and more from the nurturing arms of our own traditional kitchens into the clutches of a plastic food society, mega-corporations, MediCare, MedicAid and HMO’s, it is becoming more obvious that there is an urgent need in many areas, to re-orient our life direction and daily priorities.

Why can’t I just rely on the food manufacturers to take care of it?

It is not likely that manufacturers will commit the resources needed to come up with cost effective, large scale, processing and packaging facilities that can harness and nurture these natural fermentation processes.
                     Why is this ?

In one word it boils down to “economics”. In order to stay in business they need to profit. In order to profit they need customers. In order to create the demand necessary, potential customers need to be aware of the value of moving in that new direction. They need to be willing to make new and different choices. This movement would need to be big enough and loud enough for big business to take notice and act. Only then will big business respond.

Till that time, it is up to the individuals and small groups to start supporting one another in making new choices. All this boils down to self-education and sharing with friends and family. This is what you and I are in the process of doing.

We have millennia of traditional wisdom available to us, and a powerful, transformative alchemy that can be performed in our very own kitchens. A return to this, can not only add to the health and wellbeing of those we care about, but also nourish our very soul in the process.

An openness and a willingness to explore and practice new ways of doing things and to gradually let go of non-supportive habits and systems, is all that’s needed. One step at a time.

This is about learning to move more in harmony with the natural forces of life. Despite many uncomfortable ”learning experiences” along the way, this has always been a prime motivating force for Karen and I in our personal lives. It naturally, also spills over into this blog and our Internet activities.

We invite you to stay in touch with us as we continue along on this adventure.

That’s it for today’s “cereal”.

As always, “To your Health and Gluten Freedom”.
Warmly, Sven

PS: (joke of the moment) 
What was the cause of the massive supply shortage of oats in Scotland during the early 1800’s ?  Give up ?

THE ANSWER To this question is …… There was a Cereal killer loose at that time !!!
(Jokes like this are a clear result of my inherited genes. I am not responsible!)

Now that we have the basic tools to create educational videos like the one here, the door is open for unlimited possibilities. We are so excited about tapping into our “thirty something” years of whole foods cooking experience and building a practical and helpful range of ”How to” cooking video modules.

How all this is to be structured is in the final stages of planning. Exciting BIG plans ahead, so, we recommend your including yourself on our mailing list for timely updates, or just make sure you pop in to this website frequently.

Enjoy, the video.

To your Health and Gluten Freedom.
Warmly, Sven and Karen

We have been so looking forward to including our own video presentations. We are now a major step closer. In fact, our first little presentation is entering the latter stages of editing. So, unless something major happens in the next short while, we expect to be in a position to post it in the next day or two.

We will be doing a video demo of our earlier post on Gluten Free Designer Leftovers. Now, please, please …….. I hope we don’’t hear anyone coming up with a smart remark like  ……  “Oh no!!  Not leftovers again !!” 

We know it’’s all very basic stuff too, but you know, it’’s the simple things like this that can make a huge difference when you’re just stuck for ideas, short on ingredients and/or you need to come up with something tasty in a hurry. Those of you who are eating gluten free by necessity, will especially appreciate that fact, I’’m sure.

Oh, and by the way, if you haven’’t already done so, I’’d recommend your subscribing to our email updates to stay in touch with announcements of special additions to the site as they happen.

Just fill out your name and email in the box at the top of this page and your IN. It’’s easy to opt OUT too, if you change your mind, AND, you can count on us NOT to be spamming you with junk OR disclosing your details to anyone else. Promise !

Any constructive feedback appreciated.

To your Health and Gluten Freedom.
Warmly, Sven and Karen