tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66402987700285820122024-03-13T12:30:20.643-07:00exorphin junkieGrains contain small amounts of peptides that mimic narcotics. How else to explain the addictive blogging behaviour of home bakers?Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.comBlogger422125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-39288188741137677762013-10-12T02:51:00.001-07:002014-05-04T06:03:41.062-07:00Found Bread<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_dxsWuZ7Q44/U2YuhhJlWuI/AAAAAAAAOOE/hIHdowFELyo/s1600/2013_1007AC+one+puffball+to+rule+the+world.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_dxsWuZ7Q44/U2YuhhJlWuI/AAAAAAAAOOE/hIHdowFELyo/s1600/2013_1007AC+one+puffball+to+rule+the+world.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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I find my bread in unlikely places. <br />
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Especially now, half-way through my year long experiment of not eating bread.<br />
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<b>Theory</b></div>
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I have this theory that when the Israelites were wandering through the desert for 40 years following the exodus from Egypt, they were living on a curious mushroom. Using the record of Exodus 16, consider the properties of Manna: the Israelites were to harvest it in the morning when they arose, and to only pick as much as they could use that day. If they tried to save some for the next day, it would turn into an inedible worm-ridden purulent gunk. They were only to harvest it six days in a row; the sabbath was to be a day of rest, so on the sixth day only, they were allowed to harvest and prepare enough for two days. This was the only time maggots would not attack the manna if they gathered too much. We are asked to believe that the inexplicable food, sent by God daily, sustained the tribe for 40 years as they wandered about the desert looking for their promised land. Oh, I guess they ate quail, too.</div>
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The mushroom theory of manna first came to me when I found my first giant puffball in the woods, years ago. <i>This had to be something like manna</i>, I thought. Its growth is miraculous, inexplicable and awe-inspiring. How could a ball of food, bigger than a volleyball, grow overnight, so rapidly without the intervention of something as mysterious as God? Surely it didn't just <i>grow</i> here; we know how slowly plants are supposed to grow -- first you plant the seed then you water it, nourish it, protect it. Here, no seed is visible: in no time at all, you have this enormous edible bloom. Perhaps it fell from heaven.</div>
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It is not a stretch to come up with such a mushroom theory. A puffball even <i>looks</i> like a loaf of bread, sitting on the floor of the forest. Not just any bread. It looks like untoasted wonderbread. Only bigger. Puffier.</div>
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Of course, the manna that the Israelites found was probably closer in shape and form to their own unleavened cakes. From the account in the book of Exodus, I get the impression that manna covered the ground, more like a mycelium layer, which the Israelites could scrape together:</div>
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<i>"In the morning a layer of dew was around the camp. And the layer of dew went up, and behold, something small was on the face of the wilderness, scale-like, small like the hoar-frost on the earth. And the sons of Israel looked. And they said, each one to his brother, "Is that a whatness?" for they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "This is the bread which Jehovah has given to you for food." (Ex 16:13-15)</i></blockquote>
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<i>"And the house of Israel called its name, Manna (literally, 'whatness'). And it was like the seed of coriander, white; and its taste like cakes with honey."(Ex 16:31)</i></blockquote>
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<b>Bounty</b></div>
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I dusted off this old theory the other day when I went to the woods hoping to find a puffball. Conditions were right: these were warm autumn days in early October, nice and humid, after some substantial rains, with cool nights.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y-XkQd3tTaE/U2Yu_GfMwAI/AAAAAAAAOOM/gIzOWiYXLVE/s1600/2013_1006AC+loaflike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y-XkQd3tTaE/U2Yu_GfMwAI/AAAAAAAAOOM/gIzOWiYXLVE/s1600/2013_1006AC+loaflike.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It sure slices like bread</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some dried slices</td></tr>
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Indeed, far off the trail, I found a spot where 8 giant puffballs were growing in an area about 20 yards wide. This was bounty indeed.</div>
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But like the Israelites in the desert, if I was to take more than I could immediately use, what would I do with it all? Although I love eating this mushroom, my wife can't stand it. And I could only eat maybe a quarter of one of these bad boys with a meal, by myself, no more. While I can refrigerate some, no one really wants to eat massive amounts of puffball every day for four days per puffball. Even the Israelites tired of manna.</div>
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And how do you carry 8 puffballs, each the size of basketballs or medicine balls, through the woods for a couple of kilometres? With no bag? Reluctantly I had to leave some of them behind. But I took off my t-shirt, turned it upside down, and morphed it into a sack with 3 holes in it (head and arms). Those holes were a lot smaller than the puffballs, so the mushrooms wouldn't fall out. In this way, I was able to bring 4 of the giant mushrooms out of the woods with me. Thank goodness it was still humid. It was a beautiful day to walk around shirtless.</div>
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But I still had to deal with the awful bounty of four giant puffballs in my shirt when I got home. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BhwoWDrAqBI/U2YvY8cYqRI/AAAAAAAAOPA/VO2fqEmZRL8/s1600/2013_1007AG-shirt-with-last-puffball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BhwoWDrAqBI/U2YvY8cYqRI/AAAAAAAAOPA/VO2fqEmZRL8/s1600/2013_1007AG-shirt-with-last-puffball.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">Tshirt 'bag' with the last puffball: </span><i style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">bigger than my head</i></td></tr>
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<b>Deal with it</b></div>
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As predicted, I ate about a quarter of one of the puffballs for dinner, sautéing them with nothing but a tiny bit of water. In the past I would have heated some butter or some oil in the pan. But the no-added-fat vegan chefs are right: frying up mushrooms and veggies doesn't need anything, really, other than perhaps a tablespoon or two of water to get it started. Just a bit of heat in a deep frying pan, and these moist mushies will boil away to a serving size, releasing most of their moisture to stew in their own juices. </div>
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I have had good luck with roasting puffballs in the oven, in the past, with a batter made of corn, too. But this time, I thought I'd try drying them -- I've done that before too, with success. I cut the puffball "loaves" into thick slices and started dehydrating them. </div>
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My wife rebelled. The dehydrator generally sits in the basement, in the room next to her studio. The smell of the puffballs was pretty intense, and she made me move the operation to the garage. Even there, she gasped and made gagging noises and complained about rotting corpse smells every time she opened the door. </div>
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It wasn't that bad. She can be histrionic and exaggerate things sometimes. Still, you might want to be a bit careful around puffballs. I did a quick search of PubMed, and found several articles about how certain varieties of puffballs (not the easily identified and ubiquitous giant puffball) have been known to cause pneumonia-like symptoms in dogs. These are mostly animals that snuff up a great snootfull of spores when they tromp through some old puffballs in the woods. The rest of us probably know enough to stay out of clouds of old puffballs. On the other hand, quick drying them in the dehydrator was making the garage smell rather mushroomy. My wife insisted on opening a window in there.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jwcUdNvCU4c/U2YvYdszl3I/AAAAAAAAOO4/wUOcKOoN8hk/s1600/2013_1007AD+half+a+puffball,+sliced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jwcUdNvCU4c/U2YvYdszl3I/AAAAAAAAOO4/wUOcKOoN8hk/s1600/2013_1007AD+half+a+puffball,+sliced.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px;">Mushroom slice with tomato marmelade</td></tr>
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What I ended up with, when I was all done, was several baskets full of dried mushroom slices. Each one is about the size of a thin rounded pizza slice, or a slice of bread. The consistency is sort of like bendy styrofoam. Or very thin rice cakes. And the taste is mushroomy.</div>
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I can eat these like bread, with a bit of hummus, or miso, or kimchi, or jam, or nut butters. I can also spread tomato sauce on them and veggies and pretend it is pizza. I can also rehydrate them in soups and sauces as needed.</div>
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That was how I dealt with the bounty of this year's puffball crop. </div>
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No doubt Moses wouldn't like it. To him, it only shows I don't trust God to give me a puffball every day (and two on Friday) for the rest of my life. Well, seeing is believing. If God gave me more of these, every day, I wouldn't have to exploit this many when they so rarely occur.</div>
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<b>More?</b></div>
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I'll bet there are more puffballs out there, ripe for the picking. The four I left behind might be too old to use by now, but the days are still warm, and more must be growing, if one gets off the trail and knows where to look. Now when I go, I take my camera, just in case I see the miracle of 8 of them in one place.</div>
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I love found food. God's bread. Forest manna.</div>
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Here is the mystery of everything, reenacted. </div>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
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<li><i><b>To update my year-long fast from (wheat) bread: This experiment continues with success, and I'm halfway through the year. <br /><br />However, I miss the ease of bread. And I find I am more obsessed with eating these days than I ever was. I eat huge amounts now, of vegetables, fruit and cooked starches. I am amazed at the amount that I eat, and the frequency, and that I don't seem to gain any weight. I'm like Alice, running as fast as I can so that I can stand still. In my next blog post, I hope to explore this a bit more.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>UPDATE:<br />I returned to the woods a week or so later (on Canada's Thanksgiving) and the puffballs I left behind were still there. Unfortunately, they were past their prime, the flesh was yellowed and spoiled, so I just left them behind again. I did, however, take a couple of pictures of them. Here are the leftover puffballs, in the woods:<br /></b></i></li>
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Happy Thanksgiving</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Na9NNHn9Tz4/U2Y0vcYIzgI/AAAAAAAAOP0/jbJY-cfNCL4/s1600/2013_1014AR+puffball+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Na9NNHn9Tz4/U2Y0vcYIzgI/AAAAAAAAOP0/jbJY-cfNCL4/s1600/2013_1014AR+puffball+3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-89289087784552245562013-08-29T04:11:00.000-07:002013-08-29T04:11:38.177-07:00Reintroducing Grains<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread Replacement: A Baked Potato that I ate with some homemade beans and salsa, and some pickled peppers</td></tr>
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<b>Update</b>:</div>
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I'm still off bread.</div>
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<b>Recap:</b></div>
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<li class="li2">In <b>May</b>, I began a detoxification diet to see whether or not I was truly addicted to bread. I gave up all cooked foods, and for 30 days ate only whole <i>raw</i> fruits and vegetables. The experiment ended because I lost 20 pounds and began to look dreadful. I now believe that I lost so much weight because I could not eat enough raw food to sustain my weight. With very little fat in my diet, my body was forced to use most of my fat reserves to sustain itself.</li>
<li class="li2">When <b>June</b> rolled around, I began to add some cooked starch to my diet in the form of potatoes and sweet potatoes, along with a few other <i>cooked</i> vegetables. My weight stabilized, and I began to feel energetic enough to exercise again.</li>
<li class="li2"><b>July</b>, I reintroduced my first cooked grain -- brown whole <i>rice</i>. This, along with potatoes, was my staple, but I also began to eat legumes in the form of cooked beans and lentils. Midway through July, unsatisfied with only rice, I also added oats in the form of <i>oatmeal</i> and a bit of ground flaxseed.</li>
<li class="li2"><b>August</b> saw me continuing this bread-free diet full of oatmeal, potatoes, legumes, fruits and vegetables. I've introduced some <i>soybeans</i> in the form of organic miso, very sparingly. </li>
<li class="li2"><b>September</b> rolls around, and my intention is to begin adding whole <i>barley</i> to soups. And that is where I find myself today.</li>
</ul>
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<b>Plan</b>:</div>
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I intend to reintroduce different grains a little bit at a time. <br />
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The plan remains the same. I <i>began</i> by trying to see if I could go 3 days without bread; then this expanded to 7 days, 10 days, then 2 weeks, then a month. Now, the intention is to see if I can go 1 full year without bread. I'm about 4 months in.</div>
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My intention at this point is to go back to bread after a year. The whole experiment was simply to see if I was addicted to bread -- I'm still not quite sure what it might mean to be addicted to a food. I figured I could use some time -- this year of 'down time' -- to try to determine what a food addiction might look like. I've been reading several books on addiction, and I've been muddling my way through all the new information. Of particular interest has been<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Compass-Pleasure-Marijuana-Generosity/dp/0143120751">Linden, D. (2011). The Compass of Pleasure: how our brains make fatty foods, orgasm, exercise, marijuana, generosity, vodka, learning and gambling feel so good. Penguin</a>, </i>which goes into a lot of the impressive research that has been done on brain chemistry, and is well written and easy to read; but I found<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Craving-Why-Cant-Seem-Enough/dp/1616492627">Manejwale, O. (2013). Craving: why we can't seem to get enough. Hazeldon.</a> </i>to contain most of the same info and to speak more to my main interest and experience. It contains more practical info.</div>
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At this point, I don't actually believe I was (or am) addicted to bread. My cravings for it have entirely ceased. I've built new habits to get cooked starch into my diet, in the form of potatoes and rice and legumes. I snack on fruit (nothing new there, but it certainly has expanded a lot since I gave up bread).</div>
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But there's the rub: we are dealing with my <i>brain</i>, here. When it comes to addiction, brains can easily deceive themselves with beliefs. An addiction to bread <i>may</i> be hiding in my brain, and my brain may be <i>telling me</i> that I <i>don't</i> have an addiction, just so that I will give up this elimination diet and go back to eating bread. Manejwale describes this condition perfectly: </div>
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<i>"The extraordinarily naive perception of immunity is at the heart of addictive behaviours -- and of craving. It is extremely difficult for people to accept that forces are influencing their decisions without their awareness. And yet, with craving, that is exactly what is happening."</i></blockquote>
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I only miss bread now because it was very convenient. Wheat is ubiquitous in our western culture, and it is difficult to avoid it entirely. Anyone with true celiac disease can tell you that it is a hardship to diligently give it up. So in a sense, this hasn't been easy. My wife would like us to eat pasta again, for example. Many lovely new recipes await us, if I would only eat noodles. Or couscous. Or any number of things that include some wheat. <i>Bread.</i></div>
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I now believe that the cravings I felt in the early days -- the first month to two months -- were not so much cravings for <i>bread</i> but cravings for <i>fat</i> (cheese, butter, eggs, nuts -- i.e. all the things one typically puts on bread). This craving too has fallen by the wayside as I continue with a low-fat diet. Also, there has been a tremendous re-education process going on, as I adjust my brain habits and my body metabolism to different kinds of starches, and my kitchen time to new recipes.</div>
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<b>This Blog</b></div>
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This entire blog series was originally my way of discovering what there is to know about bread baking and teaching myself about the various grains, because I knew I loved to eat bread and I wanted to learn how to make the best whole grain bread I could. Part of this journey of discovery about bread is this detoxification experiment, now in its 4th month of a 1-year long experiment.</div>
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I still believe in bread -- unlike many of the current fads to avoid all grains (e.g. many paleo diets) or bread (e.g. wheatbelly diet), I simply do not think we as humans (on a planet trying to sustain 9 billion of us) can afford to. Furthermore, wheat remains our best choice among grains for versatility, calories received per energy expended (food value), and it remains, of all the important grains, GMO free (despite the occasional setback, like when it was recently discovered growing in the US accidentally -- an accident that nearly cost the wheat industry billions of dollars in trade). So I intend to go back to bread. Unless it is proved somehow that I shouldn't.</div>
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Without the 'deadline' of writing about each loaf I make every couple of days, my writing of this blog has languished. Instead of doing a lot of different research on grains and ingredients and methods each time I bake, I've been doing a lot more reading for pleasure. I've been reading some fiction, along with that gentle research I mentioned above, about addiction. It has been a departure for me to read some schlocky, enjoyable novels. <br />
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So the last few months have been on a sort of vacation from blogging. And I miss writing. I was probably addicted to writing.</div>
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This 'down time' has also given me lots of opportunity for reflection. Without bread baking, who am I? If I were not a nurse, what would I be? What sort of life do I want to live? How am I happiest? These are the sorts of questions one tackles if one steps away from the usual and tries something completely different.</div>
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<i>Who the hell am I?</i> is the question that most often comes to mind when I realize I am remaking myself, from denying myself the most basic food staple I've always consumed, on up. More than a few times these past few months I've felt a little lost.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YdWQ_gaLif0/Ugy7E55MILI/AAAAAAAAOCo/pwEA-koiESs/s1600/2013_0616ABweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YdWQ_gaLif0/Ugy7E55MILI/AAAAAAAAOCo/pwEA-koiESs/s640/2013_0616ABweb.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">A baked sweet potato, covered with salsa and legumes: my daily starch<br />
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I eat a huge amount of food now, and don't gain any weight, because my fat intake is in the single digits, if that.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">
<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>Not sure when next I'll blog. Perhaps I will wait until i have something to say. That'd be a first.</b></i></li>
<li><b><i>Losing weight was never really my goal, but it happened anyway. While I no longer am losing weight, a lot of my clothes are for a larger person, and I apparently swim in them. I still get a lot of the same comment from various people: "</i>are you sick?<i>" I probably need a new wardrobe -- all part of reinventing myself.</i></b></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-2306144744234603602013-06-10T05:03:00.000-07:002014-05-22T19:38:24.699-07:00End of my 30 Day Raw Food Cleanse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C1Vlpc5mles/U36yZ3myMPI/AAAAAAAAOTY/JHdiykeLUGo/s1600/2013_0602AB-mustard-greens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C1Vlpc5mles/U36yZ3myMPI/AAAAAAAAOTY/JHdiykeLUGo/s1600/2013_0602AB-mustard-greens.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mustard Greens, part of my breakfast on the last day of my raw food cleanse</td></tr>
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<b>The End of the 30 Day Raw Food Bread Fast Experiment</b></div>
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I have now completed my 30 day Fast from Bread, which includes a fast from everything grain, everything from the meat and dairy industry, everything processed, everything cooked, everything with caffeine or alcohol. In short, I have completed a 30-day raw food diet, which more or less corresponded to the month of May, 2013.</div>
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<b>Most visible results:</b></div>
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I have lost about 20 pounds in this month. Since this is on top of the 20 pounds I lost from merely fasting 2x/week for six months, I found this fascinating -- and proof, to me, of what <b>Richard Wrangham</b> said in "<i>Catching Fire: how cooking made us human</i>" i.e., those who live on a raw food diet will have a low BMI. </div>
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<i>Recap:</i></div>
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Now, the amount of pounds I had lost from merely <i>fasting</i> two days a week had pretty much plateaued after 4 months: I had lost those initial 20 pounds, but the weight loss had stabilized. I wasn't overweight any longer, but I wasn't losing any more weight either. When I first began these 30 days raw, I was in the normal range for my BMI (albeit the high end); I had been eating the usual lacto-ovo vegetarian diet: I had been eating bread with cheese and butter or margarine, and drinking a dribble of milk in my tea, eating 3-4 eggs a week from my backyard hens and eating plain yogurt and kefir when it occurred to me to do so. Since I was already a lacto-ovo vegetarian when I began this 30 day raw food diet, therefore I didn't have to give up meat. And I drank alcohol so rarely, it was no hardship to give up booze too. I eat nuts rarely, but I had to attend to my habits to forgo all seeds and grains. These are things I would regularly put in my bread, and they are still in the house.</div>
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For the past 30 days I have given up all cooked food, as an experiment to get the dietary fat levels down. In the beginning I was trying to hit the target of 80% carbs, 10% protein, and 10% fat, the targets proposed by natural hygienist <b>Douglas Graham</b>. With the addition of infrequent avocados, that low percentage of fat was difficult to achieve (see for example, the caloric totals for <i><a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/05/ten-days-in-report-on-my-fast-from-bread.html">my 10th day</a></i>). Furthermore, it is difficult to eat enough fruit to get 80% of your adequate daily calories if you aren't used to eating that volume of fruit and leafy greens. Even after 30 days of practice, it seems unlikely that I can sustain this amount of fruit eating. And so, my weight fell because I simply wasn't getting enough calories. I wasn't hungry, but I was getting tired of fruit, and spending a lot of time -- and money -- eating it in substantial amounts.</div>
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On top of eating green leafy vegetables as Jethro Bodine-sized salads, I was also consuming some vegetable juice daily -- usually in the form of wheat grass juice, and often some vegetable juice, mostly green, from kale or collards or chard or other green veggies.</div>
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At the end of these 30 days, my weight is now slightly below the middle number of my BMI. If I keep this up any longer, I will be in danger of eventually becoming underweight. I see no signs of the weight loss plateauing, like it did when I merely fasted. Since I already look sick, to many people, I will bring this experiment to a close now.<br />
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During my 30 day experiment I chanced upon the work of <b>Dr. John McDougall</b>, and after a close scrutiny of his diet guidelines, I am convinced that it makes far more sense than Graham's diet does (see the last couple of blog entries, for how I researched McDougall's claims). I think now that Graham's ideas are built upon faulty premises, and I don't trust him. According to Richard Wrangham, we humans evolved on cooked food. We don't do well on raw diets. I will now be adding cooked foods -- especially starch -- to my diet.</div>
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During this 30 day experiment, I was still fasting 2x/ week too. In fact, this is also true of the day after my 30 day goal was reached: since that turned out to be a fast day for me, this 30 day experiment is actually a 31 day experiment.</div>
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Would I do it again? Perhaps -- with reservations. If ever I find my weight creeping up again, I could most certainly do a raw diet of 10-30 days duration again. Would I eat this way continuously? I don't think so. I have heard of people doing okay on this diet, but they have to eat very carefully and almost continuously. I have even heard of one woman who says she gave birth to a very healthy baby and nursed her while eating nothing but raw fruits and veggies. This is not the norm, however, it is the exception. The woman is Douglas Graham's wife, <b>Rozalind Graham</b> (see <a href="http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/blog/?p=2030">Patenaude's blog comments here</a>, for example) and the child is their daughter. <a href="http://30bananasadaysucks.com/2012/04/banned-from-youtube-a-toothless-faychesca-graham/">Some people claim this little girl is malnourished now</a>, based on nothing more than pictures of her; there has been an Internet controversy over this. I'm in no position to judge.</div>
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But let's not compare my experience to anyone else's. For me to become more active, more energetic, more fit, I will simply require more calories. And since I'm not eating enough calories while eating only raw foods, I conclude that this would be difficult for me on a raw diet. <br />
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In short: pure and total raw food is a stress that my body doesn't need.</div>
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<b>The Re-introduction of Solid Food</b></div>
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Speaking of babies: one of the tools used by anthropologists who are looking at the development of human cultures, and individual consciousness, over the lifetime of humanity has been to look at existing more or less primitive humans, those few remaining tribes who are hunter-gatherer, to see what are the norms (in terms of social structure, diet, etc.); and failing that, to examine the growth of modern human infants into the full range of adult human behaviour -- supposing that the growth of the individual in some way mimics the natural history of all human development. </div>
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It might seem like I'm changing the subject, but bear with me. <b> Joe Cross </b>(of movie "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" fame) called his 60 day juice fast a "reboot." It occurred to me, while on this raw diet for 30 days that I was also "rebooting" -- in the sense that I was regressing to an infantile dietary stage. One day I ate more bananas than anything else -- because they were on sale, and getting soft, I got 2 large bags of bananas for $2, and that day and the next I ate almost nothing but bananas. And what is the first solid food we give to babies? Usually soft, mashed bananas. This raw diet, I thought, is giving my digestive system an entire reboot back to my infancy. </div>
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And in a way, I am using this detox as a bridge. I really feel as if I am starting over.</div>
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This time, my determination is to eat a low fat vegan diet (again): some raw fruits and vegetables, but also some cooked foods, especially starches in the form of potatoes, sweet potatoes and legumes -- and yet to continue with my fast, of eating no grains. Originally the idea was, to do this no-grain thing for one year. I think the more realistic plan would be to continue the no-grain thing for another 30 days, and see how that goes. I still miss bread and I miss rice. I can't see myself giving up grains entirely forever. That was just the plan at the outset -- to take myself off them, to prove that I am not physically or psychologically addicted to bread.</div>
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I think that I've succeeded in showing that already. But weaning myself from cheese and other milk products has been far tougher than taking myself off bread. It is the things that we associate and combine with bread that are fattening -- and addictive -- not so much bread itself. At least, not the whole grain sourdough breads I have always insisted on making. At this point, I'm confident that I'll one day make bread again -- only I'll be more conscious and cognizant of what to put on it. It has to be low fat, or we increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and a whole host of other problems.</div>
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I wonder if I would still like bread as much if I didn't eat cheese and nut butters -- all the fatty things proscribed in the McDougall diet -- or if I would then prefer the other starches?</div>
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<b>Other Noticeable Changes</b></div>
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My mother-in-law says that in the last month I look like I've aged 10 years. My brother-in-law says I look like "the walking dead." I had a dying patient who is 96 years old recently tell me I look far older than my stated age. Later in the night, he called me to his bedside to ask me if it would be all right if he prayed for me. A doctor I rarely see was shocked at my appearance, and I quickly reassured him that I wasn't sick. "Are you sure?" he asked, and I could almost read his mind, as to what he barely stopped himself from saying aloud: "<i>I'll be the judge of that!</i>"</div>
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So my mother-in-law calls my appearance "<i>death on slippers</i>" (a translation for the German phrase which means 'dead man walking.') I think that she is right, I look dreadful. And this may be true because the result of the 30-day diet is an inordinate amount of stress that I've subjected myself to. Now I doubt very much that this stress is due to the diet of raw fruits and vegetables itself, but is more likely to be the result of not getting enough calories, and thus living off my stores of fat and protein. If it is true that those fat deposits also housed a lot of toxins, then there has been extra stress in moving those toxins out of my body, too. That certainly is one way of looking at things. Or it could just be the fact that the body's proteins have started to break down, and my body is literally being torn down, from the inside out, or the bottom up.</div>
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Someone asked me if I felt I had more energy. I do not, at least, not always. I don't necessarily feel lethargic, either. But I have just enough energy to do what I have always done, and not enough to do extra. I feel like I want to exercise, but I know that on this diet, I will not have enough calories to follow through with it. I spend more energy digesting than exercising.</div>
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I am scrawny now. I have no padding on my ass, and when I sit on a hard chair, it is like sitting directly on my skeleton. My arms and legs look like toothpicks. I have never looked so emaciated. But it is my face that is the most noticeably changed. The lines there are deep, the wrinkles much more evident, even as the skin is stretched tighter over my skull bone. </div>
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Curiously, I feel more hydrated in general, not requiring as much extra water or hot herbal tea (except on total fast days, and then the reverse is true, I have to push myself to drink more or I become somewhat constipated). The biggest change has been in my nasal tracts, which don't make as many boogers. Were these boogers some toxin that I was expelling from my lungs after ingestion of dairy products like cheese? Or is it because I took the grains from my diet that I no longer have grain byproducts collecting in the nares? I don't know, but I presume it was the dairy.</div>
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I had reported that my hips felt better, that there was no deep bone ache (an ache that I had not even been aware of, before this 30 day experiment). This is true, or it was; but I think that after 30 days, a different pain is beginning to appear. The tug of gravity is once again being felt and I think it is because some of my muscles are deconditioned because I haven't had enough energy to do exercise to keep the muscles toned.</div>
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I think it is wise for me to end this experiment.</div>
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<b>What I ate on the last day of the fast</b></div>
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I tried to take pictures of everything I ate on the last day of my raw diet, so I could total up the calories, but my camera died half-way through, right when I was at a restaurant and had ordered a fruit cup and a salad with no croutons, no bacon bits, and no dressing ("<i>no fun</i>," quipped the waitress). I wondered if I was eating more calories now, having more practice at eating more fruit.</div>
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Here's the list of what I ate:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3YeK_TacLw/U36yYy15dtI/AAAAAAAAOS4/Nf1IqYMmRWw/s1600/2013_0602AC-breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3YeK_TacLw/U36yYy15dtI/AAAAAAAAOS4/Nf1IqYMmRWw/s1600/2013_0602AC-breakfast.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast</td></tr>
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<li class="li1"><b>Breakfast:</b></li>
<ul class="ul2">
<li class="li1">3 bananas</li>
<li class="li1">1 tomato</li>
<li class="li1">1 large salad of mustard greens</li>
<li class="li1">glass of green veggie juice</li>
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<li class="li1">The juice consisted of about 6 stalks of mustard greens, 5 celery stalks, 4 small carrots, 1 cucumber, 1 apple, 5 small bok toi cabbages, about 1" of ginger root, 1 full lime. (Since the mustard greens were somewhat peppery I didn't juice all of them, and ended up eating about 3 of them in the salad, since I didn't think my wife would like too many in the juice; we shared this juice, and there was enough for us both to have a glass for breakfast, and enough to refrigerate for me to have some later in the day)</li>
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<li class="li1"><b>Midmorning:</b></li>
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<li class="li1">red grapefruit<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wtbKWbqwTLs/U36yZkQ7aiI/AAAAAAAAOS8/jXPuWofJk40/s1600/2013_0602AD-orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wtbKWbqwTLs/U36yZkQ7aiI/AAAAAAAAOS8/jXPuWofJk40/s1600/2013_0602AD-orange.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></li>
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<li class="li1"><b>Before leaving:</b></li>
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<li class="li1">banana</li>
<li class="li1">plum<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cD8M8lO4Hg0/U36yaL8G--I/AAAAAAAAOTQ/B5zPXQZH5iE/s1600/2013_0602AE-bananaplum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cD8M8lO4Hg0/U36yaL8G--I/AAAAAAAAOTQ/B5zPXQZH5iE/s1600/2013_0602AE-bananaplum.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></li>
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<li class="li1"><b>Enroute Before lunch, since someone else chose the restaurant and I knew I wouldn't get much there:</b></li>
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<li class="li1">3 bananas</li>
<li class="li1">10 cherries<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
</li>
</ul>
<li class="li1"><b>Lunch (expected to be disappointing, and it was)</b></li>
<ul class="ul2">
<li class="li1">Restaurant "<b><i>Fruit cup</i></b>" consisting of about 3 strawberries, 1/3 banana, 1/8 honeydew melon, 1/8 cantaloup, 3 blueberries, 1/3 of a sliced kiwi (skin still on), 4 chunks of pineapple (and it cost $4.99!!?!) Served in a banana-split sized bowl, this was bigger than I thought it would be, but still far smaller than I wanted. Outrageous lack of value.</li>
<li class="li1">Restaurant "<i><b>Large Salad</b></i>": Iceburg lettuce based (~1/8 head), with 1/2 tomato, some red cabbage shavings, and cucumber chunks (~1/3 cue)(and it cost $11.99!!!?!!). They call this large? Not enough for a side order of salad, let alone a full meal for me.</li>
</ul>
<li class="li1"><b>In the middle of our afternoon walk:</b></li>
<ul class="ul2">
<li class="li1">2 pears</li>
<li class="li1">2 small cups of water<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li class="li1"><b>Supper</b>:</li>
<ul class="ul2">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CpB9Um_R5WM/U36ycqdJs8I/AAAAAAAAOUE/_FM_AaYYR3U/s1600/2013_0602AM-papaya-remains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CpB9Um_R5WM/U36ycqdJs8I/AAAAAAAAOUE/_FM_AaYYR3U/s1600/2013_0602AM-papaya-remains.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Papaya seeds, leftover from my supper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li class="li1">large papaya
</li>
</ul>
<li class="li1"><b>Evening snack:</b></li>
<ul class="ul2">
<li class="li1">red apple mango</li>
<li class="li1">small sweet mango</li>
<li class="li1">3/4 jar of green veggie juice</li>
<li class="li1">glass of water<br /><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-weuJ0zLwnMo/U36ydHaSFpI/AAAAAAAAOUM/wdegsB4ybRE/s1600/2013_0602AN-mango1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-weuJ0zLwnMo/U36ydHaSFpI/AAAAAAAAOUM/wdegsB4ybRE/s1600/2013_0602AN-mango1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The larger of the two mangos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3SRpjkml3fU/U36ydqZfmUI/AAAAAAAAOUQ/u8ZgNVGU9vw/s1600/2013_0602AO-juice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3SRpjkml3fU/U36ydqZfmUI/AAAAAAAAOUQ/u8ZgNVGU9vw/s1600/2013_0602AO-juice.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veggie Juice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="p2">
Here, in table form, are the total calories and the percentages from carbs, proteins, and fats.</div>
<div class="p2">
<b></b><br /></div>
<table border="2" style="background-color: #f9cb9c; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b>Quantity</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Food</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Calories, Carbs, Proteins, Fats (each)</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Calories, Carbs, Proteins, Fats (total)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
7.5</div>
</td><td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
banana</div>
</td>
<td><br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=105; Carbs=26.95;Proteins=1.29;Fats=0.393</div>
</td>
<td><br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=787.5; TotalCarbs=202.125;TotalProteins=2.7;TotalFats=1.725</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
1.5</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
tomato</div>
</td>
<td><br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=22; Carbs=4.78;Proteins=1.08;Fats=0.25</div>
</td>
<td><br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=33 TotalCarbs=7.17;TotalProteins=1.62;TotalFats=0.375</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
1</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
mustard<br />
greens</div>
</td>
<td>(per cup, boiled)<br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=36; Carbs=6.31;Proteins=3.58;Fats=0.66</div>
</td>
<td><br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=36; TotalCarbs=6.31;TotalProteins=3.58;TotalFats=0.66</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
2</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
pears</div>
</td>
<td><br />
Calories=95; Carbs=25.28;Proteins=0.6;Fats=0.23</td>
<td>TotalCalories=190; TotalCarbs=50.66;TotalProteins=1.2;TotalFats=0.46</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
1</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
grapefruit</div>
</td>
<td><br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=(52x2)104; Carbs=(13.11x2)16.22;Proteins=(0.95X2)1.9;Fats=(0.17X2) 0.34</div>
</td>
<td><br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=104; TotalCarbs=16.22;TotalProteins=1.9;TotalFats=0.34</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
1</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
plum</div>
</td>
<td><br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=30; Carbs=7.54;Proteins=0.46;Fats=0.18</div>
</td><td><br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=30; TotalCarbs=7.54;TotalProteins=0.46;TotalFats=0.18</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
10</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
cherries</div>
</td>
<td>(10)<br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=43; Carbs=10.89;Proteins=0.72;Fats=0.14</div>
</td><td><br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=43; TotalCarbs=10.89;TotalProteins=0.72;TotalFats=0.14</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
2</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
mangos</div>
</td>
<td><br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=124; Carbs=31.01;Proteins=1.70;Fats= 0.79</div>
</td><td><br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=248; TotalCarbs=62.02;TotalProteins=3.4;TotalFats=1.58</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
5</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
strawberries</div>
</td>
<td><br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=((4+6)/2)5; Carbs=((0.92+1.38)/2)1.61;Proteins=((0.08+0.12)/2) 0.1;Fats=((0.04+0.05)/2) 0.045</div>
</td><td><br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=15; TotalCarbs=4.83;TotalProteins=0.03;TotalFats=0.135</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
1</div>
</td><td><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">papaya</span></td><td>Calories=124; Carbs=31.01;Proteins=1.70;Fats= 0.79</td><td><div class="p1">
TotalCalories=124; TotalCarbs=31.01;TotalProteins=1.70;TotalFats= 0.79</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
(1/8)</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
melon, honeydew</div>
</td>
<td>Calories=58; Carbs=15.45;Proteins=14.54;Fats=0.22</td><td>TotalCalories=58; TotalCarbs=15.45;TotalProteins=14.54;TotalFats=0.22</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
(1/8)</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
melon, cantaloup</div>
</td>
<td>Calories=23; Carbs=5.63;Proteins=0.58;Fats=0.13</td><td>TotalCalories=23; TotalCarbs=5.63;TotalProteins=0.58;TotalFats=0.13</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
16th of cup</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
blueberries</div>
</td>
<td>(per cup)<br />
Calories=83; Carbs=21.01;Proteins=1.07;Fats=0.48</td><td>TotalCalories=5.1875; TotalCarbs=1.313125;TotalProteins=0.066875;TotalFats=0.003</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
1/3</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
kiwi</div>
</td>
<td>Calories=46; Carbs=11.14;Proteins=0.87;Fats=0.40</td><td>TotalCalories=15.18; TotalCarbs=3.6762;TotalProteins=0.2871;TotalFats=0.132</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
16th of cup</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
pineapple</div>
</td>
<td>(per cup)<br />
Calories=78; Carbs=20.34;Proteins=0.84;Fats=0.0625</td><td>TotalCalories=4.875; TotalCarbs=1.27125;TotalProteins=0.0525;TotalFats=0.11875</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
(1/8)</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
lettuce,<br />
iceburg</div>
</td>
<td>(per head)<br />
Calories=75; Carbs=16.01;Proteins=4.85;Fats=0.75</td><td>TotalCalories=9.375; TotalCarbs=2.00125;TotalProteins=0.60625;TotalFats=0.09375</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
1/3</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
cucumber</div>
</td>
<td>Calories=34; Carbs=6.05;Proteins=1.65;Fats=0.45</td><td>TotalCalories=11.22; TotalCarbs=1.9969;TotalProteins=0.5445;TotalFats=0.1485</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
almost none</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
cabbage, red</div>
</td>
<td>Calories=~; Carbs=~;Proteins=~;Fats=~</td><td>TotalCalories=~; TotalCarbs=~;TotalProteins=~;TotalFats=~</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
-</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
-</div>
</td>
<td><b><i>GRAND TOTALS:</i></b></td>
<td><br />
<div class="p1">
<b>TotalCalories=1737.3375; TotalCarbs=430.113725;TotalProteins=33.987225;TotalFats=7.231</b></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Notes on this table:</i></b><br />
<i>Sources:</i><br />
<div class="p1">
<i>For calories: <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a208.pdf">https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a208.pdf</a></i><br />
<i>For carbs: <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a205.pdf">https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a205.pdf</a></i><br />
<i>For protein: <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a203.pdf">https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a203.pdf</a></i><br />
<i>For fats: <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a204.pdf">https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a204.pdf</a></i><br />
<div class="p1">
<i>Most of the quantities for the restaurant salads are simply guesses, and I'm almost certain that I guessed too high.<br />There may be calories in the juice I drank, but I have no way to calculate that.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>Using the simpler algorithm that (Protein is 4 cal/g) and (Fat is 9 cal/g) and (Carbs are Total-prot-fat), these are the Values & Percentages of carbs/protein/fats for this day's total: <br />Carb 1536.3096; Prot 135.9489 ; Fat 65.079</i><br />
<b>Carb 88.4289667% Protein 3.73037803% Fat 3.73037803%</b><br />
<i>As you can see, I have not hit the 80-10-10 target, but have overshot to about 88-4-4. I have deliberately avoided avocado today, since last time I checked my calories, that one raw fruit made my entire day too high in fat; and of course I'm not getting enough protein to hit Graham's target.</i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>HIgh Carbs and Blood Sugar</b></div>
<div class="p1">
Something else my mother-in-law said caught my attention. As a non-insulin-dependent diabetic, she is concerned that a high fruit diet such as I have been on these past 30 days -- so high in raw fruit and vegetables -- will cause one's blood sugar to be highly elevated. Why? Because for her, she cannot eat that much fruit. It is too high in sugar. It is natural sugar, yes; and it is tempered by the fiber of the fruit. But is there enough fiber in fruit to keep the blood sugar within acceptable bounds?</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
To test this, after my complete fast on the 31st day of this raw food diet, I broke my fast at midnight, while I was working. I tested my blood glucose several times, to see what sort of a curve my blood sugar might take. I expected it to spike a little bit, but then to level off within the normal range (in other words, more or less the normal Glycemic Index curve). I was surprised by what I found.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Midnite: BG 4.3 ; this was after a total fast (nothing but water and herb tea) for >24 hrs.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
0015: BG 11.0 ; this was following 2 ripe bananas and 1 ripe plum; both of these fruits have a Glycemic Index (GI) around 50. This is quite a spike.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
0030: BG 6.3 ; back to normal range. But wait.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
0045: BG 8.2 ; this was the surprise. There was a rebound, and it has gone beyond the normal levels. Why might this be? I wondered if it might be because there were still significant numbers of ketones in my bloodstream that must be used up first?</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
0100: BG 8.1 ; at the one hour mark, the glucose is still elevated. I am not hungry, though. There is an inhibitory effect on the appetite if the body has eaten enough fruit; but what had I been doing, all this month? I have been ignoring that, and forcing myself to eat more fruit to get my calorie level higher (without succeeding, by the way -- I was still not eating enough calories -- obviously, because I was losing weight).</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
0115; BG 8.1 ; my blood sugar not stabilized to a normal level, even after more than an hour after eating the fruit,. Thinking that the machine must be faulty (even though I had just calibrated it, prior to my experiments), I tried the next glucometer.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
0120: BG 8.4. So its not the glucometer's fault.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
At 0145, I ate some cooked starch. <i>And thus, my raw food detox was officially over.</i> I ate a medium sized sweet potato that I had microwaved for 7 minutes. I ate it with a spoon, and it was good. Now a sweet potato has got an even higher glycemic index than a banana and a plum. Sweet potatoes are very sweet indeed. The GI comes in at somewhere between 77 and 94, depending on how it is cooked. None of the methods cited in the database were from a microwave, however.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
0200: BG is now 4.3, normal range again. Now I expected it to go up again, because I ate this starch. I'd test one more time. Why isn't the blood sugar spiking like it did for the fruit?</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
0220: BG 6.2 ; still normal! Could it be that the fiber in this sweet potato is tempering the glycemic response? Or is it merely that the ketones are now down to an acceptable level?</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
At this point, I quit testing my sugars. But I did look up a couple of studies from the Cochrane database. I wanted to know if high carb diets would enlarge the pancreas of dieters; or if this might lead to diabetes or pancreatic cancer.<br />
<br />
The answer is no. The evidence is clear that eating a fruit-based diet with some vegetables is protective against pancreatic cancers, and does not in itself cause diabetes.</div>
<div class="p2">
<b></b><br /></div>
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That's good news, but hardly certainty. I would advise anyone trying a raw food mostly fruit diet to be diligent in checking their blood sugars -- particularly if the raw diet is accompanied by fasts.</div>
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<b>After the 30 Day Raw Diet</b></div>
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Once again, following my diet's change back to cooked starches, I experienced a change in my gut flora, and it took a day or two to adjust to the new diet -- although I didn't have the gut aches that I did with the raw sweet potato. I still eat a lot of raw fruits and veggies, still drink green juices from green leafy veggies, but now I've added starches in the form of cooked potatoes and beans. I have decided, for now, to continue not eating any grains -- so no wheat, no barley, no corn, no rice and of course, no bread. This is quite a hardship, as many wonderful recipes are to be tried in our household as we embark on new eating habits, following the guidelines of <b>Dr. John McDougall</b>. Adding rice or grain pasta back into my diet would go a long way to easing our household into that new vegan lifestyle. However, I'm still trying to see what effects being grain free -- bread free -- has on my health. </div>
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I no longer get urges to eat bread. I suspect those urges came more from the cheese I was eating than the bread, to be honest with you. And as far as exorphins go, milk products have just as many as wheat. They were discovered virtually simultaneously, after all. </div>
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Oh, I still think sometimes that it would be nice, and convenient, to have a slice of bread in the evening, rather than going to the trouble to eat some more fruit or vegetable, which takes a long time to chew, and might be far sweeter than I want. Going without bread is a hardship for me merely because I have to look for other, more costly alternatives, to increase my calories.</div>
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Because of the hardship, and because of a very important wedding ceremony coming up next month, I'm only going to give this "grain free" fast only another 30 days. I see no real point in it any longer. I believe most of the problem of eating bread (and its reputation for increasing weight) is what you put on it. After the next 30 days of being grain-free are over, I expect I will start eating rice -- and even baking bread -- again.</div>
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But I wonder if I will ever want to eat quite as much bread as I did before? Without butter and cheese, I wonder what I will be putting on my bread? Actually, <a href="http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2013nl/may/130500.pdf">McDougall's website is a treasure trove of information about that too. This month, in fact, his free newsletter</a> contained several recipes for vegan spreads that I would love to try. Perhaps this blog will later discuss my attempts to make these and other spreads from scratch, rather than simply describing the whole grain breads I'm baking -- because they had just about reached a level of quality and similitude anyway.</div>
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Who knows where it might go? Perhaps, like many other things I've embarked upon, this blog will simply fall away, as it becomes less useful.</div>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
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<li>
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<b><i>Following the quick perusal of an extensive text on food addiction (Brownell, K. and Gold, M. ed. (2012) Food and Addiction: a comprehensive handbook. Oxford University Press -- <a href="http://www.wphna.org/downloadssept2012/12-09_WN3_Food_addiction_pdf.pdf"><span class="s1">see the commentary here for a quick overview</span></a>), I don't believe I'm truly addicted to bread. I will have to look a lot harder at this text, perhaps in another blog entry, before I'm convinced, however.</i></b></div>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-2437848780950061212013-05-29T08:39:00.000-07:002014-05-22T14:53:35.108-07:00Fasting from Bread: My 24th Day Milestone<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zg3Sj_xlSEM/U35wMdksgiI/AAAAAAAAORE/4-y1eYINSiQ/s1600/fiberpatty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zg3Sj_xlSEM/U35wMdksgiI/AAAAAAAAORE/4-y1eYINSiQ/s1600/fiberpatty.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">Dehydrated Fiber Patties. </span><br style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;" /><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">I wanted to see how much fiber I throw away when I juice a substantial amount of kale and carrot.</span><br style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;" /><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">Not all that much, but it might make all the difference. There is surprisingly still some taste in these fiber crackers.</span></td></tr>
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<b>Fasting from Bread: My 24th Day Milestone</b></div>
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<b>Tuesday, the 24th day of the Bread Fast</b><br />
<i>These are some of the notes I've taken, as I continue on this fast from bread (and all grains, and cheese, and dairy, and meat, and caffeine, and alcohol, and all cooked foods), eating only a raw food diet of fruits and vegetables for a 30 day detox. This is going to ramble a bit.</i><br />
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<b>Recap: <i>Why I'm doing this</i></b></div>
