NUTRITIOUS GLUTEN-FREE BREAD: The Pinnacle of Natural Foods

Health

I grew up in the 70s and 80s in a little fishing village in southeastern Alaska. My parents did their best to raise my brother and me on a plant-based diet, which back in those days was pretty challenging. Thankfully, there was a nice health food store in town which we would visit weekly. There wasn’t a huge selection, but we could find items like tofu, sprouted bread, soymilk, and soy yogurt! But if you happened to have a gluten sensitivity, forget it. You may as well have said goodbye to bread altogether! The world has definitely come a long way since then. Yet, even with the many gluten-free bread options out there today, you will find that most have little nutritional value.

Empty carbs and sweeteners dominate the ingredients in most gluten-free breads. At the top of the list, you may see things such as tapioca starch, potato starch, cornstarch, rice flours, xanthan gum, commercial yeasts, and often multiple sweeteners. These typically are not the tastiest ingredients and can often worsen any health challenge. So, can a nutritious and delicious gluten-free bread be found? Thankfully, the answer is YES!

Some years ago, Simple Kneads’ CEO and founder, Tristaun LeClaire, set out on a quest to develop the perfect gluten-free bread. He pulled from the best aspects of various breads from around the world and created a product packed with the nutrition of whole ancient grains, no starches, fillers or gums, one that was free of the top eight allergens, 100 percent plant-based and made through  the true artisan sourdough process of  fermentation!

Before commercial yeasts came on the scene, bread was made using the method of fermentation we call sourdough. Sourdough is much more nutritious than bread made with dried yeasts. French baker and founder of the Celtic Sea Salt Co., Jacques de Langre, PH.D., has much to say on this subject:

“Baking with natural leaven is in harmony with nature and maintains the integrity and nutrition of the cereal grains used … The process helps to increase and reinforce our body’s absorption of the cereal’s nutrients.” (Excerpt from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions.)

He goes on to say that yeast was introduced into Louis XIV’s court in 1668 and was strongly rejected because of the perceived health risks! Melissa Richards, in her book Baking with Natural Yeast, mentions that in the 1980s when rapid rise yeast came into the picture, so did the rise of celiac, gluten sensitivity, acid reflux, and other serious conditions. In fact, many have noticed that when they switched back to naturally leavened bread, they stopped experiencing symptoms like heartburn, constipation, diabetic spikes, and other allergic reactions. This begins to make sense when you consider that true artisan sourdough can have a positive impact on your digestive system. “Natural leavened bread, because of its inherent beneficial ferments, slowly re-creates the population of friendly lactobacillus digestive bacteria in the absorption tract. The end result is recovery of the digestion and proper elimination by the effective action of friendly bacteria.” (Naturally Leavened Bread by Jacques de Langre.)

The benefits of sourdough are numerous! Simple Kneads offers gluten-free sourdough bread that’s sole aim is to bring healing and balance back to the body. Truly, this is the pinnacle of natural foods!

By Sandy K. Workman, SK Director of Brand Development

NATURE’S DOCTORS: 8 Simple Laws That Can Change Your Life Forever

Health

January is health and wellness month, and here at Simple Kneads we love helping others feel healthier and happier! We do this by promoting eight very simple laws of health, sometimes called “Nature’s Doctors,” which help prolong life.

Did you know that scientists at the Southern University of California recently calculated that, if it weren’t for disease and accidents, people could live to be 120 years? And a pioneer in the science of aging, Roy Wolford, has shared that the human body is capable of lasting 120 years! That’s pretty incredible, since the average life span in our country is 78 years. However, we believe that you are never too young and it is rarely ever too late to start healthier habits and quickly begin to experience a turnaround in your health.

When Simple Kneads’ CEO and his wife had their first child, they soon discovered that little Shiloh had some serious food allergies. They knew that adequate nutrition during the first two to three years of one’s life (starting at conception) is one of the fundamental prerequisites for not only survival and growth, but for lifelong health. So, they got to work, and through the simple process of elimination, Shiloh’s mother was able to hone in on the issues of gluten and soy. She was now able to go forward intelligently, and in just a few days Shiloh’s symptoms disappeared — and eventually Simple Kneads was born.

