Friday, December 14, 2012

Gluten-Free Bread and Healing Benefits of Coconut



Over the past few years, I've come to realize that coconut is a superfood! Coconut is amazing in nearly any form. You can use it in nearly every type of food preparation imaginable, including baking, as a skin and hair moisturizer, oral rinse, anti fungal, etc. In recent years, many different coconut products have emerged on the market with the presence of a grass roots nutrition campaign demanding real foods in our grocery stores! At your local Whole Foods they now carry coconut: cream, flakes, flour, ice cream, milk, oil, and sugar. All of our Greenville health food stores carry at least some of the coconut products! 

Coconut is rich in medium chain triglycerides, which is a type of fuel for the body that can be used immediately. Coconut is also low in carbohydrates and glycemic index making it accessible to those on a candida, diabetic, gluten-free or low-carb diet. Coconut also contains a plethora of minerals and vitamins. Eating healthy sources of fat from plant and animal sources helps the body to function properly, and aids especially in the function of the brain. Your brain controls the functions of the body and even your emotions. The health of your body is partly a reflection of the health of your mind! 


According to 40+years of nutrition research, eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory fat may be one of the pinnacles to being happy, healthy, and lean. Consuming a diet rich in fat, low in carbohydrate and moderate in animal protein helps to nourish the body and mind, as well as balance the body's blood sugar. When the body's blood sugar is high or low, you can experience many types of suffering, including: insomnia, weight gain, fatigue, nausea, headache, depression, and many other conditions.  For balanced moods and blood sugar eat fat throughout the day! Enjoy sources of fat that are anti-inflammatory, for example: coconut, 100% grass-fed butter, avocado, nuts, seeds, non-fried  and minimally processed animal products, etc. 

Gluten-Free Bread
Candida Diet, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Nut-Free, Paleo, Primal

This recipe is a delicious alternative when you need to stay away from standard bread products and is one of the few bread options that actually fits on a low-carb diet! Yes, it does have a mild coconut flavor... but guilt-free sandwiches with homemade chicken salad and romaine lettuce is worth it for me. Hope you enjoy! :-) 



Ingredients:
8 pasture-raised eggs
1/2 c. melted coconut oil or grass fed butter
3/4 c. coconut flour**
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste (optional) or your favorite ground spices


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two small bread pans with coconut oil. 
2. Whisk eggs in mixing bowl, then add in all remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
3. Divide the batter into the two baking dishes and smooth the tops with a spoon.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through and cracked on top. Refrigerate once cooled in an air-tight container. 

*Photo and recipe by Keri Rogers. 
**Coconut flour is available at your local health food store.


Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Creator of Yoga Props, and Nutrition/Wellness Educator.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition Education Services.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.
BAYA... Be As You Are!Contact for details: Website  BAYAWellness@gmail.com or 864-430-1275









1 comment:

  1. Hi Keri,
    I finally got around to trying this recipe for gluten-free bread.

    I ran into a couple of issues as a first-timer. My eggs had been refrigerated so when I added the other ingredients to the whisked eggs, the melted coconut oil reformed into white clumps throughout the mix. Next time I will use room-temperature eggs? I slowly warmed the mixture in the microwave 10 seconds at a time until the coconut oil remelted.

    And I wasn't sure what a 'small' bread pan was, but from the volume of the mixture, I'm guessing my loaf pans are not 'small'. So I put all the mixture into one 'regular' bread pan (4.5x3.5x2.5). It took about 35 minutes in the larger pan.

    Thanks for this recipe and all your great posts!

    ReplyDelete