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As a self-confessed exorphin junkie, I have temporarily adopted a low-fat diet of raw fruits and vegetables in order to detox from bread. In the beginning of this fast, it was to <i>test</i> myself, to see if I could go a mere 3 full days without eating my favourite food -- a food that I love, and that has never given me any problems <i>that I know of</i>, a food that I believe in, and a food that has kept me nourished, and amused for over 5 years, as I have taught myself how to bake it, in this blog. And yet, from the very beginning I called myself an "exorphin junkie," wondering whether bread was a real addiction for me. I certainly ate a lot of it.</div>
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As a form of detox, I pledged to eat only a raw food diet of fruits and vegetables for 3 days. At the end of those first 3 days, I extended this fast to 1 week, and after that week, to 10 days, and it was only after 10 days I felt that a month (30 days) might be possible. </div>
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This is still a day-to-day trial for me. I have witnessed my brain telling me different things, on different days -- that I should stop this, that I should finish this, that I should eat this thing, that I should eat that thing. Some of the brain's messages are simply habit. Some are pure willpower. Some are pure craving. Some are the result of my research or my attempt to come up with some sort of an archetypal ideal foodstuff for humans. It is difficult to sort it all out sometimes.</div>
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As I have continued to research the detox or all raw diet, I believe I've found evidence that I ought to stop at the end of 30 days, and reintroduce some cooked foods. As I indicated last blog entry, it is now my belief that humans require cooked starches in their diet. However, I would like to continue to eschew (rather than chew) grains, to see if I can extend this <i>fast from bread</i> to one full year. The cooked starches I intend to reintroduce to my diet will be things like potatoes, sweet potatoes, legumes etc., rather than the starches of rice, barley, oats, corn and wheat. At least for now.</div>
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If I manage to go without bread for a whole year, perhaps I can say with certainty that this <i>exorphin junkie</i> has kicked the habit. I might reintroduce bread at that time. At this time, I feel that it is not the bread that has ever given me any trouble, but what I have put on it that has seen my weight creep up gently over the years.</div>
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But it is all just an experiment, and I've got a lot to learn.<br />
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<b>Learning from my Patients</b></div>
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Working on the palliative care ward of a tertiary hospital as I do, you get to observe first hand something very curious. Many patients come to us from the acute care wards, after a prolonged battle with their illness or disease. When medical science has exhausted its repertoire of drugs or therapies, or when patients have become exhausted with the endless battery of tests and treatments, and when there has been no improvement, or even a worsening of the condition, the palliative care team may be called in to transition patients to a attend to symptom control. Patients only come to us from the acute care settings when they agree that comfort based care is the next step. Many patients and families have to be convinced that the care will not end when treatment of the acute illness is eased out of the equation before that step is taken. And so they come to us -- and <i>that's</i> when we begin to notice something odd. Dealing with symptoms only, and providing some pain relief, we palliators often see a dramatic change in our patients: before they die, many of them actually improve somewhat. Taken off most medications, and often no longer eating anything, some patients start getting better. Inexplicably, the body will begin to heal, provided it receives good nursing care. We see wounds knit, and close. The body does not know that this patient has come here to die, it continues to do what it has always tried to do -- heal itself. Yes, oftentimes the illness or disease is unstoppable, death is inevitable. But it is not inevitably so. Some people will get better enough to make a further transition, either back to home, or to a long term care facility. </div>
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It is not my place to discuss nosocomial illnesses or iatrogenic causes of health problems, those disasters of medicine and the hospital environment. Instead, I want to talk about diet -- especially about the lack of diet, or what we call fasting. I want to examine what is happening to people who come to us, too sick to eat, on death's door, who actually do improve their condition somewhat, even before death. Let's talk about what happens to the body when we fast.</div>
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<b>Fasting</b></div>
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We are all familiar with breakfast. It is what we eat first thing in the morning, after we have fasted all night. So most of us can go without food from 8 pm (after supper) until 8 am (breakfast) -- 12 hours -- with little discomfort. And the body uses this time of sleep to readjust itself. When we take away our continual food source, the body has to live on its reserves. What are those reserves? The things you have eaten during the day, and perhaps weeks, months, or years before falling asleep last night. Many of our patient's families are astonished and worried that their loved ones are going so long without eating. With just a little bit of water, but no food, one cannot live indefinitely, but one can live a lot longer than you'd think. Recently the world was amazed that a living person was pulled out of the rubble of a collapsed factory building, 17 days following a structural collapse in Bangladesh. She had access to rainwater and a few biscuits, and rationed it sparingly. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/10/bangladesh-factory-collapse-survivor-rescue-dhaka">News reports</a> said that her ordeal was a testimony to the human spirit of survival, but then went on to list several other similar examples of seemingly miraculous survivals for unlikely numbers of days on little more than water.</div>
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So what does the body and brain use for fuel, when it isn't eating? </div>
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To answer that, first a reminder of what food is.</div>
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<b>Eating</b></div>
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When we eat, we take in plants or animal products and digest them into nutrients that the cells of our bodies require for energy. The main energy that cells run on is a diet of glucose, and this is provided through the breakdown of macronutrients. The macronutrients that we need have been called by our scientists water, carbohydrates, proteins and fats -- and only the last three provide energy, which is measured in calories. There are many micronutrients that we also need, the most famous being vitamins, minerals and amino acids. When you eat an entire diet of nothing but fruits and vegetables, as I have been while on this month-long fast from bread, you are taking in a lot of vitamins and minerals, but very little fat and protein. And the body does quite well on fruits and vegetables, because these provide carbohydrates, vitamins (especially the fruits) and minerals (especially the veggies). With less than a week to go on this experiment, I can tell you that you would not want to live on a raw diet of fruits and vegetables for an extended period of time. Because on this diet (along with my usual complete fasting of 2 days a week), I am losing about 1 pound a day. The raw fruit and veggies do provide some minimal protein and fat, but these, along with the carbs, do not really provide enough calories to maintain my weight. I really have to push myself to eat more fruit, during the day, to get my calorie levels higher. But I'm finding it very difficult to eat that much, and so my total calories for the day is likely to be deficient -- hence the weight loss.</div>
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I even see a small amount of weight loss each night when I fast during sleep (as much as 2 pounds, during the sleep that follows a total fast of 24 hours). My body, during the resting phase, is breaking down the stored fats in my body for fuel. Let me reiterate:<i> I am virtually unable to push myself to eat enough raw fruits and veggies to obtain enough carbohydrate during the day to maintain my current energy level (and I don't consider myself particularly active); and at night, when I stop eating, my body quickly looks for other sources of energy, and breaks down my fat stores.</i> In other words, carbs from fruit and veggies are used almost immediately by the body and surprisingly very little of that energy is stored. The liver <i>can</i> store some glucose from carbs in the form of glycogen, and some of this can be stored in the liver or in muscle tissue for use when the constant supply of fruit is not there. But not a lot is stored, and some of the rest of those carb calories are going to be burned off as heat (more on this later). It is my understanding that fat cells get no more glucose than any other cells of the body. Provided you are eating good carbs, and not empty calorie carbs (more on this later, too), you are not going to be storing all of your carbs as fat.</div>
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The body also has an ability to break down protein as well as fat, and my body might eventually do that, if I continue too long on this diet of raw fruit and veg, but for now I'm pretty confident that I still have a <i>bit</i> more fat on this body of mine before I get into muscle wasting. However, Lyle McDonald, author of <b>"The Ketogenic Diet"</b> claims that during a total fast, "up to one half of the total weight lost during a complete fast is muscle and water." It is unclear to me whether McDonald is citing studies that examined starvation fasting ("although protein losses decrease rapidly as starvation continues"), or whether this "unacceptable ratio" also is found in intermittent fasting, as I have been doing. That will have to be my research topic next time. </div>
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<b>Sidebar: Ideal weight</b></div>
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<b></b>Incidentally, the last couple of days I've been wondering what my ideal weight might be. We all know of the BMI scale -- the index that shows, based on your height and weight, whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. There are several calculators online, like this one at the <a href="http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm">NHLBI</a>. But the BMI does not tell you what the <i>optimal</i> weight for your height and gender might be -- it gives a range of normal. My weight is now in the middle of this range; by the 21st day of this experiment I was down to 165 pounds for a man who is 6 feet tall. I am skinnier than I have been for years. My new jeans that I bought recently -- when I had lost twenty pounds after fasting 2 days a week for about 6 months -- now fall off me unless I wear a belt. But all of my belts do not fit. <i>I lost my ass</i>.</div>
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And more and more people begin to be concerned for me. They can see I am losing weight, and openly ask me if I am sick. Which leads me to think that I'm starting to look not so good. I don't want to look sick. So why do I keep doing this?</div>
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I have decided to see if I can go without bread for an entire year. A test of my endurance. Because everyone knows that I love bread. But am I <i>addicted</i> to it? If I can go a year without grain, I will know for sure I am not. Even if I <i>am</i> the prototypical <i>exorphin junkie</i>.</div>
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But will I reintroduce bread into my diet after going without it for a whole year? At this point, I don't know. Some days I say no; other days I say, yes, certainly.</div>
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<b>Sidebar 2: A Moment of Weakness</b></div>
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I've been taking a ton of fruit with me to work in my lunchbag/knapsack, when I'm on the nightshift. Since I'm sleeping during the day, I don't have a chance to eat enough at home. So I cart several pounds of fruits and veg with me to work, and while many of my patients sleep, I work at shovelling it into my maw. It takes a lot of time to eat that much fruit and leafy greens, just to get your calorie content a bit higher.</div>
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I know that I can, through pure willpower, make it to the end of these 30 days -- or even go beyond that, if necessary. But I also know that I still occasionally think about bread, and how nice it will be when I can eat some again. I don't usually have cravings, but every once in a while, it will strike me.<br />
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Like it did on the morning of my 18th day of this fast, on the drive home after a nightshift. I was a couple of blocks from home and I turned the corner and saw a crow, in the middle of the road, picking at a substantial crust of bread. Irrationally, I thought about stopping the car, getting out, shooing the bird away, and wresting that prize away from it for myself.</div>
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That's what I mean when I say I'm still an <i>exorphin junkie</i>.</div>
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<b>Ketosis</b></div>
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Before the sidebar interlude, I was talking about how the body uses carbs as fuel when we eat. We also can eat fats, and get fuel from them; and even protein can be used as fuel. But what happens when we aren't eating <i>anything</i>? First, the stores of glucose as glycogen are used up; and then the body turns to stored fats.</div>
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When the body uses body-fat as fuel, it breaks it down into free fatty acids, which can be used by almost all body tissue except the brain and nervous system. Does that mean that our brains don't run on any fuel when we sleep, or when we fast? No. If there are not enough carbs in the diet to provide glucose (and you only have to reduce carbs to about 10% of your caloric intake/energy needs), the brain lives on <b><i>ketones</i></b>. What are ketones? Well, when free fatty acids are broken down in the liver, they leave behind metabolites called ketones. If there are enough ketones in the bloodstream, glucose is no longer used, and neither is protein used. The brain uses ketones first, to get the levels of ketones in the blood down -- because too many ketones will push you into a state of <b><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_ketoacidosis">metabolic ketoacidosi</a></i></b>s. Most commonly, we see this in undiagnosed type 1 diabetics. </div>
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And this is how the high protein, low-carb diets (like the Ketosis Diet, or Atkins, or Zone, or Paleo) all work: when you eat fewer carbs, your ketone levels rise, and that, along with the free fatty acids, give you energy. The details and mechanism of the diet were first worked out by Dr. Russell Wilder in the 1920's in the Mayo Clinic, after extensive work with diabetic (and then epileptic) children.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-COPNi2FEcEQ/U35wKlSY6mI/AAAAAAAAOQg/FN1b545mmp8/s1600/Dr.-Russell-Wilder-of-Mayo-Clinic,-1920's-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-COPNi2FEcEQ/U35wKlSY6mI/AAAAAAAAOQg/FN1b545mmp8/s1600/Dr.-Russell-Wilder-of-Mayo-Clinic,-1920's-.jpg" height="200" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b>Dr. Russell Wilder</b>, 1920s: from the<a href="http://jn.nutrition.org/content/74/1/1.full.pdf+html?sid=8b8e58de-0ad0-47ad-ba5a-8867f417d942"> Journal of Nutrition</a></i><br />
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There are several well-known complications of ketogenic diets. Some of these are also a symptom of starvation ketosis from extended fasts; others are also symptoms of diabetic-induced metabolic ketosis.</div>
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<li>hypoglycaemia -- causing sleepiness, vomiting, nervousness, trembling, sweating</li>
<li>acidosis (from ketones in the bloodstream) -- panting, irritability, increased HR, facial flushing, fatigue, vomiting</li>
<li>dehydration -- causing constipation (also caused by the low fiber)</li>
<li>hyperlipidemia -- cholesterol and triglycerides are both elevated on this diet</li>
<li>nutritional deficiency - lacks calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vit A, D, E, zinc, selenium, carnitine, causing decreased bone density, cardiomyopathy</li>
<li>kidney stones</li>
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I don't think that there have been enough studies done to show what happens, but <i>something</i> slightly different happens to the brain that is fuelled primarily on ketone bodies as opposed to glucose. We should expect this: at night when we fast, our brain <i>dreams</i>, and our experiences are quite different than in waking states. Also, we have the example of lots of <i>mystics</i> who have strange experiences while fasting for extended periods of time; the most famous might be Jesus, who after fasting 40 days in the desert reported an exchange with The Tempter. Today, the ketogenic diet is still sometimes used to treat epileptic children. These unfortunate children need to have food enough to grow, but when you give them glucose in the form of too many carbs, sometimes they have more seizures. Some of them do all right on a restrictive ketogenic diet. Extreme body builders often use some form of the ketosis diet as well, in order to contrast their huge muscles and lean bodies during a competition. Most endurance athletes, however, cannot use a ketogenic diet, because it is felt that you cannot sustain high aerobic levels of exercise with a low level of carbohydrate. The muscles of a marathon runner or a triathlete need those glycogen stores, and so they traditionally "carbo-load" before an event.</div>
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<b>de novo lipogenesis</b></div>
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So where does fat come from in the first place, if the carbs we eat aren't making it? As I quoted John McDougall in <a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/05/fasting-from-bread-my-15-day-milestone.html">a recent blog (day 15 of my fast</a>), making fat out of glucose comes from <b>de novo lipogenesis</b>. McDougall said that this is done by pigs and cows, but he didn't say whether humans could do it. Well, we can. But it isn't our preferred use of carbs, as Hellerstein showed. (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10365981">Hellerstein, M. (1999) De novo lipogenesis in humans: metabolic and regulatory aspects. Eur J Clin Nutr. 53(supple 1) p. S53-65</a>). It is only when carb input is greater than total energy expended that fat is created. It is very difficult to do this on whole foods, as I hope<a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/05/ten-days-in-report-on-my-fast-from-bread.html"> I have shown (on day 10 of my fast, when I totalled the calories, carbs, protein and fats of a single day of raw food eating)</a>. You will be sated before you can do it. But if you eat <i>processed</i> foods -- anything with extra sugar in it, like cake, ice cream, soft drinks, and white bread -- suddenly you can build fat just like pigs and cows. Furthermore, Hellerstein proved that although we can make fats out of carbs (in times of excess carbs), we can't make carbs out of fats. We are missing that metabolic pathway. And there has to be a seasonal and an evolutionary reason for this. I suppose it is because proto-humans ate lots of fruit when it was ripe, so that they could live off stored fat when times were lean. When they had to fast, they lived a little like hibernating bears -- with a slower metabolism, and burning their own fat.</div>
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<b><i>Lis Olesen Larsen</i></b> from the August Krogh Institute at the University of Copenhagen provides a quick overview of where the science is taking us in our understanding of <i>de novo lipogenesis</i> and how it contributes to human obesity (<a href="http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FBJN%2FBJN88_03%2FS0007114502001721a.pdf&code=94aa1226073766e481bc6fe8a66d382c">Larsen, L. (2002). Nutrition Discussion Forum: the role of de novo lipogenesis in development of obesity in man. Brit J of Nutr. 88 pp. 331-332</a>). From her own research in 2001, she determined that <i>de novo lipogenesis</i> is more likely to occur when we eat more than enough carbs for our total energy expenditure AND we also take in 30% of our calories from fats. The animal products that contain fat (cheese, butter), or the fatty plant oils (margarine, olive oil), we consume with our carbs (bread) are as much to blame as the carbs (bread). She also quotes a study she did with Lammert, which found that during sleep, our temperature does not rise high enough to burn off those extra calories provided by the glucose in the carbs. That study did not look at possible increased heat loss while study participants were awake and active, but it does suggest that John McDougall might have oversimplified things for us. </div>
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<b>Luxus consumption</b></div>
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<i>Do</i> we burn off all of the calories we eat from starch (carb) as metabolic heat, as I reported McDougall said the other day? This idea was first proposed by Neumann in 1902, and called, in German, <i>luxuskonsumption</i>. We do burn off some of these "abundant" (<i>luxus</i>) calories, but it is still unclear yet to what degree, and a consensus is beginning to emerge in science that the effect is negligible. We still need to be diligent to <i><b>not</b></i> <b><i>overeat</i></b>: <i>luxus consumption</i> has also been been more recently defined as eating more food than you need (thus wasting it), and it has serious health and environmental effects (see, for example: <a href="http://www.sze.hu/fk/kornyezet/Cikkek14/Luxus-consumption-Wasting-food-resources-through-overeating_2006_Agriculture-and-Human-Values.pdf">Blair, D. and Sobal, J. (2006). Luxus consumption: wasting food resources through overeating. Agr and Human Values. 23. pp. 63-74</a>).</div>
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<b>Fasting Detox</b></div>
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What my patients are doing, when they come to our palliative care ward, and stop eating, is they begin to detox. When nothing is<i> going in </i>any longer, the body begins to break down these stored fats for energy, and it is in these fat cells where even more toxins are stored. The toxins in their body -- the metabolites from the drugs they have endured, the biproducts from the disease process that has overloaded their system, and the simple excretions of each cell in their body as they continue to live and use energy -- all begin to leave the tissue, if they remain hydrated and there are no blockages. Kidneys work harder, livers work harder, bowels work harder -- if they can -- to get this stuff out. And in palliative care, we nurses help this to happen.</div>
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And as so often happens, some people get a little bit better. It might just be a burst of energy before death; or it might be something else, a turn in the road. We never give up on anyone. I have seen people last far longer than the medical community's prognosis, when they stop eating food.</div>
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<b>Wavering Resolve</b><br />
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Let's talk about willpower for a moment, since apparently it is the one thing that stops me from succumbing to habit due to my wavering resolve to eat no bread, no grains, no meat, no dairy, etc. for 30 days.</div>
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If your read over my last few blog entries, you can see the preparation for, the determination to trial a few days without bread, the happenstance that I then read something by someone who dared others to go a week without bread, then I found someone suggesting 10 days without bread, then another who advocated a month without bread, and finally someone who challenged people to go a year raw. But while attempting to meet each next goal, I also find those who say that bread is okay, it is the other things that are often consumed with it that are bad. And then my resolve to take the next challenge wavers. If it were not for the fact that I have committed to finishing the 30 day fast from bread, I would certainly have already gone back to my old habits. But I like to test myself, I like to experiment, I like to see what might happen. </div>
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<i>The only thing that stops me from eating bread right now is my willpower to reach an arbitrary goal that I've set for myself</i>. And I have set this goal to find out if indeed I'm addicted to bread.</div>
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You might think that you could not go an entire day without eating anything. But it is not really all that much longer than a single night without eating. When you are on your deathbed, you may be surprised by how long you are living, without eating. You can do it. You can. </div>
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The body is built to withstand short fasts. The body improves and detoxes on short fasts. But if you do it for too long, like anything else done in excess, it will harm you.</div>
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<b>My own Fast from Bread</b><br />
Since my last blog posting, I've been wavering over the question: should I continue beyond 30 days on the raw food diet, or should I now admit some cooked starches into my diet? After three weeks on the raw diet/fast from bread and dairy, my current feeling is that the raw diet will be unhealthy in the long run and exorbitantly expensive for me, so far north of the equator. I suspect that I would be able to live for some time eating only raw foods using shear willpower, but I would ultimately not be happy. But is that because I want to take the <i>easy</i> road (the McDougall diet of mostly cooked starch -- which includes whole grain bread), or because it really is the healthier alternative? Is my ambivalence toward the raw diet a symptom of my wavering resolve, or is it because I'm certain that McDougall's diet is actually healthier?<br />
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I've decided to continue to omit eggs and dairy from my diet, after this 30 day fast from bread is up; the only question now remains, which is the better vegan diet for me? Raw or cooked?</div>
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<b>Enzymes</b></div>
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Ever since I learned about it -- in the context of John McDougall citation of it in "The Starch Solution" -- I have been intrigued with the work of <a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/~anthro/faculty/dominy.html">Nathaniel J Dominy</a> who claims that humans have evolved due to their exploitation of the foodsource of starches (see, for example, this publication, </div>
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<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2377015/">Perry GH, Dominy NJ, Claw KG, Lee AS, Fiegler H, Redon R, Werner J, Villanea FA, Mountain JL, Misra R, Carter NP, Lee C, Stone AC (2007). Diet and the evolution of human amylase gene copy number variation. Nature Genetics 39:1256-1260</a>.</div>
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When you compare our amylase production to that of other primates, humans have about 3 times more gene copies of AMY1 than chimps, and "~6-8 times higher" "salivary protein levels", and "bonobos may not have salivary amylase at all." Other primates, such as cercopithecines<span class="s1"> </span>("a subfamily of Old World monkeys including macaques and mamgabeys) have relatively high salivary amylase expression, even compared to humans…evolved to facilitate the digestion of starchy foods (such as the seeds of unripe fruits) stowed in the cheek pouch…")</div>
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<i>"it is hypothesized that starch-rich plant underground storage organs (USOs) were a critical food resource for early hominids. Changes in USO consumption may even have facilitated the initial emergence and spread of Homo erectus out of Africa."</i></blockquote>
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<b>Are Humans Milk Eaters?</b></div>
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Dietary enzymes are highly specific. I'd like to see this studied far more, because in my opinion, the dietary enzymes that the human body produces will point to the ideal human diet from which we have evolved. For example, I recently read this summary in the book <b>"Everyone Eats: understanding food and culture" (Anderson, E. 2005)</b> about lactase, which enables us (some of us) to metabolize milk: </div>
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<i> Human babies are born with this enzyme, which performs this cleavage. However, most humans stop producing this enzyme around age of six to ten. </i><i>Thus most adult humans cannot digest lactose (Patterson 2000). Like other undigested sugars, it causes diarrhea and flatulence, and, in large quantities, outright sickness. Small amounts of milk are tolerated; more leads to indigestion. However, Europeans (especially north Europeans) and East Africans have depended on fresh milk so long that they have evolved the ability to keep producing lactase throughout life. Presumably, children without lactase did not thrive, as fresh dairy products became more and more vital as staple foods—though at least some humans can also adapt to high-milk diets by continuing to produce lactase when they would not otherwise have done so.</i><i> </i> </blockquote>
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<i> Outside of Europe and East Africa, most humans cannot eat fresh dairy foods. Even in Mediterranean Europe, most cannot; in East and Southeast Asia, virtually all cannot, even after long exposure. But they have learned to make microorganisms do the enzyme work. Fermenting milk into yogurt, cheese, and the like involves breakdown of lactose by Lactobacillus bacteria. Yogurt is generally made by L. bulgaricus. (Other Lactobacillus species give us salami, sauerkraut, and San Francisco sourdough bread.) Thanks to yogurt making and other processing, peoples in West and Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent depend on dairy foods, though only 10–20 percent of them can digest lactose (see Patterson 2000:1060).</i><i> Some Arctic-dwelling humans—as well as some birds, such as starlings—have lost the ability to produce sucrase, and thus cannot digest ordinary sugar (sucrose; see Draper 2000).</i><i> </i> </blockquote>
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<i> There are longer-chain sugars, mostly indigestible. Stachyose and raffinose, in beans, cause the indigestion and flatulence associated with beans, because we can’t digest them.</i><i>Still longer chain carbohydrates (polysaccharides) are starches, and these we can digest, breaking them into glucose. Potato starch is particularly easy to digest, and thus can cause a “sugar rush.”</i><i> </i> </blockquote>
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<i> Still longer chains include things like lignin and cellulose, indigestible to higher animals. Ruminant mammals, termites, and other such creatures have symbiotic microorganisms that do the digestive work.</i></blockquote>
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The specificity of enzymes in the adaptive human digestion system leads me to suspect that each of us, depending on our genetics, will have an individual and perhaps cultural metabolic phenotype.<br />
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This may be true especially when it comes to starch. Which starch are we adapted to? Are all starches the same, or do we require different starch enzymes, for different starch sources? Which fibers do we metabolize, and which ones do we not digest? Which ones do we need, and which ones are harmful (if any)? These are the things I'd like to know.<br />
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It disturbed me to learn that when I ate that <i>raw</i> starch sweet potato the other day, I found it largely indigestible (even though my tongue indicated to me that it would be good to eat). By indigestible, I mean it caused a gut ache, and made me gassy; it slowed the passage of foodstuff through my bowels. But look at what happened: the gas is a result of the fermenting work of my bowel flora. They had more time to work on it, because the GI tract slowed. Were the fermentative metabolites good for me, or bad for me? I don't know. But obviously, we live in symbiosis with the bacteria in our guts. They can digest some things that we can't, and they can give us some benefits from being fed; it is possible that vitamin B12 might be one such reward (or is that conjecture true? Could it be that absorption of B12 must happen in the small intestine, and not in the large intestine where we'd be more likely to find the B12-producing bacteria? More questions...). </div>
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I suspect strongly that my bowel flora has changed drastically since starting this fast. And indeed, it didn't take me long to find a scientific article which showed precisely that.</div>
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<b>Bowel Flora</b></div>
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Ling and Hanninen (<a href="http://jn.nutrition.org/content/122/4/924.full.pdf+html?sid=44412c7c-d466-424f-9e8f-eb3bfcb605f9">Ling W. and Hanninen, O. (1992) Shifting from a conventional diet to an uncooked vegan diet reversiby alters fecal hydrolytic activities in humans. J Nutr 122(April) pp. 924-930</a> ) took 18 people and put them on a raw diet for a month (Note that the raw diet that was trialled contained some pre-fermented foods, so the food, although raw, was also rich in lactobacilli), followed by a conventional diet, and checked out some of the metabolites of the faecal bacteria to see how they changed. </div>
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Depending on what you eat, the bacteria in your GI tract will produce various enzymes, some of which will then cleave substances that you ingest, and cause them to travel through your bloodstream, to be scooped up by the kidney and excreted (or they can be also excreted in stool). In particular, the raw diet causes faecal <i><b>urease</b></i> to drop by 66%, and there were also significant drops in the enzymes <b><i>chololglycine hydrolase, Beta-glucuronidase,</i></b> and <b><i>Beta-glucosidase</i></b> within 7 days of the raw vegan diet. These enzymes have been implicated in generating toxins and carcinogens that the liver has trouble filtering; and urease increases ammonia content, which has been implicated with systemic toxicity, colon inflammation, genetic mutations, and GI tumour genesis. Furthermore, on the raw diet, concentrations of the metabolites<b><i> phenol</i></b> and <b><i>p-cresol </i></b>were lowered. The major species of gut bacteria is the anaerobe Bacterioides fragilis, and it produces p-cresol; and other anaerobes (e.g. E.coli) produce phenol.</div>
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According to this study, within 2 weeks of resuming a conventional diet, most of the benefits of the raw diet were obliterated; after 1 month, it was as if nothing had ever happened. Ling and Hanninen note that there are specific changes that will occur depending on the type of fiber passing through the colon, and they give an interesting comparison of some fibers (pectin, carrageenan, agar-agar, wheat bran, carrot fiber) on the levels of the enzyme metabolites, but they indicate much more work needs to be done in this area. The current thinking is that an increase in fiber, as that which naturally occurs in a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, will change the gut flora in such a way that toxins and mutagens are minimized -- lowering your chances of contracting cancer and other diseases.</div>
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Incidentally, this article says that <i>pure</i> "<i>wheat bran and carrot fiber have an increasing effect on Beta-glucosidase activity and no effect on Beta-glucuronidase,</i>" but that a diet in varied mixed vegetables <i>with</i> wheat bran or carrot fiber would have quite a different effect entirely.</div>
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<b>Genetic adaptations of humans to diets</b></div>
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The idea that some humans can metabolize milk, and some can't made me curious. I attempted to find the references cited by Anderson in his work on dietary enzymes (<i>see the section, "Are Humans Milk eaters" above</i>), and while browsing the scientific literature I found yet another article which critiques Cordain's view of humans as mostly paleolithic hunters. </div>
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Milton (<a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/71/3/665.short">Milton, K. (2000) Hunter-gatherer diets - a different perspective. Amer J Clin Nutr. 71(3). 3665-667</a>) maintains that humans evolved on plant foods, just as the other primates did. As soon as the human brain developed in size, and stone tools were invented, animals as a food source became part of the human diet, but not to the extent Cordain suggested. She says typical contemporary hunter-gatherers get 33% of their calories from animal sources, and the rest comes from plant foods (virtually the reverse of what Cordain believes). Tubers, seeds of millet, nuts, and wild fruit seem to constitute the main source of their food -- and these cultures only thrived when these plant species could be adequately relied upon to provide food year round. The proper designation for these early tribes of humans ought to be "hunter-gatherer-agriculturalists" since some sort of cultivation of a "single starchy carbohydrate" was tied to their very existence.</div>
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Milton says that true genetic adaptations of humans to diet are few. The fact that some individuals of European descent continue to produce lactase in adulthood is merely a <i>regulatory mutation</i>, from a period in European human history when such a trait was selected for. But we do not have many other adaptations to flesh diets, such as we see in carnivores. We cannot synthesize vitamin A or niacin, for example. Certainly there are metabolic phenotypes which characterize humans from different regions of the world. For example, circumpolar people may have in some cases lost their intestinal sucrase -- but they are still unable to synthesize their own vitamin C. They have adapted, but they have not fully evolved to a complete carnivore diet.</div>
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In another article, Milton (<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900799000787">Milton, K. (1999) Nutritional characteristics of wild primate foods: do our closest living relatives have lessons for us? Nutrition 15(6) pp. 488-498</a>) says that there is a general consensus arising that "humans come from a strongly herbivorous ancestry." But is that true? At some time, humans ate meat. This became a regular part of the diet -- actually more regular, once agriculture started in earnest, some 12,000 years ago, and a domesticated animal food source became more easily available than chasing wild game. While there may be a consensus that we came from herbivores (although insectivores have also been proposed by some authorities), there is no consensus about the <i>amount</i> of meat in the earliest human diet.</div>
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At stake here is no less than what caused the increased brain size of our human ancestors, and when did we begin cooking: was it before hunted animals became part of our diet, or after?</div>
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<b>Segue to Cooking</b></div>
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Milton indicates that "the proportion of the human gut appears to reflect the fact that many foods are 'pre-digested' by technology in one way or another before they ever enter the human digestive tract." In other words, cooking or fermenting. </div>
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Raw foodists frequently say, "no other animal on earth cooks its food," and that is given as a sort of proof that we have stepped away from our natural raw food (whatever it originally was). And it seems absurd on the face of it, that humans <i>have</i> <i>evolved</i> into a cooked food user. But according to <b>Wrangham and Conklin-Brittain</b> (<a href="http://img2.tapuz.co.il/forums/1_140989346.pdf">Wrangham, R. and Conklin-Brittain, N. (2003) Cooking as a biological trait. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & INtegrative Physiology 136(1) pp 35-46</a>), this is precisely what happened: Humans <i>have</i> had time to evolve the ability to exist primarily on cooked foods. According to them, cooking almost certainly predates meat eating. Furthermore, Wrangham (Harvard U. Primatologist) makes a strong argument that humans have largely lost the ability to subsist on raw food in the wild, whether it be a raw diet of fruits and greens or with the inclusion of raw meat.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.howtobecomeaprofessor.com/interviews/great-plan/">Primatologist Dr. Richard Wrangham of Harvard</a></i><br />
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Here are some highlights I enjoyed from this peer-reviewed article:</div>
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<li>"Other than … deliberate raw-foodists, we have not found any current or historical examples of individuals or small groups living for more than a few days without access to cooked foods."</li>
<li>The inuit ("one of the most recently adopted human lifestyles, approximately 4000 years old") sometimes eat meat raw ("providing vitamin C") "but meat, blubber and even blood were sometimes cooked," even among the earliest studied unacculturated Inuit. No humans are fully adapted to a raw meat diet.</li>
<li>"56% of 48 plant roots eaten by African foragers were sometimes eaten raw. But such items tend to provide snacks rather than meals."</li>
<li>"no human populations are known to have lived without regular access to cooked food." </li>
<li>"The typical duration of a speciation event is considered to be 15 000-25 000 years, and mammalian species can evolve in as little as 5000 years." It is estimated human LA, or lactase producing genes that afforded humans the ability to metabolize milk in adulthood, took a mere 5000 years to increase from 5% to 70% of the population.</li>
<li>Evidence for cooking is older than 5000 years. "It is necessary for the processing of cereal grains, which were being harvested 20,000 years ago by people skilled in fire management and grinding." </li>
<li><b>Earlier evidence of cooking by humans and hominids:</b></li>
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<li>Kebara Cave, Israel 60 000-48000 BP (bones) - (Speth and Tchernov, 2001)</li>
<li>various European and Middle Eastern sites >250 000 BP (earth ovens) -- (Brace, 1987, 1999); (Ragir, 2000)</li>
<li>Vertesszolos, Hungary 600 000 - 400 000 BP (control of fire) - (Kretzoi/Debosi, 1990) </li>
<li>Swartkrans, South Africa - >1 million BP (Brain, 1993)</li>
<li>Koobi Fora, Kenya - 1.6 million BP (Rowlett, 2000)</li>
<li>Homo ergaster, east and south Africa - 1.9 million BP (oldest date suggested for adoption of cooking, based on biological evidence; "ergaster" is derived from an ancient greek word for 'workman') - (Wrangham, 1999; Leonard/Robertson, 1997; Aiello/Key, 2002; O'Connell 2002)</li>
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<li>"a strict raw food diet cannot guarantee an adequate energy supply" (citing Koebnick et al, 1999); almost 1/3 of the urban raw foodists Koebnick studied had Chronic Energy Deficiency, and half the women had menstrual disturbances. This "raises the question of whether people could survive on a raw food diet in the wild."</li>
<li>"Most types of cooking tend to increase the digestibility of starch" (Holm, 1988; Kataria/Chauhan, 1988; Ayankubi 19991; Muir and O'Dea, 1992; Yiu, 1993; Kngman/Englyst, 1994; Ruales/Nair, 1994; Urooj/Puttaraj, 1994; Barampama/Simard, 1995; Periago 1996; Bravo, 1998; Marconi, 2000; Sagam/Arcot, 2000; Slavin, 2001; Smith, 2001). "The same is true of plant protein digestibility" (Rao, 1996; Chtra, 1996; Khalil, 2001)</li>
<li>Cooking improves "the rate at which the teeth can process a given food." It takes less time to chew foods that have have been softened or gelatinized by cooking, so less expenditure of energy per intake of food. </li>
<li>"human molar size started falling approximately 100 000 years ago" (citing Brace, 1991), probably due to a new type of cooking technology, i.e. boiling.</li>
<li><i>Homo ergaster</i> 1.9 million years ago already had a reduced tooth and jaw size, indicative of earlier cooking practices.</li>
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<b>Raw Diet: Possible?</b></div>
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If anyone doubts Wrangham's conclusion that a raw diet cannot provide adequate calories in a timely way, or thinks that this is the way humans evolved, without cooking tubers and other veg, I challenge you to try a 30 day fast, of only eating raw fruits and veggies; for any random day, total up the amounts you eat and calculate the caloric intake (as I did, on the 10th day of this fast, see here), and how long it takes to eat it, without addition of modern knives and blenders and juicers. (Okay, I'll allow you to use any bone or stone knife you have made yourself. And you can also eat any wild animal raw that you hunt and kill yourself with nothing more than that same knife). At the end of those 30 days, tell me if you want to continue spending that much time eating. Tell me you have sustained your weight. Tell me you think that this is a healthy diet and that you could live on it indefinitely. Oh, you might see some benefits to doing it: you might lose some weight and also lose some of the modern health issues that run parallel with weight gain. But I think that most people who do not live at the equator and have not planted trees on their farm that provide them with year round fruit will discover this diet is unsustainable in terms of cost and long-term health benefits. Or, in place of performing that month long experiment, you can read Wrangham's article and see his analysis of what it takes for a woman who is 120 pounds to eat enough raw food to live indefinitely.</div>
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<b>The Modern Raw Food Ideal</b></div>
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Wrangham cites the work of Kobenick to show that raw food diets are not an acceptable model for early humans. I looked closely at Kobenick's work. Corinna Koebnick is an epidemiologist at maastricht University in the Netherlands, and she is one of the few researchers who has been involved in the scientific research of several vegetarian diets. Among the 85 published scientific reports that she has authored or co-authored, I looked at these:</div>
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<li>In 1999, Koebnick examined long-term raw food diets and discovered that they were strongly associated with a high loss of body weight. Almost 15% of males, and 25% of females following this diet have a BMI that shows them to be underweight, and almost 1/3 of all women on a >90% raw diet have amenorrhea. (<a href="http://www.karger.com/Article/Fulltext/12770">Koebnick C. et al. (1999) Consequences of a Long-Term Raw Food Diet on Body Weight and Menstruation: Results of a Questionnaire Survey. Ann Nutr Metab 1999;43:69–79</a>). Also known as "<b>The Gliessen Raw Food Study</b>" this is one of Koebnick's most oft cited studies.</li>
<li>2001 saw Koebnick and her team assessing pregnant women's folate levels on long term high vegetable diets. Lacto-ovo vegetarians and low meat eaters had the lowest risk for folate deficiency. High vegetable intake ensured adequate folate only if intake of vitamin B-12 was also assured (<a href="http://jn.nutrition.org/content/131/3/733.short">Koebnick, C. et al Folate Status during Pregnancy in Women Is Improved by Long-term High Vegetable Intake Compared with the Average Western Diet(2001) J. Nutr. 131(3) pp. 733-739</a>).</li>
<li>In 2004, Koebnick's team examined lacto-ovo vegetarian diets, and found 22% of pregnant women on this diet to be deficient in vitamin B-12, and to increase homocysteine (whereas 3-10% of women who included differing amounts of meat in their diet were also deficient in B12) (<a href="http://jn.nutrition.org/content/134/12/3319.short">Koebnick, C. (2004). Long-Term Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian Diet Impairs Vitamin B-12 Status in Pregnant Women J. Nutr. December 1, 2004 vol. 134 no. 12 3319-3326</a>).</li>
<li>Also in 2004, her team sampled the magnesium status of pregnant women on plant-based diets, and found the amount of magnesium in vegetarians significantly higher, reducing the frequency of calf cramps in the final trimester (<a href="http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v59/n2/abs/1602062a.html">Koebnick, C. et al.(2005). Long-term effect of a plant-based diet on magnesium status during pregnancy.European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 59 pp. 219–225</a>).</li>
<li>In 2005, she published another report on raw food diets. Health benefits include some reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, but 38% of raw foodists were vitamin B-12 deficient, and 12% had increased mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Blood concentrations of homocysteine were higher, and triglycerides were lower, presumably due to deficient levels of B12; total cholesterol levels were less, including the good HDLs (<a href="http://jn.nutrition.org/content/135/10/2372.short">Koebnick, C. et al. (2005). Long-Term Consumption of a Raw Food Diet Is Associated with Favorable Serum LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides but Also with Elevated Plasma Homocysteine and Low Serum HDL Cholesterol in Humans. J of Nutr. 135(10) pp 2372-2378</a>).</li>
<li>In 2007, she worked with Garcia and others to examine the levels of dietary carotenoids in those on a raw diet. Although increased carotenoid levels (eg. Beta-carotene, lycopenes) are associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease, "it is difficult to achieve a high carotenoid intake from mixed Western diets." Raw foodists do manage to obtain levels of >0.88 micrmoles/l through diet alone. Vitamin A levels were normal in 82% of those studied, but 77% of the subjects had low lycopene levels. Those with the lowest amount of fat and oil consumption had lower carotenoid levels, and were likely at risk of vitamin A deficiency in the long term. Fat primarily came from nuts and seeds (25% of total fat intake) and fruits (20%). "Among fruits and vegetables, avocados were the mains sources of fat." Cooking vegetables does increase the bioavailability of lycopenes (<a href="http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FBJN%2FBJN99_06%2FS0007114507868486a.pdf&code=a6e8bec085bc2f0d50aadfcbedad50cd">Garcia, A. et al . (2008) Long-term strict raw food diet is associated with favourable plasma beta-carotene and low plasma lycopene concentrations in Germans. Brit J of Nutr 99, pp. 1293-1300</a>).</li>
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<b>Boutenko's Story</b></div>
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Sure, I too have been astonished by the books of <b>Victoria Boutenko</b> (e.g. "Raw Family : a true story of awakening," 2000; "12 Steps to Raw Foods: how to end your dependency on cooked food," 2000; Raw Family Signature Dishes," 2009), <a href="http://greensmoothiesblog.com/who-is-victoria-boutenko/">inventor of the 'smoothie</a>,' to learn of the amazing health recovery she and her family have experienced by switching to an all-raw diet. It seems likely that it saved their lives. As wonderful and inspiring as her story is, one only needs to look at her recipes to note that many involve blended veggies, dehydrated seed mixtures, processed oils, and occasionally Braggs liquid aminos, none of which were available to our hominid ancestors when they evolved and differentiated themselves by their diet from their primate cousins. Many of her recipes are not low in fat. She is not afraid to liberally use nuts or cacao butter. That's not a criticism, just an observation. After all, her raw diet is not the diet taught by Douglas Graham, of 80-10-10 fame. Could any sustainable raw human diet without a vitamin blender truly approximate 80-10-10, I wonder?</div>
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<i>Victoria Boutenko, author and inventor of raw smoothies</i><br />
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A few days after writing about Boutenko, I found yet another, later, book by her, co-written by a couple of other raw food gurus (Elaina Love and Chad Sarno) who were coming to the same conclusion: a raw food diet is wonderful as a detox from other unhealthy eating patterns, but it is ultimately missing something, and unsustainable. <b>"Raw & Beyond: how Omega-3 nutrition is transforming the Raw Food Paradigm" (2012) </b>contains the personal stories of the authors, along with some new raw recipes that attempt to incorporate more Omega-3 fats. Lots of fats, indeed: in the form of oils, nuts and seeds, coconut and avocado, and also more sweeteners like agave. And it even includes some lightly cooked foods. This is one of the examples of the so-called "High Raw" diet, one that is largely raw, mostly raw, but also includes <i>some</i> cooked foods. </div>
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Foods like starchy veggies. The very foods from which humans evolved -- or so claim people like Dr. John McDougall and Richard Wrangham.</div>
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<b>Wrangham's References on Archaeology</b></div>
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There were so many references in that article by Wrangham, it kept me busy on Thursday, the 19th day of my fast from bread, checking up on them. After examining the Kobenick references, I knew that there would be some value in reading some more of Wrangham's source material:</div>
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<li><span class="s1">While </span><b><i>Speth J and Tchernov</i></b> (<a href="http://books.google.ca/books?id=zB1243xWpwgC&lpg=PA52&ots=1FWCDqC7Es&dq=Speth%20and%20Tchernov%2C%202001&lr&pg=PA52#v=onepage&q=Speth%20and%20Tchernov,%202001&f=false">Speth J. and Tchernov, E. (2001) Neandertal Hunting and Meat-Processing in the Near East: evidence from Kebara Cave (Israel). Meat-Eating and Hman Evolution. ed. Bunn. 2001. Oxford Univ. Press</a>) have done a lot of cataloguing of the bones found in Kebara cave on Mt. Carmel, and have determined that the ungulates found in the midden heap there were from cooked meat, according to Madella's team the neanderthals in the Amud Cave in Israel also used plants for many different purposes -- including fuel, bedding and food. "There is clear and repetitive evidence for the exploitation of mature grass panicles, inferred to have been collected for their seeds" (from the abstract of <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440301907435">Madella, M. et al. (2002) The exploitation of plant resources by neanderthals in Amud Cave (Israel): the evidence from phytolith studies. J Arch Sci. 29(7) 703-719</a>)</li>
<li>Despite the fact that Wrangham cites Brace's work, <b><i>Brace</i></b> apparently had no sympathy for the view that early hominids had mastered cooking. See, for example, <a href="http://ssi.sagepub.com/content/39/1/17.extract">Brace CL (2000) The raw and the cooked: a Plio-Pleistocene Just So Story, or sex, food, and the origin of the pair bond. Soc Sci Inf 39:17–28</a>. One of his criticisms is that Wrangham's team had extrapolated a great deal of speculation about early hominid social and psychological demeanour based on the shape of a few bone fragments, in their earlier work (<a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.1086/300083?uid=3739448&uid=2&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=21102036805203">Wrangham, R. et al (1999)The Raw and the Stolen: cooking and the ecology of human origins. Current Anthropology 40(5) pp. 567-</a>). Wrangham, in another work, claims that Brace's position is an intermediate position, and he agrees that cooking has led to the evolutionary adaptation of smaller teeth in humans.</li>
<li><b><i>Ragir</i></b> (<a href="http://scholar.library.csi.cuny.edu/~ragir/ragir_EA_diet.pdf">Ragir, S. (2000) Diet and Food Preparation: rethinking early hominid behaviour. Evolutionary Anthropology 153-155</a>) follows the traditional assumption that fire technology followed the hunter stage in cultural adaptation in human diet, and from that he is also able to deduce some far reaching social and behavioural adaptations of early humans, based on little more than bone fragments. Compelling reading: but what if that basic assumption was wrong -- what if cooking preceded hunting? Ragir notes that tubers required processing before they could be used as a food source: digging, crushing, and soaking at a minimum (all performed by the female of the species, he assumed; but he also assumed that the invention of fire did not take place before the evidence of barbecues). Still, he draws some rather interesting conclusions based on the reduction of size dimorphism in humans from archaic <i>Homo sapiens</i> to late <i>Homo erectus.</i> He suggests that this is indicative of the sharing of food elements between males and females -- the assumption being that males would hunt meat, and females would put the work in at base camp to get the tubers edible by cooking or other processing. Once the protein in meat was shared, the dimorphism disappeared.</li>