We would like to introduce to you Nature’s Doctors, eight simple natural laws that can change your life forever. They are: nutrition, exercise, water, sunshine, air, rest, self-control, and faith. I want to share some personal experiences…

A few years ago, while climbing a rock wall with my husband and kids in Alaska, a lady in her late 30s who knew me from the “Nutrition Kitchen” classes at the local college, came and asked, if there was one thing she could change up in her life, for better health, what would I suggest. She shared a little about her life: She was a meat-eater with five children, a busy life, and not a lot of time or money to make big, drastic changes. However, she suffered with multiple autoimmune diseases and candida, and was desperate for even a glimmer of hope in her health. From personal experience I knew that just a small change like implementing a simple, easy-to-digest plant-based breakfast, packed with nutrition and  no sugar or gluten, was not so hard to do with a little instruction, and could make a huge difference in one’s health. I suggested she soak some raw walnuts or almonds overnight and slice up a granny smith apple in the morning to go along with the soaked nuts, adding a green smoothie (with no sugar) if she still felt hungry. A few days later she saw me at the rock wall again, her face beaming. She shared that she had gone home and done exactly what I had suggested, now having so much energy she couldn’t understand it! Lunch came and went without her noticing because she wasn’t even hungry. The nutrition in that simple meal kept her fuller longer, with more energy, than her typical oatmeal with toast or occasional hash brown and eggs she was accustomed to. In addition, her foggy brain issues had also disappeared during those few days! I will admit, I was even shocked! I was used to the majority never really being intentional enough about their lifestyle habits for any change to occur.

Even something as simple as getting hydrated can change your health dramatically: A few months ago a lady wrote to me, sharing that she suffered from extreme headaches and several other ailments she would not mention. It had gotten so severe she could barely function on a weekly basis. It came to my mind she should begin by doing a hydration cycle and go from there. She was open to the idea and so I shared the recipe: A quart and a half of lemon water (juice from half a lemon in her water). She would drink this upon rising in the morning, at least 30 minutes before eating anything. She would have to drink the lemon water within 20 minutes! I suggested she use a timer to be precise. She would do this for six days. In addition, she would do her best to get two more quarts of water down during the rest of each day (although these would not need to be drunk in 20 minutes). Four days later she texted saying, and I quote:

“Sandy, I just have to thank you again for the hydration cycle. Not only has it helped with the headaches; it has helped my feet! I’ve had plantar fasciitis and heel spurs for over two years and have had so much terrible pain, especially after walking so much at work. Well, I noticed yesterday that the pain wasn’t so bad and today it’s all but gone! I’m sure I’ve been dehydrated for years! I can feel a difference in my joints! I shared this with a patient who suffers from plantar fasciitis today, as they want her to have surgery, but I told her to try this first. I’m completely amazed.”

As you go forward in implementing some or all of these 8 Simple Laws of Health, please remember, even if something is gluten-free, vegan or plant-based, it does not mean that it is therefore nutritious. And although it’s true that many aspects of life are out of our control, the power is in our hands to make the simple changes necessary to have a healthier and happier future.

To learn more, visit us at simplekneads.com and check out our Instagram page @SimpleKneads_GF

By Sandy K. Workman, SK Director of Brand Development

BETTER NUTRITION FOR THE BEST YEAR YET!

Health

This is the year for building a strong body. A body that can resist anything that it must face: the colds, the flus, diseases, chemicals, and all sorts of contaminations. A strong immune system can deal more easily with these. So, what is the best way to get a strong body? Let’s look at five basic qualities of food that we, at Simple Kneads, believe lead to optimal health through complete nutrition.

FIVE STEPS TO OPTIMAL HEALTH THROUGH NUTRITION:

WHOLE Choose plant-based foods as unrefined as possible. These are packed with nutrition and have high levels of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Our artisan sourdough GF loaves are made from five whole ancient grains. We do not use any starches, white flours, fillers or gums. Not to mention, our product is top-9-allergen free and truly sourdough. This means no commercial or baker’s yeast. Made the way bread used to be!

HARMLESS Identify foods that help your body heal. Keep away from those things your body is reacting negatively to. Even if it’s technically a “good” food, it may not be good for you. Also, keep in mind that just because it’s sold in a health food store, or is labeled gluten-free or vegan, does not mean it’s healthy. And as often as possible, use organic foods! You will find an (*) after each organic ingredient in our products.

DIGESTIBLE “All disease begins in the gut” (Hippocrates). He really wasn’t too far off. It’s proven that good digestion leads to better health. A simple way to begin to nourish your digestive system is through good, fermented foods. Things such as yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and even sourdough bread are wonderful for good gut health! Our sourdough process of fermentation makes our bread easier to digest and is a great place to start!

VARIETY Variety is the spice of life and essential in any diet! Different foods provide different types of nutrients and so variety is key to getting the nutrition your body needs to heal and thrive. Take time to check out our Instagram @simplekneads_gf where you will find hundreds of creative, delicious and healthful ways to enjoy our bread. Bring inspiration to your mealtime!

TASTY In Japan one of the dietary directives is “enjoy your meals.” Enjoyment actually tells your parasympathetic nervous system to trigger a relaxing response. This greatly aids with digestion and absorption of nutrients. So, enjoy your food, and it will digest better!

These are the guiding principles that are baked into every Simple Kneads loaf!

By Sandy K. Workman, Director of Brand Development