Medical opinion by John F. Ruhland, ND Do you have health-related questions for Dr. John, the Naturopathic Doctor? Send them to the Free Press at 1463 E Republican #178, Seattle WA 98112, or email to WAfreepress@gmail.com. Please keep questions short. The opinions expressed below are on general issues of health. They should not be construed as personal medical advice. Readers should seek a variety of information about any health concern before deciding on a treatment from a personal physician. Wheat and Dairy AllergiesMany people are unknowingly allergic to wheat and dairy products. At the first visit for new patients, I generally recommend avoiding all wheat and dairy products for at least 6 weeks. But it can be difficult for patients to do without accustomed foods. Soymilk, rice milk, or other substitutes for cow milk are now readily available, but there are still few non-wheat breads in supermarkets. Below is one of the recipes I offer to provide a substitute bread recipe. You can find a few other allergy-free recipes on my website: drruhland.com. Delicious Rice Bread RecipeIngredients:
2 cups lukewarm water The water should be warm if your breadmaker manual calls for it. (Use a bit more, say 2 1/2 cups if you are not using eggs)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or 5 tablespoons olive oil)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or try lemon juice)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs (OK with fewer or without eggs)
2 to 3 cups brown rice flour, depending on your breadmaker (initially try 2-1/2 cups)
1 cup tapioca, oat or barley flour*
3 tablespoons maple syrup, crystallized sugar cane juice, or other sweetener(must use one in order for yeast to work)
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon dry yeast granules (you can adjust this amount based on the amount of rise you get from your brand of yeast)
Handmade directions:
You may need to adjust ingredients slightly. One successful recipe allows dough to rise twice. Bread machine directions:
Combine the water, oil, vinegar, salt, and eggs, and stir. Combine the flours, sweetener, and xanthan gum. Do not stir. Add yeast last. Add ingredients to breadmaker in the order suggested in your breadmaker manual. If there are options, use white bread setting and medium crust Experiment by changing ingredients or amounts, one at a time. *Note: oat flour and barley flour contain some gluten.
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