<li>Among the many interesting problems of archaeology is ascertaining <i>when</i> the use of fire became a human achievement, and when the migration out of Africa into the landmass of northern Europe could have been achieved. These things are related, as it has always been assumed that even a northern hunter on the retreating glacial edge must thaw his meat from the previous day's kill to eat it. M. <b><i>Kretzoi</i></b>, of Budapest University has been unravelling the clues for decades, with his careful study of the animal bones and hominid bones at the site of Vertesszollos in Hungary. I've read several of Kretzoi's articles online, but have yet to see the one that is most often cited, where Kretzoi and Dobosi assumed that the middle Pleistocene -- a time when the cranial capacity in hominins rapidly expanded -- was also a time when evidence is found of hearths (control of fire) . In some detailed catalogues, Kretzoi seems somewhat baffled by the bones which suggest that the climate of Europe was quite a bit more temperate than it is currently, or that has been presumed for it at various times. Meanwhile, the scarcity of sites due to the erosion of glaciers means that we must draw some exacting conclusions on very little evidence indeed. Among the questions that remain controversial: were there two parallel hominid species in Europe for several hundred thousand years -- neanderthals and homo erects -- or were they related?</li>
<li>The earliest finds of bones that have been burnt are inconclusive and contentious, as <b><i>James</i></b> showed in <a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2743299?uid=3739448&uid=2&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=21102322798577">James, S. (1989). Hominid Use of Fire in the Lower and Middle Pleistocene: a review of the evidence. Current Anthropology. 30(1) pp 1-</a></li>
<li>I was not able to access the oft-cited article by <b><i>Brain</i></b> (Brain, C.K., 1993. The occurrence of burnt bones at Swartkrans and their implications for the control of fire by early hominids. In: Brain, C.K. (Ed.), Swartkrans. A Cave’s Chronicle of Early Man. Transvaal Museum Monograph No. 8, Transvaal, pp. 229–242) , although one can find an early report here, with Brain part of the 'et al' team: <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004724840190510X">Susman, R. et al. (2001) Recently identified postcranial remains of Paranthropus and Early Homo from Scartkrans Cave, South Africa.</a> Brain's suggestion that <i>Australopithecus robustus</i> used bone tools to dig for tubers was immediately challenged by <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/98/4/1358.short">Backwell, L. and d'Errico, F. (2001) Evidence of termite foraging by Sweartkrans early hominids. PNAS 98(4) pp1358-1363</a>. If they were digging for tubers, they needed fire to process the food; if they were eating termites, they could eat raw. So much depends on <i>why</i> they were digging -- brain size, tool making and control of fire have often been considered tandem evolutionary events.</li>
<li>Richard <i><b>Wrangham</b></i> also wrote "The Cooking Enigma", chapter 12 of Pasternak's book "What Makes us Human?" (<a href="http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/19900077/336684185/name/Pasternak+(ed.)+-+What+Make+us+Human.pdf#page=211">Pasternak, C. (ed.) (2007) What makes us Human? One World Publications.</a>). In this chapter, Wrangham raises the cooking enigma: if, as conventional archaeologists believe, cooking occurred in the Middle Paleolithic, why have there been no major evolutionary changes in the bone structures since then? There are sites that suggest cooking, but also some that suggest no cooking, previous to the Middle Paleolithic, but these have not convinced the skeptics. The "<b><i>Basal Solution</i></b>" which Wrangham supports and expands upon is the hypothesis that cooking originated around the same time as <i>Homo erectus</i>, and was directly responsible for the evolutionary changes seen in <i>erectus</i>, who arose from <i>australopithecines</i> (smaller jaw and teeth, smaller gut, higher energy expenditure). But the Basal Solution must explain why "evidence of control of fire is scarce before about 400,000 years ago" and "it must also be reconciled with the traditional idea that meat eating was the prime dietary mover of the evolution of the genus Homo." </li>
<li><b><i>Rowlett's</i></b> work in Koobi Fora, Kenya, suggest that H. erects "had the technological capability of cooking foodstuffs." From a site 1.6 million years ago, the only traces of fire now can only be found using "archaeomagnetic and thermoluminescent analysis." (Rowlett, R.M., 2000. Fire control by Homo erectus in East Africa and Asia. Acta Anthropol. Sin. 19, 198–208).</li>
<li>Two hypotheses of quite different purport are found in <b><i>Park's</i></b> interesting review of the evolution of the human brain (<a href="http://anthropology.ucsd.edu/faculty-staff/profiles/files/Park_et_al_2007_Neurosurgery.pdf">Park, M. et al. (2007) Evolution of the Human Brain: changing brain size and the fossil record. Neurosurgery. 60(3) p. 555-</a> ). Either we adapted to eating meat's higher nutrient density by evolving smaller colons and greater small intestines (compared to gorillas, whose plant based diet shows larger colons), or these physiological changes were a result of a diet of cooked foods -- whether they be tubers or meat. But was it the extra protein of meat that caused the increase in brain size, or the extra starch in tubers, released by cooking, that fuelled the brain?</li>
<li><b><i>Ulijaszek</i></b> doesn't appear to be leaning toward any single hypothesis, but instead argues that cooked food -- both tubers and meats -- likely explains the dominance of Homo erectus and the migration out of Africa and throughout Asia with control of a food source (<a href="http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FPNS%2FPNS61_04%2FS0029665102000538a.pdf&code=bb4f1c0fe33956db589a28152cc6112a">Ulijaszek, S. (2002). Human eating behaviour in an evolutionary ecological context. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 61. pp. 517-526</a>).</li>
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Although the conventional view is that fire making must have come after the introduction of stone tools, there could be an alternative hypothesis that fits the facts. It may be that the development of fire was a far earlier technology than the development of stone spears and other implements. And it makes sense, if you consider how humans may have adapted:</div>
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<li>Like their cousins, the great apes, proto-humans evolved in tropical forests rich in fruits and leafy greens. They could eat tubers, but only in times of little fruit, as it would be largely indigestible to them. The only meat they ate was insects, and perhaps the odd bird or other small animal that they could easily catch by chance. All food was eaten raw. Like other primates, they had a disgust of carrion left by carnivores.</li>
<li>Up to this point, they have not differentiated their diet. But as they banded together for protection, they began to make opportunistic use of fire. As a sacred and social core of their tribe, hearths would allow individuals the ability to experiment with different food sources.</li>
<li>Over the course of time they learned how to make fire and control it. Fire allowed them extra protection, the ability to make better tools of sticks, and to expand their food source into starch (the tubers, and perhaps some grain endosperms), as well as meat. Brain size expanded as food density and digestibility increased.</li>
<li>On a cooked starch-based diet they were no longer tied to the forests, so Homo erectus left Africa and migrated throughout Asia. As they moved, they began to learn how to make stone implements and bring down large game.</li>
<li>FInally, agriculture led to a more sedentary lifestyle, and also the development of human culture. </li>
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This is my current understanding, after reading several of Wrangham's sources and his analysis. Curious to find out what others in his field think of his work, I read Liesl Driver's analysis of it. Driver is from the Dept of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. This (<a href="http://soar.wichita.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10057/3899/LAJ_2010_v.40.pdf#page=27">Driver, L. (2010) What made us human: analysis of Richard Wrangham's Cooking Hypothesis. Lambda Alpha Journal 40. p 21-</a>) is her review of Wrangham's book, "<b>Catching Fire: how cooking made us human</b>;" it contains a quick synopsis of it, hitting the main points I've already discovered in his peer-reviewed studies. Her final conclusion is that Wrangham <i>has</i> successfully argued the thesis that "the behavioural adaptation of cooking food and the consistent use of controlled fire led to the transformation of modern humans."</div>
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It took me a couple of days to obtain Wrangham's book. By then, I had read most of his primary sources, and from my own experience eating a raw food fast for almost 30 days, I'd have to agree with him. Humans evolved on cooked food.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Catching-Fire-Cooking-Human-ebook/dp/B0097D71MQ/">Catching Fire</a></b><br />
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I'm enjoying Wrangham's book "Catching Fire: how cooking made us human." This is a book for everyone, not just scientists, and it is quite fun to read, whereas the scientific articles he wrote can be a bit of a challenge at times. For example, I chuckled when I read of the new pet food, "Biologically Appropriate Raw Food," (BARF), which is advertised beneficial for dogs. And this paragraph thrilled me:</div>
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<i>Although the australopithecines were far different from us, in the big scheme of things they lived not so long ago. Imagine going to a sporting event with sixty thousand seats around the stadium. You arrive early with your grandmother, and the two of you take the first seats. Next to your grandmother sits her grandmother, your great-great-grandmother. Next to her is your great-great-great-great-grandmother. The stadium fills with the ghosts of preceding grandmothers. An hour later the seat next to you is occupied by the last to sit down, the ancestor of you all. She nudges your elbow, and you turn to find a strange nonhuman face. Beneath a low forehead and big brow-ridge, bright dark eyes surmount a massive jaw. Her long, muscular arms and short legs intimate her gymnastic climbing ability. She is your ancestor and an australopithecine, hardly a companion your grandmother can be expected to enjoy. She grabs an overhead beam and swings away over the crowd to steal some peanuts from a vendor.</i></blockquote>
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Right now, I believe that cooked food is our most natural food, not raw fruits and veggies. Ever since we stood erect, we have also scrubbed around in the dirt for tubers, and banded together to hunt wild game. I don't know which came first, but it makes sense to me that we learned how to cook before we learned how to bring down big animals, and we learned how to eat starchy tubers after learning how to cook, and because of that food source our brain size increased, and we were enabled to communicate and hunt in groups better.</div>
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So since my last post I've decided that I will not continue eating a 100% raw diet, following my 30 day experiment. </div>
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No, I won't be continuing the <i><b>raw</b></i> diet beyond 30 days. I found the information on <a href="http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/cooking">Raw Foodism at Vegan Health</a> well balanced and complete, and I want to avoid <b><i>orthorexia</i></b> (see the videos linked to at the bottom of their Raw Foodism page for an explanation). I've also had some fun lurking on <a href="http://30bananasadaysucks.com/">30bananasadaysucks.com</a>. Beyond thirty days, though, I still plan to eschew, rather than chew, bread and other grains. I'll reintroduce other cooked starches (potatoes, sweet potatoes, legumes, beans) into my diet when the month is up, but remain as vegan as possible, trying to follow some of Dr. John McDougall's guidelines to reduce the dietary fat. </div>
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That's where I'm at.<br />
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
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<li><b><i>I am working with a girl who has lost 35 pounds on the paleolithic diet, and wants to lose more. Approximately the same amount of weight loss I've experienced, on fasting, high carbs and a raw diet, in roughly the same amount of time. She is doing it to lose weight, I'm doing it to gain health: to detox from bread (and high fats) as an experiment. If it weren't for the threats of heart disease that ketosis-based high protein/low carb diest like paleo give us, both diets might be effective for weight loss. But I'll still have to research how much protein is lost on intermittent fasting before I make any claims about the better efficacy of my own experiment.</i></b></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-91132285572284058382013-05-20T07:04:00.000-07:002014-05-22T15:20:59.173-07:00Fasting from Bread: My 15 Day Milestone<br />
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<b>Fasting from Bread: My 15 Day Milestone</b></div>
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My fast from bread continues. Last time I posted was at the 10 day mark, without bread, trying to follow the guidelines of the 80-10-10 diet proposed by Douglas Graham. Graham, if you recall, says that humans are mostly like bonobos who evolved eating fruits and leafy green veggies.<br />
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<b><i>Graham</i></b> is the author of "The 80-10-10 Diet", and has several YouTube videos online, including this one, where <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIgcTKkaDKk">he explains the diet</a>, and this one where <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y61pvWxHBUQ">he details some of the reasons why people fail</a> to thrive on his raw diet, where 80% of one's daily caloric intake should come from carbs.<br />
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At the last blog entry,<a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/05/ten-days-in-report-on-my-fast-from-bread.html"> I tallied my total intake for the day and discovered that I was substantially low on calories</a>, and still not close to the 10% fat goal. I was still losing weight, even though I wasn't hungry, and I was eating fruit enough to satisfy me. But obviously it wasn't enough carbs. I did realize that I wasn't truly following Graham's guidelines: I was juicing leafy greens, I was eating too much avocado, I was continuing to do a total fast twice a week, I was drinking hot herbal tea, extra water, etc. But if you listen to some Graham tapes, he will blend up smoothies and salad dressings with nuts and seeds and avocados. So is he himself really getting to 10% fat on a raw diet? </div>
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In today's blog entry, I'm going to talk about something new that I've learned while fasting from bread on this raw diet. As close to bonobos as we might be genetically, we are not bonobos with blenders. Our diet is different. We are different.</div>
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To recap: for this month, I have been fasting from bread, and existing on a mostly raw, whole food vegan diet (no grains, no eggs, no dairy, no alcohol, no processed foods) in an effort to get my fat intake down to 10%. This is a record of some of my thoughts as I go on toward the 30-day goal of eating without bread. <b><i>Fair warning</i></b>: I talk about what I learn, how I feel, and about the consistency of my stool, and other nasty stuff.</div>
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<b>Day 12 Thursday</b></div>
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I've carted a lot of fruit to work today, and by the end of my shift, I'm starting to get <i>tired of fruit</i>. The only veg I've brought has been some green juice, and an entire Romaine heart. Plus, during the 12 1/2 hours I was at work today, I've had two rather large BMs that were somewhat loose. Now that is new to me, usually they are formed, even with this amount of fruit. It suggests to me that I am now <i>overhydrating</i>, that I might not require as much herbal tea (I always bring a thermosfull with me to work, because it is so dry here). But that wasn't my first thought: my first thought is, I'm not assimilating all that I'm eating. This is the first day when I've seriously considered stopping this diet, because it doesn't seem like I'm <i>absorbing</i> the food I ingest. I've had some terrible bread cravings today, too. And cheese. I long for cheese. Perhaps I crave fat. I'm starting to wonder whether the Weston Price Foundation people are right, that there is nothing wrong with a high fat diet, and the reason I crave avocados is because my body needs the fat. Am wondering if the reason people gravitate toward a diet that is not 80-10-10, but rather 42/16/42 (the average for most North Americans, whether or not they are vegans, as reported on p. 75 of Graham's book) is because that is what is most natural for them. I'm trying to talk myself into stopping this diet, that it might be dangerous for me. But then, I think that perhaps it will take some time in the beginning for my micro-villae in the GI tract to rebuild themselves to be able to adsorb the amount of fruit and veg that I'm eating. What if my several years of eating harsh Grain Bran has hurt my innards to the point where they can't catch this amount of fruit and veg that passes by? I must still be in the stage of detox, so warned of by those who have attempted this diet before me. I aim to continue this at least until 30 days. That's the most immediate goal, and I'm almost half-way there. I've only got this far because I've tried smaller goals: the first goal was to do it for 3 days, then the next goal was to do it for 7 days, then 10 days. Now the goal is 30. Still not sure whether I can do it for a full year. I find the amount of food I am eating to be quite expensive. I'm starting to look for discount fruit -- the fruit that is considered over-ripe, and that is 50% off in the store, because I know I'm going to eat it all in one day anyway. And it takes a long, long time to masticate my green veg; if it were steamed, I could eat a whole lot, a whole lot faster. Is it better to eat the kale, or drink the kale juice, or eat the kale whole but cooked, I wonder? No wonder so many raw foodists use blenders and eat a lot of smoothies and cold soups.</div>
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<b>Day 13 Friday</b></div>
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A fast day again for me. Today while researching Dr. Joel Fuhrman's work on diets, I chanced to also learn of Dr. John McDougall's work in the US, on the west coast, for the first time. McDougall believes that our natural diet as humans is starch-based (not starch exclusively, of course, but varied fruits and vegetables, with starch as the foundation). </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eZlWwd9E8uY/U352ZufnhWI/AAAAAAAAORw/xD_rUaPMkO4/s1600/Joel_Fuhrman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eZlWwd9E8uY/U352ZufnhWI/AAAAAAAAORw/xD_rUaPMkO4/s1600/Joel_Fuhrman.jpg" height="252" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-style: italic;">Fuhrman, </b>author of "Eat to Live" has several videos online, but in my opinion (after watching several of them), I think his best video is probably "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3inIskvVgI">Steps to Good Health with High Nutrition Food</a>"which can be found here in its complete form, or in smaller chunks elsewhere.</div>
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His main message seems to be to work on increasing the micronutrient density of your food, rather than worry about getting enough of the macronutrients of carbs, proteins and fats. If you concentrate on getting more whole fruits and vegetables in your diet (especially the ones with highest levels of micronutrients -- Kale is often touted as the highest in Fuhrman's scales), you cannot fail to get enough of the main nutrients. In fact, many of our diseases come from an overabundance of calories -- i.e. too many carbs, proteins and fats -- and not enough of the micronutrients.<br />
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His message is good, but it just didn't resonate with me. On the other hand...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OMH2fIJKPYg/U352Zp-NbtI/AAAAAAAAORs/ZN3fCAniQsQ/s1600/Douglas_McDougall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OMH2fIJKPYg/U352Zp-NbtI/AAAAAAAAORs/ZN3fCAniQsQ/s1600/Douglas_McDougall.jpg" height="320" width="296" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-style: italic;">McDougall, </b>author of "The McDougall Program" has been around a long time (and has written many books), and apparently has been very influential, so it surprises me that I've never heard of him before. In my opinion he has <i>much</i> more to say than Fuhrman.</div>
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An earlier video ("<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MKofmjCLYM">The role of meat in the human diet</a>") had Dr. John McDougall speaking to a Christian group, where he claimed he was not a vegetarian. "I refuse to become a vegetarian until vegetarians become healthy," he said. He put a slide up that referred to vegetarians, and their unhealthy practices:</div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2">No Fish/Chicken vegetarians</li>
<li class="li2">No Lacto/Ovo vegetarians - "they are full of fat and full of cholesterol"</li>
<li class="li2">No Dough-boys -"who live on sugar and white flour; and the wino dough boy vegetarians are drunks"</li>
<li class="li2">No Soy-boys - "they live on fake foods, like fake bacon, fake cheese, fake ice-cream, fake everything."</li>
<li class="li2">No Greasy Veggies</li>
<li class="li2">No Raw Foodies - "They live on nuts and seeds and fruit, in other words, fat and sugar"</li>
</ul>
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McDougall concluded, "I eat turkey every other thanksgiving in protest of being called a vegetarian." He is also cognizant of the lack of vitamin B12 in the diet of strict vegans, and advocates a supplement for people who use his diet for over 3 years (That is much more responsible than Douglas Graham, in my opinion, who merely suggests that vegans don't require as much in their bloodstream, it is still in the body cells -- an untested assumption at best. Curiously, neither of these authors look at the possible production of B12 by our intestinal flora, in a symbiotic relationship. Perhaps that is because the flora argument is going to be hit-or-miss, and studies have shown that strict vegans do have B12 deficiencies over time).</div>
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McDougall therefore promotes a whole food diet that is less restrictive than the 80-10-10 diet, one which is not afraid of cooking, and one which is based on starch. He actually claims in one of the videos that the amount of fat in his diet is around 8% -- less than that of the 80-10-10! He can say that because the starches have very little fat, and most fruits and vegetables are between 7 and 10.</div>
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The most significant video I've seen by McDougall (who is a far better speaker for his cause than Fuhrman, who is far better than Graham, BTW) is his talk on "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srkd-irmrC0">The Diet Wars</a>." Highly recommended.</div>
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He certainly cuts through the crap being espoused by the Paleo dieters. And he points out the one problem with the 80-10-10 diet, without mentioning it specifically: there isn't enough starch in a raw vegan diet like the one espoused by Graham (Graham says that humans being arthropod don't grub in the dirt for roots like pigs. So potatoes, sweet potatoes, jerusalem artichokes and other roots with starch are pretty much out of his diet. Furthermore, starches are usually cooked (or in the case of Poi, beaten and mashed, ie. processed) to eat. You wouldn't and shouldn't eat potatoes or rice raw). But as the studies McDougall quotes show us, humans are <b><i>starchivores</i></b>. And the very earliest record -- long before the Paleolithic era -- shows that humans cooked their food. Here is a list of links from that one talk for McDougall's various sources, which show that humans have been eating cooked starch since leaving the equatorial forests where they evolved with their primate cousins on fruits and leaves:</div>
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<li class="li2">105,000 yrs ago -- Science 2009; 326;1680-83 (<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/326/5960/1680.abstract?sid=771f5b79-2cc7-41ee-98c6-e67ea718ba1b">Julio Mercader)</a></li>
<li class="li2">44,000 yrs ago -- Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011 Jan 11:108(2) 486-91 (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021051/">Amanda Henry, et al</a>)</li>
<li class="li2">30,000 yrs ago -- Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011 Oct 18 2010 (<a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/10/08/1006993107.abstract">Anna Revedin, et al</a>)</li>
<li class="li2">14,000 yrs ago -- Economic Botany 1987, 41(1):1727 (<a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02859340">Donald Ugent, et al</a>) </li>
</ul>
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In short, from before recorded history, and since recorded history, humans have risen to the heights of civilization only through the use of a major starch staple in their diet.</div>
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In this more recent talk, McDougall is now more conciliatory toward other plant-based diet promoters and authors. In a very telling series of photographs, he shows the effects of high protein, high animal diets on the bodies of the authors of books who promote low carb diets, side-by-side photos of those who advocate more plant-based diets. The message is clear: "People who promote those low carb high protein diets are themselves fat and sick." He holds out an olive branch to the vegetarians who have up till now argued amongst themselves over relatively small issues, like whether or not nuts are acceptable: </div>
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<i>"Its time to align ourselves. The people who believe as I do in the healthfulness of a plant based diet, we have to stop fighting among ourselves; instead we have to fight those who are destroying the planet for us, and making us sick. That's the diet wars. The battle lines are drawn. And we're going to win."</i></blockquote>
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Equally powerful is McDougall's video on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJvrlwnEqbs">Perils of Dairy</a>. Very powerful stuff.</div>
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See also the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=yZ3hS9jpmm0&NR=1">Starch Solution and why Salt is a scapegoat</a>. Here are a couple of interesting tidbits I took from this talk:</div>
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<i>"You are not going to survive on fruits -- I know some of you have tried. But you're really not going to survive on fruits. Essentially what the tongue is looking for are those storage organs that are concentrated in these starch granules…and you like these things, I know you do, that's why you call them comfort foods."</i></blockquote>
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From this video, here is what he has to say about what a starch based diet did to humans (based mostly on the research of Nathaniel Dominy, PhD from Dartmouth College ; see the reportage of "<a href="http://review.ucsc.edu/fall07/text.asp?pid=1631">We are What They Ate</a>" -- or a link to <a href="http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v39/n10/abs/ng2123.html">Dominy's original article</a> -- or a link to a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0PF5R0ywp4">YouTube video interview with Dominy</a> uploaded by John McDougall himself). Here's McDougall, from his lecture:</div>
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<i>"The human primate makes 8-11x more amylase in his saliva than does a chimpanzee or a great ape. Why do we have all that amylase and all those genes to produce amylase? Because that's really one of the things that makes us human. That's one of the things that makes us human. That's one of the things that happened to us that allowed us to evolve from lesser primates -- from great apes. You see, if you're a lesser primate or a great ape, you live on fruit, that's primarily your diet. And where does fruit grow all year long? Near the equator -- and that means you can't leave the equator. Because if you migrate north or south, you don't have a food supply, because in the fall and the winter, you've got nothing to eat, because there's no fruit in the fall or winter. So what happened according to Dominy, is that the primate evolved to increase its ability to digest starch through multiple copes of the amylase gene. And what this allows the human primate to do was to tap into a food source -- storage organs -- that had never been tapped into before, at least by any primate. And these storage organs you dug in the ground to find them. Tubers. And then, you harvested them off in terms of various plants and grains, and these grains would store through the fall and winter, in the next season. And actually they'll store even longer than that. So this opened up a whole new food supply for the human primate. And this allows us to migrate from the equator, north and south, and eventually conquer the entire world. We had to have a food source. That food source was starch. Another thing he talks about in there, is that this is the reason the human brain evolved -- to a brain that is, by the way, 3x the size of a chimpanzee brain…"</i></blockquote>
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His report on salt in this video is no less astonishing. I admire this man.</div>
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<b>Day 14 Saturday</b></div>
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The 2-week mark, without bread, on my raw food fast.</div>
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Today I spent the better part of the day watching many YouTube videos of Dr. John McDougall telling his story about starch and the evils of animal foods, including dairy. I found a lot of repetition (after watching a dozen full length talks), but the science behind his theory is sound, and it certainly lends a different take to what I've been doing, moving to a mostly fruitarian diet. As I'm beginning to suspect, this mostly fruitarian diet is unsustainable for me in terms of cost and variety, where I live in the north. On my trip to the grocery store today, I spent about $50 in mostly fruits (I still had some green veggies from two days ago, so I didn't need much more of those). And I spent a substantial portion of my day eating them, knowing that, if I were to figure out how many calories it was (<a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/05/ten-days-in-report-on-my-fast-from-bread.html">as I did on the 10th day</a>), it would be (a) not enough calories from carbs, and (b) still too high in fat (I ate 5 guavas).</div>
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But I had the foresight, based on McDougall's videos, to buy a single root vegetable, a sweet potato. This is starch. And I was wondering if I could eat it raw.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zE3G3WFARjc/U353Zh0wIVI/AAAAAAAAOSU/CJ2CQhiRk8I/s1600/2013_0520AA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zE3G3WFARjc/U353Zh0wIVI/AAAAAAAAOSU/CJ2CQhiRk8I/s1600/2013_0520AA.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some sweet potato varieties I bought</td></tr>
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I sliced it up, and bit into it. It was great. And as soon as I did, I realized what I'd been <i>missing </i>on this raw diet.</div>
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But that night I tossed and turned before sleep. I realized I had been force-feeding myself fruit all day in an effort to get my carbohydrate level higher, and I had tried to eat low fat fruits (although I had 5 guavas left, and they had to be eaten or thrown away today, a couple were going bad); I checked my weight before bed, and had gained only half a pound. I felt a little bloated. I was gassy.</div>
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I began to wonder if McDougall wasn't right. It was not the <b><i>bread</i></b> that had been so bad for me, but <b><i>what I had put on it</i></b>, or what I had been eating with it, that had caused my weight to creep up over the years. The bread itself had been beneficial, or benign. The starch was my base, and that was good. What was not good was the <i>butter</i> on each slice, the <i>margarine</i> on it, or the <i>earth balance</i> (a coconut based vegan oil spread that we had recently discovered), or the <i>olive oil </i>that I would use to make paninis. The problem was the <i>nut butters</i> that were made with extra oil, salt and sugar. The problem was the <i>cheese</i>. The problem was the <i>egg</i> sandwiches. Fat, fat, fat, fat, <i>fat</i>.</div>
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As I said, the problem with bread may not be bread per se, but what you put on it. But bread so lends itself to serving up extra fat. Could it be that there are actually better starches to use, other than bread? The whole grains: rice, barley, rye, even wheat, unmilled -- could they be better used in a dish, steamed or boiled and eaten <i>without extra fat</i>, rather than milled into a bread? The root vegetables: potato and sweet potato, squash -- wouldn't it be better to eat these instead of bread? They are cooked foods, yes. But it would appear that they can be eaten without as much potential for abuse, because they do not seem to lend themselves to extra fats so handily as bread. You <i>can</i> add fat -- nearly everybody on a western diet does -- but you do not have to, to make them palatable or edible.<br />
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It makes sense to me: starch is the way to go.</div>
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<b>Day 15 Sunday</b></div>
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But I spent a sleepless night last night. Clearly, the diet I was on was affecting me negatively. Was it the raw starch I ate, in the form of the sweet potato, that caused me to be gassy and wakeful? I ponder the reaction of my body to the foods I've been eating. The fruits and vegetables have been good, but I often feel hungry by mid-morning or mid-afternoon. The amount of fruit I have been eating is incredibly expensive. And I am rapidly tiring of it. The raw veggies, mostly leafy greens that I've been eating has been quite time consuming, masticating. But the raw starch I ate, although my mouth seemed grateful, my digestive system had some trouble with it. It occurs to me that I would never have any trouble with it, if I had eaten it cooked. But for now, I continue to eat as raw as possible, a slave to the 30-day commitment.</div>
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And as I do, I continue to investigate John McDougall's message, because he intrigues me. Far more than Fuhrman, far more than Graham.</div>
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John McDougall is spearheading the fight against the meat and dairy industry which is causing a holocaust against our children. There is no other way to put this. McDougall's anger against this injustice is palpable in his talks. You have to admire the guy for taking on these huge consortiums who have an unlimited purse. It is the quintessential David vs Goliath story for our age.</div>
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So impressed have I been with Dr. John McDougall's work, I signed up for his free newsletter, at his web page, because I want to stay tuned to his fight. It will be interesting to watch and see what happens.</div>
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I seriously began to wonder how I can get my mother-in-law and my parents to visit his <a href="http://www.drmcdougall.com/health_10_day_program.html">Santa Rosa clinic for 10 day</a>s.</div>
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I know the kind of resistance my mother-in-law would give to the idea. <i>Give up meat? Dairy? Cream in the coffee? </i> As much as she complains about her gout pain, her arthritic pain, her type 2 Diabetes, her chronic renal disease, and the terrible side effects and ineffectiveness of the medications her physicians prescribe, she is loathe to make these kind of dietary changes, a habit of 80 years. My own parents have fewer health issues: my dad has had bowel cancer fixed by surgery, and a heart attack fixed for the moment by angioplasty and exercise, and my mom has osteoporosis and a bit of forgetfulness that we hope is not the beginning of something awful. But I know they would both benefit from dietary changes like this. I expected the cost to be so much more than what is reported on his web site. </div>
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But I know that our 80 year old elders would balk at making this kind of change.</div>
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<b><i>Expended fiber from juicing</i></b></div>
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Today I kept to the raw food challenge, and I continued to juice. But once again I looked at the fiber that I was tossing out, either to the chickens or to the compost each day after juicing up a couple of glasses of green juice. I wondered how much food value was left in there. I decided to boil it, to make a soup of it -- not to <i>eat it,</i> because I was still doing the raw food thing, but just to <i>see what happened</i>. I expected, to be honest, that I would end up tossing out the fiber, but perhaps keep the liquid, and after my 30 day challenge was up, I could use this as a non-salty soup stock. </div>
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I kept it covered and on a low boil in the kitchen, and from upstairs I could smell it cooking, and even though all that juice had been removed, it still smelled appetizing. I have nothing against cooked foods in principle. As Dr. McDougall says somewhere, the enzymes that are destroyed in the food by cooking were in the plant to help the plant grow, not to help us digest them. We make our own amylase, and we make a lot of it. We make it to digest starch.<br />
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<i><b>Do all starches form acid in the stomach?</b></i></div>
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One of my thoughts today: Graham says that starches are acid-forming. He is, of course, thinking of bread and pasta, the processed foods of grains. But does he also mean potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava -- the staple starches of millions of people around the globe? I wonder now what John McDougall would say about that analysis. I begin reading "The Starch Solution" in earnest, to find an answer. None yet.<br />
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But from the earlier chapters, here are a couple of paragraphs that spoke to me:</div>
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<i>"A widely held myth holds that the sugars in starches are readily converted into fat, which is then stored visibly in our abdomen, hips, and buttocks. If you read the published research, you will see that there is no disagreement about this whatsoever among scientists -- and that they say that this is incorrect. After eating, we break down the complex carbohydrates in starchy foods into simple sugars. These sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream, where they are transported to trillions of cells throughout the body for energy. If you eat more carbohydrate than your body needs, you'll store up to 2 pounds of it invisibly in the muscles and liver in the form of glycogen. If you eat more carbohydrate than you can use (as your daily energy) and store (as glycogen), you'll burn the remainder off as body heat and through physical movement other than sports, such as walking to work, typing, yard work, and fidgeting. Turning sugars into fats is a process called de novo lipogenesis. Pigs and cows use this process to convert carbohydrates from grains and grasses into calorie-dense fats."</i></blockquote>
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I had a gut ache today, for the first time ever on this fast. Was that due to the raw starch I ate yesterday? Another thing that happened: my stool fell apart. Was that due to the different texture in fiber in my gut? I was incredibly gassy, as if all my flora were suddenly reproducing and having a party. Was this all from one raw sweet potato?</div>
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I feel no extra energy so far on this raw diet, in fact, I feel lethargic. I feel no extra brain power, in fact, I feel stupid, taken, duped -- as if I've been sold a bill of goods.</div>
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<b>Day 16, Monday (Another fast day)</b></div>
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I actually look forward to these fast days, when I don't have to consume mass quantities of fruit. The salads I don't mind, but the vast amount of fruit has been daunting. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_7x4oo0fu8/U353Z9anW_I/AAAAAAAAOSY/8IeBKzv32-o/s1600/2013_0520AB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_7x4oo0fu8/U353Z9anW_I/AAAAAAAAOSY/8IeBKzv32-o/s1600/2013_0520AB.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Since I'm fasting today, thank goodness I don't have to eat all this raw food</td></tr>
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I've pretty much decided I will not continue with this fast beyond 30 days. In fact, I may even cut it shorter than that, because one should always stop an experiment if one determines it is not ethical or it has been demonstrated to be harmful to any of the participants.</div>
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Yesterday I visited the grocery store <i>again</i>. I took my family to the new Asian supermarket that had gone up near them and I introduced them to the durian fruit, which none of them had ever heard about. Fortunately we found one that was ripe but didn't stink too badly. My sister hated it, and refused to try more than the tiniest bit, but my mom and dad ate it with curiosity and seemed to enjoy the experience. I spent another $50 on fruit and veg, mostly so there will be food in the house for when my wife comes home from her trip. If we are both eating fruit and veg raw, this is going to be very expensive indeed.</div>
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My stomach still feels a bit off. The lower abdomen is a bit tender. I had a couple of BMs late last night, and since then the gut has improved somewhat. Is that chunk of raw tuber I ate a couple of days ago now out of my system?</div>
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Today I'm looking up some of McDougall's sources for the links, and posting this blog; while Googling for references I found this article: <a href="http://thepaleodiet.blogspot.ca/2009/12/dr-cordain-comments-on-new-evidence-of.html"><b>Cordain comments on new evidence of Early Human Grain Consumption</b></a>.</div>
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<b><i>Cordain</i></b> is author of "The Paleo Diet." What I find most interesting is not so much that Cordain found it necessary to respond to the new evidence quickly, but that so many people are making profound dietary changes based on what they believe their extremely remote ancestors ate. In other words, this ancient data matters to them: were ancient proto-humans grain eaters, or hunters? <i> For some reason, your next meal depends upon it</i>. Incidentally, Cordain poo-poos Mercader's archaeological evidence as inconclusive, but he does not in this reply address the genetic markers that Dominy used as clues. This scholarly debate is being fought over the plates of the western world, as each of us tries to justify what we want to eat based on what we suppose a skeleton from the distant past might have eaten. Weird.</div>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
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<li><i><b>McDougall's slide on vegetarians really hit home to me. When I first became a vegetarian, as I reported in this blog several times, I was a vegan for a year but found it very difficult. Furthermore, it caused me to experience some disturbing skin problems for the first time in my life. I assumed that my diet was deficient in some nutrient, and reintroduced eggs and dairy, and have been a lacto-ovo vegetarian ever since. I admitted before that I didn't know what I was doing on that vegan diet. At one time or another, I have tried each of his named vegetarian diets (except for the wine dough-boys diet, I have never had a problem with alcohol, so far). I have never really tried to eat a low fat diet before this. I can see after just half a month that I will not be able to do it on fruits and vegetables alone. I must have starch -- and as McDougall shows, this is what the human diet should be. I may continue past 30 days on a bread fast, but I will reintroduce starch into my diet, and that starch will be cooked, not raw. Raw starch -- like the sweet potato I ate raw during these few days of this blog entry -- causes me no end of abdominal discomfort.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>The thing about "diets" is, you can certainly find one, out there in the marketplace, to justify your current bad habits or desires. I have to be cautious that, if I choose McDougall's starchivore diet, that I am not simply justifying my bread craving. I like the idea of choosing a starch that is not bread, so that I can continue my fast from bread beyond 30 days -- to be certain, before I ever return to bread, that I am not just letting my bread addiction make my food decisions for me.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>I don't have a blender. For someone on a raw food diet, this is just not going to work. Raw Foodists must have a workhorse blender, like a vitamix. Everybody says so.</b></i></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-72044904279585299112013-05-15T18:49:00.002-07:002013-05-15T18:49:29.555-07:00Ten Days In: Report on my Fast from Bread<br />
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<b>My Tenth Day of Fasting from Bread</b></div>
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It is the tenth day of my fast from bread -- from all grains, actually. </div>
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This is not the same thing as my other fasting. In this blog posting, I'll be talking about 2 different fasts that I'm currently doing. (1) <a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2012/08/calories-in-my-ww-bread.html">Since I learned of Michael Mosley's report of the research on longevity</a> I've been doing a total fast twice a week (usually Monday and Friday). While I continue to fast twice a week, I am now also (2) fasting from bread, even on those days when I eat. For the last 10 days I have attempted to eat no grains, and only raw fruits and veggies as well. This means, I avoid all animal products, including eggs and dairy, and I avoid all caffeine and salt and sugar. </div>
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And no alcohol. (<i>I had to add that last one. It only occurred to me after writing most of the rest of the blog. It never occurs to me to drink alcohol anyway, so I don't even consider it as something for me to give up</i>).</div>
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<b>Societal Pressures</b></div>
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I haven't entirely succeeded on the raw diet. Last Saturday I attended a wedding, where the vegetarian meal I was served had cooked vegetables, over a bowl of rice soaked in soy sauce. I scraped off the rice that was sticking to the veggies, since I didn't want any grain. I wouldn't have eaten any of this veg, if I could have avoided it socially, but I was seated next to the mother of the bride, and I didn't want to offend her too much. I pushed around the rice so it looked like I had eaten some but was just being picky.</div>
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I wasn't the only one who left food on their plate. I noticed the meat eaters had left most of their vegetables on their plates when they were finished. <i> Incidentally, why do meat eaters get more veggies than vegetarians? Seriously. I would have been far happier with their plates, but without the meat, than I was with what I was served.</i> I also noticed that these same meat eaters were not sated by their huge slabs of blood-red beef and chicken. Within an hour, they eagerly helped themselves to bowls of candies set in the foyer, filling bags with sugary mints and gooey jujubes. "How could they still be hungry?" I wondered.</div>
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Even worse, the salad I was given was drowned in oil. Again, I wouldn't have touched it at all, except that the next chair was the groom's new mother-in-law, and she was paying for the catering, and I didn't want her to think that I wasn't being fed. That salad didn't appeal to me in the slightest; but that should come as no surprise to those who know me. I usually will order salad with no salad dressing, I always did.<br />
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One other thing I should mention, since it represents another societal pressure. I've had to lie to my mother-in-law. On mother's day this year, I had to work, but my wife visited her mom, her mom had a cake, and so she sent home a piece for me. I was asked on the phone by my mother-in-law if I ate the cake. I evaded the answer, and said, "Oh, right, you made that cake. Thanks." A little white lie. Of course, I didn't eat it, I didn't even see it. My wife gave it to my brother-in-law. She knew I wouldn't have eaten it.<br />
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There will be other weddings, this summer. I won't be able to realistically and slavishly follow this diet forever. There has to be some flexibility in social situations in any diet.<br />
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<b><i>How much</i> fruit?</b></div>
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Other than that social episode, I've been able to follow this fast fairly well, although it remains a learning process for me as to <i>how much</i> food I am actually eating. The amount of fruit I consume seems outrageous, to someone who has never eaten that much fruit and veg.</div>
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Still, it apparently is not enough. Douglas Graham tells us that the amount required to sustain someone who is active and athletic is substantially more than what we in the western world are accustomed to eating, when it comes to fruit. We actually have to <i>train</i> ourselves to eat enough raw fruits and leafy green vegetables, since we are not used to that amount of bulk. We are instead, more accustomed to fat.</div>
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Raw whole food eaters say about <a href="http://www.30bananasaday.com/">30 bananas a day</a> is the appropriate amount of calories for a typical man who needs 2000 calories/day. This gives you an idea of what might be expected, in terms of volume. Broken up into the standard 3 meals a day, this is about 10 bananas per sitting. Very few of us who were brought up on a western diet of high fat, lots of grain, would be able to conceive of doing this. And so, one must transition into this volume of fruit. But remember that 3 meals a day is just a convention -- and one largely invented for meat (and other cooked food) eaters. If you ain't cooking anything, eating a banana is just a matter of peeling it, whenever and wherever you are. <br />
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The idea of a meal just changed.</div>
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<b>WTFructose?</b></div>
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Although I still drink vegetable juices, and like them as a transitional diet modifier, I don't recommend fruit juices or smoothies. One often hears the warning about eating too much fruit, that one's triglycerides will rise too high, because the liver has trouble with the high amounts of fructose in fruit. Many slow-carb diet plans warn specifically about too much fruit, and fruit juices in particular. For example, Timothy Ferris (author of "The 4-Hour Body") says you can have some fruit once a week, but no more than that.</div>
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Of course, Douglas Graham promotes the whole fruit, because the fiber of fruit can temper the release of the sweetness into the bloodstream. Graham also says that triglycerides are only a problem in someone who eats a high fat diet, and this is not the case with raw vegans who eat primarily a fruit-based diet that is very low in fat. He says the studies on raw vegan whole food eaters have simply never been done. All studies about triglycerides done so far make the assumption that everyone eats a typical high fat, western diet. All he can do is point to the anecdotal health of many athletes who have tried this diet. </div>
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While this doesn't seem terribly reassuring, he makes a fair point. Because of the well-known dangers of triglycerides adding to one's chances of increased cardiovascular disease, one ought to take this as a profound warning to those transitioning into this diet; you cannot eat a primarily raw fruit-based diet and continue to eat fatty foods like meat, eggs, dairy and processed oils. Graham advises the use of whole fruits, not juices. He doesn't like nuts and seeds, which contain a lot of hidden fat, and are often the staple of a raw vegan diet. And he even cautions against the overuse of fatty vegetables like avocados, olives and coconuts.</div>
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In his book "The 80-10-10 Diet" Graham gives an example of some of the non-whole food raw vegan recipes and diets and salads and analyzes the fat content of them. In some cases, he says, the fat content of this diet can be far worse than that of a meat-eater's. But (he maintains) you'll do all right if you stick to raw, whole foods, and the foods that you would eat if you found them in the forest -- meaning fruits and primarily leafy green vegetables (but no, or very little nuts and seeds, which are high in fat, and of course absolutely no cereals, no sugar or salt, and no processed oils). If you can do that -- and perhaps not everybody can (I'm still not sure I can) -- you are virtually guaranteed to eat far less fat. </div>
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<b>Woah, Candida</b></div>
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It may not be easy to eat that much fruit, for other reasons: fruit contains a lot of natural sugar, and when one begins to eat this much, the candida in the bloodstream blooms and gives us trouble. Douglas Graham suggests that the candida are doing us a favour: since the body's cells cannot consume that amount of sugar, the yeast take care of it and systemic balance is restored, without causing undue stress on the pancreas. But here's the thing: the only reason our own cells can't use all the sugar is because we have eaten too much fat to begin with: the fat lines our arteries and other blood vessels, and pervades our body, blocking the glucose from entering the cells properly. Our bodies do their best to clear away the glucose, but when it can't get into the cells fast enough, the candida take what we can't use. The usual remedy for candida flareups would be to go completely off anything sweet, especially fruit, and make up those calories with more fat -- but Graham says that would be a terrible mistake.</div>
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Still, some transitioning has to take place. If one can't go cold turkey into the 80-10-10 diet, because of candida flair-ups, or other problems, one should not abandon hope and return to a high fat diet. Graham always said that this ratio he proposes is a target, a direction, not a recipe. I personally didn't have problems with candida when I began this fast from grains, but realize that I've been fasting twice a week on my standard lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet for about 6 months, and have lost some weight. Now, before this 10-day fast from bread and my undertaking a raw diet, my weight seemed to have stabilized. I hadn't lost any more weight for the past couple of months (except for a few pounds during a fast day, which was likely water, and which I gained back again when eating the usual bread fare;<a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/05/steeped-20-rye-loaf-that-i-cant-stop.html"> see this blog entry for details)</a>. If I had to suggest something for someone who was having a candida problem and unwilling to try this mostly-fruit diet, I would suggest trying what I did. Or if you found twice-a-week <i>total</i> fasting difficult, you could drink nothing but green vegetable juices on those fast days, twice a week. </div>
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Then, like me, you could try a 3-day fast from bread, and see how you feel; and if you feel better, you are almost half-way to a full week away from bread; try that. And if that makes you feel better, try 10 days without grains on a raw diet. And if that seems possible to you, then consider a month. And if that's okay, then consider Douglas Graham's challenge of trying the raw bonobo diet of fruits and leafy greens for an entire year.</div>
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If even the prototypical <i>exorphin junkie</i> can do it, you can do it too. But let's take this one day at a time. I've only managed 10 days, so far. And I still call this a fast, not a diet.</div>
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<b>How Much Better <i>Do</i> I feel after 10 days?</b></div>
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Here are a few things that I've noticed. <i> Warning: I mention a couple of nasty things.</i></div>
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<li>I'm losing weight. I thought that I had finished losing weight, on my bi-weekly fasts, but on this raw mostly fruit diet, I continue to lose pounds. Now I have no idea where I'll end up. I might end up being quite skinny, if this keeps up. I'm starting to think about doing some weight training again, to stress my muscles to build some strength. I may have to rethink my bi-weekly fasting. Douglas Graham doesn't recommend it -- although he does recommend periodic water fasts of lengthier duration (I think I've heard him mention as much as 23 days of fasting from everything except water, somewhere).</li>
<li>Some people wonder if I'm sick. Most people who lose as much weight as I've been losing are in fact sick and full of cancer. No one asks me directly, but my wife gets approached, and my co-workers get approached; people who remember me overweight (but I was never obese) are asking: "Is he all right?" Actually, I feel fine. However, on a fast day, my face can look quite gaunt, the lines fairly deep, the wrinkles more noticeable. I force myself to drink water on a fast day, but over the day the loss of water is substantial, and it is most noticeable on my old wrinkled face. When I eat fruit, the lines on my face are less noticeable. I have had people tell me I ought not to lose any more weight.</li>
<li>Mango fibers get stuck between my teeth, when I nibble the fruit from the rind. I'm going to have to floss more. This suggests to me that the claims that raw dieters have no teeth problems is not completely accurate.</li>
<li>The base of my spine may be developing skin problems -- again. I remember when I was a vegan for a year, when I first became a vegetarian, and I developed something like psoriasis. Coccyx, elbows -- these were the spots that became raw and itchy first, as I recall. If it is happening again, I will have to stop the fast right away, and return to some egg or dairy products. Is this raw spot (no pun intended) on my spine an early indication of a developing deficiency? Or is it just a bit of "yoga burn" from my last yoga session? I'm not as padded on my ass as I used to be. I guess I'll have to wait and see if its a nutritional deficiency.</li>
<li>I feel the cold more. A cool day causes me to be quite chilled. Is this because my metabolism has changed? I definitely don't burn as hot as I used to. I like to sleep naked, and oftentimes under the blankets I'm quite cold now, especially in my fingers and feet, whereas before I was quite hot. I may have to consider wearing pj's. This is a concern for me; I was thinking that, if I cleaned up my capillaries, my bloodflow would be better. But my extremities are not as warm as they used to be. Does that mean they are less perfused?</li>
<li>Some people don't like it when one alters one's diet this drastically. Everybody wants to get their nose into my business, and tell me I'm crazy, especially those who normally wouldn't give me the time of day. I suspect this is one of the things that makes us human. It is a primate thing that defines us. We share food. When one of us breaks from the usual fare, one is immediately classified as an outsider. A suspect. A traitor. </li>
<li>I don't wake up with a bad taste in my mouth, but wake up with fresh breath. The one exception to this, during these 10 days, was the morning after I ate all that salt and oil at the wedding.</li>
<li>My <i>poo</i> is greener than ever before. I suspect that this is the green juices I've been consuming. There is a substantial amount of fiber in it, but it is quite different in texture than the fiber I've been eating with my whole grain breads. It is not ripping up my insides when it passes.</li>
<li>I can bounce upstairs without any ache in my legs. I could always bound upstairs, but there was always a tiny ache in my femur. I've already mentioned in <a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/05/the-first-bread-i-never-ate-235-rye.html">a previous blog</a>, after only 3 days into this fast, that my hips don't hurt; now I notice my legs don't hurt. I'm not talking about muscular aches, which come and go, but rather deep bone aches that I was not even aware of, until it went away. Curious that these larger bones feel better: it makes me wonder if these are the bones that the body was drawing upon for its calcium? The raw food gurus all say that calcium levels are depleted through the ingestion of grains and cooked foods. It makes sense that the body would scoop some calcium from its largest store in the larger bones first, if there was a need for calcium because the bran was drawing it from the body through the bowels. Ever wonder why so many elderly people fall and end up hospitalized with fractured hips? Ask yourself whether the fracture is the result of the fall, or the cause of it. Years ago, I stopped running because my knees hurt. I'm now thinking about running again.</li>
<li>After working all day in the hospital, when I come home I don't have <i>boogers</i> in my nose if I've been eating a lot of fruit all day. I think my bloodstream is better hydrated, my body is not all dried up. It used to be, there was a lot of stuff in my nose that had to be cleared out. I've tried many things to keep the nares free of stuff, because I hate to have impeded airflow. I'm sorry to have to report that fingers seem to be the best choice. (Don't worry, I'm a nurse, I also wash my hands. A lot.). I've noticed my coworkers are often stuffed-up when they work on our unit too. It seems to be quite a toxic environment. We all do our best to keep hydrated, but it is so very, very dry. Is it all the more dry for those whose food is generally cooked (dried out), and laden with salt and fat?</li>
<li>My spine feels more flexible. I suspect that this is due mostly to the better hydration of my internal organs, perhaps because of the loss of visceral fat around those organs.</li>
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My son says that some of these healthful effects I mentioned to him may be little more than the placebo effect. He also added, "but don't forget, the placebo effect is real." I wonder if he thinks I <i>expected</i> to feel better, on this diet. But in fact, I had no idea that I would. I rather suspected I would be hungry all the time, and never satiated without bread. I suspected I would be weaker, not stronger. I thought that 3 days would be torture, bread free. I thought 7 days would be torture without bread. I thought 10 days was only doable after I completed the 7 days. I'm still not sure about a full year on this diet, but I'm starting to think it might be possible.</div>
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My brother-in-law says what's the point of fasting and avoiding foods you like? What's the point of life if you are not enjoying it? This is the same argument of a person who is never able to buy a house or any other major purchase because they are always renting and spending their money on frivolous things that distract them. Never able to put money away to be able to afford a down payment on the big purchase, they can't see beyond the present moment. I hasten to add that this is certainly NOT a description of my brother-in-law; I've seen him ridicule those who have no self-discipline in buying things that aren't needed, but who can't afford important stuff. But he doesn't see the same lack of self discipline when it comes to eating. Here's what I mean: let's imagine that your old age is your big purchase. You have to save something to be able to afford it. So you avoid purchasing too many little things -- candy, bread, cooked foods, meat and dairy -- until you have enough health stored so that you can have the coin for when you get to the point of your big purchase -- when you arrive at old age. <i>Listen to me: people are living longer now, and you definitely don't want to live the second half of your life without your health.</i></div>
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I do enjoy life. I'm learning to avoid bread because clearly I'm addicted to it, and I suspect that it is draining me of life. I wish to experience more life. I'm trying to save some health. I see so many people with chronic diseases who linger on into old age, debilitated. I'd like to avoid that scenario, if I can.</div>
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I still occasionally crave my bread. I may always crave it, I don't know. For now, these moments pass quickly when I eat a piece of fruit, or drink some fresh vegetable juice, or eat some celery or lettuce. I suggest others try the same thing: eat some fruit or veg <i>first</i>, and <i>then</i> if you are still hungry,<i> then and only then</i>, if you are transitioning into this diet like me, eat some bread as a last resort. Or better yet, some steamed rice. But stay clear of the fats you want to put on these cereal carbs for taste. Keep as close to the 80-10-10 diet plan of 80% carbs, 10% each of fat and protein. Don't get sucked in to eating fat. Try to avoid cooked, salted or otherwise processed foods -- and that pretty much means all cereals, and all those oh-so-clever vegan recipes that use dehydrators and blenders.</div>
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For now I am calling this my fast, rather than my diet. I'm clearly not sure whether it is going to be completely sustainable for me.<br />
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<b>What I actually eat, while on this "fast from bread"</b></div>
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The book "The 4-Hour Body" by Timothy Ferris makes a couple of interesting suggestions, about dieting. "Take a snapshot before opening your mouth," he writes. That becomes a way to measure your progress, and any measurement will have positive effects on your choices. I have just finished taking a picture of each bread that I made for the last 4-5 years, and posting it on this blog, so this should be a fairly easy thing for me to do -- take a picture of everything I eat -- at least for one day. </div>
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I chose today, as today represents for me a goal reached that twelve days ago I would not have thought possible for an <i>exorphin junkie </i>to reach. It's also not a very active day for me. I can relax and take as many photos as I need without pressure to do other things. I can use this photo record to determine how much fat is in my diet, and how many calories. I won't do this on a regular basis, it is far too time consuming.</div>
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Today is Tuesday, the 10th day of my fast from all bread and grains, on a raw diet inspired by raw food guru Douglas Graham, author of "The 80-10-10 Diet." Note that I'm not too worried that I failed to implement all of Graham's suggestions. I still drink fresh vegetable juice. I still drink water. I still drink hot herbal tea. I eat a whole avocado if I want to. At least I'm <i>trying</i> to eat low fat, with a target of 10%. </div>
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At each sitting, I eat until not hungry.</div>
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<b>Breakfast ~0500</b></div>
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A glass of green juice, made from the following veggies. This amount of veggies made 2 glasses, and the second glass was refrigerated for my lunch:</div>
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<li>1 full stalk of Kale</li>
<li>1/3 of a celery, about 5 stalks</li>
<li>3 med carrots</li>
<li>1 cucumber</li>
<li>all the petals of 1 artichoke (which doesn't give much juice, by the way)</li>
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<div class="p1">
In addition to the juice, I ate these fruits:</div>
<div class="p2">
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<ul>
<li>6 guavas (never eaten guavas before. They have a lot of seeds, not that much food value. Probably a fair amount of fat. Texture of pears, when you can find a bit of seedless flesh)</li>
<li>1 banana</li>
<li>2 mangos (these are cheap right now, so they must be in season somewhere. I love mangos, and took one to work this week, even though they are somewhat messy to eat. One of my co-workers said she "hates mangos" and I was astonished. "I've never met anyone who doesn't like mangos" I told her. Mangos are like the prototypical fruit that humans evolved with. See "The Nature of Things" TV series on "<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/Shows/The+Nature+of+Things/ID/2337400753/">The Fruit Hunters, part 1</a>" to learn that there are over 600 varieties. I only see two varieties in my local grocery store, ever -- if I'm lucky.)</li>
</ul>
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<div class="p1">
And in addition to the juice, I also drank:</div>
<div class="p2">
</div>
<ul>
<li>1 glass of water</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E8GMYi3dI2Y/UZOJVRA0ekI/AAAAAAAAN54/MBd_TEnxW6Q/s1600/2013_0514AC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E8GMYi3dI2Y/UZOJVRA0ekI/AAAAAAAAN54/MBd_TEnxW6Q/s200/2013_0514AC.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>MidMorning ~1000</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>4 apricots</li>
<li>1 apple</li>
<li>1 glass water</li>
<li>1 glass cold lemon-ginger tea (made yesterday)</li>
</ul>
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<b>Lunch ~1230</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>1 glass of vegetable juice.</li>
<li>1 Romaine lettuce heart</li>
<li>1 red grapefruit</li>
<li>1 banana</li>
</ul>
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<b>MidAfternoon ~1600</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>~8 strawberries, with the mushy parts pared out (these were cleaned thoroughly but although I began with 10 of them, I stopped from eating the last two. They weren't organic, and to me they tasted off - bland, unripe, and too much like chemicals. I tossed some out)</li>
<li>2 apricots, in place of the strawbs that I tossed</li>
<li>some hot licorice yogi herbal tea</li>
</ul>
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<b>Dinner 1730</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>1 Romaine lettuce heart</li>
<li>1 tomato</li>
<li>1 avocado</li>
<li>1 mango</li>
<li>3 cups of hot herbal tea</li>
</ul>
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<b>Snack 2200</b></div>
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<div class="p1">
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<ul>
<li>1 banana</li>
</ul>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Weight Update:</b></div>
<div class="p1">
A <a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/05/steeped-20-rye-loaf-that-i-cant-stop.html">couple of blog entries ago</a>, I commented on my weight fluctuation following a fast, and determined that it must be all water, and that the fiber in the bread bran that I was eating, or possibly the salt, was drawing water from the cells of my body to join it in its pass through the colon. I was now curious about my weight after 10 days of <i>fasting from bread</i>, following a day of <i>total</i> fasting. <br />
<br />
As usual, I did a <i>total</i> fast on Monday. My weight is now somewhere around 170lbs, not 180lbs as reported just 10 days ago. I'm not doing this for weight loss, but the weight loss still seems to be happening. Not sure yet where it will end up.<br />
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<table border="2" style="background-color: #f9cb9c; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><b>Fast Day </b><b>1</b></td><td style="text-align: center;"><b>Commentary</b></td></tr>
<tr><td><b>am weight</b></td><td>172</td><td>After 10 days of mostly raw fruit and veg, my starting weight seems to be a couple of pounds less (remember, 10 days ago, I said my weight was 180lbs, or slightly less)</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>pm weight</b></td><td>169</td><td>Even though I continue to push myself to drink on a total fast day, I still lose a bit of weight in water. </td></tr>
<tr><td><br /></td><td><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Following Day</i></b></div>
</td><td><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>(This is the day that this blog is about, the 10th day of my raw food fast)</i></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>am weight</b></td><td>168</td><td>Overnight I've only lost a pound, far less water/weight loss than I used to on the bread diet. I think it shows that the fiber from the fruit I am eating is far more hydrating than the bread and cooked foods which used to dry me out.</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>pm weight</b></td><td>168.5</td><td>After eating everything listed in this blog in one day following my fast, I have regained about 1/2 a pound, over the day. I've eaten until I didn't want any more food, at each sitting, and have snacked on fruit during the day. I'm not hungry. I can fall asleep without craving bread.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
Here is the full tally of things I ate this day. I have had to struggle through the <a href="http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=22769">databases at the usda</a> for this info, and I might have made several errors, but its the best I can do.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b>Quantity</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Food</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Calories, Carbs, Proteins, Fats (each)</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Calories, Carbs, Proteins, Fats (total)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
1</div>
</td><td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
apple</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=72; Carbs=19.06;Proteins=0.36;Fats=0.23</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=72; TotalCarbs=19.06;TotalProteins=0.36;TotalFats=0.23</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
6</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
apricots</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=17; Carbs=3.89;Proteins=0.49;Fats=0.14</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=102; TotalCarbs=23.34;TotalProteins=2.94;TotalFats=0.84</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
1</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
avocado</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=34; Carbs=2.22;Proteins=0.63;Fats=2.85</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=34; TotalCarbs=2.22;TotalProteins=0.63;TotalFats=2.85</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
3</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
banana</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=105; Carbs=26.95;Proteins=1.29;Fats=0.39</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=315; TotalCarbs=80.85;TotalProteins=3.87;TotalFats=1.17</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
1</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
grapefruit</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=(52x2)104; Carbs=(13.11x2)16.22;Proteins=(0.95X2)1.9;Fats=(0.17X2) 0.34</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=104; TotalCarbs=16.22;TotalProteins=1.9;TotalFats=0.34</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
6</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
guava</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=37.4; Carbs=28.3;Proteins=4.7;Fats=4.4</div>
</td><td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=224.4; TotalCarbs=169.8;TotalProteins=28.2;TotalFats=26.4</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
2</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
romaine heart</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=(2X20)40; Carbs=(0.33x20)6.6;Proteins=(0.12X20)2.4=;Fats=(0.03X20)= 0.6</div>
</td><td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=80; TotalCarbs=13.2;TotalProteins=4.8;TotalFats=1.2</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
3</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
mangos</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=124; Carbs=31.01;Proteins=1.70;Fats= 0.79</div>
</td><td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=372; TotalCarbs=93.03;TotalProteins=5.1;TotalFats=2.37</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
8</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
strawberries</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=((4+6)/2)5; Carbs=((0.92+1.38)/2)1.61;Proteins=((0.08+0.12)/2) 0.1;Fats=((0.04+0.05)/2) 0.045</div>
</td><td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=40; TotalCarbs=12.88;TotalProteins=0.8;TotalFats=0.36</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
1</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
tomato</div>
</td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Calories=22; Carbs=4.78;Proteins=1.08;Fats=0.25</div>
</td><td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
TotalCalories=22; TotalCarbs=4.78;TotalProteins=1.08;TotalFats=0.25</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
1</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
water</div>
</td>
<td>Calories=0; Carbs=0;Proteins=0;Fats=0</td><td>TotalCalories=0; TotalCarbs=0;TotalProteins=0;TotalFats=0</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
5</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
herbal tea</div>
</td>
<td>Calories=0; Carbs=0;Proteins=0;Fats=0</td><td>TotalCalories=0; TotalCarbs=0;TotalProteins=0;TotalFats=0</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
2</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
vegetable juice</div>
</td>
<td>Calories=?; Carbs=?;Proteins=?;Fats=?</td><td>TotalCalories=?; TotalCarbs=?;TotalProteins=?;TotalFats=?</td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
-</div>
</td>
<td><div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">
-</div>
</td>
<td><b><i>GRAND TOTALS:</i></b></td>
<td>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<b>TotalCalories=1365.4; TotalCarbs=435.38;TotalProteins=49.68;TotalFats=36.01</b></div>
</td>
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<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Notes on this table:</i></b><br />
<div class="p1">
<i>For calories: <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a208.pdf">https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a208.pdf</a></i><br />
<i>For carbs: <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a205.pdf">https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a205.pdf</a></i><br />
<i>For protein: <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a203.pdf">https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a203.pdf</a></i><br />
<i>For fats: <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a204.pdf">https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR25/nutrlist/sr25a204.pdf</a></i><br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
<i><span class="s1"></span><br /></i></div>
<div class="p2">
<i>For grapefruit, I doubled it, because the database only provides amounts for 1/2 grapefruit. For lettuce, I'm guessing there are 20 leaves in the romaine hearts. For strawberries, I take the average of the two berries provided in the database. Unknown how many calories, carbs, proteins and fats are in my juice. No info on guava in the database. Guava info in my table comes from <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/">nutritiondata.self.com</a></i></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
You can see by the daily total of calories that, without knowing what's in the vegetable juice, I am a bit low on calories. I should have almost 635 MORE calories to reach 2000 calories on this day, and I doubt very much whether the vegetable juice provides that much. Had I managed to eat that quantity of leafy greens that I put into the juice, perhaps it would have. But frankly, eating that much leafy bulk would have added a long time for meals. Perhaps cooking was invented by humans as a way to save time chewing all that raw veg!</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Because I'm not eating enough to sustain my weight, the extra days of fasting are going to cause my weight to drop even further -- and that, of course, is what I'm seeing.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
I did not use Graham's Appendix D in my efforts to figure out the ratios of this day's meal, which succinctly explains the complicated Atwater method of calculating the calories per gram of each macronutrient. Instead, I used the usual formula, i.e. that Protein is about 4 calories/gram, fat is about 9 calories/gram, and carbs are what's left over (100%-protein%-fat%). </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
With that method, today's food gave me 61.7% carbs, 14.55% protein, and 23.7% fat. So I'd have to do a lot better to hit Graham's ratio of 80-10-10. No more avocados or guavas; fewer mangos. I think it also shows that hitting these targets is going to be pretty challenging, even for a raw vegan.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
I'm not sure how long I can keep it up, or even if I should, for any length of time. Or is that just the junkie in me talking, and saying to myself, "how nice it would be to have a whole wheat bread with cheese right about now?"</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
I'm going to keep this fast up a bit longer, and see if I can hit the target of 80-10-10 ever.</div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">
<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>While I wrote this on the 10th day of the fast, it took me some time to get together the data on the foods that I ate, to determine their fat and calorie content.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>I really like Romaine hearts. I can buy a bag of 3 that are organic. I can wash an entire heart, leaf by leaf, without tearing it apart for a salad, and shake the excess water off it. I can transport it like this to work in a bag. I can nibble away on those leaves and make it a meal. Who cares if my co-workers are laughing at me? "Plates? We don't need no stinkin' plates."</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Follow the breath.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Is this a blog about bread? Or is that changing? Is this becoming my diet, or is it just a fast?</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Here's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=HrYPu-VgRMk">YouTube video</a> about someone who challenges the healthiness of the 80-10-10 diet</b></i></li>
</ul>
</div>
Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-19669781814257561262013-05-09T13:31:00.000-07:002013-05-09T13:31:04.661-07:00The First Bread I Never Ate: 23.5% Rye with Wheat Sprouts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SOElgCYUYwA/UYwBZpO5uAI/AAAAAAAAN30/6-QAOzOMZJE/s1600/2013_0503AH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SOElgCYUYwA/UYwBZpO5uAI/AAAAAAAAN30/6-QAOzOMZJE/s640/2013_0503AH.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>23.5% Rye with Wheat Sprouts</b></div>
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I made this bread, but this is the first bread I ever made that I didn't also eat myself. I gave one to my friend, and my wife ate part of a loaf, before I could explain the reasons behind my fast. She may not finish it. The chickens might get the rest.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">about a cup of wheat berry sprouts</td></tr>
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<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2">765g wheat berries</li>
<li class="li2">235g rye kernels</li>
<li class="li2">160g wheat sprouts</li>
<li class="li2">200g sourdough starter</li>
<li class="li2">18g salt</li>
<li class="li2">770g water</li>
<li class="li2">50g water with salt</li>
<li class="li2">50g water with sprouts</li>
<li class="li2">50g water to steep</li>
</ul>
<div class="p1">
She says it tastes fine, but you can see that there is a tiny spot of crumb where the bread didn't fully develop where the loaf sat on the stone. Perhaps the stone wasn't hot enough, who knows?<br />
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<div class="p2">
<b>The Lost Tale of Star Trek</b></div>
<div class="p2">
When I was a young boy, I was a big fan of Star Trek, the original TV series, and someone gave me one of the early books for my birthday. I read "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_to_Horatius">Mission to Horatius</a>" by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mack_Reynolds">Mack Reynolds</a> several times. This book is sometimes known as the "lost book of Star Trek", because it was originally published by Whitman Books, not Pocket Books, the company that published <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Blish">James Blish's</a> novels based on the series. Pocket Books later released a facsimile edition of "Horatius" with an introduction by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Ordover">John Ordover</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
"Mission to Horatius" was never made into a TV show because it rambled on about an illness infecting the crew of the starship Enterprise called <i>space cafard</i>, which derived from the boredom of living in a tin can among the emptiness of interstellar void. It didn't really make for an exciting tale. Considered a kid's story, "<a href="http://www.goldenageofscifi.info/pdf/Whitman-Mission_to_Horatius.pdf">Mission to Horatius</a>" can be found online now.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
However, the online version does not contain the forward to the story -- perhaps I had the facsimile edition, so I'm not sure whether this was written by Ordover. This forward explained a brief and thrilling history of humans and their leap to the stars, in the Star Trek universe. I remember a line in that preamble said something like, "<i>with the invention of faster-than-light warp drive engines, suddenly the word 'parsec' came into common parlance.</i>" I remember the word 'parsec' sent me to the dictionaries. There was no Google then.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
One thing Reynolds (or Ordover) said in the forward to the book I found quite unsettling. I found I couldn't actually come to terms with it, when I read this, even as a youngster. Reynolds said that humans had shown amazing adaptability, and had discovered ways to thrive in every environment -- and now, that included space. That didn't sit well with me. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
I reflected that, as far as earth environments were concerned, this <i>seemed</i> to be true. Humans had covered the globe. They could live in just about any environment on earth. Beduins could live in the desert. Hawaiians could live on a lush Island. The Inuit survived and thrived in regions of the earth that were inhospitable.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
But outer space was another matter entirely. There is no air, no water, no food, in space. The temperature is not conducive to life as we know it. Dangerous cosmic rays travel through space and when we leave our protective planet's atmosphere, we are unshielded. Is it truly adaptation to build environments like starships that replicate earth gravity and earth atmosphere? To me, even as a young teenager, that did not seem to show "humans adapting to an environment", but rather "humans adapting their environment to suit them." As a young child, the only way I could reconcile this dilemma was by thinking, "perhaps he means that our intelligence allows us to adapt the environment to make it livable. Perhaps the intelligence of humans allows for a more generalized adaptation, one not tied to a specific environment. " </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
But I still didn't feel as if this were the whole answer. Was Reynolds (or Ordover) using the right word? He knew words that I didn't -- words like 'parsec' -- but his use of the word 'adapt' seemed just plain wrong.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
I looked around at my own home. The winters were hard here in Canada. Without this house, I couldn't live here, year round. I wasn't adapted to this environment, like the deer, or the coyotes or the raccoons in the forest. Even the Inuit were not truly adapting to the extreme north, although they'd lived there for generations beyond counting: without those furs which they stole from other animals who had truly adapted, they wouldn't last more than a few minutes naked on the snow in the depth of winter. "Is adaptation different for humans than it is for other animals?" I wondered. Just because we can survive somewhere, and we change the environment to make it somewhat hospitable, does that mean we have adapted to it? Or has our intelligence merely allowed us to live here temporarily in an environment that we could never adapt to?</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="p2">
<b>Our Home and Native Land</b></div>
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As an adult, I have been dabbling in organic gardening in my backyard, in the hopes that I can someday, somehow, provide a substantial part of my diet from my own property. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
But winters are extremely problematic for me. Half of the year at least, I can expect no produce from my own garden (and the other half of the year, I'm not really self sufficient, as much as that might once have been one of my goals). I can't really grow enough on my tiny residential lot to feed myself and my wife. So even though we've put down roots, we are not entirely indigenous here, and never will be. We're not natives to this lot we live on. And that disconnection from the earth is troublesome to me. This is the place where I was born and raised; this is the home of my ancestors, going back six or more generations. Although that is nothing in evolutionary terms, it is important to me. But now I'm wondering if I truly belong here. To adapt to this environment, I have to be able to feed myself. And what if I am not fully able to adapt to the food that is available to me?</div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
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How does any of us become indigenous where we live?</div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<b>The Provenance of Hygienists Ideas </b></div>
<div class="p2">
I've been thinking about all this recently since I learned of the work of raw food proponent <b>Frederic</b> <b>Patenaude</b>. <a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/04/steeped-whole-wheat-kamut-semolina.html"> Recently I blogged about Patenaude</a>, from whom I first learned of the Bonobo diet; and after reading some of his work, I've been going back to his sources, and I'm beginning to unravel the thread of history that makes up the alternative health theories of the "Natural Hygienists." Patenaude has been deeply influenced by <b>Douglas</b> <b>Graham</b>, who was influenced by <b>T.C.Fry* </b>(who likely originated the idea that the primal human diet -- the one we evolved with -- most closely resembled the Bonobo diet); Fry in turn was influenced by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_M._Shelton">Herbert M. <b>Shelton</b></a>. Shelton's influences were <b>Isaac</b> <b>Jennings</b>, <b>Sylvester</b> <b>Graham</b> and <b>Thomas</b> <b>Allinson</b>, but it was Shelton's extensive work on fasting and raw food that consolidated this alternative, natural medicine of prevention, and it was he who named it <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthopathy">orthopathy</a>. Not all of the proponents of these ideas have been doctors; some have been chiropractors, some nutritionists, some have had no degrees at all. Some have had great success from their own experience (e.g. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Pritikin">Nathan Pritikin</a>), without apparently being directly involved in this chain of influence, or idea transmission. Unravelling the influences seems almost as pointless as discovering the provenance of an idea from an early Star Trek novel. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Orthopathy (a name which apparently hasn't caught on -- mostly people use the term "Natural Hygiene" instead) doesn't seem to be an organized hierarchy or accredited field, after all, but rather an ideal to which some people aspire. Virtually anyone who claims that eating a healthy diet can go a long way toward preventing disease and illness falls under its umbrella, but there is a wide range of opinion over what a healthy diet actually is. Some, like Patenaude and Shelton, have refined their thinking over their lifetime: Patenaude was eating raw veg for many years but used dehydrators and complicated raw recipes before changing to a raw diet that was simpler, and based on whole foods (mostly fruits, leafy greens, some vegetables), like Douglas Graham. Shelton gradually gave up dairy products over his lifespan.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Today's authors have even changed some of the core ideas of some of the founders, but the field is still vibrant. One of the more respected modern authors who work in "nutrition-based treatments for obesity and chronic disease" is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Fuhrman">Dr. Joel Fuhrman</a> (who can be seen in interviews in Joe Cross's movie, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" -- but whether Fuhrman follows the chain of influence I've outlined here remains to be seen. Eventually I'll get around to Fuhrman's books, I suppose. I say he is 'respected: I'm sure he's drawn some criticism, but I haven't found anyone out there who is working to destroy him, the way some of these other earlier natural hygienists were.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
In the meantime, many interesting books in this field, from all of these older authors, are available online in the repository currently housed at <a href="http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/0201hyglibcat.html">The Soil and Health Library</a>. I'm dipping into them as I'm able, but there is a lot there. And because many authors changed their ideas as they aged or developed their thinking, a lot of work would be required to sift the wheat from the chaff. </div>
<div class="p1">
<b></b><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<b>Horne's Pain</b></div>
<div class="p2">
As an <i><b>Exorphin Junkie</b> </i>who has been fixated on bread for the last few years, I found this book in the repository to be most interesting to me: <a href="http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/020149imp.on.pritikin/020149imp.on.pritikin.pdf"> Horne, Ross (1988) Improving on Pritikin: you can do better. Happy Landings Pty. Ltd. Australia</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
It may be that my own thinking on whole grains, the last few years -- my absolute steadfastness in baking whole grain breads, in the face of an entire bread baking culture that refused to make it the way I wanted it -- has been influenced by Pritikin. I may have read some of his books (or perhaps Ross Horne's other book, an early version of "<a href="http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/020121horne/020121toc.html">The Health Revolution</a>") when I was quite young and impressionable, the same way I read Star Trek books and anything else that was within reach. I seem to recall one of his books in my hand when I was a teenager, and I must have absorbed some of his ideas.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Horne was a Pritikin devotee for many years, but eventually he came to speak out against what he felt was wrong with the Pritikin diet, and the Macrobiotic Diet and many other diets. In principle, these diets saw health-giving results because they were on the right track <i>away</i> from the Standard American Diet (SAD) of cooked meat, high fat, high protein, low fresh fruits and greens. However, Horne found that cooking itself, and excess intake of grains was ultimately detrimental to human health. "Improving on Pritikin" was Horne's attempt to fix what he saw were some of the more subtle problems of the Pritikin diet.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Horne, more than any other author on the subject who has written on this, has convinced me that cooked grains (and what is bread, but that?) are ultimately unhealthy for humans. As Douglas Graham said in his booklet "Grain Damage," "<i>In an orchard of ripe fruit, you could eat to your heart's content. In a ripe field of wheat, you would starve to death.</i>" We did not evolve eating grains. As Horne says, "<i>grains are for the birds</i>." </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Humans have tried to adapt grains to our use as a food source -- using our intelligence and many ingenious devices to plant, nurture, grow, harvest, grind up, and cook them -- but we haven't really evolved to use them efficiently, and they end up hurting us.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Horne writes, "Grains are not vegetables, and a person who eats them is technically not a true vegetarian." He cites Shelton, who said, "The advocates of whole cereals in preference to the de-natured kinds, did their work too well. Vegetarians are usually great eaters of cereals. They would receive less harm from moderate amounts of meat." Horne suggests: "abandon grain products completely for a week or so and see what happens."</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
For me, it didn't even take a week. On the fifth day of my fast from bread and dairy products, I began to realize that I had been carrying a small chronic ache in my hips when I walk, something which I was unconscious of, until it disappeared. On my fast from bread and dairy, this chronic ache is now gone. Why was the ache there? Was it the beginning of arthritis, or osteoporosis? Could it have been due to calcium being leached from my bones to make up for the calcium that the extra bran was scooping from my GI tract? Was it because I was now simply better hydrated, or that more minerals were being absorbed via my diet? I don't know. All I know is the tiny ache I wasn't even entirely aware of, is now gone. In short: I'm healthier. I can already tell.</div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<b>Is it possible, in Canada, to eat year round Fruits and Leafy Green Veggies?</b></div>
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<div class="p2">
Horne says, "Good quality fruit costs a lot more than bread or oats or spaghetti but you will find in the long run it is money well spent."</div>
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The Bonobo diet -- a raw food diet that is mostly fruit, some greens, and a few vegetables (concisely detailed by Graham in his book "The 80-10-10 Diet") goes back even farther than the recently popularized "Paleo Diet" in human history. Sure, prior to the advent of agriculture, when we first started eating grains in abundance, members of our human tribe were hunter gatherers, and cookers of flesh, subsisting on wild game and whatever fruits and leaves we found along the way. But we didn't evolve as hunter-gatherers. We evolved like the other primates, eating mostly fruit and leafy greens. So before we were ever meat eaters, before we ever cooked our food, we ate a raw fruit and leafy green and partial vegetable diet. And that is all we ate for millions of years before the paleolithic humans changed it all. So the raw food eater following Graham's diet returns to food that can be eaten without cooking, yes, but also without processing of any kind. Throw away your juicers, your dehydrators, your fridges, your stoves and ovens. All you need is fruit, a few leaves, a few veggies, and a water source. You should be eating 80% carbs, 10% protein and 10% fat -- that is a target, a direction -- and you get that when you eat mostly fruit and some greens (according to Graham).</div>
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Humans <i>seem</i> to have adapted to other meal plans besides raw fruits and veggies as they began banding together in tribes to hunt. When wild game and foraged food became scarce, they began banding together in towns, surrounded by fields where agriculture was first tried, and as soil depleted they moved out over the earth, terraforming, until now we have humans banding together in cities, surrounded by a rural landscape of monoculture grains, which largely sustains millions upon millions of us. The adaptation hasn't been entirely successful, as our bodies are still designed to eat raw fruits and vegetables. And so, when we eat cooked meat and grains, we will end up with chronic diseases and acute illnesses because we eat too much protein, too much fat, and we denature all of our food. On meat, dairy, grains, and processed foods (what most of us eat), we automatically get too much fat, too much protein, and too much that is toxic to our bodies, with not enough micronutrients. Our bodies "adapt" to this diet by making us overweight and sick. </div>
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I have seen so much cancer, so much heart disease, so much death. I have watched families ripped apart as they struggle with the fading personalities of their loved ones who have succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease, or the physically debilitating Lou Gerig's Disease, MS or other chronic degenerative diseases. In nursing school we were taught to look upstream for the causes of these ailments, to stop the holocaust at the source, not downstream where we find the dead bodies floating toward us. The cause has to be diet and our environment. It has to be. We are poisoning ourselves. We are not adapting. We don't have another billion years to evolve. We have to start now and eat the way we were meant to eat. </div>
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How far back do we have to go to achieve the diet we were meant to eat? Do we go back to Paleohumans, who killed game and foraged for fruits and veggies? Do we go back to the Mango groves, where bonobo-like proto-humans first evolved? Or do we go back even farther than that? Were our evolutionary ancestors more like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colugo">Colugos</a> (a herbivore) before we defended from the trees? What were those ancestral <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euarchontoglires">Euarchontoglires</a> eating, before we became differentiated? Has the eating of meat or grains changed our brains, given us more intelligence, caused us to somehow become self-aware? Would that adaptation be worth the chronic diseases that cooked meats and grains have also given us?</div>
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If humans insist on eating cooked foods, grains, meats, will we eventually adapt to this diet? What will it take to adapt to a diet? How many millions of years before cancers and heart disease and immune diseases are eliminated as natural selection finally does its work? Will our intelligence learn to transform our foods to what we need, or will we evolve into a species that is able to live entirely on these things? What will be the cost in terms of individuals who never make the transition?<br />
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How many extinct species of mammals never made it because their food source was obliterated while we terraformed our way to a world of monoculture grain?</div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
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<b>My Journey</b><br />
Everyone says eat more vegetables and fruit. When will we? How can we get more? By removing the more harmful things -- the meat, the dairy, the grain. For me, I had already given up meat. The dairy and grain have been much much harder to give up.<br />
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Today is just the sixth day of my fast from bread and dairy, almost having completed Horne's challenge of going one week grain-free. Already I'm considering taking up Graham's challenge of doing this for one year. Already I'm wondering if I can sustain this diet here in Canada, where fruit and leafy greens simply do not grow year round. Transporting them here is prohibitively expensive, even in ecological terms. Humans don't really belong here. But pretty soon, they won't belong in the greenhouse-gas superheated equatorial orchards where proto-humans evolved, either. I'm afraid we're screwed, as a species. We don't have time to adapt. We'll never make it to the stars.</div>
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All I know is, on a personal level, I'm already starting to crave fruit and naked lettuce. Have I broken my bread addiction? Will I be able to afford expensive fruit and veg year round?</div>
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For now, the <b>Exorphin Junkie</b> is signing off. Today, I'm throwing out my sourdough starter that I've kept viable for bread-making these last five years. As of today, it is compost.<br />
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I think I'm becoming a frugivore. </div>
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But like any junkie, I'll have to just take this <i>one day at a time</i>. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bye-Bye, Bread</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Final Crumb Shot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unbaked spot: the final imperfection</td></tr>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="p2">
<b><i>* Since he seemed to be an original thinker, I was most curious about T.C. Fry who believed we evolved like the Bonobo, eating similar foods, but there is no longer a wiki about him. T.C. Fry is most well known for his book, "The Great AIDS Hoax," (Here's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9tXm1BlFtY">YouTube Video</a> about it) but he has also written "I Live on Fruit," "The Miracle of Living Foods: The Curse of Cooking," "Program for Dynamic Health: an introduction to natural hygiene: the only true health system" and "Laugh your Way to Health." <a href="http://www.rawfoodsupport.com/read.php?2,223660">Apparently towards the end of his life, he believed he was uncovering details of the shadow government behind the New World Order</a>. <br /><br />Fry, along with Herbert M. Shelton, was also a mentor to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fit_for_Life">Marilyn and Harvey Diamond</a>, who wrote "Fit for Life."</i></b></div>
</li>
<li><div class="p2">
<b><i>Se<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wcs.1206/abstract">e Kass, J. (2013) The evolution of brains from early mammals to humans. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci Jan 4(1) ;; 33-45</a> for info on where primate brains came from.</i></b><br />
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-75555743268007330332013-05-08T07:33:00.000-07:002013-05-08T07:33:06.002-07:00Steeped 20% Rye Loaf (that I can't stop myself from eating)<br />
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I'm still making and eating bread. I made this loaf mostly for my wife and my friend David, who is aware that I will soon be starting a detox or fast from bread for a time. However, after my fast day, although I <i>tried</i> to eat only fruit, I ended up reaching for a slice or two of this bread. I wanted the <i>bread</i>. </div>
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I'll have to try again -- to fast from eating bread. I'll start off slow, by seeing if I can go <i>three whole days</i> without bread. It sounds ridiculous, I know. Three days should be <i>nothing</i>. But this is a challenge for me. My bread is pretty darn good. This one in particular doesn't look like much, but it is, it is. It is so good, my wife would not let me give one of the loaves to poor David. She wanted to keep it all to herself.</div>
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This bread was a 20% rye, made with the same technique I've been using lately, i.e. getting the hydration up by "steeping" the dough during stretches and folds. Details follow:<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2">200g Rye</li>
<li class="li2">800g Wheat</li>
<li class="li2">== 1000g grain (100% flour)</li>
<li class="li2">200g Sourdough Starter</li>
<li class="li2">19g Salt</li>
<li class="li2">770g Initial water</li>
<li class="li2">50g water added with salt</li>
<li class="li2">50g water to steep</li>
<li class="li2">== 870g total water (87% hydration)</li>
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<b>Method</b><br />
I ground the kernels of rye and wheat into flour, added my whole wheat sourdough starter (which is always at 100% hydration) to the initial water and aerated it by stirring vigorously with my hand. I added the water-sourdough mixture to the flour, and mixed it until it was all incorporated. Then I kneaded it for about 5 minutes just to get the gluten started. A short autolyse of 30 minutes or so occurred before I added the salt with another 50g of water. I incorporated this by mixing and kneading, and returned the dough to the bowl for one more stretch and turn. Then the dough sits another 30 minutes, is kneaded again briefly, and is returned to the bowl. At this point I add another 50g of water to the top of the dough, and let the dough sit in this water. Over the course of the next few hours, I will stretch and fold the dough in the bowl, not worrying about that last amount of water; if the dough wants it, it will draw the water into it. If the dough doesn't require it, some will stay in the bowl Usually after about 2-3 hours, I find that the dough has absorbed it through the many stretches, folds and turns. The dough is turned out onto the counter, divided into 2, preshaped for a bench rest, then shaped for the proofing basket. About 2 more hours in the basket (depending on the strength of the starter it could be longer), and the dough is popped into the oven on a preheated stone at 450 degrees F with steam, for 40 minutes. That's my recent method.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dough is so wet when it hits the oven, if it isn't sitting perfecting on the stone <br />(like the one at left), it might drip over the edge (like the one on the right)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blob that fell off the loaf into the water tray at the base of the oven was still an edible bun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sure, I ate it</td></tr>
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<b>Let's Talk about BMs</b></div>
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I've been noticing something curious, regarding my weight. Normally I weigh around 180 pounds, or slightly less. After a fast day -- a day in which I eat nothing at all, but continue to drink water and herbal tea -- I can weigh as little as 172 lbs. After a day of eating (bread, fruit, veggies, greens, etc.) and drinking whatever I want (juices, water, herbal tea), I can weigh as much as 176.</div>
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Now, in the hospital, when we see a change in someone's weight <i>that</i> significant over a single day (either up or down), we tend to say that "its all water." And I'm not really changing the amount that I drink on a fast day that much; in fact, when I eat, I probably drink even more; when I'm fasting, I have to force myself to drink, because I don't crave it. I don't necessarily feel thirst, so much as habit, when I'm reaching for <i>something</i> to put in my mouth. So what is happening to the fluid, when I eat, to make me retain it? My guess is that the whole grains in my gut -- the bran, the germ, the fiber, etc. -- are drawing water to them as they pass through the length of the GI tract.<br />
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Some people say that grains are constipating. That has not been my experience, at all, at all -- but my grains are almost entirely whole grains, whereas most other people who eat grains use polished grains and extractions of grains, and that could be the difference. My only experience with constipation was in the early days of when I started to fast. For the first couple of months of my fasting, when I didn't drink enough on fast day, I'd get constipated -- and thus I've learned that when I fast, I have to force myself to drink more fluids.<br />
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I'm wondering now if those who find grains are constipating are becoming somewhat dehydrated from the grains. I'm guessing that if I didn't drink enough fluids with my bread, all that fiber would draw water from my body fluids, in order to help keep it moving. I certainly might be dehydrated, and/or constipated, if I didn't drink enough, while eating bread.</div>
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And perhaps the salt that I add to the bread has something to do with the way the water is attracted to the bread-chyme, too. I don't know. All I can assume is that when I eat bread, the water and other fluids I take in are <i>retained</i> in my bowels.</div>
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Now, going back to my first year nursing anatomy class, I seem to remember that the lower bowels are where most of the water is reabsorbed into the body. Is this not happening with me, when I eat bread? Yet my stool, although soft, is not loose. Is that TMI? Am I done talking about my Bowel Movements?<br />
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To sum up my observations: when I eat a diet that is usual for me (i.e. a lacto-ovo diet with my homemade whole grain sourdough bread), I retain water in my bowels. This water comes from my body tissues, or from what I drink, and it seems to be the major reason for my weight fluctuations on days that I eat or days that I fast.<br />
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<b>This Bread</b><br />
tasted very good. On Friday, when I tried to avoid it, I ended up eating a slice anyway. On Saturday, although a slice was toasted for me with a soup of lunch, I did not eat it. I survived on mostly fruits, vegetable juices, and a couple of cooked vegetarian meals -- I haven't told my wife yet that I've been reading a lot about raw frugivore/vegan diets, so our meals still reflect the way we've been doing things up til now. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Could not resist<br /></td></tr>
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I feel confident that I can ignore this bread on Sunday, as well as perform the usual fast on the Monday. So I should be able to go three days (or 4) without eating bread, and when I look back on my progress with detoxing from grains, I should be able to say that this bread was the first bread that I successfully avoided for 3 whole days.<br />
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<b>Update : Experiment with Fasting</b><br />
I was just about to post this blog entry, when in the Notes to Myself I wrote the following:<br />
<i style="background-color: #f9cb9c;"><b><br /></b></i>
<i style="background-color: #f9cb9c;"><b>Try an experiment: following a fast day, examine your weight in the morning, and again at night -- only don't eat bread or milk products on that day that you break the fast -- only fruits and vegetables (a typical bonobo or proto-human diet as suggested by Douglas Graham in his 80-10-10 diet). See how your weight fluctuates then. See if you retain water. See how you feel.</b></i><br />
<i style="background-color: #f9cb9c;"><b><br /></b></i>
My curiosity about whether or not I would retain the same amount of fluid if I ate a high-fiber fruit and vegetable diet, with no grains, made me devise this experiment for myself. I was still determined to go 3 days without bread, so I figured I'd try it this way: go without bread for two days (Sat/Sun) before the total fast, then fast as usual (Mon), and then instead of breaking the fast with a usual diet of bread (Tues), just eat raw fruit and leafy vegetables. And simply check my weight, at the beginning and end of the days.<br />
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Here are my results: the first is the fast day with the normal lacto-ovo bread diet, and the second is the fast day with the bonobo diet (of no bread, and entirely raw fruits, leafy greens and veg):<br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><b>Fast Day </b><b>1</b><br />
<b>(Followed by LOB* Diet)</b></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><b>Commentary</b></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><b>Fast Day 2<br />(Followed by BONOBO** Diet)</b></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><b>Commentary</b></td> </tr>
<tr> <td><b>am weight</b></td> <td>176</td> <td>On LOB diet</td> <td>176</td> <td>I was on a LO diet *** at this point, having gone 2 days without bread (while still not raw, I did eat a boiled egg -- but I had little dairy, except what was in the spinach soup)</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><b>pm weight</b></td> <td>174</td> <td>I've lost 2 pounds over the day, likely water even though I forced myself to drink</td> <td>174</td> <td>As usual, the fast caused me to lose 2 pounds over the day, and again I suppose it is all just water.</td> </tr>
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<b><i>Following Day</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Following Day</i></b></div>
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<tr> <td><b>am weight</b></td> <td>172</td><td>This seems really weird: overnight I can lose 2 pounds. How does that happen? I assume it is because although I'm only sleeping, I'm not drinking to keep up with the amount I lose through the skin and the kidneys.</td> <td>172</td> <td>So far, nothing has changed. Except today, I eat BONOBO - no dairy, no eggs, no processed food, especially <i>no bread</i></td> </tr>
<tr> <td><b>pm weight</b></td> <td>176</td> <td>By the end of the day, my weight has stabilized -- the water I've lost has returned -- to my bowels, likely attracted to the bran in my gut</td> <td>173</td> <td>By the end of the day, my weight has stabilized -- but the amount of water I <i>retain</i> is less, because my bowels don't need as much, due to the fact that the fruit fiber is different than the grain fiber. And I can feel the difference. There's not as much bulk there. But I've still eaten to satiation. I haven't lost any fat, I don't think. At this point, we are just talking about water.</td> </tr>
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</table>
<br />
* LOB Diet refers to my standard Lacto-Ovo-Bread vegetarian diet, not raw.<br />
<div>
* BONOBO Diet refers to a raw diet of fruits, and leafy vegetables<br />
*** LO Diet refers to Lacto-Ovo diet, but fasting from bread<br />
<br />
At the end of the day after the second fast, I realized that I had achieved my goal of going 3 days without bread -- in fact, I had gone 4. That was almost 5 days. And 5 days is half-way to 10 days. So I decided to do a 10-day fast from grains entirely, just to see <i>how I'd feel</i>.<br />
<br />
Because how I feel is going to be a whole lot more interesting to me than my weight, to be honest with you. I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm trying to be healthy. I thought I felt healthy before. But I feel okay -- so far -- without eating bread.<br />
<br />
I suppose I can do it. Because of the success of the last few days without bread, I know I can go without eating it a bit longer. There are times when I think it would be nice to just have a slice, and there<i> is</i> that next loaf that I've already made that is just sitting there waiting for me to slice into and take a crumb shot; but as long as I'm experimenting, I think I can restrain myself.<br />
<br />
One day at a time for the Exorphin Junkie.<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">
<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>Try making a bread with a vegan salt substitute, e.g. one made from dehydrated celery which is supposed to have lots of organic sodium (its just not NaCl). That way, perhaps you won't require so much water -- IF it is the case that it is the 2% sea salt that is causing the stuff in the GI tract to attract more water to it...<br /><br />That is, if you ever want to make bread again. Do you?</b></i></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-53939907627386238902013-04-29T11:40:00.000-07:002013-04-29T11:41:35.575-07:00Wheatgrass Juice Loaf and a Loaf with Seeds<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1g0Pg5dvS80/UX62PHtJLaI/AAAAAAAANzg/zaor3ViLn2Y/s1600/2013_0425AZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1g0Pg5dvS80/UX62PHtJLaI/AAAAAAAANzg/zaor3ViLn2Y/s640/2013_0425AZ.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>"Put down the loaf! Step away from the loaf!"</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
I'm continuing to fast twice a week, use green juices daily, and I'm still determined to try a detox from bread. But addictions are hard to fight, and I openly admit I'm addicted to bread. I still eat it. I have to find the right time to do this, to completely fast from baked bread. I have to figure out what else I'm going to eat, when I finally <i>put down the loaf</i>. Will I be able to give up everything but fruit and vegetables? Shall I eschew all grain, all dairy, all tea and coffee, all nuts, seeds, oils and beans? Can I give up cooked foods for a time? Should I use enemas and colonics (as so many detoxifying regimins say I should)?</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qJb0X8Y8Hh4/UX62JfNHrkI/AAAAAAAANxc/JoiIGoCwRAE/s1600/2013_0425AA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qJb0X8Y8Hh4/UX62JfNHrkI/AAAAAAAANxc/JoiIGoCwRAE/s320/2013_0425AA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheatgrass tray, ready for harvesting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mzkRzATHOgo/UX62KKPgqYI/AAAAAAAANxo/PzPYeZjFtcs/s1600/2013_0425AD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mzkRzATHOgo/UX62KKPgqYI/AAAAAAAANxo/PzPYeZjFtcs/s320/2013_0425AD.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juicing the wheatgrass for the bread</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CXTKhXJJEyE/UX62Koj7N2I/AAAAAAAANyE/9_spsy-LPzI/s1600/2013_0425AG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CXTKhXJJEyE/UX62Koj7N2I/AAAAAAAANyE/9_spsy-LPzI/s320/2013_0425AG.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">120g of extremely green juice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_U6CMv1WYMo/UX62KzoMaNI/AAAAAAAANx8/6nWBGVtja1g/s1600/2013_0425AH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_U6CMv1WYMo/UX62KzoMaNI/AAAAAAAANx8/6nWBGVtja1g/s320/2013_0425AH.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juice and water and sourdough</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pCQ0SsSoSS4/UX62KxgFYjI/AAAAAAAANyA/LhBOsWHmHOg/s1600/2013_0425AI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pCQ0SsSoSS4/UX62KxgFYjI/AAAAAAAANyA/LhBOsWHmHOg/s320/2013_0425AI.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerating the mixture</td></tr>
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<div class="p2">
<b>1. Whole Wheat Bread with Wheatgrass Juice</b></div>
<div class="p2">
While I'm still straddling the raw food vs cooked food (soup, bread) vegetarian diet fence, this bread -- a whole wheat bread made with wheat grass juice -- occurred to me. As I've said before, raw foodists would likely say<i> tsk tsk. </i> I decided to try it anyway to see what it is like.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2">1000g organic whole wheat, freshly milled</li>
<li class="li2">800g water</li>
<li class="li2">200g sourdough starter made with 100% whole wheat flour at 100% hydration</li>
<li class="li2">18g salt</li>
<li class="li2">120g wheatgrass juice</li>
</ul>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<b>Method</b></div>
<div class="p2">
I mixed up the dough with 700g of the water, and all of the wheatgrass juice.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AoJTHtMeC2Y/UX64kV1BFxI/AAAAAAAAN1I/FYnQCu9Ze7Q/s1600/2013_0425AJnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AoJTHtMeC2Y/UX64kV1BFxI/AAAAAAAAN1I/FYnQCu9Ze7Q/s640/2013_0425AJnew.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheatgrass Juice added to sourdough and flour</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After a short autolyse, I added the salt with 50g more water. I have never seen or felt a dough behave this way. The gluten would form, with kneading, but only in one dimension. Usually a bread dough made with wheat will be gluey, sticky; so when it is kneaded outwards, and then folded over on top, the gluten that has elongated like a muscle will reattach to the dough, and form a complex 3D matrix of gluten, a network of this strange stretchy molecule. But not with this wheatgrass dough. At a mere 12% addition to the dough, the gluten was utterly changed. As I say, I could lengthen the gluten with kneading it, but I could not get the dough to stick to itself, when folding it back into a ball. Furthermore, the sourdough didn't seem to want to incorporate. The wheatgrass juice turned the dough quite green, but you could see the sourdough throughout the dough, and it didn't seem to be spreading smoothly throughout the entire dough, as it usually does.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lTwv_DMRShc/UX62LrEjQEI/AAAAAAAANyY/qq_iriy0Rew/s1600/2013_0425AK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lTwv_DMRShc/UX62LrEjQEI/AAAAAAAANyY/qq_iriy0Rew/s320/2013_0425AK.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">greenish tinge to dough</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sx2Ukx4bGWs/UX62LmrxMNI/AAAAAAAANyU/cUXcWMJeXVw/s1600/2013_0425AL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sx2Ukx4bGWs/UX62LmrxMNI/AAAAAAAANyU/cUXcWMJeXVw/s320/2013_0425AL.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">strange texture: the gluten doesn't seem to want to glue together</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Adm0AsT0wXw/UX62MOOUggI/AAAAAAAANyg/s_Ccc190m4o/s1600/2013_0425AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Adm0AsT0wXw/UX62MOOUggI/AAAAAAAANyg/s_Ccc190m4o/s320/2013_0425AM.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It stretches but it doesn't want to stick to itself</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: start;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hzH_KfGCWH0/UX62MEt_csI/AAAAAAAANyc/sVUsc9Ena1U/s1600/2013_0425AN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hzH_KfGCWH0/UX62MEt_csI/AAAAAAAANyc/sVUsc9Ena1U/s320/2013_0425AN.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sourdough remains in tiny flecks and doesn't incorporate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lBUuLjnPd4A/UX62MlRB4CI/AAAAAAAANyk/WCNJULWlLuM/s1600/2013_0425AO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lBUuLjnPd4A/UX62MlRB4CI/AAAAAAAANyk/WCNJULWlLuM/s320/2013_0425AO.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">flaccid dough</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="p2">
Further rests were beneficial. I would rest for 30 minutes, then try again, and each time it was a little better. In keeping with my latest experiments of "steeping" the dough, I added 50g more water after another couple of resting periods, and thereafter I merely stretch-and-folded the dough in the bowl every 30 minutes.</div>
<div class="p1">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kQeTpAHVesQ/UX62M2dTgKI/AAAAAAAANys/tqMemsSvOeI/s1600/2013_0425AQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kQeTpAHVesQ/UX62M2dTgKI/AAAAAAAANys/tqMemsSvOeI/s320/2013_0425AQ.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After many rests, the dough seems to get smoother</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="p2">
The bread was baked as usual, with steam at 450 degrees F for 40 minutes; however, I felt that the loaf needed a bit more time, so it remained in-oven another 10 minutes, so a total of 50 minutes.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NurFwLRLpU8/UX62OOyK3ZI/AAAAAAAANzM/gc81xlDx7SY/s1600/2013_0425AV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NurFwLRLpU8/UX62OOyK3ZI/AAAAAAAANzM/gc81xlDx7SY/s400/2013_0425AV.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9GhI6YWOQoU/UX62Or91VvI/AAAAAAAANzY/k0Orrax6Iug/s1600/2013_0425AX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9GhI6YWOQoU/UX62Or91VvI/AAAAAAAANzY/k0Orrax6Iug/s320/2013_0425AX.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a particularly odd shaped loaf</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wllVzX2NtHE/UX62OxoKMkI/AAAAAAAANzc/en9-c_kbcU4/s1600/2013_0425AY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wllVzX2NtHE/UX62OxoKMkI/AAAAAAAANzc/en9-c_kbcU4/s320/2013_0425AY.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evidence of the dripping of the dough through the cracks between the broken baking stones.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: start;">
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</div>
<div class="p2">
This was a <i>very</i> high hydrated dough (is it really somewhere around 92%!?), and I didn't have it sitting properly on the baking stone. Things were pretty crowded in the oven, I had another bread baking at the same time. So this wheatgrass bread actually dripped a bit.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<b>Results</b></div>
<div class="p2">
A very curious scent and taste. I've never had anything exactly like it before. But when it was freshly cut (the next day and the day after), it reminded me ever so slightly of the strange taste one finds with salt-rising-bread. Though not nearly so off-putting as that (if one isn't used to the taste, salt-rising bread can be not what you'd expect).</div>
<div class="p2">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OhT_81E9QYI/UX62PWm5vCI/AAAAAAAANzs/SY24p86fe9A/s1600/2013_0425BA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OhT_81E9QYI/UX62PWm5vCI/AAAAAAAANzs/SY24p86fe9A/s640/2013_0425BA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y16nsofAgQE/UX62PwzI-YI/AAAAAAAANz0/4q8KshRW5jY/s1600/2013_0425BC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y16nsofAgQE/UX62PwzI-YI/AAAAAAAANz0/4q8KshRW5jY/s640/2013_0425BC.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A particularly good bread, despite the odd shape and colour.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: start;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="p2">
I liked this bread, and ate it with cheese until it was all gone <i>(tsk tsk)</i>. A couple of days, and this bread had disappeared.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<b>2. Rye Loaf with Seeds</b></div>
<div class="p2">
I was hedging my bets with this loaf. I wasn't sure whether the wheatgrass juice bread would turn out, so I made something a bit more conventional. This bread was frozen before I cut into it, a few days later.</div>
<div class="p2">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EizKjXGf6ow/UX62JoHNrsI/AAAAAAAANxk/mB-ZIvrLcF8/s1600/2013_0425AC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EizKjXGf6ow/UX62JoHNrsI/AAAAAAAANxk/mB-ZIvrLcF8/s320/2013_0425AC.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheat, rye, sunflower seeds, pepitas, celery seed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="p2">
</div>
<ul>
<li>800g whole wheat berries, freshly milled</li>
<li>200g rye kernels, freshly milled</li>
<li>90g sunflower seeds</li>
<li>90g pepitas</li>
<li>15g celery seeds (2 TBSP)</li>
<li>770g water</li>
<li>20g salt</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ACvaA-8WxZM/UX62NKtWD7I/AAAAAAAANyw/I6pre_SIJHU/s1600/2013_0425AR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ACvaA-8WxZM/UX62NKtWD7I/AAAAAAAANyw/I6pre_SIJHU/s320/2013_0425AR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of seeds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RnGdcQB4LyY/UX62NV_SgBI/AAAAAAAANy0/Le_ZibuYE74/s1600/2013_0425AS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RnGdcQB4LyY/UX62NV_SgBI/AAAAAAAANy0/Le_ZibuYE74/s320/2013_0425AS.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheatgrass loaf on left, seed loaf on the right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished loaves: they could have fermented a bit longer</td></tr>
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I kneaded this loaf a couple of times after adding the salt, and then left it to rise while I ran some errands. It could have used another hour or two of fermentation, but I wanted it baked to take with me to yoga, so I could give some bread away. I had to make do with the time I had available. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything I'm <i><b>not</b></i> supposed to eat, when I do a detox: grain, seeds, high baked-temperatures,<br />
and I haven't even mentioned the fats that I want to put on it: butter, cheese, eggs...</td></tr>
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<b>Results</b><br />
The loaf is a bit denser than I'd have liked, but it is an acceptable loaf. My wife complains that it is slightly bitter -- she thinks it is probably from the celery seeds.</div>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>I can go a single day -- 24-32 hours without eating bread, without eating anything at all. Why not just give it up for a full 3 days, 10 days, 21 days, or 60 days? What difference would it make? Without my constant infusion of whole grain fiber, wouldn't I feel hungry all the time? </b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Am I just procrastinating trying this fast away from bread? Obviously.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>I was wondering what the effect of wheatgrass juice was on the yeast and LAB of my sourdough culture: would it survive the juice's concentrated chlorophyll and other micronutrients? Did it alter the gluten structure? It certainly was a weird texture, after adding it, something I'd never experienced before.</b></i></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-67845873434146055572013-04-29T09:32:00.001-07:002013-04-29T09:32:29.918-07:00Steeped Whole Wheat, Kamut, Semolina Sourdough Loaf<br />
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<b>Whole Wheat, Kamut, Semolina Sourdough Loaf</b></div>
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Is this the last bread I'll ever make? I never know these days, as I am beginning to put into place my intention to perform a juicing detox, and totally fast from bread for a few days (10, 21, 30 or 60 -- perhaps forever, who knows?). Meanwhile, I'm still making these whole grain breads, and eating them on the days when I eat anything at all.</div>
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This bread was an attempt to repeat the unusual technique of steeping the dough while bulk fermenting, as I did when I mixed a bread with<a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/04/17-rye-bread-with-ginger-tea.html"> ginger tea</a>. This time I did not use tea but water alone; and it was not a high temperature, but right out of the tap.</div>
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>700g Whole wheat berries, freshly milled</li>
<li>200g Kamut flour</li>
<li>100g Semolina flour</li>
<li>200g Sourdough starter</li>
<li>20g Sea Salt</li>
<li>720g Original water</li>
<li>50g water added with salt after a short autolyse</li>
<li>50g water added to steep the dough</li>
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(Total water 820g, total hydration 82%)</div>
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<b>Method</b></div>
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This method was designed around the fact that I had to sleep during the day, and work at night. I generally go to bed around 1100 on the first day of a series of night shifts, and try to sleep till mid afternoon, whether I'm tired or not. It's not a healthy lifestyle, working at night, but someone has to do it, and we nurses each take our turn.</div>
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In the morning, after a usual night of sleep, I mixed up the flour and 720g of the water, kneading it for about 5 minutes. This dough gets to autolyse, or sit there without salt, for about an hour. The salt is added with 50g more water, and this is folded in, in the bowl, until all the water is incorporated. At this point, the dough is kneaded again for about 5-10 minutes, until it is smooth and fairly tight. I let it sit in the bowl another 30 minutes, then I kneaded it again. </div>
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At this point, when I returned it to the bowl, I poured 50g of water over top of it, and just let it sit. At the 30 minute mark, I did a stretch and fold a few times, until much of the water was incorporated. There was still a dribble in the bottom of the bowl that I wasn't going to worry too much about. I let it sit another 30 minutes, then poured the dough out on the counter, divided it, and preshaped it. After a short 30min bench rest, I finished shaping the dough, and put it in proofing baskets. Then I went to bed.</div>
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I got up around 3pm, and turned the oven on to preheat the stones. The dough had therefore only been proofing about 4 to 4 1/2 hours before hitting the oven. This dough seems quite sloppy, and it deflated a bit upon moving from the basket to the peel, being scored, and then transferred to the hot stone. But over the 40 minute baking period, it did rise enough to fill in the score marks, so I was happy with the results. The temperature was the usual Tartine bread amount of 450 degrees F, and it sat there for 40 minutes, with steam in the oven during the initial period.</div>
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<b>Results</b></div>
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I enjoyed this bread, as did my wife. It was quite moist. Without the technique of steeping the dough during stretches and folds, this bread dough would have been extremely difficult to handle. This is a gentle way to get the hydration level up.</div>
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<b>Raw Apes</b></div>
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As I continue to think about a detox from bread (without having done it yet), my interest in juicing has caused me to turn my attention to the raw foodists, to consider their ideas and diet plans. Everyone has different ideas, of course, about what makes up the best raw food diet for humans. I stumbled around looking for who I ought to trust in these matters, until I encountered the work of <a href="http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/">Frederic Patenaude</a>. </div>
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After reading only some of his extensive material (e.g. Patenaude, F. (2006) Raw secrets: the raw food diet in the real world. FrederickPatenaude.Com, Montreal), I hope I'm not doing it a disservice by giving a nutshell synopsis here. Interested persons can check out his web presence. He has a lot of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/fredmango76?feature=watch">YouTube videos</a>, for instance -- this one, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tbG8vaigvsg#!">High Fruit or High Fat</a>?" is linked-to from his web page)</div>
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Patenaude considers humans to be most similar to the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonobo">Bonobos</a></b> in their raw diet requirements, based on our genetics and physiology/biology. That means he says we evolved eating a mostly frugivore diet. In other words, our raw diet ought to consist mainly of fruits, and greens, and vegetables, perhaps a few nuts, almost no seeds or beans, and certainly no grains, dairy or meat. He does indicate that some vegetables (and he even concedes a bit of rice) can be more easily digested when lightly steamed; and thus he doesn't insist on a totally raw or even totally organic diet. He suggests ways to increase the amount of raw fruits and vegetables and greens in the diet, until one is eating 70, 80, 90 percent or more of one's food from these raw groups alone, always with the understanding that 100% is possible for everyone. What this means is buying fruit by the caseload, and looking for ways (sprouting your own greens, growing your own veggies, joining or creating co-ops, using community supported agriculture, buying groups, etc.) to make it affordable.</div>
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I'm not sure if I have the stomach for it, but someday I'd like to take Pautenade's challenge and see if I can do it for 6 months, following a detox. But let's see if I can ease my way into it a bit, though, with juicing, and a detox from bread for a shorter period.</div>
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Meanwhile, I continue to make my bread the healthiest way I know how, and eat it along with fruits and vegetables, and cheese, and even some cooked vegetarian food. But I've introduced juices to my diet -- mostly fresh wheatgrass juice and green juice, that my coworkers tease me about because it looks like bile.</div>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b><i>Having become a vegetarian more than a couple of decades ago, I know very well the impact a change in diet has on one's social life. I imagine that further restrictions in diet (like eating exclusively raw food) would have an even more drastic effect. I struggle with this: removing cooked foods from one's diet actually challenges our civilized behaviour -- i.e. it challenges my ability to live with civilized people without unintentionally pissing them off.</i></b></li>
<li><i><b>I still like bread. As I prepare for a detox from it, I begin to wonder how I will fare. Can I possibly eat enough fruit and veggies raw to make up for the bread in my diet these days? How will I feel when I remove the dairy fats from my diet?</b></i></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-38998982782506635202013-04-26T18:58:00.002-07:002013-04-26T18:58:46.475-07:00Basil and Hemp Loaf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Hemp and Basil Loaf</b></div>
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Since my friend David didn't get the last loaf, I made this one for him (and for me too, of course). This was a simple loaf made with 20% hemp, and 0.7% basil. It is quite a fragrant loaf -- and because of that, my wife doesn't much care for it. The hydration was only 70%, but the hemp kept it quite loose, and it tended to sag a bit even at that. It wasn't kneaded enough, due to time pressures. <br />
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<ul>
<li>80% Whole Wheat berries, freshly milled</li>
<li>20% Cracked hemp</li>
<li>0.7% basil</li>
<li>20% sourdough starter</li>
<li>70% hydration</li>
<li>2% sea salt</li>
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<br />
I must have been very distracted when I put this bread together. I thought I took a picture of the loaf, uncut, but must have forgotten. Am I thinking more about juicing than bread these days? Is this a first symptom of loosening my bread addiction?<br />
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<b>Wheatgrass Attitude</b></div>
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I've found a local organic supplier of wheatgrass, and I've tried it in my new juicer. It tastes pretty much as you would expect -- like grass -- but it is also extremely, almost impossibly sweet. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tray of wheatgrass, freshly harvested for about 4oz of juice.</td></tr>
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<br />
As easy as it is for me to buy a tray of that local wheatgrass, I figured that a more consistent and less expensive way to obtain it would be to grow it myself. And as soon as I began looking for instruction on how to do that, I quickly learned of the work of Michael Bergonzi.</div>
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Bergonzi grew wheatgrass for 18+ years for some pretty prestigious raw food places -- like the <a href="http://www.hippocratesinst.org/">Hippocrates Institute</a>, which grew out of the work of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Wigmore">Ann Wigmore</a>, the one who wrote the first books on the benefits of wheatgrass. In the process, Bergonzi became the defacto expert on how to grow it. Many of his techniques can be found online, including some YouTube videos of lectures.</div>
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Rather than talk about anything specific he says about wheatgrass here, however, I want to discuss one of his <i>prevailing attitudes </i>that I find in just about every one of his seminars that I've seen so far. You might find his talks a bit annoying. I did at first. But despite what he says, and how he says it, which might be off-putting, or inspiring (or boring, since the video is 2 hours long), depending on how you are feeling at any given moment, there is a certain prevailing attitude of his that I find refreshing. In the midst of so many dieters shouting their advice on what you "should" and "shouldn't" eat, Bergonzi simply refuses to tell you what to do. Bergonzi appears to have arrived at this unique attitude through years of boredom over all the pointless talk about food:</div>
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"Can't we all get along?" he says. </div>
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What he means is, let some people eat raw, some people eat meat, some people eat dairy, some people eat bread. Everyone has a different metabolism. What's good for some may not be good for all.</div>
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<i>"We have to stop with the judgement on food. Food is not a religion, it is not a god, it is not a cult. It's a choice. That's all it should ever be...</i></blockquote>
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<i>"I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. It's not my job on this planet anymore..." </i></blockquote>
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<i>"I'm not here to change you; I'm not here to judge you. I'm over that. I don't care what you do, I'm going to love you either way." </i></blockquote>
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--<i>from the YouTube Video,</i> "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5KHwp8v53c">Michael Bergonzi--Chlorophyll Green Juice Oxygen"</a></blockquote>
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<b>Food as a Choice</b></div>
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This resonated with me because the same day I heard Bergonzi talk about food as a choice, I was reading<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Willpower-Instinct-Self-Control-Works-Matters/dp/1583334386"> Kelly McGonigal's 2011 book, "The Willpower Instinct: How self-control works, why it matters and what you can do to get more of it."</a> In the first chapter, McGonigal reports, </div>
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<i>"One study asked people how many food-related decisions they made in one day. What would you say? On average, people guessed fourteen. In reality, when these same folks carefully tracked their decisions, the average was 227. That's more than two hundred choices people were initially unaware of -- and those are just the decisions related to eating. How can you control yourself if you aren't even aware that there is something to control?"</i></blockquote>
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In addition to the silos of thought that Bergonzi rails against, with some people shunning others who eat a different way, there is a lot of hype and marketing surrounding food choices. Making more conscious food choices, rather than letting other people make those choices for us, will go a long way to reconnecting ourselves to what we need to survive, and to our planet's health. </div>
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I am beginning to think that <i>any</i> movement toward becoming more aware of the food you eat -- even a change as small as making your own bread, as in my case -- can go a long way toward loosening the chains of food addiction, or food habit. Perhaps it has taken me three plus years, but just the act of becoming more aware of what bread is, and making my own, has allowed me to become more conscious of all my food choices.</div>
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Our food choices have expanded with the increased global traffic in food materials. But our food choices do make a difference, and we have to become aware of the far-reaching effects of growing, moving, and processing food. I'm thinking of history here: for example, do you suppose it was easier for Jesus, who never left his mostly rural Jewish communities, to say to his disciples "when you go into a village, stay with the first person who invites you and eat whatever you are given." <i> (note: Biblical/historical scholars might say that it may have been difficult for Jesus too, because Judaism at that time was not completely unified in what was considered proper to eat. While it might not be apropos to call the various Jewish groups "sects", each sub-group interpreted the texts on food proscription differently. What Jesus was saying, in effect, was 'Can't we all get along? I don't care what you do, I'm going to love you anyway.')</i> I suppose it was less easy for his disciples, who began leaving those Jewish communities to enter predominantly Gentile communities; food was very nearly a make-or-break proposition for the fledgling religion, as it struggled with how to handle the offer of non-kosher food. And it was harder still for the early Gentile Christians who later began to refuse to eat certain meat because it had been butchered as a sacrifice to a Greek or Roman god. Their decisions began to change the economies of the cities in which they resided, and it was one of the reasons why early Greek-speaking Christians were persecuted. And perhaps it may even have had something to do with why the Roman economies faltered, and why Christianity eventually came to dominate Rome itself.<br />
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This is not the place to discuss whether or not the Gentile Christians were following anything resembling the path or the attitude of their founder. The point is, whether you are restricting what you eat, or opening up to further possibilities in your food choices, every conscious choice you make, here today on an individual scale, will not only affect your individual health, but ultimately the health of the planet. Who will ultimately control the food supply? Your food choices are deciding who gets rich, and who has a future.<br />
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Perhaps, if we finally become conscious about what we eat, we can begin to be conscious of even more important matters. Take your attention off food, and begin to love. Show an increase in spirit.<br />
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I'll give the last word to Bergonski:<br />
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<i>"Don't let food define your happiness."</i></blockquote>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
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<li><i><b>McGonigal was specifically quoting the study by Wansink, B. and Sobal, J. (2007) Mindless Eating. Environment and Behavior 39. pp. 106-23, but most of Wansink's accessible work typically contains the concept of Mindless Eating (see for example <a href="http://www.smallplatemovement.org/doc/MindlessEating-PB2010.pdf">this article about the small plate movement</a>).</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>There is a lot to digest in Bergonzi's talk, and I wouldn't say I agree with all of it. But there is certainly enough there to consider deeply. His idea of not eating anything in the presence of others is antithetical to how food is generally considered in our society; and therefore I suspect that Bergonzi's several jokes about not having any friends might actually have some bearing in truth. How can you trust someone who will not eat with you? How can you get to know them if they won't eat with you? This is a step beyond what most people would be willing to try: to completely refuse the social aspect of food. Note that as much as I admire some of what Bergonzi says, I cannot imagine emulating this. Compare his attitude of entirely private eating to that of Jesus, who would eat anything with anyone. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.</b></i></li>
<li><b><i>For far too long, I've been letting food define my happiness. "Happiness is my bread." Where did that come from? I no longer recognize myself. Calling myself an exorphin junkie. Am I nothing more than what I eat? Somebody else said that. Someone who also said, m<b><i>an cannot live by bread alone.</i></b></i></b></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-71236305750893666762013-04-22T06:41:00.000-07:002013-04-22T06:41:29.293-07:0020% Rye loaf and some easy food tests<br />
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<b>20% Rye loaf</b></div>
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Today's Bread is a simple 20% Rye loaf, made more or less in the Tartine Bread style.</div>
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<li class="li3">80% whole wheat berries</li>
<li class="li3">20% rye kernels</li>
<li class="li3">80% water</li>
<li class="li3">2% salt</li>
<li class="li3">20% sourdough starter</li>
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The bread was fine. My wife liked it a lot. She refused to let me give one of these loaves to my friend David, she thought we might need it this weekend when company came to visit. We didn't. There was a lot to eat. Too much, in fact -- as always.</div>
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Today I want to talk about some easy tests that one can perform to determine whether a food is harmful to you or not. But lets start by examining one of the tests of the Tartine method. Please note that Chad Robertson falls short of calling this test a "proof," as many other stages of breadmaking have been traditionally labelled. I think that's wise.</div>
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<b>Tartine Sourdough Float Test</b></div>
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I've mentioned the Tartine Bread test of the viability of the sourdough starter before: the Tartine sourdough starter is supposed to float, when added to water. That is a rather simple test, which some people have experienced, and yet other people who have tried the Tartline method have reported problems with achieving it. </div>
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For me, in the beginning my whole wheat starter would sink, but now I can usually get it to float somewhat, for a second or two, if I time the starter appropriately. But I'm not even sure that my starter <i>ought</i> to float, since it is not identical to the Tartine sourdough starter: my starter is whole grain, whereas the Tartine starter is not. Will that make a difference? Or would changing the hydration of the starter make a difference? How long ought the starter to float before it then sinks or dissolves in water?</div>
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I'm still not really convinced that the test is telling me anything important. I can make bread with or without the float test. I tend to think that any dough is going to float unless it becomes waterlogged. The sourdough is already half water. The other half is flour, which when mixed with water immediately begins building a network of gluten, which can trap both air and the product of yeasts and lactic bacteria -- gas and alcohol. How much gas? How much alcohol? Alcohol is less dense than water, so will it promote floating? Brewers like to measure the specific gravity of their worts, but bakers are more interested in the gas than the alcohol, which burns away upon baking. But if there is more alcohol, there is going to be some CO2 as well -- at least until the cells that trap the dough become waterlogged and release the gas. So the graph of when the ball of sourdough sinks might be more or less linear. Sink or swim, the ball of sourdough is going to contain some viable yeast and LAB cells, some water, some alcohol, some gas, some food for the microbiota in the form of flour amylose. The density of water changes with temperature; at 4 degrees C, it is about 1.0 g/cubic c; at room temperature, between 60 or 80 degrees C, it will be about 0.98-0.97 g/cubic c. Ethanol is going to be less, somewhere around 0.79 g/cubic c. But ethanol and water freely mix, so they will not remain separate for long.</div>
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So what difference does the Tartine float test make on a loaf? Clearly, there is a lot more going on in my sourdough than I can describe easily. And this simple test is a lot more complicated than it first appears. If we don't actually know what we are testing, why are we doing this test?</div>
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Yet in the absence of actually counting how many viable cells there are in my sourdough, a simple test like this may be the only kitchen-worthy method of discovery that we have. It is simple, it gives us a yardstick into the viability of the starter, and it is fast. Even if it might be bogus. And I'm not saying it is bogus. I'm just saying -- we don't actually know what it proves, or even what it is testing.</div>
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<b>Update on my Juicer</b></div>
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Our juicer arrived the other day, and we've used it a couple of times, with great curiosity and interest. It does take some time to cut up the veggies and mash them into the grinder, but it is also fun and we are enjoying this honeymoon/ experimentation phase with our new appliance. Some of the drinks have been pretty awful, but some are surprisingly tasty.</div>
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As I've been reading more and more about juicing, and raw, 'living' foods recently, it didn't take me long to encounter some of the theories about balancing Acidic and Alkaline foods (such as those examined by Kris Carr in her video "Crazy Sexy Cancer", e.g. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-pH-Miracle-Balance-Reclaim/dp/0446556181">Young, R. (2010) The pH Miracle: balance your diet, reclaim your health</a>). I've been dipping into various books on the matter, as well as revisiting some of the books I've had for some time on raw diets (but never actually read, because I assumed it was not for me).</div>
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It turns out, you can't believe everything you see on these videos; and you can't always believe everything you read, either. At least, I can't seem to take it at face value, I have to look at it a bit more closely. For example, there is the question of digestive leukocytosis.</div>
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<b>Digestive Leukocytosis</b></div>
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Recently I watched the video "<b><a href="http://www.foodmatters.tv/">Food Matters</a></b>" and heard the talking heads who were being interviewed quote <a href="http://www.igienenaturale.it/Post-Prandial%20Leucocytosis.pdf">a study by Swiss researcher <b>Paul Kouchakoff</b> from the 1930s</a>. This video touted the benefits of a Raw Food diet, and Kouchakoff's study is one of those chestnuts that is frequently trotted out by those who are pro-raw food as proof that the body considers all cooked foods toxins. Kouchakoff is supposed to have compared white blood cells (both number and types) when eating raw foods, cooked foods, or highly refined foods, and found that raw foods do not alter the body's leukocytes; but cooked foods do, and processed foods do even more. Kouchakoff went on to determine at what temperature various foods (cereals, nuts, vegetables, dairy products, seafood, meat) cause this increase in white blood cells -- because we also see white blood cells increase when the body senses inflammation. He concludes that eating cooked and processed foods leads to a pathological state.</div>
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However, this study has largely been ignored by the scientific community because it was not reproducible, or else Kouchakoff's conclusions could not be entirely supported by observable evidence. Today, scientists note that many things affect the body's white blood cell count and distribution: in addition to inflammation and toxins that might increase white blood cells, there are also variants by sex, age, race, level of excitement, exercise, diet, time of day, and season of the year, leading some to suggest that things as subtle as changes in the intensity of sunlight might be triggers for changing the body's leukocyte homeostasis. Videbaek's 1946 study (<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0954-6820.1946.tb06168.x/abstract">Videbaek, A. (1946) Is 'digestive leukocytosis' a reality? Acta med scand. 123(5) pp. 449-471</a>) was enough to poo-poo Kouchakoff's conclusions in the minds of mainstream scientists (see, for example, <a href="http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/content/3/5/612.full.pdf">Englebreth-Holm and Videbaek, A. (1948) Normal Blood counts in different seasons</a>). The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine says that you can have elevated white blood cells after eating a large meal. How much food did Kouchakoff's subjects eat? That doesn't seem to be part of the study.</div>
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And yet, perhaps there is something to it. We know that white blood cells do elevate, sometimes dramatically, when the body encounters stress, or toxins, or inflammation, or trauma, etc. </div>
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The term "digestive leukocytosis" is not really used much anymore. Instead, leukocytosis is defined by the type of white blood cell that is predominately elevated: neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. Which of these are elevated will help the physician diagnose what's happening.</div>
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These days, even instead of a specific leukocytosis, one hears of "leukemoid reaction", "systemic inflammatory response syndrome," (SIRS), sepsis, and leukaemia. Besides these named conditions, there can be a rapid increase of white blood cells due to inflammation. Often it is due to the white blood cells themselves encountering inflammation, and sending out "colony stimulating factor" or CSF, to ask the bones to release more white blood cells to help fight the inflammation. The body's response is very quick indeed.</div>
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Possibly a form of leukocytosis <i>could</i> be a result of ingesting something toxic to the body. Possibly a form of leukocytosis <i>could</i> be a result of ingesting a cooked food. So again, there <i>might</i> be something to it.</div>
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But what? Like the Tartine sourdough starter float test, do we even know what we are testing for, when we check the blood for leukocytes following a meal of a single food following a fast? How do we know whether what we are testing for is significant? Is any correlation causative?</div>
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And without a lab in one's basement to actually check the blood values as they change, what can the average person do with the knowledge that the white blood cells change when we eat different things?</div>
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More info on inflammatory reactions to food might be garnered if instead of white blood cells we tested homocysteine levels, or C-Reactive Protein in the blood. But again, who has that kind of lab in their basement?<br />
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<b>Tests in Felicia Drury Kliment's book</b></div>
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I've been perusing with great fascination Felicia Kliment's popular book, "<a href="http://www.klimentbooks.com/">The Acid Alkaline Balance Die (2010)</a>." This book has drawn <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Acid-Alkaline-Balance-Diet-Second/dp/0071703373">a wide range of comments from reviewers on Amazon</a>, from those who love it, to those who hate it, and the mid-range reviewers mostly didn't get what they thought they were buying. </div>
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I'm simply interested in it for the various tests that she includes. These tests seem simple enough to do without a laboratory. Whether or not the tests are bogus or not is beside the point, at the moment: for me, it is enough that they are <i>interesting</i>. They are also simple to perform in the home without a full laboratory, so anyone can try them.</div>
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Kliment suggests that the foods we eat can result in waste products following digestion (or partial digestion) that leave our body in either an acidic state or an alkaline state. She does not make the mistake that some other authors do, who suggest we ought to eat to balance our pH: these often forget that the stomach itself is quite acidic, and so despite what the food originally starts out with, its pH is going to change chemically anyway. She notes that some foods start out acidic, but after digestion some of them actually tend to act as a base to neutralize the pH levels. Therefore some of her recommendations can be surprising.</div>
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Kliment once suffered from acid reflux herself, and discovered that eating foods that did not trigger this ailment, she could correct it. Based on her experience with stomach acids, she came to the conclusion that there are three different ways people metabolize foods: quickly, with excess stomach acid, slowly, with reduced stomach acid, or balanced. To discover which metabolic type one is, she uses the simple test devised by the dentist/nutritionist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Donald_Kelley"><b>Dr. William Donald Kelley</b></a> (author of <a href="http://www.drkelley.com/CANLIVER55.html">One Answer to Cancer</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kelleys-self-different-metabolic-types/dp/B0006XHRTS">Self Test for the Different Metabolic Types</a> and The Kelley Program) in the 1970s: The idea is to take 50mg of Niacin with water on an empty stomach, and observe its effects 30 minutes after ingestion. Niacin, or vitamin B3, is water-soluble and acidic, and will complement the stomach's acidity, she says. If after eating 50mg of niacin you are flushed, feel heat, and itch, you have a "meat-eating metabolism" (she says) and require meat to slow your metabolism down. If you feel warmer, have better colour and feel euphoria, you have a balanced metabolism and can eat anything. If you feel nothing, you have a "grain eating metabolism" who will thrive on quickly moving grains, as well as fish. She calls this the "Metabolic Type Niacin Test." How reliable it is, I won't hazard a guess. But <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacin">wikipedia</a> currently says that the RDA for niacin for adult men is 16mg/day, and that most people get the niacin flush at 35mg/day. So with this metabolic typing, just about everyone is going to have a "meat eating metabolism," if you are niacin-naive. Of course, this is a vitamin that is sometimes prescribed or suggested by physicians to people who want to lower their cholesterol; the flushing of the skin can go away with repeated use. Notice that Kliment doesn't mention whether the suggested dose of niacin might be different for different body weights, or if you have already been eating a lot of animal products (organ meats contain fairly high amounts), or lots of grains (whole grains contain quite a bit). As <a href="http://doctoryourself.com/niacin.html">DoctorYourself.com</a> suggests, everyone's 'saturation level' of niacin is going to be different. So how can the flushing at 50mg be diagnostic for everyone? (Incidentally, I've found that Metabolic Typing is still going strong today, witness: <a href="http://www.themetabolicinstitute.com/">The Metabolic Institute</a>; but various firms that promote Metabolic Typing have fallen into disrepute among mainstream medicine and at times they have even run afoul of the law -- see for example, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_typing">wiki</a>, or the work of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Gonzalez_(physician))">Nicholas Gonzalez</a>, which continues and expands Kelley's work. See also <a href="http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Cancer/kg.html">Quackwatch's article on Gonzalez</a>.)</div>
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Still not sure, after taking the niacin test, about whether you should change your diet from vegetarian to carnivore, or vice versa? I wouldn't be. To confirm the diagnosis of one's body type, Kliment says, one should take 8g of vitamin C for 3 days to see how you feel: increased irritability, depression or exhaustion indicates a meat-eating metabolism, no change means a balanced metabolism, and more energy means a grain-eating metabolism (she says). Since<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C"> the RDA for vitamin C is currently set at 90mg</a>, Kliment's suggested dose of 8000mg seems a bit high. I think I would be irritable at that dose, considering how much vitamin I'd be peeing down the toilet. I'd probably be exhausted because I'd also have diarrhea, and the toilet and I would be great pals at the end of those 3 days.</div>
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Kliment suggests that the (2 or 3) different metabolic types have evolved from different human cultures and communities who obtained most of their diet from either grains or meats. Indeed, she makes some specific sweeping claims about various cultures throughout the book which seem a bit uncomfortable, like racial profiling.</div>
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I am more interested in another test, popularized in her book, and following the work of the <b>Dr. Arthur F. Coca </b>in 1994, whereby she says we can determine if we are allergic to any given food. Before one can perform the test on any given foodstuff, one must take one's pulse, several times a day, to arrive at one's norm. She suggests the pulse be counted in the morning before arising, and then again before meals, and finally in the hour of sleep. If the rate never exceeds 84, she says, "you probably don't have any food allergies." After a week of monitoring the pulse, one examines the pulse before, 30 minutes, and 60 minutes after eating one food on an empty stomach. From Kliment's experience, a pulse that is 4-5 beats higher after eating than before eating indicates an allergic reaction. Alternatively, one can test the blood pressure; if it reads 135/85 30 minutes after eating a specific food, it indicates an allergic reaction (provided you started out with a BP of 130/80 or less): again, 4-5 degrees higher indicates an allergic reaction. This allergy test she calls "The Pulse Test."</div>
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Kliment also uses a similar test using a thermometer to check one's thyroid status (she calls it the Basal Thermometer Test, or the Test for Underactive Thyroid, and cites the work of <b>Dr. Broda Barrens</b>). This test is the first step, and then there are a raft of other blood tests that can complement it or narrow down the problems. Blood pressure and temperature together give information on the thyroid. Kliment goes on to suggest some foods to eat and avoid that will remedy one's thyroid hormones.</div>
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It occurred to me that Kliment's pulse test might be something I could try, since I fast twice a week, and could trial some different foods on an empty stomach quite easily. And of course, I am curious about whether eating bread affects me negatively. Unfortunately, my heart rate never seems to get over 60 when I test it at rest. I do notice some subtle changes in my heart rate and blood pressure when I over-eat, but this doesn't seem to be tied to any specific food, and it is not an increase of 4-5 beats/min like Kliment says. I really don't think that the pulse test is sensitive enough to tell me that any food I eat is causing me to be allergic or sensitive to it. Perhaps with some people, the test might work, I don't know.</div>
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I'm not convinced, but if some people find these tests work for them, and they believe it, why not go for it? For me, I wish it was that easy.</div>
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<b>Simpler tests, but more and more bogus</b></div>
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Of course there are even easier ways of finding out allergic reactions to food, if you can believe them. You can try the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_kinesiology">applied kinesiology</a> techniques of <a href="http://www.veritaspub.com/">Dr. David R. Hawkins</a> and others. Simply hold the food item in one hand, and try to hold up the other arm while someone pushes your arm down. If that foodstuff is no good for you, you will be weaker. <i>Or so they say.</i></div>
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You could also try a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendling#Other_equipment_used_for_dowsing">pendulum</a> to contact your subconscious. Is that piece of chocolate really good for you? Your subconscious knows it isn't, and the pendulum will swing in the "don't eat me!" position, no matter how your conscious mind intends to swing it in the "eat me!" position. <i>Or so they say.</i></div>
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<b>Update on the Juicing</b></div>
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The point of all this is, we have to be careful what we believe. We have to be careful what we think we are measuring. I might believe that juicing is going to make me healthier in the long run, but I also know that its going to cost me something. I am going to be ingesting a lot more vegetables than ever before, and that's a good thing, but I also look at the piles of fiber that I'm composting with each juice I make, and I think, "I used to eat all that." What am I really gaining by drinking these juices instead of eating the whole thing? As long as I still eat the same amount of vegetables that I used to, in addition to the juicing, I am really just flooding my system with mega amounts of micronutrients, in concentrated form. What will that do to my bread craving, I wonder?<br />
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One of my first thoughts when I saw the amount of fiber I was throwing away was, "<i>I wonder if I can add that to my bread?</i>" Another thought was, "<i>Why can't I ferment it and eat it?</i>" No doubt I'll end up trying both, as I walk this new path (juicing, raw food) while still straddling the old diet path (my whole grain bread, and a diet that is lacto-ovo vegetarian).</div>
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Eventually, something's gotta give. When I begin the detox from bread and other dead foods, perhaps I will decide never to return to them. Or will I?</div>
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I'm very curious to learn whether or not I'll break my bread addiction following a juice fast of 10, 21, 30 or 60 days (haven't decided yet how long or what form the detox will take. More research is necessary). And if I do, will I become a complete vegan ("one of <i>those</i> people"), or will I still eat some dairy product?<br />
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I guess I'll just have to wait and see. The only real test in the end is whether I feel better after a detox, and if a bread-free diet would be sustainable or desirable for me.</div>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>I still have lots of questions about juicing. Is an organic carrot that is pulled from the ground, washed, bagged and shipped halfway around the world still a living food, once you juice it? If you believe in the benefits of whole foods, how can you justify throwing away that much pulp? If you believe in the benefits of local eating, how can you justify going 1000miles or more to get a vegetable, or 10000miles to get a fruit? I'm just a neophyte when it comes to juicing, and not yet a total convert. I've just spent 3+ years baking bread and insisting on whole grain bread, and here I am starting to eat fruits and vegetables that are not whole. Does that make sense?</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>I wonder what it would be like to add wheatgrass juice to bread, as the bread's hydration. I'm sure the raw foodists wold be horrified: go to all that trouble to get a raw living juice, and then totally destroy it in the oven? Tsk tsk. And yet I'm still straddling the two worlds, still thinking about bread while I'm making juice. </b></i></li>
<li><i><b>I have not yet begun my 'detox' (or what Joe Cross calls a 'reboot'). Since I'm not overweight (according to my BMI, that is; I have never calculated my total body fat), I wonder if I even need the detox. Perhaps I will just feel better -- healthier, more energetic, younger -- if I give up bread and dairy and embrace the juice. Do I have one of those systemic Candida yeast infections, and if I detox it will be like coming out of a fog? Or am I one of the lucky people who is already fairly healthy, on my lacto-ovo veggie diet? Who knows? Unless I try it, I will never know.</b></i></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-86112284421310778082013-04-21T18:45:00.001-07:002013-04-21T18:45:44.267-07:0017% Rye Bread with Ginger Tea<br />
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<b>17% Rye Bread with Ginger Tea</b></div>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Dead Food</b><br />
No matter how healthy I try to make it, whole grain, sourdough, long fermented, organic ingredients, freshly milled, pure water, finest sea salt -- bread is just another <i>processed food</i>. Sure, it gives me fiber. Sure, it gives me energy and calories. Sure it gives me many macro and micro nutrients. But it is not an unqualified 100% bonus. There are some negatives to eating bread, many of which I've touched on or outlined in this blog as I've learned about them.<br />
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John Gabriel (teacher of the weightloss/eating/visualizing plan the <a href="http://www.thegabrielmethod.com/">Gabriel method</a>) lost a lot of weight by eating raw foods, juicing -- and visualizing. I watched the DVD extra interview with Gabriel after the movie "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MvAM97VDE8">Hungry for Change</a>" (a video which I mentioned at the end of a <a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/04/a-couple-of-breads-and-detoxification.html">recent blog</a>). Jon's take is that you have to <i>forgive</i> your body for becoming fat; it didn't know you didn't want to store all those extra calories you were eating. Your body was expecting lean times, like what the first humans experienced.<br />
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That makes sense, and its also been my experience. Now that I fast 2x/week, I am giving my body a little bit of lean times, and my body is using the pounds I would otherwise put on. I'm not losing anymore weight; I'm at a sort of plateau: I gain weight when I eat, I lose weight when I fast. Just a couple of pounds, but its real. No surprise there. Without the frequent fasts, I'm sure that my body would just pack it on, expecting the lean times to come back sooner or later. And bread to me is like heroin to a junkie.<br />
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But something else Jon Gabriel said in the extra interview from "Hungry for Change" really stuck with me. He said he used to crave bread, but now he considers it "dead food." He has lost his desire to eat it, since he started eating raw, living food.<br />
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For some reason, that phrase struck home. <br />
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Gabriel's story (and others like it) have further encouraged me to at least try a detoxification from bread and other dead foods (like dairy, and caffeine), to see how I feel, to find out what might happen. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Enter the Juicer</b><br />
My wife and I have decided to buy a juicer. This involved a bit of research, and then a decision on which juicer was right for us and our budget. I think we might have swallowed a bit of a sales pitch, but we have decided on the <a href="http://www.omegajuicers.com/juicers/lowspeed-juicers/juicer-8006.html">Omega 8006</a>. The sales pitch is that this single-auger juicer goes slow enough that it won't destroy enzymes, and so you get more nutrient, more juice, and more flavour. Centrifugal juicers say that their machines are faster and more convenient, thus, you are more likely to use them; the <a href="http://www.breville.ca/?gclid=CPbtgMPm27YCFaNhMgodERcAjQ">Breville Juicer</a> has seen a lot of happy customers since the video "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" came out (we've also recently watched this video too and were inspired by it). Cleaning time for the juicer was another issue. The Omega juicer we bought can be disassembled, rinsed, and reassembled quickly, so that's a bonus. Plus, if we don't become "one of <i>those</i> people" (raw food eaters who are juicing all the time and annoying everyone else who puts something <i>dead</i> in their mouths), we figure we can still use it to make nut butters -- and I can continue eating bread with healthier toppings. Also, unlike the centrifugal juicers, the Omega 8006 can juice wheatgrass. With my interest in wheat and bread, and my curiosity abut detox and how I determined I am about omitting bread from my diet (at least for a time), I want to try wheatgrass. If I like it, it should be fairly easy for me to grow my own, from the organic seed I've been using in my bread. But I don't want to get ahead of myself. We just have to get the machine first, use it a few times, and then figure out what's the best way, and the best time for me to go on a detox.<br />
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I warned my friend David that I am thinking of going on a detox -- no bread, no dairy, no caffeine, no food except juice -- for a period of time. David has been enjoying my bread quite a lot recently. He helps me out by eating half of what I make. He eats other stuff too, of course; but he says that my bread has helped him with his occasional flair ups of diverticulitis and acid reflux (neither of which I've ever suffered from). I don't want to disappoint him, but I wanted to warn him that the constant flow of bread that's been coming his way may dry up for a time -- or, if I kick bread from my diet entirely, perhaps even forever. I mean, I just don't know what will happen. I can scarcely imagine life without bread and cheese, at this point.<br />
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<b>Meanwhile until the Juicer comes...</b><br />
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Here's a bread made with Ginger Tea as the hydration, and I've steeped the dough.</div>
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Before milling my wheat, I made a litre of tea using <a href="http://www.yogiproducts.com/">Yogi brand</a> organic <a href="http://www.yogiproducts.com/products/details/ginger/">Ginger Tea</a>. This steeped for about an hour or more, and it was still somewhat warm to the touch when I combined my sourdough with it. The freshly milled organic wheat was also warm to the touch, and this made me curious about the dough temperature. I tested it at 104 degrees F, once I had combined the salt. That is MUCH warmer than my usual temperature. I usually use a coolish water from the tap that is hooked up to our sandpoint (shallow well) and its multiple filters.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ginger Tea</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">104 degrees F.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Added some tea with the salt, added more later to "steep the dough"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Steeped Dough.<br />
Most of the watery tea that this dough was sitting in has absorbed into the dough.</td></tr>
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<b>Ingredients</b>:</div>
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<li class="li1">830g organic wheat berries, freshly milled</li>
<li class="li1">170g rye kernels, freshly milled</li>
<li class="li1">200g sourdough starter at peak</li>
<li class="li1">20g coarse sea salt</li>
<li class="li1">890g organic ginger tea</li>
<li class="li1">A few flax seeds for the bottom of the proofing basket</li>
</ul>
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<b>Method</b>:</div>
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Once the tea was tepid and not steaming hot, I combined the yeasty sourdough and mixed thoroughly with 790g of it, reserving the rest of the litre-o'-tea. Poured the sourdough tea over the fresh milled wheat and rye combination and mixed well, until all the flour was wet. Then I let it autolyse for 30 minutes before adding the salt. The salt was added with 50g of ginger tea, bringing the hydration at this point to 840g. I kneaded this in the bowl, and squoozied it several ways and then rebuilt the gluten using stretches, turns and air-kneading. Then the dough sat another 30 minutes. Finally, I did something I've never done before: I did the usual stretch and turn, but then I added 50g MORE hydration, to bring the total to 890g. However, this hydration was not incorporated into the dough, the dough just sat in the bowl with it. And off I went to yoga for a couple of hours.</div>
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When I got home, the water had incorporated into the dough, and it had risen. Must have been the heat, to make the dough rise so quickly. Also, it was well hydrated, and the bacteria and yeasts must have liked the ginger tea. I let it sit another couple of hours anyway, and then divided the dough, lightly shaped it, gave it a bench-rest, and then did the final shaping before proofing. The baskets sat covered another couple of hours, and then were baked at 450 degrees F for 40 minutes on preheated stones, with steam.</div>
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Using this technique, the gluten was not well developed, and the dough could have been a lot tighter. But it was a sloppier style of bread, and I had to be gentle with it. You can see I was somewhat tentative in scoring it. It saw a moderate amount of oven spring only.</div>
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<b>Results</b></div>
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The bread is quite good. There is little or no ginger tea scent or taste. But there is a very subtle hint of <i>something</i> different -- a kind of wakening up of the back of the tongue after you swallow some bread, that reminds me of ginger (but perhaps that is just because I know it is there. It is really an undefinable something, and I wouldn't even call it a flavour).<br />
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I draw my life and nourishment from this bread. And yet as I nibble at my slices of homemade bread I remember: there are those who call this<i> dead food.</i><br />
<br />
Who knows, when you start on a journey, where it will take you? Long ago, even before this blog, when I began baking bread, I was baking <a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2010/03/everyday-bread-4.html">bread detox loaves.</a><br />
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Well, there's detox, and there's detox. I wasn't here then, I was there; now that I'm here, and I've moved on, and its time to detox from all bread. Just to see what will happen.<br />
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>This bread was unusual because I steeped the dough in warm water (tea). I've never done that before, and it did get the hydration up. This could be a new technique, like the no-knead techniques that took off a short while ago. Steeping minimally-kneaded dough in water gives it the chance to absorb more water without kneading more. This idea could be explored further. I've never seen anything like it anywhere else. This unique idea came from my kitchen -- just when I couldn't care less.</b></i></li>
</ul>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-84488116691449261442013-04-21T05:27:00.000-07:002013-04-21T05:27:00.585-07:00A Couple of Breads and a Detoxification Plan outlined<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week in Yoga class, our instructor read out a couple of paragraphs from a book on prosperity meditations by the musician GuruGanesha Singh. This one has stuck with me all week, so I thought I'd reproduce part of it here:</div>
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<i>GUIDING PRINCIPLE 2:</i></div>
<i></i><br />
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<i><i>Do Something That Is True To Your Core</i></i></div>
<i>
Do something that you have no duality about. Do something that every one of your 72 trillion cells believes is good for the entirety of existence. Then, it has to be good for you. Do something that you truly believe is in the best interest of your divine self and of the whole planet…</i> </blockquote>
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<i>There is a difference between being in love with a job and recognizing that you are doing something that is true to your core, something that is in harmony with your inner integrity. Whatever it is you are doing you need to be excelling at. I’ve always been a subscriber to the “s#*t or get off the pot mentality.” Don’t hang around in a state of duality. You do not serve yourself or the people around you.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>If you do not have conviction in what you are doing, then you’ve got to find something else, take the risk and make the switch.</i></blockquote>
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<i>(F</i>rom: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kundalini-Transformation-Kit-Prosperity-Ganesha/dp/0983569517">Yoga and Mantras for Prosperity: Bring wealth and Abundance into your Life. (2011)</a></div>
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I am one of the fortunate these days, because I believe in what I am doing, when I am working at my job. As a palliative care nurse, I care for people who are terminally ill, and oftentimes I am relieving their pain, if that is what they require. That sort of caring <i>is</i> true to my core, and I'm honoured to be able to serve in this way. Of course, there is a lifetime to everything. My job cannot last forever. And who am I, what am I, without it?</div>
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I wonder about my hobby time, when I'm at home baking bread, and blogging about it. I love bread, and quite clearly I am addicted to it, because from the very first I called myself an <i>exorphin junkie</i>. I do try to make it the healthiest way I know, and the three plus years I've been blogging about my bread I have also been educating myself on what that means: "<i>healthy bread.</i>" I know many people would call that an oxymoron. And I know there is this duality about grain (and bread in particular) in my life: I <i>know</i> I overdo it, I <i>know</i> I eat far too much of it; and from what I've learned about it, I can't say with conviction that this much of it <i>is</i> good for humans to eat. Many of my blog postings have outlined my ambivalence. I've examined both pros and cons of wheat and other grains.</div>
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I don't consider myself particularly unhealthy -- I haven't been off sick for years, and I can't remember my last cold -- but whether that is due to my vegetarian diet or clean living <<i>ahem</i>>, or dumb luck, I don't know. I've seen lots of people who live clean lives die before their time, and we all know that in the end death is the result for all of us. As radio show host <a href="http://www.drjoy.com/">Dr. Joy Browne</a> often says, "<i>none of us are getting out of here alive.</i>" And yet we can stack the deck in our favour if we eat right and exercise: then, there is less chance that the cancer or heart disease or other chronic ailments will take us too early.</div>
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As far as grains go, I believe we need them, as a species, to continue to have this many people on our planet; but I cannot unequivocally say that we humans <i>thrive</i> on grain. There are many good things about wheat and other grains -- but there are also some detrimental things about them. Some of these things are known, some of them are guesswork. I like bread, but that doesn't mean that it is all good.</div>
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Without the 100% conviction, according to GuruGanesh Singh, I should "take the risk and make the switch."</div>
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So: in the next little while, I'm going to be buying a juicer and trial a 21-day fast, to detoxify. Whether I will come back to bread or not, I'm not absolutely sure. Perhaps if I detoxify I will break my bread addiction. But if not, I'll come back to my sourdough loaves knowing more about myself.</div>
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I assume I'll make at least a couple more blog postings with bread in them before I get organized with the juicer and sourcing the organic veggies to feed it. But then there may be something of an hiatus in the blog while I juice. Or I could use this blog space to chronicle my bread-free detoxification period, if anyone is interested. <i>What would it be like for the exorphin junkie to go off bread cold turkey?</i></div>
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Meanwhile, until I decide on a juicer and buy one, here are a couple more breads. Business as usual.</div>
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<b>1. "Capelli-inspired Sourdough Built Bread.</b></div>
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Once again, I made the bread that I keep calling a "Capelli" bread, even though it contains no Capelli ingredients, nor does it follow the official Capelli Sourdough Bread Building Technique, but rather it used my own oversimplification of the Capelli technique. As I've made it here, it is merely a slightly slower building of the sourdough in the bread, nothing more. </div>
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The only thing ingredient I changed this time was, I added the wheat germ. And I changed the method somewhat: I had to work, rather than stay home and bake, so for the final bulk fermentation and proofing, I set the dough covered in a bag in the cool garage, and baked it 14 hours later.</div>
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It still turned out a nice loaf, although the gluten wasn't developed enough because I didn't have enough time to knead it before work.</div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
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<b>2. 20% Rye with Smokey Tomato Sauce</b></div>
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The other bread today was a 20% rye bread, with some of our homemade Smokey Tomato sauce. </div>
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I've used the <a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/01/end-of-year-breads-i-important-smokey.html">sauce</a> and stuff related to the sauce (<a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2012/09/smokey-tomato-bread.html">leftover pulp</a>) in bread before, and it went well. But this time I wanted to see of our "B" grade sauce would make a nice loaf. And it did.</div>
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I call it "B" grade sauce because the first batch of sauce we made this past harvest, we used the wrong wood smoke. The result was a somewhat bitter sauce. But it works fine in the bread.</div>
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<li class="li2">200g rye</li>
<li class="li2">800g ww</li>
<li class="li2">750g water</li>
<li class="li2">200g sourdough</li>
<li class="li2">50g wheat germ</li>
<li class="li2">236g Smokey Tomato Sauce</li>
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This was a tasty bread, and was good with cheese. The bitter notes in the rye perhaps were heightened by the bitterness of the B-grade smokey tomato sauce; but after the long fermentation, you really didn't notice it all that much.<br />
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>I've recently watched a couple of videos that have inspired this detoxification idea: one is "Hungry for Change" where I first learned of Kris Carr. After watching her entire interview (an extra on the DVD), after the documentary, I found myself extremely impressed with this young woman, so much so that I had to find her own movie, "Crazy Sexy Cancer." In that movie, at one point Carr gets a blood test, and the tech who draws her blood shows her the improvement in her red blood cells after she gives up grains (which she had been eating for some time on a macrobiotic diet) while on her juicing detox.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Since fasting a couple of days a week, I've lost some weight. Several people have commented on it -- perhaps I have lost enough that it is noticeable, perhaps they think I am sick. I am, however, still at the higher end of normal, according to the BMI. And I know I'd have more energy if I exercised more. The fasting has been no problem for me, despite my supposed bread addiction; but perhaps it has inspired me to fast from bread even more, and consider this detoxification.</b></i></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-68901081305808903482013-04-09T05:03:00.001-07:002013-04-09T05:03:48.059-07:00More experimental bread: peaches, avocados, capelli style<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Avocado Loaves</b></td></tr>
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I've made a number of breads the last couple of days while I've been off work. Mostly I've just been putting off doing some gardening. Late snows have kept me mostly inside. But the backyard maple syrup has kept me busy enough, venturing out as far as my porch. Every time I turn my dough, I check to see if the pails are full, or if the syrup has boiled down. Win win.<br />
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I haven't used the mill this week. I still have a bit of whole wheat flour to work through, and all of my grain containers are in use now, filled with sap awaiting to be boiled down. So I don't want to open the next bag of grain just yet, until these containers with sap are no longer in use.<br />
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There is a lot of sap this year, as the cold nights continue with the sometimes-bright days. We've had a hard time keeping up with the amount of sap that has to boil away (it is about 40:1; i.e. 40 litres of sap for 1 litre of syrup). Once the pails are empty of sap, I can load the new organic grain into them, and get back to milling my own flour.<br />
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<b>Bread #1: Whole Wheat with a bit of Peach Juice</b><br />
We emptied a jar of last year's home-canned peaches, and I tossed the peach juice into this bread. There was only 83g of juice, but that juice was a light syrup, so this bread is sweeter and it has a faint scent of peaches. Once again, since I'm not milling my own flour, I have to put back the 5% wheat germ that is taken out of the whole wheat flour when it is milled by the roller mill.<br />
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<ul>
<li>1000g ww flour</li>
<li>50g wheat germ</li>
<li>83g peach juice</li>
<li>717g water (to bring the hydration to 80%)</li>
<li>200g sourdough</li>
<li>20g salt</li>
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The syrup may have inhibited the wild yeast a little bit. Or else the hydration wasn't as high as I'd hoped for. Or my wild yeast is slower than normal. I guess what I'm trying to explain is, I didn't see a really nice rise in the bread. However, the end product tastes good, and it rose enough for my purposes.<br />
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<b>Bread #2: Whole Wheat Bread with some Homemade Guacamole</b><br />
This wasn't really guacamole. I didn't have the correct ingredients -- I didn't use any tomatoes, or cilantro or lime. I did ignore <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/guacamole/">a certain recipe for guacamole</a>; I didn't worry too much about it. I just mashed up 5 small avocados, added an onion and 2 cloves of garlic (chopped and minced, respectively), and tossed in a bit of my homemade kimchi for colour and flavour. The weight of this mock-guac was 645g. I used this in my bread, after letting it sit for an hour in the fridge. I read that avocados have quite a range of water content, depending on the fat. I calculated the water at 70% of this guac's weight.<br />
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<ul>
<li>mock-guacamole 645g (~70% of this is water, so it gives me 452g hydration to this point)</li>
<li>water 248g (this brings it to 700g, or 70% water)</li>
<li>17g salt (the kimchi is made with salt, so I backed off the added salt slightly)</li>
<li>1000g ww flour</li>
<li>50g wheat germ</li>
<li>200g sourdough starter</li>
<li>Extra water when I added the salt: 100g (bringing to about 80% hydration)</li>
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Some of the larger pieces of daikon radish and carrots that were in my homemade kimchi I took out as I was kneading, but this was an extremely tight ball of dough. I even had trouble incorporating all of the ingredients at first. When I added the salt, I added 100g of water, something I immediately regretted, since it made the dough quite gooey and hard to work with. The gluten that I'd developed to that point all fell apart. But I persevered with kneading until it all came together again, more or less, after about 10 minutes. Avocados contain a lot of oil, too, so this dough was really quite slippery.<br />
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To firm it up, after making it too sloppy, I kept it overnight in the cold garage. It hadn't risen much. I kept it out for about 2 hours before baking, but still didn't see much rise before it hit the oven. It saw no rise in the oven either. And after the usual Tartine-time of 40 minutes at 450 degrees, it felt somewhat soggy and underdone. I turned the loaves over on the hot stones and left them in the oven another 10 minutes. It could have used even more.<br />
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This bread tastes okay; it is very moist, probably because of the oil content of the avocado. If anyone else is making this, e.g.<i> future-cellarguy</i>, you could make do with less mockguac, i.e. fewer avocados. The taste, however, is quite good -- and it has this hint of peppery spicy, because of the kimchi I added. A few more minutes would have been better in the oven to ensure that the thing is totally baked through, but I'll survive with what I ended up with. An interesting bread experiment it was.<br />
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<b>Avogadro's Constant</b><br />
Whenever I have avocados I always think of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avogadro_constant">Avogadro's number</a>, currently defined as a constant number of particles (e.g. atoms (protons), or molecules) in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(unit)">mole</a> of matter. This is a pretty big number that scientists are still measuring with ever-more-refined instruments. Currently it has been decided it is somewhere around 6.022 141 x 10<sup style="line-height: 1em;">23</sup> mol<sup style="line-height: 1em;">-1</sup>. This number is big enough to find a mention in wikipedia's article on "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_numbers">large numbers</a>"; I read it as "more than 602 sextillion;" I don't even know if that's right, but it hardly matters, since it is a number that is pretty much inconceivable to me.<br />
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Incidentally, it hardly seems possible that there can be so little <i>apparent</i> difference between the amount of matter in a mole, and the amount of matter in the entire universe: it is just a simple order of magnitude, after all, and expressing the difference using scientific notation, the numbers don't really <i>seem</i> all that different (see: <i>estimated number of atoms in the observable universe, 10<sup style="line-height: 1em;">80</sup></i>). But then, these orders of magnitude are pretty deceptive to minds like ours that typically use much smaller numbers.<br />
<br />
Working with sourdough, we have at hand some rather large numbers as well. I wondered how much yeast and lactobacillus is actually in my starter and dough. Although they are invisible to me, I know they are there because I see the evidence of their existence in every dough that rises mysteriously, and every bread that tastes so sour. One source (<a href="http://aem.asm.org/content/69/12/7453.full.pdf+html">Meroth, C. et al (2003).<i> Identification and population dynamics of yeast in sourdough fermentation processes by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis</i>. Appl. Environ Microbiol. 69(12) pp. 7453-67</a>) told me that there are 1x10<sup style="line-height: 1em;">8 </sup> to 5x10<sup style="line-height: 1em;">9 </sup> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony-forming_unit">CFU (Colony Forming Units, i.e. viable cells)</a> of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) in every gram of sourdough; and there are 5x10<sup style="line-height: 1em;">6 </sup> to 5x10<sup style="line-height: 1em;">5 </sup> CFU/g of yeast. I read that as 100million to 5billion LAB, and 5million to 500thousand CFU/g of yeast.<br />
<br />
Another source (<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168160513001086">Minervini, F. et al (2012). <i>Influence of artisan bakery- or laboratory-propagated sourdoughs on the diversity of lactic acid bacterium and yeast microbiotas</i>. Applied and environmental Microbiology. 78(15). pp. 5328-5340</a>) I found gives the following numbers of microorganisms from the abstract:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i> "The median values of the cell density of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts were 8.05 and 7.03 log CFU/g, respectively"</i></blockquote>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Someone I know</i> (who is <i>much</i> stronger at math than I) helped me to convert the log numbers into CFU/g (which I <i>sort of </i>understand): "raise 10 to the power of whatever your log number is," she advised: so 10^8.05 = 112 201 845 CFU/g (read: just over 112million) and 10^7.03 = 10 715 193 CFU/g (read: over 10million). She also suggested that biologists like to use these log values when dealing with lots of microorganisms, so she also translated the larger values of the first source "into the nicely compact log number:" "just do log(1x10^8) = 8 or log(5x10^9)=9.7"</div>
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<br />
Just know that when you make a sourdough bread, you are utilizing a <i>lot</i> of skilled workers.<br />
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<br />
<b>Bread #3: A Capelli Bread Process Sourdough Experiment</b><br />
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<div class="p1">
Since first <a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/02/hemp-semolina-and-celery-seed-bread-and.html">learning of Capelli bread</a>, I've been thinking about different ways in which sourdough can be built into bread dough. Tartine Bread just gets 20% Sourdough starter added at the final build, and that works for most purposes. However, lately I've been in an experimentin' mood. I'm willing to try other things with my sourdough.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
To recap, Capelli bread is built from 2/3 flour, 1/3 sourdough; water is added to bring the dough to it's final hydration level (be it 65%, 75%, or even 85%, as needed). The sourdough has to arrive at the final build at 100% hydration.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I wondered what sort of schedule I could come up with that starts with roughly a teaspoon of sourdough, but that still uses this 2/3+1/3 rule. </div>
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<br />
This is what I tried the last couple of days. It is a rough approximation of the Capelli ratio idea that I've been fiddling with (<i>see Notes, below for a more thorough examination of my calculations</i>). The building of this dough requires attention every 8 hours:</div>
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<br /></div>
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Start with a measly 10g of sourdough, 10g of flour, and 10g of water, and make a dough. The amount of flour in this dough is actually 15g, and the water is 15g too, since the sourdough is at 100%. After 8 hours, use this amount of sourdough and continue to add the same amounts of flour and water, until you get to the size of sourdough you want; <i>then</i> add only enough water to bring the dough to 80% hydration, add your salt, and let it bulk ferment 4 hours, and proof about 4 hours. That's it. Here is the simplified schedule in table form:</div>
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<table border="2" style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>STAGE (Time)</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Sourdough</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Flour</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Water</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><b>Salt</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Day 1 10pm</b></td>
<td>10g</td>
<td>10g</td>
<td>10g</td>
<td> -</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Day 2 6am</b></td>
<td>30g</td>
<td>30g</td>
<td>30g</td>
<td> -</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Day 2 2pm</b></td>
<td>90g</td>
<td>90g</td>
<td>90g</td>
<td> -</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Day 2 10pm</b></td>
<td>270g</td>
<td>270g</td>
<td>270g</td>
<td> -</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Day 3 6am</b></td>
<td>810g</td>
<td>810g</td>
<td><i>567g (80% hydration)</i></td>
<td>22g</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
That's it. The LAB and yeasts grow exponentially along with the generous feeding schedule, and they make a nice homogenous mixture. This symbiotic environment of LAB and yeasts will evenly distribute flavours, enzymes, enhanced digestible material, and reduce phytates that might be anti-nutrients -- all for the price of a minimal amount of attention and time.<br />
<br />
Note that for all my interest in building a Capelli-style bread, I have not done so here. The final build is not 2/3 flour and 1/3 sourdough, but 1/2 flour and 1/2 sourdough. A true Capelli-style series of builds would be even more complicated than this.<br />
<br />
Final Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>810g whole wheat flour</li>
<li>810g sourdough</li>
<li>567g water</li>
<li>22g salt</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U3LZXzGcMdM/UWLkR_huyDI/AAAAAAAANlI/JcARnezFuaY/s1600/2013_0402AB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U3LZXzGcMdM/UWLkR_huyDI/AAAAAAAANlI/JcARnezFuaY/s1600/2013_0402AB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U3LZXzGcMdM/UWLkR_huyDI/AAAAAAAANlI/JcARnezFuaY/s200/2013_0402AB.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first build comes to 30g</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mNLz1OdhBMg/UWLkR85SvbI/AAAAAAAANlM/bv2xx9KlwJI/s1600/2013_0402AA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mNLz1OdhBMg/UWLkR85SvbI/AAAAAAAANlM/bv2xx9KlwJI/s200/2013_0402AA.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients for second build</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cJfCk7Wb_KI/UWLkR2AUE4I/AAAAAAAANlQ/jLEyZFURF6U/s1600/2013_0403AA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cJfCk7Wb_KI/UWLkR2AUE4I/AAAAAAAANlQ/jLEyZFURF6U/s200/2013_0403AA.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">second build = 90g</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TXAavlL8tLs/UWLkSd-8XMI/AAAAAAAANlg/jhN9YmN9tso/s1600/2013_0403AB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TXAavlL8tLs/UWLkSd-8XMI/AAAAAAAANlg/jhN9YmN9tso/s200/2013_0403AB.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients for third build</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IUbzR_O8WWI/UWLkSh2NFjI/AAAAAAAANl0/XO_UPmIUW-U/s1600/2013_0403AC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IUbzR_O8WWI/UWLkSh2NFjI/AAAAAAAANl0/XO_UPmIUW-U/s200/2013_0403AC.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Third Build = 270g</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CL6qts_e604/UWLkT_JxnAI/AAAAAAAANmE/rJkQBu9-bzU/s1600/2013_0403AI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CL6qts_e604/UWLkT_JxnAI/AAAAAAAANmE/rJkQBu9-bzU/s200/2013_0403AI.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients for 4th Build</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HuGIa569dbw/UWLkUZcxTZI/AAAAAAAANmU/twhmQA9ak98/s1600/2013_0403AJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HuGIa569dbw/UWLkUZcxTZI/AAAAAAAANmU/twhmQA9ak98/s200/2013_0403AJ.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fourth Build = 810g</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L7d0F06GMWg/UWLkWvnuEaI/AAAAAAAANm8/5NAaDttC18c/s1600/2013_0404AF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L7d0F06GMWg/UWLkWvnuEaI/AAAAAAAANm8/5NAaDttC18c/s320/2013_0404AF.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients for the final build</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dhT-k0wd9kA/UWLkWzKJQDI/AAAAAAAANnE/EwdbTXAyBxw/s1600/2013_0404AH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dhT-k0wd9kA/UWLkWzKJQDI/AAAAAAAANnE/EwdbTXAyBxw/s320/2013_0404AH.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proofing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The total flour in this example is 1215g (flour+flour-in-sourdough), which is in the ballpark of the Tartine bread recipes, and will make 2 nice freeform loaves. This schedule resulted in some amazing oven spring, derived in no small part from the coordinated action of all those unnumbered LAB and yeasts. I say unnumbered, because, well... I'm not going to count them. As my dad says, "oh, there are <i>scads</i> of them."<br />
<br />
But there is obviously a simple geometric progression that is happening, when you build your sourdough this way, and mathematicians could express the fine details succinctly, I'm sure. Perhaps using continuous fractions would simplify the calculation of sourdough building details, and a more accurate Capelli-style 2/3:1/3 building method could be devised than the fudge that I've employed here.<br />
<br />
But let's say you continued with this geometric progression of builds, how long would it take until you had enough yeast and lactobacillus to reach Avogadro's constant? How much space would this actually take up? How long before you would fill the entire universe?<br />
<br />
I'll leave that as an exercise for the reader.<br />
<br />
<b>Results</b><br />
A great bread. I doubt it is anything like the ones made in Capelli, of Capelli Durum ingredient fame. But it owes its inspiration to the process of Capelli sourdough builds.<br />
<br />
This bread drew raves from my wife -- who is possibly my toughest critic. "It is not sour," she enthused, "and it tastes really good." I didn't even tell her that this bread was frozen before we used it, I ate the other two loaves first while she was away.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">
<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>Tartine recipes (which I have discovered are suitable for my situation -- i.e. bake 2 loaves and give one away) have 1000g of flour, and 200g of sourdough. I used the Tartine loaf amount of 1200g as my starting point for the Capelli experiment:</b></i><i><b><br />Let's say the final build of our Capelli-experimental dough will contain around 1200g of flour: 2/3 of that amount is 800g (pure flour), and 1/3 = 400g (sourdough). You can add water in any amount to this to get the final hydration you need. Somewhere around 80% is a nice round number; but remember that our sourdough is 200g of water, so we only need to add 600g of pure water at that final build to get to that 80% hydration.<br /><br />To arrive at that final build with a 100% hydrated sourdough, the calculation is even simpler, as can be seen by working backward:<br /></b></i></li>
<li><b><i>End Build (add salt at this stage): <br /><u>1200</u>g flour : 800g water<br />= 792g flour + 408g flour-in-sourdough : 408g water-in-sourdough + 392g water<br />= (0.66% of 1200) + (0.34% of 1200)g flour : 800g water</i></b></li>
<li><b><i>2nd Last Build: <br />Sourdough = 408g flour-in-sourdough+ 408g water-in-sourdough = <u>816</u>g<br />= 269g flour + 139g flour-in-sourdough : 139g water-in-sourdough + 269g water<br />= </i></b><b><i>(0.66% of 816) + (0.34% of 816)g flour : 408g water</i></b></li>
<li><b><i>3rd Last Build: </i></b><b><i>Sourdough = <b style="font-style: normal;"><i> 139g flour-in-sourdough + 139g water-in-sourdough = </i></b><u>278</u>g</i></b><b><i>= 93g flour + 46g flour-in-sourdough : 46g water-in-sourdough + 93g water</i></b><b><i>= </i></b><b><i>(0.66% of 278) + (0.34% of 278)g flour : 139g water</i></b></li>
<li><i><b>
4th Last Build: <br />Sourdough = 46g flour-in-sourdough + 46g water-in-sourdough = <u>92</u>g<br />= 30g flour + 16g flour-in-sourdough : 16g water-in-sourdough + 30g water<br />= (0.66% of 92) + (0.34% of 92)g flour: 46g water</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>First Build (starting with about a teaspoon (10g) of sourdough)<br />Sourdough = 16g flour-in-sourdough + 16g water-in-sourdough = <u>32</u>g<br />= 11g flour + 5g flour-in-sourdough : 5g water-in-sourdough + 11g water<br />= (0.66% of 32) + (0.34% of 32)g flour : 16g water<br /></b></i></li>
<li><i><b> The schedule included in the table in the blog, above, is a rough simplification of this sourdough building schedule; instead of starting with 11g flour, 10g of sourdough, and 11g of water, I simplified it further.</b></i></li>
</ul>
</div>
Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-42520017577452947012013-03-29T17:25:00.002-07:002013-03-29T17:25:41.216-07:00Experimenting with Bread<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pmLswWeeHLM/UVYdnwfd3DI/AAAAAAAANgg/Ba1nPU-zatw/s1600/2013_0326AE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pmLswWeeHLM/UVYdnwfd3DI/AAAAAAAANgg/Ba1nPU-zatw/s640/2013_0326AE.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dried apple and sunflower seed Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The kitchen is one of the places where humans learn about science for the very first time. Experimenting in the kitchen has got to be the place where most of us first "get it": the concept of trying new things, of testing an hypothesis.<br />
<br />
I remember when I was a kid, one of the first experiments I ever made was at breakfast. I liked peanut butter on toast, and I liked cheese whiz on toast. I hypothesized that they would taste great together on toast.<br />
<br />
I was surprised by just how <i>bad</i> it tasted. It was awful. Each taste combined to bring out the absolute worst in the other taste. I had discovered chemistry in my mouth. And not in a good way.<br />
<br />
But there was something about finding things out for myself that remained very satisfying, even if the meal itself was a flop. <br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Bread Experiments</b><br />
<div class="p2">
Last Tuesday I was in a bit of a baking mood. My wife was away: no one to annoy, so I messed up the counters in a kitchen frenzy. I made a couple of loaves.</div>
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<div class="p2">
The first was an experiment with a sourdough that was just past its prime. I often experiment with sourdough discard, wondering what to do with it. I've made breads, and pancakes, and muffins, and quickbreads, and indeera-like flatbreads, and cookies and granola bars, and I've been unhappy with most of what I've made. Perhaps the reason is, sourdough discard is a bit more sour than you might expect for these baked goods. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A few recent discard experiments:</i></div>
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Today I figured: if I was just going to make something like cookies with this discard, adding sugar, why not try adding some sugary substance to it to make a bread? If I was just going to make something with baking powder, couldn't I just as easily make something with yeast? I generally avoid adding sugar or yeast to my bread. And I avoid using processed, white flour too. But for this sourdough discard, I figured I'd try it. Besides, we had some newly-made maple syrup on the counter. I began tossing ingredients together. LIke the maple syrup, I used whatever was at hand. And I wasn't weighing anything.</div>
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<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2">Recently refreshed, but past-its-prime Sourdough Starter (~400g)</li>
<li class="li2">1 c wwflour</li>
<li class="li2">1 c organic white</li>
<li class="li2">~1/c udad flour</li>
<li class="li2">~1 c water</li>
<li class="li2">10g salt</li>
<li class="li2">10g yeast</li>
<li class="li2">~ 1 teaspoon maple syrup</li>
</ul>
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This was kneaded a bit and tightened, and then placed in a buttered tin. It was to rise about 2 hours and then baked. I baked it at 400degrees for about 45 minutes. This loaf turned out fairly nice. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4qN1hxrLD8M/UVYkRseH0RI/AAAAAAAANjo/WVn9qgQrg_w/s1600/2013_0327AF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4qN1hxrLD8M/UVYkRseH0RI/AAAAAAAANjo/WVn9qgQrg_w/s320/2013_0327AF.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One for the chickens.</td></tr>
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<br />
Later, I made another version of the same recipe, just skipping the white flour. It too was okay, but was a bit too moist, or needed a bit longer baking. Or something. One for the chickens. Like most of the other cookies and flatbreads and pancakes that I've been playing with here.</div>
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<b>Dried Apple and Sunflower Seed Bread</b></div>
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This is another bread I made on this day in the kitchen. Later, when I had several finished loaves on the counter, and could pick and choose whichever one I wanted, this was the bread I mostly chose. It was lovely. I froze one, and ate the one I applied the egg wash with great joy.</div>
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<ul>
<li>200 pickle juice</li>
<li>500 water</li>
<li>+100 water</li>
<li>5 c wheat</li>
<li>38g apple, dried</li>
<li>170g sourdough</li>
<li>100g sunflower seeds</li>
<li>One of the loaves is topped with egg wash following baking, sprinkled with a small amount of rock sugar, then placed in cooling oven to set.</li>
</ul>
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<b>Partial Rye Loaf with Onions and Garlic, making it up as I go</b></div>
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A couple of days later, I was still in a baking mood, so I made this onion and garlic Rye bread. It largely started as an experiment in a high-hydration sourdough starter. But from the beginning, I intended on adding onions.</div>
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The onions should have been caramelized a teensy bit more. The garlic infused what was left of the olive oil that the onions were frying in with lots of flavour, and of course, this permeates the bread. A very curious taste, it hits deep in the throat, as if it is a tonic for the thyroid.</div>
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<b>Sourdough</b>:</div>
<div class="p2">
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<ul>
<li>2 c water (228g x 2 = 456g)</li>
<li>1 c wheat (~200g)</li>
<li>1 tsp sourdough</li>
</ul>
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This sourdough starter is at approximately 228% hydration! It was mixed up and left on counter overnight, until foamy.</div>
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<b>Dough:</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>730g water (~4c) </li>
<li>sweet onion + garlic + olive oil = 300g</li>
<li>salt 22g</li>
<li>sourdough (all)= 656g+20g= ~676g</li>
</ul>
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The sweet onion was fried in about 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil while I chopped the garlic bulb. The cloves were starting to sprout a bit, and I used the green sprouts too in the frying pan. It could have used a bit more frying, but I always freak out when I see the onions start to stick to the bottom of the pan, and start backing off the heat. The onions and garlic and olive oil cooled a little bit -- but not too much -- before I added them to the wet mixture.</div>
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<div class="p1">
I mixed the above ingredients before adding any flour at all. Afterwards, I simply added flour, freshly milled, from either rye or wheat kernels. My original intention was to use 1 c of rye, and 4 c of wheat, but because everything was so wet, I ended up using more. I tallied the weights as I went, only totalling it when I was finished.</div>
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<b>{</b></div>
<div class="p2">
<b> added grains:</b></div>
<div class="p2">
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<ul>
<li>1 c rye 185g</li>
<li>3c wheat 675g (total 860)</li>
<li>1/2 c rye 86g (total 946g)</li>
<li>1/4c rye 43g (total 989g)</li>
<li>1/4 c wheat 47g (total 1036)</li>
<li>plus 1/2 cup more (94g), x4 (376g) of wheat</li>
</ul>
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}</div>
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<div class="p2">
<b>Total Grains, freshly milled (figured from the above list of added grains):</b></div>
<div class="p2">
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<ul>
<li>1 3/4 c rye kernels: 314g</li>
<li>5 1/4 c wheat berries: 1098g</li>
</ul>
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<div class="p2">
<i>Total Flour:</i> 1412g</div>
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<div class="p2">
If you add the wheat from the starter, the total flour of this bread is 1612g, and if you add the water from the starter to the total hydration, you get 1186g. The total hydration is thus 74%. Typical Tartine-style salt would be 1.8% of this total flour, somewhere around 29g, so the saltiness of this loaf is a bit low; but the extra flavour from the garlic oil and onions makes up for what might otherwise be blandness. </div>
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This bread turned out nice, for an experiment.</div>
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<div style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">
<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>All recipes are lab notes from other people's experiments. </b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Figure out what the author of any given recipe is trying to prove, and then make your own assumptions. That's what is fun about the kitchen. There's always something else to prove.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Expect some failures. Revel in failures. You learn best through failures. Failures are more memorable than successes.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Lab notes are supposed to provide you with methods and procedures that make what you've proved verifiable to others (or to yourself in other circumstances). Since my bread rarely if ever turns out the same twice, does that make it less science, and more art? But when did the definition of art become "hit or miss?"</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>How many variables are there to control for, in the baking of a simple loaf of bread? Beyond what's already been counted, that's for sure. There are always more variables to consider.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Bread is infinite science. Like any other thing we can try.</b></i></li>
</ul>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-38506422930203340622013-03-27T07:56:00.000-07:002013-03-27T07:56:03.111-07:00Pan Integral celebrates Cracked Wheat<br />
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<div class="p2">
Today was a <b><i>perfect</i></b> day to make another 100% whole wheat bread, with nothing but wheat kernels, water, salt, and my wheat sourdough. Yet another pan integral.</div>
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I had been working nights all weekend, and I didn't want to think about what ingredients to add. This is the economy of simple. It is wheat (100%), milled fine, added to water (80%), tossed with salt (2%), and sourdough (20%): voila. The <b><i>perfect</i></b> bread for tired minds.</div>
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This is also the <b><i>perfect</i></b> bread for today because this is a red-letter day in the history of wheat. March 25, the day when the world has finally sequenced wheat's genome.</div>
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<b>Wheat's Code Cracked</b></div>
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Yes, wheat took much longer to sequence than the human genome. Of course, what we learned in solving the genome of yeast and other relatively simpler organisms was a help for us as we began to sequence the human genome. And the tools that were developed for our own DNA have now helped us to sequence the DNA of other living things that are important to us. Like wheat.</div>
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These polyploid species are pretty complex. When the raw data was published back in 2010, <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100827082155.htm">researchers claimed</a> that "the wheat genome is five times larger than the human genome and presents a huge challenge for scientists." It is also 8x larger than maize, 40x larger than rice.</div>
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But just having a giant string of letters like we already had in 2010 didn't mean we were closer to understanding it. What today's news means is, now we can put a name to each of the wheat genes of the A genome. In 2010 we had the alphabet. Now we have the dictionary.</div>
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This project has been taking place for years, via an international task group (<a href="http://www.wheatgenome.org/">International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium</a>). It began in 2005, following the influential article by IWGSC (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc1448818/">Gill, B. et al (2004). A Workshop Report on Wheat Genome Sequencing. Genetics 168(2) pp. 1087-1096</a>). In 2011 in Cannes, the G20 nations approved the international effort. China was one of the nations invested and involved.</div>
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It makes sense that <a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sci/2013-03/25/c_132260517.htm">the project was completed under the auspices of Chinese researchers in Beijing</a>. China has the biggest stake in the project, after all: China <i>grows</i> more wheat than any other nation. And China <i>imports</i> more wheat than any other nation. In other words, China consumes a lot of wheat, and it is costly to them. China is <i>invested</i>. It makes perfect sense that a nation so dependent upon wheat would want to learn about wheat -- with the ultimate aim of improving it, of course. Improving yields, and nutrition, and varieties that will grow well in China's varied climates makes perfect sense.</div>
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Back in December, <a href="http://resources.made-in-china.com/article/industry-view/enJxbWaMIEDq-Scientists-Unlock-Components-of-Wheat-Genetic-Code/">Nature indicated</a> that Britain, Germany and the US were working on the genome. Since the raw data of the sequence has been published in the UK in 2010, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/28/us-wheat-genes-idUSBRE8AR10020121128">many breakthroughs have been cited</a>, and newer tools were devised to examine boring slices of gene code. These tools would garner excitement among geneticists (e.g. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20512197">Wheat genome's key parts unlocked in new study (2012)</a><b>)</b>, but the rest of us would roll our eyes and say "what?" But now pretty much anyone can jump into the murky waters of wheat's DNA with <a href="http://wheat.pw.usda.gov/GG2/index.shtml">online databases like this one</a>.</div>
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What will it mean for wheat, now that the geni is out of the bottle?</div>
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Now we can write novels, using the dictionary of wheat's DNA.</div>
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<b>Life</b></div>
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I remember very clearly returning to school as an older adult and taking a basic anatomy class, and thinking that very little had changed in biological science since I took courses in university as a younger adult. They were still teaching the same old definition of life that I had learned back in high school, back in the dark ages -- that something is considered alive when it consumes, grows, reproduces.</div>
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But recently I read another book that challenges that. And its not a biology text, its something else, part science, part philosophy, part vision: <b><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Dawn-Symbolic-Life-Jon-Beach/dp/1439268339/">Beach, J. (2010) Symbolic Life: the Future of Human Evolution</a></b>. Beach sat down in a library, preparing to write a book, and his surroundings gave him the eureka moment that thereafter occupied his mind and his life for decades. "I suddenly realized <span class="s1">that </span>I <span class="s2">was </span>sitting <span class="s3">in </span><span class="s4">the </span><span class="s5">middle </span><span class="s6">of </span>a new <span class="s7">and </span>vastly <span class="s1">more </span>powerful type <span class="s6">of </span><span class="s4">gene </span><span class="s3">that </span><span class="s7">had </span><span class="s4">freed </span>us <span class="s5">from </span><span class="s4">the </span>leash <span class="s3">that </span>tethers all <span class="s3">other </span>animals to <span class="s1">their </span>DNA," he writes of his insight. </div>
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"Life generates and stores information through selection and then uses this information to guide its actions," Beach later elaborates. "<span class="s1">The '</span>information' <span class="s2">of </span>a living system is <span class="s3">the coded </span>instructions <span class="s3">in </span>its DNA, <span class="s4">but </span><span class="s5">it </span>also <span class="s6">can </span><span class="s1">be </span><span class="s3">the </span>DNA translation <span class="s6">machinery </span><span class="s3">in </span><span class="s6">each </span>cell <span class="s4">or </span><span class="s3">the learned </span><span class="s6">information </span><span class="s1">in an </span>animal's <span class="s3">brain </span><span class="s2">or </span>nervous system." Specifically, human consciousness arose as an adaptation to store and use information. </div>
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Beach's rather dizzying vision suggests that while humans are bound to their DNA, new symbolic life forms are evolving to handle new levels of information. Humans will be domesticated by these symbolic life forms, and we cannot stop this evolution. It is already happening, as humans give life to governments, corporations and other organizing bodies. We as individuals surrender some of our independent will to these entities; but their survival, and their means of using information, is beyond our control. The final symbolic life form that is selected will be the one that best exploits reality.</div>
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Since the completion of the human genome project, Beach writes, "We have already <span class="s1">been </span><span class="s2">uploaded </span><span class="s3">and </span>we <span class="s1">didn't </span>even notice." Beach sees humans as a sort of interface to the new symbolic life form.</div>
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<b>This Bread</b></div>
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Wheat is going to change (as it has already changed, ever since we began this symbiotic dance with it called <i>agriculture</i>). It is inevitable, as inevitable as we ourselves are changing. We can't stop it. If we try to, we will die as a species. </div>
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Life will find another way to exploit reality -- or it won't. The universe can continue on expanding until it peters out, and no one will be the wiser.</div>
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Today I bake bread, and raise a <i>toast</i> to the brave men and women of the Chinese scientists of the Wheat Genome project, who have cracked the code of wheat. Not so very long ago on an evolutionary scale, humans first cracked the grain and started the ball of human civilization rolling with a little thing called <i>agriculture</i>. </div>
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What will this new information start, I wonder?</div>
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<b>Results</b>:<br />
One of the finest breads I've ever made. A little stiff to make, at 80% hydration, but workable.<br />
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Nice even crumb. Good taste. I'm happy with this bread.<br />
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
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<li><i><b>Another reason why it was perfect to make a pan integral today: i</b></i><b><i>t was snowing out. I hate late March snows. I mean, really, we've had enough winter already. I want warmer brighter weather before I slip outside. </i></b><i><b>Also: </b></i><b><i>I'm fasting. Nothing to do but hang out and play with dough.</i></b></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-262880024883785942013-03-22T06:59:00.002-07:002013-03-22T06:59:25.284-07:00Hamelman's Vollkornbrot, free standing, and a 90% Soft Wheat Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free-standing, panless Vollkornbrot</td></tr>
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<b>Panless Hamelman's Vollkornbrot and a 90% Soft Wheat Bread</b></div>
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I have been noticing boredom creeping into my loaves. They remained nourishing, nice looking, nice tasting, but I was becoming tired of them. It was time to try something different.</div>
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I grabbed Hamelman's book, "<b><i>Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes</i></b>" from my shelf and leafed through it. Quickly I was reminded of why I don't use this book more often: although it is very thorough, and is often considered the complete reference to bread among bakers, there are very few whole grain breads here. Most of his bread uses high gluten flour, or bread flour, somewhere along the way. It is in my nature to avoid these breads. You can buy these kind of breads anywhere. I'm not interested. Despite the many different breads and tastes that can be achieved with these white flours, I simply don't like them. I realize I'm alone in this. The world has embraced them. </div>
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As usual, I tend to go my own lonely way. I'm insisting on whole grains. I'm embracing bread at a time in the world's history when paleo dieters are saying all grain is bad for you, when our culture is once again turning away from bread (as they do when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-carbohydrate_diet">low carb diets</a> are all the rage, i.e. periodically), when bread is being blamed for all of our ills, our weight, our depression, our psychosis, our chronic diseases, our cancers, our general poor health. I'm selecting glutenous wheat as a base for most if not all my bread, at a point in time where "gluten free" processed foods are becoming more widely available.</div>
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At the same time, I've been researching grain, especially wheat, and how it affects our health. I know I started with a bias -- <i>I like bread -- </i>so much so, I call myself the<i> Exorphin Junkie.</i> I find that there have been dangers and pitfalls with wheat and other grains that we've used in bread: environmental and growing conditions have not always been favourable, we've had to learn how to store the grain to keep it safe, we've changed the way we grow it, we've changed the plant itself to give us grain that fits in better with the way we mill it now; and we've established this huge world-wide network of grain distribution that moves this grain and provides the food; and this has redistributed wealth, lining the pockets of the rich and powerful at the expense of those who cannot afford more food than the cheapest, worst bread. So I have this love of bread, but I also am wary of it. </div>
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There have been many scientific studies about bread, and you have to read them with discernment. Who funds them? What is being withheld? I limp from one study to the next, teaching myself as I go, letting my attention and curiosity take me where it will (<i>see, for example, what I've written below about crease dirt</i>). But what do we actually know about bread? Is bread -- still our most basic food -- good for us, or not? What I've found is that we as a species still do not know enough to make even this simplest pronouncement on bread. We've been eating bread 10,000 years or so. It has sustained us. But we still don't know if its good for us. I find studies both pro and con, as we rip into our understanding of loaves, of grain. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know what I'm doing. And I don't believe any of us really know, not yet.</div>
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I make the most wholesome bread I can, with what I've learned. My bread, the bread I insist on eating now, is quite different from the loaves that are bought at your corner store. The bread I've been eating is whole grain, is denser, is fresher, is fermented, is made with sourdough rather than extruded and puffed. </div>
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Because of my monomania, my insistence on whole grain bread, I feel like a stranger, even in the home bread-baking blogger world. It's a self-imposed sentence. I'm not sure I want to join their ranks. I feel at any moment I may decide, "gee, bread is not good for me." I'm not there yet, though. I mean, I have decided that <i>everyone else's</i> bread is not good for me, when eaten regularly. But I'm taking a different route through the bread of the world.</div>
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I did find a couple of whole grain breads in Hamelman's recipe book, but even here I've made some changes. He calls for his Vollkornbrot to be made in pans. I wanted to see how it might work if I turned it into free-standing loaf. I knew from the outset that my loaf would be flat, without a pan to support it, but I wanted to try it anyway. This is how I handled my loaf boredom this week.</div>
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<b>1. Hamelman's Vollkornbrot</b></div>
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The bread is unusual for me in that it uses sourdough in the early build and yeast in the final dough. Making this bread made me think of beer. The scent of the yeast and the sourdough together reminded me of a German beer hall.</div>
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The yeast is added at the last build, and it expands the gluten structure, which is pretty fragile. I put my dough into a basket, which provided the support a pan did, but when I dumped the airy yeasted expanded dough onto the hot stone, the loaf deflated. That's why you need to make this bread in a pan. </div>
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One of the nice things about this dough is, it gave me a chance to try out different settings on my mill. The bread calls for rye chops. I used the coarser setting for the soaker, and ended up not with chops but with cracked rye at various levels of coarseness. Hamelman suggests that if you do this, you should boil the soaker, but of course I ignored that advice too.</div>
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I mixed up the build and the soaker prior to working nights. Once home, I was able to make and bake the final dough before I went to sleep. I was tired, but by noon I had some bread on the counter.</div>
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<b>Ingredients of the Vollkornbrot (using Tartine-baker's math):</b></div>
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<b>Sourdough Build (14-16hrs):</b></div>
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Rye meal 41%</div>
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Water 41%</div>
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<b>Soaker (overnight):</b></div>
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Rye chops 32%</div>
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Water 32%</div>
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<b>Final Dough (Mix 10min, rest 20min, ferment 60min, bake 75min):</b></div>
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Rye meal 27%</div>
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Water 9%</div>
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Salt 2%</div>
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Yeast 1.8%</div>
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Sunflower Seeds 5.5%</div>
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Soaker (all)</div>
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Sourdough (all)</div>
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Total Rye: 100%</div>
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Total Hydration: 82%<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mis en place: sourdough, soaker, rye flour, sunflower seeds, water, yeast, salt</td></tr>
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Very gooey dough.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Vollkornbrot</td></tr>
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<b>2. A 90% Soft Wheat Bread</b></div>
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The other bread I made today was a 90% Soft Wheat bread. Mostly soft wheat is mixed with hard wheat, to make a flour that can be made into a bread. Soft wheat is mostly used for cakes and crackers. It has a nice taste, but it doesn't have the right amount of protein to make bread. Or so I've read.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8CeiUIqO87k/UUxcwVmpv2I/AAAAAAAANak/w3mjSuC0cCc/s1600/2013_0320AEsoftwheat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8CeiUIqO87k/UUxcwVmpv2I/AAAAAAAANak/w3mjSuC0cCc/s200/2013_0320AEsoftwheat.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4NisyNsnMw/UUxcwpisiPI/AAAAAAAANaw/hPWrmcrQeDA/s1600/2013_0320AFsoftwheatobverse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4NisyNsnMw/UUxcwpisiPI/AAAAAAAANaw/hPWrmcrQeDA/s200/2013_0320AFsoftwheatobverse.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rtXtNJpTnb0/UUxcwww21RI/AAAAAAAANa0/Ts9h1cp0aXA/s1600/2013_0320AGsoftwheatcreases.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rtXtNJpTnb0/UUxcwww21RI/AAAAAAAANa0/Ts9h1cp0aXA/s640/2013_0320AGsoftwheatcreases.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The creases in this wheat looks like ass. I think so, anyway.<br />This wheat is cleaned, but it still has the odd bit of "beeswing" grain covering.<br /></td></tr>
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I wanted to try it, so I bought a package of soft wheat off the counter at a grocery store. I can't find this in grocery stores near me, but I was in Ottawa recently and found it there. The wheat is grown in Canada, and bagged and distributed by <a href="http://www.phoeniciagroup.com/en/default.aspx">Cedar Phoenicia</a> (<a href="http://www.phoeniciagroup.com/en/prod.aspx?ProdSubCatid=17&ProductID=240">here's the product page</a>). Cedar Phoenica seems to be a Canadian based company (Montreal, Toronto), run by the <a href="http://www.rigzone.com/search/sites/Phoenicia_Group5364.asp">Phoenicia Group</a>, which is incorporated in the US with Middle East (Libya) ties and a North American distribution network.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d8MfHg9UXPc/UUxczB3TthI/AAAAAAAANbI/J89ZNrPS_EA/s1600/2013_0320AI90percent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d8MfHg9UXPc/UUxczB3TthI/AAAAAAAANbI/J89ZNrPS_EA/s320/2013_0320AI90percent.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">90% Soft Wheat, and some Hard Wheat on top</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QsN1CTFoo9o/UUxc1DkYOdI/AAAAAAAANbw/10XdhKvieB0/s1600/2013_0320AN90percent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QsN1CTFoo9o/UUxc1DkYOdI/AAAAAAAANbw/10XdhKvieB0/s320/2013_0320AN90percent.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished loaves, 90% Soft Wheat</td></tr>
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The flour from this wheat is a nice tan colour. It feels different. You can tell that the gluten is not as strong as what comes from Hard Red Winter Wheat. You have to be more gentle when you touch it and stretch it. I deliberately kept the hydration low because I was thinking too much water might destroy the gluten rather than improve it. While I was making the Vollkornbrot, I mixed this dough, teased it a little, divided it, put it in a basket and then I refrigerated it in the cold garage while I slept. After I woke up, I removed the dough from the cold storage, let it sit for an hour, and then baked it.</div>
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This bread saw a really nice oven spring. One loaf kind of blew apart on the side, but that was because I was being extremely gentle when I shaped the loaf, and didn't pinch it shut. I was trying to do a stretch and flop-over, kind of like what Allan Scott did with his Desem loaves. His loaves looked sloppy going into the oven, but they rose dramatically. Mind you, his loaves never blew apart like this, either.</div>
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<b>Ingredients:</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Soft Wheat 90%</li>
<li>Hard Wheat 10%</li>
<li>Sourdough (Hard Wheat) 20%</li>
<li>Water 70%</li>
<li>Salt 2%</li>
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Why 90%? Because the package I purchased was slightly less than a kg. I made up the difference with some hard wheat.<br />
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As promised above, here is where my attention has wandered to this week, and how I've stumbled into the strange world of "crease dirt":</div>
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<b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternaria_alternata">Alternaria alternata</a></b></div>
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We are not alone, on this planet, the way we have evolved and learned how to cultivate plants for food, the way we enjoy a diverse diet. We have competitors, we have fellow life-forms who have evolved in side-step with us, parallel travellers through time, cohabiters on this ball that turns around the sun.</div>
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Recently I've looked at ergot, that infests rye and other grains; today I'm speaking of "the most common fungus on Canadian western wheat," -- <i>Althernaria alternata</i>. This is a fungus that causes leaf spots in several host plants, and infects all of our grains, most of our oilseed crops, and a large number of our vegetables (e.g. see: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1474843/pdf/envhper00501-0091.pdf">Pero, R. (1973) Toxicity of Metabolites Produced by the 'Alternaria'. Environmental Health Perspectives. June. 4 p 87-94</a>).</div>
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A couple of toxins from the fungus (alternariol (AOH) and monomethyl ether (AME)) are mutagenic and likely carcinogenic. Peter Scott and his team from Health Canada, Ottawa, (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3475969/">Scott, P. (2012) Alternaria toxins alternariol and alternariol monometyl ethel in grain foods in Canada. Mycotoxin Res 28. pp 261-266</a>) conducted research on these toxin levels in our Canadian food, and the toxins seem almost ubiquitous. </div>
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Canada is not alone in this; there have been other studies in wheat and other grain in Europe, Argentina, China and Australia. I've seen no studies about U.S. levels yet -- but it is mentioned in agricultural control studies. These seem rather unconcerned, because the leaf blight does not actually reduce yields.<br />
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Scott quotes the European Food Safety Authority (<a href="http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/2407.pdf">EFSA, (2011) Scientific Opinion on the risks for animal and public health related to the presence of Alternaria toxins in feed and food. EFSA Journal 9(10) 2407</a>) which gave an opinion on safe levels of the toxins, based on its research. </div>
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Scott reported that EFSA said 256 ng/g of AOH and 86 ng/g of AME are to be considered maximum concentrations for human food (<i>I didn't actually get that from skimming the original EFSA source, what I got was, more study was required before they could evaluate the risk. EFSA said that there are more than 70 phytotoxins produced by Alternaria species, and their study looked at a couple more than the Canadian study. EFSA did say that vegetarians are more at risk, since it is concentrated in grains and vegetables; furthermore, it is more likely to affect children than adults, as they are more vulnerable. They also suggested that composite foods -- foods with several ingredients -- may concentrate the toxins, and need to be more closely studied as a risk. They were especially concerned about the effects of chronic exposure, because everyone seems to be at risk of that, even if levels in any one food may appear low. As far as I could tell, there was no reporting in this study on whether organic grains and vegetables fared better or worse than foods 'conventionally' grown</i>.)</div>
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Canadian levels of Alternaria toxins in a broad range of tested products came in at a mean of 1.8-7.3 ng/g for AOH and 0.37-1.99 ng/g for AME. This was the first time these toxins have been looked for in our food, however. Scott points out the disturbing fact that these mutagens are even found in our baby food, where one would hope there are much fewer things that are going to cause genetic damage.</div>
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This early study should be considered merely the first step toward putting in place some sort of monitoring system of these toxins in our food supply.</div>
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Of course, Alternaria spores are in the air too. Mould spores have been implicated in causing asthma in susceptible people. Agricultural workers and, not surprisingly, millers and grain processors are particularly vulnerable (see for example <a href="http://www.reviberoammicol.com/2001-18/056059.pdf">Sanchez, H. and Bush, R. (2001). A review of Alternaria alternata sensitivity. Rev iberoam Mocol 18. pp. 56-59</a>).</div>
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Inevitably, my research into Alternaria alternata has left me with more questions than answers. Here are a few of them:</div>
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<b>Q:</b></div>
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<b>What does the process of sourdough fermentation do to the Alternaria alternatae spores? Does it concentrate them, or select against them?</b></div>
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I have found no information on this whatsoever. Some labs ferment the spores in vitro in order to concentrate them. In a culture, however, they are going to be competing for resources. How will they fare in the acidic environment of a sourdough? Nobody is saying yet.</div>
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<b>Q:</b></div>
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<b>Might there be more fungus and its toxic products on whole grain, or will there be more on grain whose bran is removed -- e.g. on white flour, that is more highly processed? </b> The Canadian study showed that there is substantially more on bran than on flour (Table 2, for example, tells us that AOH is not detected in most flours tested; it is found at levels of 0.5 ng/g in 1 whole wheat flour sample, and similar levels in one soft wheat flour; but it is found at levels of 2.1-6.0 ng/g in hard wheat bran, and at levels of 'not detectable' to 63 ng/g in soft wheat bran) In general, there is more in whole wheat and whole rye breads and in multigrain bread than in white bread (Table 4 gives levels of 0.4-1.1 ng/g in 6 samples of white bread tested, whereas 8 samples of whole wheat bread have levels of 0.7-5.3 ng/g; five rye breads were tested, and the levels here ranged from 0.9-6.7; and multigrain breads tested at levels of 0.6-3.3 ng/g in four samples. Similar levels can be found in these tables for AME)</div>
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<b>Q:</b></div>
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<b>If Health Canada has found more of this toxic substance in whole grains why does it insist on saying that whole grains are better for us?</b></div>
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Good question. No easy answer. I think that the reason is, we don't know the effect of these toxins in vivo, in the long term; but we know that we need the fiber of whole foods, and the phytates in the bran are helpful, and the oils in the germ are beneficial. So the scale still seems to tip toward whole grains in this analysis.</div>
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<b>Q:</b></div>
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<b>Might there be more mycotoxins in organic grain, as opposed to grain that has been grown with the use of fungicides and herbicides and pesticides?</b> Preliminary research by Semaskeiene in Lithuania (<a href="http://www.botanika.lt/lituanica/BL7p17-26.pdf">Semaskeiene, R. et al. (2004) Toxic Fungi Infection and Mycotoxin level in organic grain. Botanica Lithuanica pp. 17-25</a>) suggests that there may be more toxins in the organic grain; however, amounts of toxins in grains are more specifically tied to the wetness of the season, the condition of the soil, and the type of grain grown, than they are to the method of growing. No Canadian data on this, so far as I can tell.</div>
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<b>Q.</b></div>
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<b>Since Alternaria alternata affects leaves and not the grain itself, is there any way to remove the spores, or reduce the amount of spores on the grain prior to milling?</b></div>
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Perhaps there is. </div>
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Grain, after it is harvested goes through several steps before milling. Let's look a little more closely at some of these steps that have developed to create our modern grain-delivery system, and then let's think of where, precisely, we might be able to reduce the levels of <i>Alternaria alternata</i>:</div>
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<b>Cleaning the Grain</b></div>
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1. <b><i>Sweating</i></b></div>
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In the old days, sheaves of wheat were stacked in the fields in stooks or upright piles that resemble teepees, to "sweat," or dry out slightly, to make the grain easier to crack open in a mill. It could be done even before threshing. Today, harvesting and threshing is done in one step, <i>combining</i>. So sweating is accomplished in grain elevators, and takes about six weeks. It is performed with fans and grain rotation. Both new and old methods are going to ensure that the spores are airborne and land on our grain. All of the grain.</div>
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2. <b><i>Cleaning</i></b></div>
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The wheat is <b><i>sifted</i></b> to remove foreign material -- sticks, stones, dirt, poop etc. -- and often, these days, it is <i><b>magnetized</b></i> to remove all metals (screws, cultivator blades, hunks of tractor, what have you) that may have fallen into the bins. Then it is <b><i>aspirated</i></b>, which means air currents move the grain or chaff and straw to separate them. </div>
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<b><i>Sorting</i></b> continues when foreign seeds (barley, oats, rye) are removed via <b><i>separators</i></b>, horizontal drums that are indented, too small to hold the wheat grain, but they hold the smaller seeds which are removed. Grain falls into the next drum, which holds the wheat seeds but larger seeds are removed. Now<b><i> disc separators</i></b> have replaced <i style="font-weight: bold;">drum separators</i> -- we are continuously devising many clever ways to get our grain cleaner.</div>
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Next the grain is <b><i>scrubbed</i></b>: it is passed through <b><i>scourers</i></b> lined with emery that removes beard or tuft, that appear on every grain. Adhering dirt is also removed together with the cellulose grain covering known as "<i>beeswing</i>." The scouring amount can be altered by using paddles to continuously fling the grain at the abrasive walls, until an appropriate level of bran/grain covering is removed. <br />
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A typical grain of wheat has a crease in it, which collects dirt as it grows. If you look closely at a kernel of wheat, you see it has a crease in it, that looks a little bit like ass. Well, sort of. From some angles at least. I was reminded of plumber's crack when I examined one kernel closely. Anyway, the point is, "crease dirt" is <i>somewhat</i> removed via grain scouring.</div>
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(NB: How much bran is removed has to be studied on an ongoing basis, because it begs the question: "<b><i>how whole is whole grain?</i></b>" If you remove <i>beeswing</i>, that's one thing -- although even this removal has to be studied for nutritional changes in the grain (<i>see, for example, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031942200838029">Ring, S. and Selvendran, R. (1980) Isolation and analysis of cell wall material from beesweing wheat bran (Triticum aestivum). Phytochemistry 19(8) pp. 1723-1730</a></i>). If you begin removing layers of bran, you are definitely affecting phytonutrients and the way the grain behaves nutritionally when we eat it (see, for example, Jessica Andersson's 2011 Master's thesis in Upsalla Sweden: <a href="http://stud.epsilon.slu.se/2341/1/andersson_j_110311.pdf">Andersson, J. (2011) "Whole Grain Wheat -- effects of peeling and pearling on chemical composition, taste and colour" SLU. pp. 1-28</a>). The more the grain is scrubbed, the more dirt from the crease of each grain is removed -- but we never get rid of all of it, this way.)</div>
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Finally, the grain is <b><i>washed</i></b>. A gentle wash removes more dirt, and the grain is propelled through water by an endless screw. Any remaining stones sink and are removed. The grain has to be dried again: <b><i>whizzers</i></b> take the surface moisture off.</div>
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3. <b><i>Tempering</i></b>, <b><i>Conditioning</i></b></div>
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Usually just before milling, the grain is soaked in water. Often the water has chlorine in it, sometimes experiments have been done with the addition of ozone in this tempering process, and it works too to remove microbiota. The water additives are there to kill microorganisms that feed on the grain, but just soaking the bran in water at this point makes the bran tougher and more brittle; most bran will be removed in the roller milling process, and tempering the grain makes it easier for the roller mills to separate the bran. <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Bread-Making-Course-Crafting-Perfect/dp/1603427910">Lauren Chattman, author of "Bread Making: A Home Course: crafting the perfect loaf from crust to crumb" (2011)</a> says that the soaking takes only 2 hours in the US, but in European mills, the kernels are tempered for up to 48 hours. The longer the tempering, the less damage will occur to the starch and the protein in the finished flour. I hadn't really considered tempering before reading Chattman. I skim-read a few articles from the science journals, but from what I've read, despite the tempering, not all of the spore organisms are removed. Especially, there are lots of extremely tiny living things that survive all of these cleaning processes in the deep of the grain's crease. By 'tiny living things' I mean things like the spores of <i>Alternaria alternata, </i>which leave toxic metabolites in our food. </div>
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4. <b><i>Milling</i></b><br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Roller Milling </i>is a lot more complicated than old fashioned <b><i>stone milling</i></b>, which essentially just grinds up the grain and spins the flour and the bran and the germ (and spores) all together out to the outer edge of the millstone. Later, this stoneground flour can be sifted to remove the bran, if that is desired. No, roller mills were built with the idea to remove the bran and germ entirely, and then these byproducts of the whole grain can be added back to the pure white flour -- if that is what is desired. <b><i>Break rolls</i></b> are a series of rollers through which the grain passes on its way to becoming flour: the <b><i>first break roller</i></b> shears the grain, the products of which are sent to <b><i>scalpers</i></b> in different streams: the germ, which is tough and oily, flakes off and is easily removed, as is the bran, which usually flakes off in relatively large sheets, following tempering; large pieces of starchy endosperm are sent to still finer rollers, in series; the semolina or coarse flour, is graded into dunst (very fine powder), and coarse middlings, and these in turn get passed to a series of ever more fine<b style="font-style: italic;"> reduction rollers</b>; and some flour is bagged at this point. Successive breaking rollers have given rise to the terms <b><i>second break</i></b> and <b><i>third break</i></b>. At each stage, the flour may be subjected to pan sifters, centrifugals, and fine silk (the flour is bolted). Chunks can get sent through again and again until the desired flour consistency is achieved. <br />
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<b><i>Fragmentation mills</i></b> can control precisely the size of the molecules they are separating with a <b><i>centrifugal air separator</i></b>, down to the micron (millionth of a metre). Based on the size of the molecule, the miller knows how much protein each stream has, and can combine flour from various grains to ensure that a consistent amount of protein goes into each product.<br />
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Additives are combined with the flour to be bagged, and our flour is finally recognizable in the form it is known to home consumers. The bags may have some chemicals in them that prevent the sacks from skidding about when handled -- that's important when you are carting these things around on palettes with a forklift.<br />
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5. <b><i>Aging</i></b><br />
Aged flours, we are told, are better for baking. This generalization is perhaps not so true of whole grain flours, but is true for flours that have the bran and germ removed (in other words, the flour that most of the world except me tends to use). A period of oxidation will stabilize the grains of starch and ensure that the gluten is strong. When the chemical reaction that causes this was investigated, it was determined that <b><i>bleaching</i></b> could be accomplished so that the waiting period could be skipped. Artificial ageing has always been controversial. Chemical additives have been found to be dangerous in the past. In Canada and Europe, many of the older chemical bleaching methods (e.g. bromide) have been made illegal. You can still buy bleached flour in the U.S. I've examined this before, so I won't repeat it here. Canadian flour still has plenty of chemicals in it, so there's no reason to gloat over how enlightened we are that we can't buy something that has been shown to cause cancer. We still don't know what we are doing.<br />
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Now if you want to age the flour but you don't want to bleach it chemically, that means you have to store it. And to store it, you want to keep it free from insects, moulds and rodents. Good luck with that -- without further chemical protectants. I've looked at some of these recently.<br />
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6. <b><i>Transporting</i></b></div>
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Moving the grain is as problematic as storage, so far as rodents and spores and insects are concerned. If you are going to truck some grain, the container (truck, train boxcar, ship hold, etc.) has to be scrupulously cleaned -- with chemicals that will once again come into contact with the grain.</div>
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Finally, I should mention that I've encountered a few studies that have looked at developing wheat that has no crease in its berry -- that way, no dirt can collect there. So far, such genetic engineering has not been fruitful (pun intended). But I wouldn't count this method out just yet. Our future wheat may be creaseless.<br />
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My research into <b><i>Crease Dirt</i></b> brought me to this overarching question:<br />
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<b>How Whole is Whole Wheat?</b></div>
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Our food is subject to our technology. And our appreciation of it is dependent upon our understanding of that technology. But our understanding of the technology is hidden from us, by those who created and control the technology. And so we have a disconnection from our food.</div>
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Here's what I mean: we buy a processed food, e.g. "bread". But we do not feel connected to it. So we determine that we will make our own bread. So we buy another processed food to make it, i.e. "flour". Still feeling disconnected, we determine we will make our own flour. So we buy another food to make it, i.e. "wheat berries" -- but we learn that this too is quite processed, it has been subjected to a lengthy cleaning. Still disconnected, we then determine that we will grow our own wheat. But when we do, we discover that the kernel is not cleaned well enough to use in our home-mills: we must learn how to clean that kernel ourselves to make it millable. And we must learn how to store the kernel until we require it. And we must harvest that kernel and separate it from the chaff and straw. And we must sow that seed originally in a field, and nurture its growth. And we must select the seed that we will grow. Etc. At each link in the chain, we have to ensure that it is safe.</div>
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All of these decisions that are currently made for us, have been made for us by those who have built the technology of wheat growth and storage and export and milling -- at what stage does our determination to make our own food find its limit? At what point do we allow that others have made the right decision for us?</div>
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Today I focused on something called "crease dirt". Each kernel of wheat, when it is harvested, contains a fold or crease, that starts at the navel end of the berry, where sits the germ. As it grows, minerals and spores and eggs and other parts of insects and soil collect like lint in a belly button. Millers have long complained of this "crease dirt," as it tends to affect the whiteness and purity of their finest flour. New methods of cleaning have evolved with our new methods of agriculture, transportation, storage, and milling.</div>
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I did see a letter in a 1947 British medical journal, where a doctor complained that the refinement of flour had reached the stage where children were not getting enough minerals: now, with the widespread adoption of roller mills, we are not getting enough dirt! In other words, in the opinion of this lone doctor, in the past we have depended upon that crease dirt for some of our nourishment. However, if we now dump chemicals on our fields in the form of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, fertilizers, etc., all of these things also collect in our crease. It is no longer just dirt that is there. </div>
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And despite the fungicides, spores remain. Without some sort of cleaning, the amount of these toxins could be dangerous to our health. So current milling technology elects to remove as much of this dirt as possible. A certain amount of germ, and outer bran or alleurone layers are also removed in this cleansing, however. Which leads me to ask: how whole is our whole wheat now?</div>
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I made reference to this article above, but it bears repeating: Jessica Andersson wrote "<a href="http://stud.epsilon.slu.se/2341/1/andersson_j_110311.pdf">Whole Grain Wheat -- effects of peeling and pearling on chemical composition, taste and colour</a>," and this short thesis seems to be one of the few studies I've found that discuss how much bran should be taken off in the cleaning process, and what the effects of scrubbing are on the nutrition. Obviously, what we need is a balance between removing the bran with its dirt but keeping enough of its good effects for human nutrition and health; and I would add that we also need a balance between organic and conventional methods of growing wheat: if we insist on growing grain organically, it makes sense that we need unconventional methods of cleaning it to ensure that it is safe.</div>
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<b>Results of today's Baking</b><br />
I cracked into the second bread first. Hamelman advises that you wait 24 hours or more before slicing the Vollkornbrot.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crumb of the 90% Soft Wheat loaf</td></tr>
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I found the crust of this bread to be a bit thick, rather like a crusty artisan bread that you might find in a baker's shop. Reminded me of Italian loaves. It didn't have a wonderful flavour, though. I was disappointed in that. And I found it staled rather quickly. Still, it will get me through the weekend.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Vollkornbrot's crumb</td></tr>
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The Vollkornbrot has an interesting bitterness to it that I call flavour. This bread isn't for everyone. I like it just fine with cheese. It is actually quite nutty. Of course, it would have been better if I had baked it in a pan, but that's okay, I get the same amount of bread. I think that some carmelized onions would go well in this bread too.<br />
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>There were some <u>beeswing</u> grain coverings in the bag with this soft wheat. I also run across the odd bit in my hard wheat too. For example, this rather small grain had a beeswing covering on it:<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see how this beeswing-covered grain snuck through the cleaning process.<br />It is a very small grain -- not much bigger than a scoured grain, even with its covering intact.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once the beeswing covering is removed, the grain inside is small indeed.</td></tr>
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</b></i></li>
<li><b><i>For the info above on cleaning wheat of which I was mostly ignorant, I am largely dependent upon one source:</i><u> France, W. (1966). The Student's Technology of Breadmaking and Flour Confectionery, Routledge Kegan & Paul, 1983. 464 p.</u></b><b><i><br />Most of this info can be found by <a href="http://books.google.ca/books?id=lFoVAAAAIAAJ&dq=The+Student's+Technology+of+Breadmaking+and+Flour+Confectionery">searching in google books</a>, but I also found an online copy of the entire first edition <a href="http://14.139.56.90:8080/bitstream/123456789/2027626/1/HS6050.pdf">here</a>, at <a href="http://14.139.56.90/">KrishiKosh</a> --</i><b><div class="p1" style="display: inline !important;">
<i>"an institutional repository under National Agricultural Research System," out of New Delhi, India which claims to be "the repository of knowledge in agriculture and allied sciences, having collection of old and valuable books, records and various documents spread all over the country in different libraries of Research Institutions and state Agricultural Universities."</i></div>
</b> <i>This looks like quite a valuable online resource.</i>)</b></li>
<li><i><b>I do not know, when I buy grain, how much cleaning it has gone through. The grains I use look rather polished, so I assume they have all been cleaned and scrubbed; but I don't know if they have been conditioned. They are labeled 'organic' but they might have encountered chemicals like chlorine in the tempering process. I don't know if there is any way for me to find out, either.</b></i></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-42228722981788980522013-03-18T14:40:00.001-07:002013-03-18T14:40:20.851-07:00Boiled Wheat in Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Migrations and DNA Memory</b></div>
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This week, my wife, walking the dog at dusk, listened as 20 Tundra Swans flew overhead, their pure-white meter-long bodies, tipped with black bills and feet, now a grey silhouette in the fading light. Once called whistling swans for the sound their wings make, Tundra Swans prefer to fly at night, guided perhaps by some innate survival instinct that has served them well for millennia.</div>
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They are returning from Chesapeake Bay, en route now for the Arctic, a journey of 6000 miles or so, a trip which they will accomplish in stages, almost leisurely, following the warming of the earth, the brightening of the days, as winter gives way to spring. One of the staging areas, where upwards of 8000 swans will gather to gain their strength and their bearings, is somewhat north of where we live. It is a forgotten shallow ghost-lake, long ago drained by humans who came to this land to settle here. Before there was ever a concept of ecological studies, they counted the marshy lowlands as worthless, and reclaimed the area as farmland, to grow root vegetables and cabbages in the dark rich soil. Now the swans sit on the retreating snow, where long ago their ancestors swam between the previous year's brittle bull rushes on the briefly swollen lake, once fed by a spring river overflowing its banks . </div>
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All of that is gone now: the river has been diverted, channelled, shored up, dredged, a new route that bypasses these fields, cut to the Great Lake. But the swans retain a memory of the place. They know what once was here. Their way was shown them by their ancestors, who had it from still earlier birds, more and more distant in time, flying a long forgotten airway. Though the lake is gone, the way still works: they will nibble a bit of ungleaned grain or some early sprouted greens, where once they dove to nourish on grassroots. Within a week, or maybe two, they will be turning again to the sky, remembering the way north, teaching it, passing it on.</div>
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This morning I am reminded of these birds, as I read a poem called Man, Part One, by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Duncan">Ronald Duncan</a>. </div>
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In his introduction to the epic, Duncan describes an "emotional crisis" he experienced in 1961. Without truly understanding why, he covered his walls with paper and painted from some innate need to assuage his loneliness. Only later did he look at the walls to discover that "they were covered in cave-paintings. At that time I had not seen the cave-paintings at Lascaux and elsewhere, nor had I seen reproductions of them; yet I had sketched a bison and drawn several prehistoric animals, among which stood match-stick figures holding spears. I wondered where these images had come from. Had I drawn them from memory? If so, whose memory?" He began to realize that "some parts of me were possibly 20,000 years old. I sat in this room for days in a sort of reverie, possessed by memories which were not my own."</div>
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Another memory: I read once, perhaps it was in the book Supernature, about monarch butterflies who return from the far north yearly to overwinter in Mexico. Perhaps this now falls into the category of personal, or urban myth; but I learned they fly very high, north of Lake Superior, for no apparent reason. One theory is that they once had to clear the mountains there. But those mountains are all but gone now, utterly eroded by time. Once higher than the Himalayas, they are old now, perhaps the oldest range on earth. All that remains now is the exposed plate we call the Canadian Shield, wiped smooth by epochs of glaciation. It no longer makes sense to climb miles high to go around crags that have long since turned to dust. But how could the memory of those long forgotten mountains remain within the DNA of a butterfly? It makes as much sense to say that the wind still follows the path of the canyons and valleys that once funnelled the sky there and gave the butterflies a way to travel outrageous distance. What survival advantage does it impart now to remember things that even the earth itself has forgotten?</div>
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Untold ages ago there was an evolutionary leap from objects now studied by physics to objects now studied by biology, when molecules banded together to form life; then seventy billion years ago, grasses formed atop soil, exploiting what was at hand: sunlight, and the detritus of exploded stars, and long dead single-celled life; then, when tectonic plates moved, the grasses also divided and followed their niches; and then other life forms arose after millennia to exploit the grasses. </div>
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And late in the game, humans appeared. </div>
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We took the grains of certain grasses and learned how to make bread. The memory of it is in our hands. The scent of it in our nose. The taste of it in our mouths. We remember, even if we have never baked bread before in our lives.</div>
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Like the monarch soaring over peaks that no longer exist, like the swan alighting on lakes that have long disappeared, I make my bread: I bake bread, even though it costs so much more, in time and effort and money, even though it makes no sense to do so now, when bread is so cheap and widely available. I bake all my own bread, I insist upon it, because I remember. Something deep inside me remembers. The memory of grain, of grass, the innate longing for Gondwanaland, the hints of a billion years of change in our DNA that has changed nothing.</div>
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Or maybe I'm just an exorphin junkie, looking to rationalize his fix.</div>
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<b>More Signs of Approaching Spring</b><br />
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It's maple syrup time again. We just ran out of our last jar of maple syrup that we made a couple of years ago. Just in time to tap our backyard trees. Now with the cold nights and brightening days, the sap is beginning to flow. We collect it, and boil it down in our backyard on a burner. Very small scale, it is nevertheless fun. <br />
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Again, it doesn't make sense for us to do this, in terms of economics. It will never pay for itself. Is it something in our DNA that makes us do this, too?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 buckets on 1 maple tree that protrudes from our deck.<br />Yes, not the right kind of maple tree: but it still works!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collect the sap in any container available.<br />Hard to keep up with it, some warm days.<br />You need 40 litres of sap for 1 litre of syrup.</td></tr>
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<b>Using boiled wheat in a bread</b></div>
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I've been using Rodale Press's book "The Good Grains" (Charles Gerras, ed., 1982) wherein cooking times for various grains are given. We've all cooked rice for dinner, so we know what that's like: you add a cup of rice to 2-2 1/2 cups of water, and boil it for a little more than half an hour (Rodale Press says 35-40 minutes). Some of us may have similarly cooked barley (or thrown it in a soup), or even buckwheat. Other whole grains at the table are less familiar, but they can all be cooked pretty much the same way.</div>
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Wheat and Rye (and Triticale) take substantially longer to cook this way. Rodale's book says you have to boil for an hour or more. The longer the grain has been stored, the longer the boiling time. Even after an hour of boiling, the authors of the book suggest you try it: "they will not be quite as tender as other grains when done, but will have a nice chewy texture."</div>
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They also give a tip on how to shorten the prep time for wheat. If brought to a boil for 10 minutes, then left to soak for 8-12 hours, they can later be cooked for 15-20 minutes and be tender enough to eat. Another tip for all grains is to use "the thermos method." You put some grain in the thermos, cover it with boiling water, leaving about 1 inch at the top so the grain has some room to expand. Stir it or shake it, then leave it in the hot thermos for 8-12 hours.</div>
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There are other tips for cooking grains, but here I used the thermos method and soaked some wheat. With 1 cup of wheat in the thermos, I had lots of partially-cooked grain the next day to play with for these breads, and for meals. I used 100g of the cooked grain in each of these breads. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cayenne on these wet wheat berries</td></tr>
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<b>Today's Breads</b></div>
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One of the 100g lots, I sprinkled with a teaspoon or more of cayenne before adding it to the loaf. The other, I coated with a bit of sourdough starter.</div>
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<b>1. Organic Whole Spelt and Whole Wheat with boiled wheat berries</b></div>
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<li class="li1">434g organic whole spelt flour</li>
<li class="li1">566g whole wheat flour, freshly milled</li>
<li class="li1">700g water</li>
<li class="li1">20g salt</li>
<li class="li1">100g wheat berries, cooked in a thermos, and fermented with 1 tbsp sourdough starter</li>
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There is nothing special about the number 434g, it is simply how much spelt flour I had on hand.</div>
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Because spelt acts differently than wheat, I backed off the hydration of this loaf, and didn't add any extra water when I added the salt, a'la Tartine methods of sourdough. The interesting thing about the use of the wheat berries in this bread is that after they had been in the thermos a day and had cooled, I coated them with sourdough and let them sit covered on the counter even longer. Whatever phytates were still on the bran layer, I reasoned, might be handled by the starter, and it would keep them moist until I was ready to use them.</div>
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The dough was mixed, kneaded in the bowl, then stretched and folded for about 3 hours. Then I divided it, gave it a bench rest, shaped it, and set it in a basket to proof. It was covered and went into the cold/cool garage overnight, and was baked in the morning.</div>
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The loaf had a nice oven spring, and the colour of the loaves was almost copper. Very pretty.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">proofing dough</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">finished loaves</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finished loaves</td></tr>
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<b>2. 100% Whole Wheat Bread with boiled wheat berries covered in Cayenne</b></div>
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This pan integrale was enhanced by some whole grains that had been cooked using the thermos method, and when cooled they were coated with a Tablespoon or more of cayenne. They sat covered on the counter until ready to use.</div>
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<ul class="ul2">
<li class="li1">1000g whole wheat flour, freshly milled</li>
<li class="li1">800g water</li>
<li class="li1">20g salt</li>
<li class="li1">100g cooked wheat berries, covered with cayenne</li>
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This bread rose nicely in the baskets, but might have been slightly over-proofed, or over-wet. It did sag a little in the oven. There was some oven spring, but the loaves remained a trifle flat, compared to the speltish loaves they sit beside. They look nice anyway. My loaves are starting to be more consistently pleasing to look at.</div>
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<b>Results</b></div>
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I liked the taste of my number 2 bread, although the taste of the cayenne was merely subtle. It complemented the old cheese I would put on the bread. I suppose the berries were still a bit hard, despite my extra long boiling and soaking. They required a bit of chewing, which tends to slow down the mouth-experience of the bread.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#2 Bread: with Cayenne</td></tr>
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The number 1 bread was frozen, and we left town for a few days. Upon return, I was fasting, so I didn't get to the bread right away. I sliced into it here while I'm boiling down some sap for maple syrup, just to see what the bread looks like. It feels like it might be a bit stale -- no surprise there. The chickens can have the first couple of slices of this bread. I'll take some with me to work, and break my fast at midnight.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#1 Bread, with Spelt</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread beside the outdoor boiling cauldron of (soon to be) maple syrup.</td></tr>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>Next time, try boiling the grain for 10-15 minutes, and THEN putting them in the thermos for 12+ hours of soak in the thermos-hot boiling water. </b></i></li>
<li><i><b> If you want a bit more peppery taste to the wheat berries, try rolling them in some cayenne batter. Not sure how this might work, though. I tried frying some of these soaked grains in some oil, but they just leaped from the pan like popcorn (although they didn't really pop their starch like popcorn, and they just became very very tough).
</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>
What's next, for DNA, for life to elaborate?
We have, as a species, decided that we have the ability and the mandate and the knowledge to manipulate genes to build our food, our clothing. There is little doubt in my mind that we will use our knowledge to transform ourselves and our environment in ways we can barely imagine now. Its inevitable, if we continue to learn about this stuff, that we will use what we know.<br /><br /> Furthermore, it makes species-sense to send engineered lifeforms to other nearby planets to get those barren rocks ready for our future habitation. No water on the moon? Get it started. No oxygen on Mars? Get it ready. No oil on Venus? Make some. <br /><br /> Meanwhile: too much plastic pollution back on earth? We'll build an organism that will break it down to harmless organic components. Too much carbon in the atmosphere? There's a genetic answer for that, too: perhaps microbiota that can eat carbon, and die, feeding our crops harmless fertilizer residue.<br /><br />OF course, I don't know enough to make predictions about this. I'm still the sort of luddite who makes his own bread and taps his own trees in his backyard...</b></i></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-30304912219258199772013-03-11T14:14:00.001-07:002013-03-11T14:14:09.747-07:00Bread with Roasted Soya Nuts<br />
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<b>Bread with Roasted Soya Nuts</b></div>
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With this bread I managed to use up some stuff that's been cluttering up the pantry. I had some pickle juice that was in the fridge -- 271g from a homemade jar of 'sweet pickles' -- that I used as part of the hydration. And I had a couple of leftover bags of roasted soya nuts, which I combined and from which I used 100g of them in this bread.</div>
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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<li class="li2">1000g ww flour, freshly milled</li>
<li class="li2">200g cracked wheat sourdough starter</li>
<li class="li2">20g salt</li>
<li class="li2">271g pickle juice</li>
<li class="li2">529g water (with pickle juice, total ~80% hydration)</li>
<li class="li2">100g roasted soya nuts</li>
</ul>
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<b></b><br /></div>
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<b>Slow Fermenting Sourdough in a busy schedule</b></div>
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But what is most memorable, for me, is that I mixed the sourdough starter one Friday <i>after</i> work, mixed the dough on Saturday <i>before</i> work (kneaded it and stretched it before 0400, when the dog woke me up and at 0500, when it was my normal time to get up, I refrigerated it. Even without the dog's involvement, I would have been able to get this much done). <i>After</i> work on Saturday, I took it from the fridge, left it on the counter an hour, then I kneaded it some more, divided it, shaped it, and placed it in some baskets, still cold to the touch. This was left covered overnight in baskets at room temperature, then I baked it Sunday morning <i>before</i> work. Sounds like a lot of work, and sounds like I had a plan going in. It wasn't a lot of work, and I had no plan. I was winging it.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prior to refrigeration</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After refrigeration: no rise, but the top has dried out a bit</td></tr>
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Point is, it doesn't matter if you work 12 hour days. Doesn't matter if life has collapsed to a cycle of wake-work-sleep, with little else to distract you. There is still enough time to make sourdough bread. Sourdough bread can be made on a nurse's schedule. The slow fermentation techniques are highly adaptable to a busy life. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunday AM: proofed all night</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The soybeans are soft, but provide a nice flavour.</td></tr>
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<b>Blogging in a Not-So-Busy Schedule</b></div>
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Blogging about it: not so adaptable to a busy life. It takes time to write about bread, much more time than it takes to make the bread. And I usually make time, on my days off, to consider the bread I bake, the bread I eat, and what it all means -- because I like to write, and after almost 40 years of journal writing, writing has become more than a habit, it is a lifestyle.</div>
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But a certain sameness creeps into my writing (just as there is a sameness in the bread I make, I suppose) -- and after an indeterminate amount of time I begin to notice and think, '<i>Gee, I guess that's my voice</i>.' A certain amount of self-reflection is necessary to hear it.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>After writing that last line, I went in search of a book I'd borrowed from a friend, on consciousness. Somewhere in that book, I recalled reading a psychologist's theory that our consciousness is nothing more than this inner voice, this editorializing thought that continuously streams through our minds. The idea was absurd when I first read it. Surely, there is more to consciousness than words, even unspoken words that provide transport for thought. When one meditates, and there is an end to the inner verbiage, one remains aware, so what is it that is conscious yet ineffably unvoiced?</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Alas, I could not find the book easily -- perhaps I have even returned the book to my friend (I hope so). Probably some wiki would provide the name of the scientist whose idea that first was. Yet I was in danger of losing my train of thought if I didn't give up the search for the book, and return to writing ( I had found a book of poems by Catullus instead, and was reading page after page, instead of making a concerted search for the originally intended book. Catullus has a fine inner voice, his words still resonate... digression after digression!).</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>But why think of that now? Why did I want the book about consciousness in the first place? What was it that made me think of the theory of consciousness in context with blogging and encountering my own voice in my words? It wasn't the theory at all, but there was a connection. I vaguely recalled...</i></blockquote>
<i><br /></i>
Ah, that was it. <i>Vagueness</i>. The Theory of Vagueness. This morning I encountered the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorites_paradox">Sorites Paradox</a>. A heap is a heap, and you take away part of the heap, it remains a heap -- but how much of the heap can you take before it is no longer a heap?<br />
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The problem is in what we determine to name a heap. A heap is an aggregate of something else. We call an aggregate of vapour a cloud, but clouds are not clearly defined, they are continuously breaking apart and joining other clouds, so what are we naming? Likewise, consciousness is vaguely defined. It is an aggregate, with multiple parts working in tandem, in parallel. We can take parts of it away -- our memory, our identity, our sensory apparatus, our motor nerves, our ability to speak or understand speech -- but how much can we take away before what we have named is no longer consciousness? The inner words are but one aspect of the whole; but if that aspect is lost, what is left? Does consciousness remain?<br />
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It does.<br />
<br />
Bread is an aggregate of finely milled grains, and water, perhaps salt, perhaps yeast, perhaps other ingredients. Take a few slices from the bread, you still have bread; take a piece of the slice, you still have bread. How much can you take away until you have no bread?<br />
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Or look again in another way. Take away some of the ingredients of bread -- say, the salt, or the yeast -- do you still have bread? You do. Take away the water, do you still have bread? Take away the grains, do you still have bread?<br />
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Some solutions of the sorites paradox would maintain that you do.<br />
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Or we can call this aggregate that we end up with, when all of our bread is taken away: nothing. We are left with nothing. <br />
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And that is precisely what I started with, when I began blogging about my bread.</div>
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<b>Much Ado about Nothing</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">In my job, I continuously meet with people who lose all their identifiers, one after another. Think about what is important to you, right now. THE most important thing. Now imagine it being taken from you. What will be taken from you that <u>you</u> currently identify with, when at last you arrive on your deathbed? If you lost your memories, your hopes, your family, your senses, your ability to reason, your home, your job, your ability to walk, or to know, would you still be you? I maintain that you would. Something else defines you. Consciousness. As tricky to nail down as jelly to bread.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Get to know that part of you that can never be taken away. The paradoxical heap. The nothing that embraces all aggregates. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Here, have some bread.</span></div>
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<b>Results</b><br />
A good bread, with lots of mild soybean-nutty flavour.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">This bread didn't have a very nice rise, it remained quite dense, and that, I presume, is due to the over-handling that had to occur when I shaped it. The dough was still quite cold, despite my attempt to wait for it to come to room temperature before dividing it and giving it a bench rest.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />Leaving the proofing basket of dough out at room temperature overnight before baking it was a bit of a gamble. I was afraid that the yeast in the dough might wake up in the extra-long proofing, and cause the dough to over-rise, over-proof, and the protease enzymes to break down the gluten, the Lactobacillus bacteria to make it too sour, etc. Fortunately, none of these scenarios occurred. Even my wife said that this bread tasted good, didn't even smell sour. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I am at somewhat of a loss to explain it, however. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Except that the dough was cold, it was a cool night at room temperature, the pickle juice may have retarded the action of the yeast, or perhaps there was salt in some of the roasted soybeans that similarly affected the yeast or LAB. Whatever it was, this small gamble worked, and the bread was nice. Very nice indeed.</span></div>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>Unfortunately the Wiki on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_monologue">Internal monologue</a> didn't have the name of the scientist I wanted -- the one who first proposed this idea that inner speech is the same as what we call consciousness. I've had another fruitless search through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_of_consciousness_(narrative_mode)">Stream of Consciousness</a> (narrative mode) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_of_consciousness_(psychology)">Stream of Consciousness</a> (psychology), but the chain of association was fun.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>If I ever find out the name of the person I was trying to quote, I'll update this.</b></i></li>
<li><b><i>How I've worded the last part of this blog reminds me of what Jesus said, in Matthew 6:19-20 (or its possible parallel in Luke12:33-34). But that's not exactly what I meant. What I was trying to impart was a little less Christian, a teensy bit more science, a tiny more philosophical/word games, a lot more Zen. But take from it what you will.</i></b></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-72173172121714653642013-03-07T14:19:00.000-08:002013-03-07T15:20:36.300-08:00Another of the ol' standbys; and the Genesis of Bread<br />
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<b>Another ww sourdough loaf, and another 20% rye sourdough loaf with spice</b></div>
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85% hydration proved to be a bit too much for the last loaf, so I backed off the quantity of water to 80% for these loaves. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">20% Rye, 80% Whole Wheat with Bread Spice and Chunky Sourdough Starter</td></tr>
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The first dough was simply a 100% whole wheat bread, freshly ground grains. It used the usual Tartine amounts:</div>
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<li class="li1">100% ww flour, finely ground</li>
<li class="li1">20% ww sourdough</li>
<li class="li1">2% seasalt</li>
<li class="li1">80% water</li>
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The second dough was a 20% rye, 80% ww loaf, freshly ground from grains. At the same time I ground the grain, I also ran through about 20g (2%) of my home-made bread spice, i.e. freshly ground:</div>
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Cumin: Fennel Anise: Coriander, in the ratio 10:6:6:2</div>
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This imparted a wonderful scent to the warm freshly milled grain, which continued on throughout the baking.</div>
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Furthermore, the sourdough I used for this bread was made from fairly chunky, almost merely cracked wheat berries. I did this deliberately, to see if the larger chunks might impart an interesting texture to the entire bread. I was happy with the results, and I'd like to experiment more with this sort of thing, for different multigrain effects.</div>
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<li class="li1">80% ww flour, finely ground</li>
<li class="li1">20% rye flour, finely ground</li>
<li class="li1">20% ww sourdough, coarsely ground</li>
<li class="li1">2% bread spice, finely ground</li>
<li class="li1">2% seasalt</li>
<li class="li1">80% water</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heaven's Eye view of the WW bread</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heaven's Eye view of the 20% Rye loaves</td></tr>
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<b>The Bread of Genesis</b></div>
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I've looked at the genesis of bread since my first blog entry. This story is fairly familiar to me, by now: how agriculture started in the middle east with the domestication of grain, the congregation of people in towns and villages and cities, supported by farmland that was nourished by river floodplains; the discovery, in Egypt, of fermentation of grain, which gave us bread; the wide dispersion of the bread-making technology via the Greek artisans, and in the path of Roman armies; how it rode with the advance of civilization and thought, through the middle ages, kept alive by farmers and artisans, monks, peasants and kings; and how modern corporations have created new bread-making technologies to provide bread cheaply on an industrial scale. And now, the kings of the corporate world have patented various DNA sequences and are poised to insert them into the seed of grain marked for bread, to feed the hungry billions of people expected to populate the earth.</div>
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Today I look at the bread of Genesis. And the entire story of bread that I have just related, a nutshell history of bread, is there, in seed form, in the first book of the Bible.</div>
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Genesis is a highly compressed version of history. Many of the most memorable stories of the Hebrew Bible are found here. The span of centuries is immense, and the language is rich with metaphor. The story of bread is found here, too.</div>
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<b>I. Bread is a curse</b></div>
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The first mention of bread in the Bible is Genesis 3:19, and clearly it is part of God's curse upon humanity for the sin of disobedience. God says,</div>
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<i>Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,</i><i>and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, saying</i><i> 'You shall not eat from it,'</i><i>the ground shall be cursed because of you;</i><i>you shall eat of it in sorrow all the days of your life.</i><i>And it shall bring forth thorns and thistles for you,</i><i>and you shall eat the plant of the field.</i><i>By the sweat of your face</i><i>you shall eat bread</i><i>until you return to the ground.</i><i>For you have been taken out of it;</i><i>for you are dust,</i><i>and to dust you shall return.</i></blockquote>
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Much thought has been expended on why God would not want mankind to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Why indeed would God not want His creation to know good and evil, and learn to discriminate between them? Perhaps it is because from the very beginning, man has shown through disobedience that knowing good and evil is not enough to ensure compliance with God's will. In any case, once turned out of Eden, humans would now have to fend for themselves. They would no longer have all their wants and needs fulfilled. They would have to work for their bread.</div>
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The Hebrew word for bread in this earliest account is the 3-letter word <b><i>lechem.</i></b> It refers to all food, but especially to bread or the grain for making bread. The root of the word is Chaldean, referring to feasting. The act of <i>devouring</i> soon became a metaphor for battle, or war. Bread is a curse indeed.</div>
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<b>II. Bread is a Ritual</b></div>
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The next time we hear of bread in the Bible, is when Melchizedik brings forth bread and wine to celebrate Abram's victory over Chedorlaomer, king of Elam at Hobah, north of Damascus (Gen 14:18). Now, Melchizedik was not only King of Salem (perhaps an earlier name for Jerusalem?), he was also priest of God Most High, before there was ever a temple, and Abram gave him a tithe.</div>
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From this time on, Bread became part of the rituals of priests: the "Shewbread" was a symbol of God's power in battle over all enemies and a celebration of his victory in the field.</div>
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<b>III. The First Bread Recipe is for God</b></div>
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The same character, now named Abraham, has a visitation from three curious personages, while Abraham is relaxing in his old age by his oak grove at Mamre (Gen 18:5). Somehow, Abraham recognizes these three not merely as angels, but as God Himself. He tells them, "rest yourselves under the tree while I fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on." Turning to his elderly wife Sarah, he gives her the recipe for an ashcake that he intends on offering to the strange trio: "Make ready three measures [seahs] of fine [soleth] meal [gemach], knead it [loosh] and make hearthcakes. ['uggah]." The bread is to be made hurriedly, and is evidently some sort of flatbread, made on the stones surrounding the home fire. The visitors approve; and while eating their bread, they make the famous but absurd prophecy that Abraham will become the father of a huge multitude. So wild is this prophecy, that Abraham's wife laughs at the thought of it.</div>
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Shortly thereafter, a similar visitation occurs in Sodom, to Abraham's nephew Lot and his family (Gen 19:4). Lot also offers the curious visitors bread, and lodging, including protection from the sodomites outside his door. Because of his faithfulness to his guests, he and his family alone are spared from the destruction of the wicked city. This time, the bread is called unleavened cakes [matstsah], and they are baked ['aphah]. Matza has been called "the Mother of Bread," perhaps because of its utter simplicity in ingredients and method. Here, the idea of a Matsa is not merely that it be made hurriedly, but that it is sweet -- it is not to be soured by natural leaven. It is greedily devoured. The word itself comes from the root "matsats,"itself a very ancient word meaning 'to suck milk.'</div>
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Bread becomes a symbol of what may be offered to God as a proof of righteousness and faithfulness, and here it has become an acceptable exchange for one's life, and for immeasurable profit and increase.</div>
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<b>IV. Bread and the Birthright</b></div>
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Bread features prominently in Genesis's stories of birthrights and blessings. Abraham gives bread to his wife's slavegirl Hagar, and her son by him Ishmael, just before he banishes them into the wilderness (Gen. 21:14). God does save the girl and her son, and Ishmael's descendants have survived to this day to rejoin the argument over ownership of the promised land.</div>
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A generation after Abraham, Jacob and Esau argue over their birthright, and Esau sells his birthright for a single luncheon of bread and a pottage of red lentils (Gen 25:34). Bread is also part of the deception of Rebekah and Jacob, who collude to obtain the blessing of birthright from blind Isaac. Bread and savoury meats is the meal offered to Jacob's father, that he might convince him that he is Esau and is deserving of the mysterious blessing (Gen 27:17).</div>
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The result of the subterfuge, however, is the enmity of siblings, and Jacob's flight.</div>
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<b>V. Bread and the Covenant</b></div>
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Bread was also on Jacob's mind, and part of his bargain struck with God, when he made a vow near Haran, following his famous dream of seeing angels upon the ladder (Gen 28:20). He posed his covenant to God in these terms, which remind me of a computer algorithm:</div>
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{<br />
IF<br />
{ God provided bread and clothing }<br />
THEN<br />
{ the Lord would be his God }<br />
AND<br />
{ he would tithe}<br />
}</blockquote>
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A couple of chapters later, Jacob has served his father-in-law Laban for 20 years, and has taken as wife both Leah and Rachel. He departs again for the country of Gilead, but Laban pursues him and catches up with him. After accusing Jacob of theft, he finds no proof. The two men eventually come to an agreement, sealing it with a stone pillar and heap of stones, and a meal of bread (Gen 31:54).</div>
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Along with the named pillar, the mountaintop meal of bread becomes a witness to the event, the symbol of a covenant sealed.</div>
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<b>V. Bread as the Source of Political Power</b></div>
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The Hebrew identity that was formed at the Exodus is preceded by the complex tale of Joseph and his brothers in Genesis, by which we learn precisely how the people of Israel ever ended up in Egypt to begin with. The entire story can be viewed through the growing trope of bread.</div>
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Joseph's brothers conspire to kill him, but before they do, they throw him into a pit and sit down to eat bread together. While eating bread, they conceive of a more profitable plan: they will sell him into slavery into Egypt (Gen 37:25). Bread thus becomes a calming influence, it settles the wild and violent passions, and it inspires new ideas. And thus the roadmap for the entire tribe thereafter is placed before them.</div>
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Joseph performs his duties for his Egyptian master Potiphar so well that Potiphar has "no concerns for anything but the bread which he ate." The increase in profit that Joseph brings to his household leads to Joseph interpreting the Pharoah's famous dream. After seven years of plenty, there are seven years of famine. All the earth begins to starve -- except for Egypt, where, due to Joseph's foresight of storing grain during times of plenty, everyone had bread (Gen 41:54-55). Egypt became the storehouse for other nations who came to purchase grain, and the wealth of nations became concentrated in Egypt -- all due to bread.</div>
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When Joseph's brothers come to buy grain, Joseph meets them, and they eat bread together (Gen 43:25;31). Bread is the feast of reunion, and ultimately, forgiveness.</div>
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But the Hebrews and the Egyptians ate separately -- because eating bread with the Hebrews was an abomination to the Egyptians (Gen. 43:32). Bread is thus a symbol of cultural and tribal separation.</div>
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Bread was part of the gift that Joseph sent back with his brothers for his father Jacob (Gen 45:23). It is the symbol of love, of hope, of family, of promise.</div>
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When Jacob moves his entire household to Egypt, Pharaoh settles them in the best of the land, in Goshen, and Joseph provides bread for all (Gen 47:12). Bread is the symbol of plenty.</div>
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The famine continues, and all Egyptians, and people of all nations spend all their money, then give all their livestock, and finally sell themselves into slavery, for the sake of bread from Joseph's stores (Gen 47:13, 15, 17, 19). So Joseph thereby bought all the land of Egypt for the Pharaoh -- all except for the land still owned by the priests. Joseph gave the people seed -- enough for them to grow grain on the land, but henceforth 1/5th of the harvests would be taxed, and given back to the Pharaoh.</div>
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Because of bread, individuals were willing to give up their autonomy, and accept a government and single ruler; because of bread, the wealth of nations was consolidated and concentrated into the hands of a single powerful person; because of bread, the eternal slavery of taxation began. Those who control the distribution of bread end up ruling the entire known world.</div>
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From this moment on, following the curse of bread, bread now orders the world's political hierarchy.</div>
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<b>VI. Bread as a Promise of Future Happiness</b></div>
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Before Genesis ends, Jacob on his deathbed speaks a long prophecy regarding his sons. The ninth son is Asher, a son of Jacob by Zilpah, Leah's handmaid. Rachel named him Asher, which means "happy," or "blessing." Asher's prophecy is shorter than most, and may go unnoticed among the more interesting prophecies of his brothers: "Asher's bread shall be rich (literally, 'his bread shall be fat')," Jacob said, "and he shall yield royal dainty (i.e. he will provide delicate food for kings)." </div>
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Of course the prophecy refers to the tribe that grew from Asher's descendants. Those who have bread are carefree; those who feed kings become powerful and influential.</div>
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Bread began in the book of Genesis as a curse, but it ends the book as a promise of future blessing. </div>
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<b>Results of my Bread</b></div>
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This bread makes me happy. Unlike its most ancient relative, the matzo, my bread is leavened, of course, by sourdough -- and it is full of flavour.<br />
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I didn't stretch and fold these doughs quite as much as the Tartine method calls for, but I did knead them for about 5 minutes each instead. The gluten was not as well developed as it could have been -- or so I thought. I fell asleep and awoke 4 hours later to bake them, despite which they turned out pretty nice. <br />
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The bread with rye in it didn't undergo a bench rest before being placed in the proofing basket, and so the gluten cloak wasn't as tight as I would have liked. It did flatten out in the basket, but it too saw a fairly nice oven spring.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crumb of 20% Rye loaf</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crumb of 100% WW loaf</td></tr>
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It is my curse that I love bread. It is my blessing that I am able to make bread, and share bread, and eat bread.</div>
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May all be fed.</div>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>Perhaps I'll continue looking at bread in the Bible. Perhaps not. The last time I said I'd work my way through a book, it was Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads. I soon grew tired of that. Maybe someday I'll get back to it though, who knows?</b></i></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-72128151918888599702013-03-06T16:22:00.000-08:002013-03-06T16:22:30.575-08:0050% Whole Rye, 50% Whole Wheat, Freshly Milled with 85% hydration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>50% Whole Rye, 50% Whole Wheat, Freshly Milled with 85% hydration</b></div>
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Today's bread started out as a couple of Tartine style whole grain loaves, but I didn't have the time to properly develop the dough, we had to rush out in the afternoon. I knew that the dough wouldn't elongate or hold its shape well enough for a free-standing loaf by the feel of it, so I put it in a couple of tins. But then, there wasn't quite enough dough for that -- or not enough wild yeast in the sourdough culture -- or too long a proofing in the cold garage -- and so these breads are a teensy bit flat. <br />
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<li class="li2">500g Rye kernels, freshly milled</li>
<li class="li2">500g Wheat kernels, freshly milled</li>
<li class="li2">200g Wheat sourdough starter</li>
<li class="li2">20g Sea Salt</li>
<li class="li2">850g Water</li>
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<b>Studies on Freshly Milled Grains</b></div>
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I continue to look at studies that talk about the advantages of freshly milled grains for nutrition. Curiously, the studies are ambiguous about the benefits of storing flour before use in baking. Some earlier studies suggest that when flour is stored, it bakes better bread (<b>Chen</b>). Later studies, however, have found exactly the opposite <b>(Sur)</b>. From what I've seen, the studies do not properly specify the extraction of the flour they use as control. Most of them assume white flour, i.e. flour with bran removed.</div>
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There is also some discrepancy in studies which look at the changes in lipids of stored flour. One study says there is little hydrolysis (<b>Clayton</b>); another says there is lots (<b>Arunga</b>).</div>
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It would seem that there is definitely a change in the lipid structure of stored whole wheat flour. But flour that has its germ removed, is not going to experience a lot of change in lipid structure, because the lipids are already mostly removed. Whole grains will see the largest change.</div>
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Sur reported that storage of flour will deplete most of the nutritional parts of the grain: Protein, gluten, sedimentation value, starch and crude fat decreased during storage. <b>Wennermark</b> noted the degradation of vitamin E during storage. <b>Chen</b> showed that total glutathione was diminished; <b>Sosulksi</b> said that the phenolic acid levels fell; and <b>Leenhardt</b> showed that carotenoids lost their anti-oxidant properties the longer flour was stored. All of this tends to fall into the "duh" category. It seems self-evident, before you even begin the study.</div>
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There is one surprise, though: what <i>did</i> increase, when flour is stored, is the sugar content, and the free fatty acids of the flour, according to <b>Sur's</b> study.</div>
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<b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumigation">Fumigation of Stored Grain</a></b></div>
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But my research on freshly milled grain led me down another pathway. It is so easy to get distracted, when one sits to look into something. You know how when you go to a library, and you are looking for a book but find another book on a nearby shelf that leads you into a different topic, and its all serendipity? Internet research is like that, but its multiplied by a huge factor, since everything is interconnected. There's no end to it. That's why I can write about nothing but bread, every time I make it, and still learn something new.</div>
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I Googled "Fresh milled grain" or something similar, and after a couple of hours I discovered I was reading reports on the fumigation of stored grain. Which made me curious about how grain is protected against insect damage during storage in our country, and others; and how do organic growers of grain store their grain to keep pests away?</div>
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In the late 1930's, <b>Mackie</b> discovered that Methyl Bromide protected stored grain against pests (well, <b>Minett</b> says <b>LeGupil</b> stumbled upon this fact in France even earlier, but Mackie can take the blame on this continent). This was a boon to grain handlers: they could regularly spray their silos that were full of grain with the methyl bromide, and after 48 hours, most bugs were dead. And very little bromide was absorbed into the grain (supposedly). Unfortunately, we did not know then that the widespread use of methyl bromide was a contributing factor to ozone depletion. With the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Protocol">Montreal Protocol</a> in 1989, methyl bromide began to be phased out.</div>
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I was not surprised, knowing how Canada has dragged its feet on other environmental issues, to learn that it has not entirely disappeared. It is still widely used in the US, too. Since 1989, Canada's grain handlers have been introducing other fumigants, but methyl bromide is still in use, here and there. </div>
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Meanwhile, there have been studies (<b>Starratt</b>) that concluded that the DNA of grains are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylation">methylated</a> during storage and fumigation with methyl bromide. While <b>Starratt</b> found the guanine of the DNA was disturbed, another study (<b>Minett</b>) found that the amino acids histidine, methionine and cysteine reacted with the fumigant. The concern was that these flour proteins are involved in breadmaking, and this might affect loaf volume. Loaf volume was found to be affected when levels of Methyl Bromide were applied at 4-20x the commercial values of methyl bromide application. At levels below 2000mg/h.l, seeds can recover from methyl bromide fumigation, although a percentage will not germinate; at levels above this, all germination ceases. We do not know how fumigation may be involved in human cancers, but there have been suspicions.</div>
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So if we shouldn't use Methyl Bromide, what should we use to protect our stored grain from insects? In Canada, at least, some of the older solutions (ethylene dibromide, hydrocyanic acid, carbon tetrachloride, ethylene dichloride, carbon disulphide -- the dangers of which have been shown by scientists like<span style="background-color: white;"> <b>Jagielski</b> </span>and others) are now utterly banned. </div>
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<b>Bell</b> reported there is no single solution, but rather an increased use of "chemical cocktails comprising methyl isothiocyanate-releasing compounds…" His list of fumigation chemicals includes </div>
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<li class="li2">phosphine</li>
<li class="li2">sulfuryl fluoride</li>
<li class="li2">carbonyl sulfide</li>
<li class="li2">cyanogen</li>
<li class="li2">ehtyl formate</li>
<li class="li2">methyl iodide</li>
<li class="li2">methyl isothiocyanate</li>
<li class="li2">methyl phosphine</li>
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Nowadays, according to <b>Fields</b>, our best defence against pests, when sprayed directly on grain, that is <i>already infested</i>:</div>
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<li class="li2">malathion (at the rate of 1.6 kg/t grain)</li>
<li class="li2">diatomaceous earth (at the rate of 100-1000 ppm)</li>
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There are other chemicals at use to fumigate empty bins or packaged product, that supposedly never touch the grain itself. These are <i>protectives</i>:</div>
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<li class="li2">pyrethrins + piperonly butoxide</li>
<li class="li2">dichlorvos</li>
<li class="li2">cyfluthrin</li>
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And there are also poisonous fumigants, which are often augured into bins along with the grain, and the grain is left a couple of weeks or more until all the bugs are dead, and then the silos are aired out. These are <i>preventatives</i>:</div>
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<li class="li2">phosphine (usually aluminum phosphide pellets; or gaseous phosphine)</li>
<li class="li2">carbon dioxide (as a gas, or as dry ice), often used along with heat treatment</li>
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As for other products being tested against pests: quite often one finds studies that trial essential oils from various mint (<b>Weaver, </b><b style="background-color: white;">Bekele</b>) or sage (<b>Dunkel</b>) or basil (<b>Jembere</b>) as fumigants. Some of these oils or crushed leaves work remarkably well against some pests. </div>
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According to <b>Lisa Weasel</b>, in her book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Food-Fray-Controversy-Genetically-Modified/dp/B005M4FBG2">Food Fray: inside the controversy over genetically modified food" (2008)</a>, Bacillus thuriengensis (Bt) is a bacterium which can be sprayed on crops. Different strains of the bacteria will target different insects in their larvae stage. <b>Rachel Carson</b>, in her groundbreaking book, Silent Spring, said that Bt was an example of an environmentally friendly way to control pests. Since the 1950's, it has been used by organic farmers as a protection against moths and butterflies.</div>
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<b>Weasel</b> goes on to say that scientists at Monsanto have figured out precisely which genes the Bt bacteria use against pests. They have spliced those genes onto the DNA of some plant seeds they have genetically altered and patented. Recently this has caused a bit of an uproar in India, where Bt eggplants were first introduced, then withdrawn, then re-introduced, then boycotted, in the Indian food supply. Bt cotton is commonplace now; but is it wise to put this insect-killing protein from bacteria inside our food? </div>
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I think it is safe to say that so far, no one knows, and as Weasel points out, <b>Rachel Carson</b> would probably not approve.</div>
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<b>Moths in your flour</b></div>
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I've recently met 3 different people who once bought their flour at Arva Flour Mills, but no longer do so because they said they found the flour contained moths. "It could have been an isolated incident, they could have got into the flour after I got it home, I don't know," I am told. "But I don't buy there any more."</div>
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Moths in flour are a concern, of course. Nobody likes to throw out flour that seems infested. Nobody likes to bring bugs into the home that can destroy food and clothing</div>
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But ask yourself why there are no moths in the white flour you buy at your local grocery store. <i>What</i> has it been fumigated with, stored in, shipped in, to get to your kitchen pantry and remain <i>free of life</i>?</div>
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<b>Results of this Bread</b><br />
Not my best bread, not by a long shot.<br />
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It still tastes good, though. Even if the crumb is a bit too moist and cake-like, even a bit gummy in texture.</div>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
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<li><b><i>Here are a few of the references I've used here:<br /></i></b></li>
<li><i><b><a href="http://www.aaccnet.org/publications/cc/backissues/1996/Documents/73_1.pdf">Chen, X. and Schofield, D. (1996) Changes in the glutathione content and breadmaking performance of white wheat flour during short-term storage. Cereal chemistry. 73(1) pp. 1-4</a>
</b><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">This study sought to explain why breadmaking ability improved with stored flour, as opposed to freshly-milled flour, by looking at glutathione levels. In the first 10 days of storage, the free-reduced form of glutathione fell from 149 to 85 nmol/g of flour, but this could not be explained by an increase in the free oxidized forms, nor an increase in the forms of protein-glutathione mixed disulphides (because these levels fell too). They could not explain the drop in glutathione. It is, however, suspected that the drop in glutathione is involved with the improvements in breadmaking performance.
This study quoted Kent, N. (1983) Technology of cereals with special reference to wheat, 3rd ed Oxford: Pergamon Press., for a report on how breadmaking improved upon flour storage.</span><b>
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<i><b><a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01088481?LI=true#page-1">Sur, R. et al. (1993) Storage changes in the quality of sound and sprouted flour. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 44 pp. 35-44</a></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">On the contrary to the above study, which assumed that breadmaking ability improved with the aging of flour, this study found that "loaf volume of breads decreased during storage in both sound and sprouted flour but the mean percent decrease in loaf volume was more in stored sound flours.". "Protein, gluten, sedimentation value, starch and crude fat decreased during storage in all samples." What increased were "total sugars and free fatty acids" during the storage of 135 days.</span></div>
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<b><i><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.2740230607/abstract">Clayton, T. and Morrison, W. (2006) Changes in flour lipids during the storage of wheat flour. J of Sci of Food and Agriculture. 23(6) pp. 721-736</a></i></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">There is no loss of lipids if the flour is stored at 15 degrees C, but slight losses at higher temperatures. Mostly the lipids remained constant, but there was some hydrolysis of glycerides, and so an increased amount of free fatty acids the longer it was stored. The fatty acids were not degraded by enzymes.</span></i></div>
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<a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02531305?LI=true#page-1"><b><i>Arunga, R. and Morrison, W. (1971) The structural analysis of wheat flour glycerolipids Lipids 6(10) pp 768-776</i></b></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Identified 23 classes of lipids in flour. Reported previous studies that indicate "enzymic hydrolysis of glycerides occurs during the storage of cereals and flours, and enzymic oxidation of free fatty acids and monglycerides occurs during aerobic dough mixing." Such changes do take place during germination, but since milling is a different process, contamination from bacteria and moulds may change what happens.</span></i></div>
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<a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf00042a019"><b><i>Wennermark, B. et al. (1994) Improved vitamin E retention by using freshly milled whole-meal wheat flour during drum-drying. J Agric Food Chem 42(6) pp 1348-1351</i></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This study found 42% more alpha-tocopherol or Vitamin E in processed food when it used freshly milled wheat rather than stored whole wheat flour.</span></div>
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<a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf00110a030"><b><i>Sosulksi, F. et al. (1982). Free, esterified, and insoluble-bound phenolic acids 3. composition of phenolic acids in cereal and potato flours. J Agric Food Chem. 30(2) pp. 337-340</i></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This study found that the total phenolic acid content of wheat flour fell from around 71-87 ppm to 26 ppm, over six months of storage. Many of the phenolic acids were not properly identified in this study.</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf052243m">Leenhardt, F. et al. (2006) Wheat Lipoxygenase activity induces greater loss of carotenoids than vitamin E during breadmaking. J Agric Food Chem 54(5) pp. 1710-1715</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This study found that major carotenoid losses occurred during kneading, and depended largely upon the amount of lopoxygenase (LOX) present -- which was determined by cultivar. The more carotenoid pigment, and the less LOX enzyme, the more carotenoids (unsaponifiable antioxidants) were preserved. Moderate kneading also resulted in higher vitamin E retention.</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.aaccnet.org/publications/cc/backissues/1976/Documents/Chem53_41.pdf" style="font-weight: bold;">Minett, W. et al. (1976) Methyl Bromide Fumigation I. Effect of high dosages on breadmaking quality and germination of wheat. Cereal Chemistry 53(1) pp 41-50.</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A good article for background info on methyl bromide fumigation related to bread.</span></div>
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<b><i><a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf00083a032">Starratt, A. and Bond, E. (1988). Methylation of DNA of Maize and Wheat Grains during Fumigation with Methyl Bromide. J Agric Food Chem. 36(5) pp. 1035-1039</a>.</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This study concluded that Methyl Bromide affected in particular the guanine residues in the DNA of grains that were fumigated. Since Methyl bromide is a mutagen, the potential for mutation is substantial.</i></span></div>
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<b><i><a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02983964">Bell, C. (2002) Fumigation - the few remaining compounds. Phytopharasitica 30(1). pp.3-6</a></i></b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I thought I was obsessed with strange stuff. Bell spent a lifetime researching how bugs are eradicated from grain storage.</span></i></div>
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<li><div class="p2">
<b><i><a href="http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~fieldspg/fields/avoid-surprize.pdf">Fields, P. and White, N. Avoid Surprises at Delivery: Good Grain Storage Practices. Agronomy Update, Red Deer, Alberta</a>.</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Fields also did quite a bit of research used by the Canadian Miller's Association. See, for example, </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><b><a href="http://www.canadianmillers.ca/english/pdf/issues/ComparativeEvaluation_March2007.pdf">Canadian National Millers Association (2007) Comparative Evaluation of Integrated Pest Management, Heat Treatments and Fumigants As Alternatives to Methyl Bromide for</a> </b></i></span><a href="http://www.canadianmillers.ca/english/pdf/issues/ComparativeEvaluation_March2007.pdf"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Control of Stored Product Pests In Canadian Flour Mills</b></i></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022474X9190003U"><b><i>Weaver, D. et al. (1991) The efficacy of linalool, a major component of freshly-milled Ocimum canum Sims (Lamiaceae), for protection against postharvest damage by certain stored product Coleoptera. J of Stored Products Research. 27(4) pp. 213-220</i></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This study used linalool, the oil of a certain mint, to spray on grain in Rwanda to reduce pest damage.</i></span><br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022474X98000150"><b><i>Dunkel, F. et al (1998) Fumigant properties of physical preparations from mountain big sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata Nutt sap. vaseyana (Rydb.) beetle for stored grain insects.</i></b></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This one used a sage product as a fumigant, similar in action to methyl bromide.<br /></span></i></div>
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<li><div class="p2">
<a href="http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=2496736">J<b><i>embere, B. et al. (1994) Products derived from the leaves of Ocimum kilimandscharicum (Labiate) as post-harvest grain protectants against the infestation of three major stored product insect pests. Bulletin of Entomological Research 85(3) pp. 361-367</i></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This study used ground leaves and essential oils of O. kilimandscharicum as a pesticide on stored grain, to determine its feasibility for its use on stored grain in developing countries. The bugs tested were Sitophilus zeamais, Rhyzopertha dominica, and Sitotroga cerebella. All were killed after 48 hours.</i></span></div>
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</li>
<li><div class="p2">
<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09670879609371983"><b><i>Bekele, A. et al. (1996) Evaluation of Ocimum suave (Wilid) as a source of repellents, toxicants and protectants in storage against three stored product insect pests. Int J of Pest Management. 42(2)</i></b></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The use of linalool again, this time using O. suave.<br /></span></i></div>
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</li>
<li><div class="p2">
<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1942.tb17669.x/abstract"><b><i>Dudley H. and Neal P. (1941) Methyl Bromide as a fumigant for foods. J of Food Science. 7() pp. 421-429.</i></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This study reports that since 1938, methyl bromide was used as a fumigant, when Mackie and Hawkins discovered it eradicated grain pests. Most grains did not absorb much bromide, but milled grains did.</i><br /></span></div>
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</li>
<li><div class="p2">
<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ps.2780090205/abstract"><b><i>Jagielski, J. et al. (2006) Residues of carbon tetrachloride and 1,2-dibromethane in cereals and processed foods after liquid fumigant grain treatment for pest control. Pest Management Science. 9(2) pp. 117-126</i></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Halogenated hydrocarbon 'liquid' or vapourous fumigants cause carbon tetrachloride and ethylene dibromide residues to remain after fumigation and even up to 1 year after storage and processing. This study measured the amounts in bread and made some recommendations.</i></span><br /></div>
</li>
</ul>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-62956461242648124632013-03-03T07:38:00.002-08:002013-03-03T07:38:38.192-08:0020% Rye with 80% Wheat from hand-milled grain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>20% Rye with 80% Wheat from hand-milled grain</b></div>
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Last bread I made was a <a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2013/03/home-milled-100-whole-wheat-sourdough.html">100% whole wheat loaf</a>, from hand-milled wheat. That was the first time I used my new Komo Mill. Today's bread is my standard whole-grain, 20% rye loaf, made in the Tartine style, with sourdough. </div>
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Not too exciting. Nothing much to relate. I've made bread with this recipe, and reported on it, lots of times before.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weighing the Rye</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proofing</td></tr>
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The starter was expanding nicely after 8 hours of fermentation. I've mentioned that the starter feels quite a bit different, when you are using hand-milled grain. At 100% hydration, it still feels a bit chunky. This time I added a full cup of grain flour to a cup of water (as I suggested last time), which turns out to be slightly more than 200g of water to 200g of flour -- slightly better hydrated than 100%. After 8 hours, this starter was ready to use.</div>
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I also mentioned in the last post that 1 cup of wheat was close enough to 200g to avoid the tedium of measuring each time. This time, I checked the rye kernels. No such luck here: to get 200g of rye kernels, you need slightly more than 1 cup of them -- perhaps 1 1/4 kernels. </div>
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I weighed everything for this dough. It doesn't take long.</div>
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<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2">800g wheat, milled</li>
<li class="li2">200g rye, milled</li>
<li class="li2">200g sourdough starter</li>
<li class="li2">20g seasalt</li>
<li class="li2">850g filtered water, obtained from my sandpoint</li>
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I wasn't sure about that 85% hydration, but thought I'd go a bit wetter for this loaf to see what would happen.<br />
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<b>Method</b></div>
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This was the typical Tartine method, which comes as second nature now: the short autolyse before adding the final 50g of water, along with salt; the Q30 stretches and folds (and occasional air-kneading), during the aproximately-4-hour bulk fermentation, the dividing of dough, a rough forming, a bench-rest, and then the final shaping before proofing.</div>
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The proofing took place in the fridge overnight, about 6 hours. This morning the dough was removed for 2 hours prior to baking. I used Dutch Ovens for this one.</div>
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The dough seemed a bit flat to me, when I took it from the baskets and scored it. Perhaps I didn't develop the gluten well enough, or tight enough, to prevent sagging. The new countertop is a bit too slippery, I find; it doesn't provide the right sort of drag on the dough. I'm still learning how to use it to best advantage.</div>
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But there was acceptable oven spring, and the dough stood up to the baking process, leaving me with a couple of fine looking loaves. I gave away the better looking one.<br />
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<b>Trichothecene</b></div>
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There's always something more to learn. I made a quick search for "home milled rye," on Google Scholar and PubMed, and my attention was quickly drawn to trichothecene. This is another important chemical name to remember, it seems, when it comes to grain. I'll have to update my <a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/p/health-concerns-of-wheat-and-other.html">Page on Health Concerns of Wheat and Other Grains</a>, where I've been collecting these things (I had mentioned it before, but I didn't have all the trichothecenes I've learned about listed).<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichothecene">Trichothecenes</a> are mycotoxins produced by several problem grain blights (for example, Fusarium). They are toxic because they react with the ribosomes and interfere with RNA and thus protein synthesis. If ingested, or are absorbed through the skin, they can irritate body tissue. Poisoning with trichothecenes can lead to reduced PO intake, vomiting, and immuno-suppression, and ultimately the possibly fatal alimentary toxic aleukia (ATA) (see: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1903757/pdf/amjpathol00215-0087.pdf">Lutsky, I, and Mor, N. (1981) Alimentary Toxic Aleukia (Septic Angina, Endemic Panmyeloxtoxicosis, Alimentary Hemorrhagic Aleukia). Am J. Pathol. 104(2) pp. 189-191</a>)<br />
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Within living memory, trichothecenes have been found to be endemic in some poor rural, grain-belt areas of Russia. Depending on your source, in the 1940's as many as 5,000 -- or 100,000 -- Russians died from it)-- although Foroud (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2662451/">Foroud, N. and Etudes, F. (2009) Trichothecenes in Cereal Grains. Int J Mol Sci 10(1) pp. 147-173</a>) cites pockets of other endemic areas in England, Canada, the US, Asia, Australia, Europe and South Africa.</div>
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The authors of the wiki seem to think that this chemical has also been used in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichothecene">biological warfare</a>.</div>
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Trichothecenes have been well studied in Europe, but we don't have a lot of info on how much we are typically eating in North America. Schollenberger's team (<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157503001649">Schollenberger, M. et al. (2005)</a><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157503001649"> Trichothecene toxins in different groups of conventional and organic bread of the German market. J of Food Composition and Analysis. 18(1) pp. 69-78</a>) found it in most German bread, but bread with a very high percentage of rye (>90%) has less. She also found that there is less in bread made from organically grown grain (which is a surprising finding, to my mind). They suggest an acceptable "maximum tolerable daily intake" level of 1 microgram per kg of body weight per day*. Since almost all samples (92%) contain deoxynivalenol (DON) -- a slightly less potent trichothecene than t-2, but worrisome because it is pretty much ubiquitous -- the levels of trichothecene ingested would seem to be quite a bit more than the safe level. The median of DON alone, detected in bread was 134 micrograms per kg of bread -- and there are other trichthecenes besides DON.</div>
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Most discouraging to my own interest, it would seem that sourdough fermentation may only compound the amount of mycotoxin produced by the fungi. ApSimon's team (<a href="http://pac.iupac.org/publications/pac/pdf/1990/pdf/6207x1339.pdf">ApSimon, J. et al. (1990) Mycotoxins from Fusarium species: detection, determination and variety. Pure & Appl. Chem. 62(7) pp. 1339-1346</a>) took full advantage of this, and discovered several new trichothecenes only after fermenting some of the fungi captured.</div>
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<b>Results</b></div>
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This bread was fine. No surprises here. It tastes good.</div>
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It behooves us all, who are grinding our own grain, to watch for signs of fusarium blight and other fungus among our kernels, to reduce the amount of trichothecene we ingest. It should be fairly simple, in the tiny amounts we mill at home, to check for malformed grains. Anything suspicious shouldn't be milled. While that seems obvious, when you are very poor, like the rural Russians in the 1940's, you may feel sometimes you haven't got a choice.</div>
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The big boys, who mill tons and tons of grain each day, don't have time to pick through the grain to throw out the bad ones. They depend on spot testing. Home millers should be able to do better: every bread made, at home, can and should be a 'spot test'.</div>
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The "conventional" answer to Fusarium blight, and other fungi that produce mycotoxins in our grain, has been to breed wheat which is fusarium-resistant. The genes for this resistance are now well-known, and lines with those genes are generally bred into our modern varieties. I'm not entirely convinced that this is the only answer to the problem, which has been exacerbated by our monocrop way of farming, our long chains of transportation, and our large scale storage. Again, small-scale organic grain growers should be able to do better. The key seems to be small scale, and encouragement of biodiversity. As Faroud points out, "<i>l</i><i>imiting breeding programs to one (or a few) resistant sources can initiate the selection of highly pathogenic strains"</i> of blight that produce even more virulent mycotoxins.</div>
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I begin to see where all this is inevitably leading me. Obviously I have to begin to grow my own wheat and other grains, if I want to remain an exorphin junkie and continue to eat bread safely. <br />
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There is no use just bitching about it. Time to take action.<br />
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>* <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1903757/pdf/amjpathol00215-0087.pdf">Lutsky and Mor</a> found that the t-2 toxin gave cats a disease similar to human ATA at levels of 0.08mg/kg body weight, and at those levels the cats would only survive about 3 weeks. T-2 is reportedly 10x more potent than DON. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2662451/">Foroud</a> says that Canada has set safe levels at 2ppm in grain and flour. </b></i></li>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-71988199800837150942013-03-01T08:26:00.001-08:002013-03-01T08:26:11.026-08:00Home-milled 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_esFl50i5dA/UTDM4GHO8xI/AAAAAAAANOU/Yl9LJb3B0Ck/s1600/2013_0226AC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_esFl50i5dA/UTDM4GHO8xI/AAAAAAAANOU/Yl9LJb3B0Ck/s640/2013_0226AC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread</b></div>
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This Pan Integrale is only different because it is the first bread I've made with my new <b><a href="http://www.frischmahlen.com/">Komo</a> <a href="http://www.frischmahlen.de/muehlen/fidibus-classic">Fidibus Classic</a></b><a href="http://www.frischmahlen.de/muehlen/fidibus-classic"> </a><b>grain mill</b>. It is a test case.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new Komo Fidibus Classic grain mill.<br />Anybody else think the spout looks like a flaccid penis?<br />No? Must be just me, then.</td></tr>
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A few things I can tell you about this mill:</div>
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<li class="li2">It is quick enough, and quiet enough. </li>
<li class="li2">It looks nice and fits nicely on our counter.</li>
<li class="li2">The spout is arranged nicely, so you can get a bowl under it to collect the flour, even a bowl sitting on a flat scale.</li>
<li class="li2">It is well made.</li>
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<b>Refreshing the sourdough</b></div>
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I discovered that 200g of wheat kernels is 1 cup. This makes refreshing the sourdough simple indeed. Scoop the grain out, mill it, and you are pretty much done. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I ordered the biggest mill that would fit nicely under our countertop</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 cup of grain is 200g: perfect for Tartine Sourdough Starter refreshing</td></tr>
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I've also found that when you only add 200g of water to this flour, the consistency of the starter feels a bit thick. So it doesn't hurt to add some sourdough starter to this amount of water, and even top it up to the full cup, if you like. The sourdough will still thrive in this 'near'-100% hydration.</div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<b>The Tartine Loaves</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Ingredients for my loaves:</div>
<div class="p1">
<b></b><br /></div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2">1000g wheat kernels (mills to 1000g of real, whole, wheat flour)</li>
<li class="li2">200g sourdough starter (also real, whole, wheat flour @100% hydration)</li>
<li class="li2">20g sea salt</li>
<li class="li2">780g water</li>
</ul>
<div class="p1">
I don't have to add any wheat germ, as <a href="http://exorphinjunkie.blogspot.ca/2012/06/firsttruepanintegraleever.html">I started doing here</a>. I know nothing has been removed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZXI7wwkLdo/UTDM3KfqoGI/AAAAAAAANN0/RmAqvj_Afuw/s1600/2013_0225AI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZXI7wwkLdo/UTDM3KfqoGI/AAAAAAAANN0/RmAqvj_Afuw/s200/2013_0225AI.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1kg of hard red wheat before milling</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Klsj1JqP2Ps/UTDM3Dm5giI/AAAAAAAANNw/aZOldKU0yc0/s1600/2013_0225AJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Klsj1JqP2Ps/UTDM3Dm5giI/AAAAAAAANNw/aZOldKU0yc0/s200/2013_0225AJ.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and 1kg of flour, immediately after milling</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dUggwU6DDVc/UTDM26x73_I/AAAAAAAANN4/3QU4lL6722s/s1600/2013_0225AK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dUggwU6DDVc/UTDM26x73_I/AAAAAAAANN4/3QU4lL6722s/s200/2013_0225AK.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">aerating the starter in water</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kp20izaOO4s/UTDM3ZXbniI/AAAAAAAANOI/b4jsiUh2Gdw/s1600/2013_0225AL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kp20izaOO4s/UTDM3ZXbniI/AAAAAAAANOI/b4jsiUh2Gdw/s320/2013_0225AL.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first mix: no salt yet, and only 720g water so far</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3GfTytdJeJw/UTDM3qBjYkI/AAAAAAAANOA/Z3TpbQTenhw/s320/2013_0226AA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">before proofing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TClMS97rUdg/UTDM3oNeAQI/AAAAAAAANOE/7vRqeRzPENk/s1600/2013_0226AB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TClMS97rUdg/UTDM3oNeAQI/AAAAAAAANOE/7vRqeRzPENk/s320/2013_0226AB.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">after a night in the cold garage</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finished loaves, cooling</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread is brayed wheat, water and salt. The rest is wild yeast, wild bacteria, and time.</td></tr>
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<div class="p2">
Making the typical 2 Tartine-style (500g each) sourdough loaves requires 5 cups of wheat. The mill's top loading bowl can handle that much (made for 1kg). But it takes a bit of time to grind it quite fine (made for 100g/min, this takes about 10 min). The resultant flour is quite warm. Running the grain through on a "Grosser" setting before going to the "Feiner" setting might actually speed things up. I think I'll try that soon. It may actually be beneficial to slow it down, because the hotter the flour is, the more vitamins may be destroyed, and the more proteins denatured -- which may negate some of the benefits of milling your own flour. Let's examine that.</div>
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<b>Why mill your own flour?</b></div>
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Note that generally, before, when I made a Pan Integrale (100% whole wheat bread), I 've added wheat germ to whole wheat flour -- because I discovered in my stumbling around, baking bread and being curious a exorphin junkie -- that germ is removed from purchased whole wheat flour in the amount of 5%. This is to prevent spoilage and rancidity, for transportation and product shelf-life. This has always been a selling point of home mills like this one. "Whole wheat flour", it turns out, is not entirely "whole", except as a legally agreed-upon term. To me, this rather seems like misrepresentation, and I suppose most people don't know about this.</div>
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When you mill your own grain, you get more of the fresher oil, and oil-based vitamins that would be lost to oxidation. You also get more of the water-based vitamins, that otherwise would be lost to evaporation. And you get all of the aleurone layer of the kernel, which would be where many micronutrients and tiny strange-named molecules are, many of which have been shown beneficial in many ways -- from improving bowel function, improving digestion, preventing cancers, improving satiation, and thus stopping obesity in its tracks. (You also get more phytates, but if you are making bread with sourdough, most of the problems related to that are going to be resolved by fermentation).</div>
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But the biggest selling point is, many home-mill aficionados will tell you that the bread simply tastes better. And if you've never tasted it, you've never tasted what bread can be. Or so they say.</div>
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<br />
The user manual for the Komo mill gives several reasons for owning a grain mill, some of which follow:<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Because commercial flour contains neither the healthy fiber of freshly milled grain, nor the germ of the whole grain which is rich in vitamins.</i></li>
<li><i>Because the essential nutrients of whole-wheat flour begin to decay immediately after milling, and any delay from mill to oven represents a loss in food value.</i></li>
<li><i>Because whole grain has a virtually unlimited shelf life and supplies are easily managed. With your own flour mill you can produce the quantity needed at the grind setting required.</i></li>
<li><i>Because freshly ground flour tastes better due it aromatic components. These aromatic components are lost over time (as is seen in coffee) with commercial flours.</i></li>
<li><i>Because your own flour mill makes you independent from the market pressures that dictate commercial millers' pricing and availability.</i></li>
<li><i>Because grinding your own flour is cheaper in the long run: Even if you only bake your own bread once a week, a grain mill can typically pay for itself in just one year.</i></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
I also have a hand-grinder mill named country harvest, but i don't often use it because it is not set up properly on a bench, or to a bicycle. That makes it inconvenient to use -- and besides, it takes a good lot of energy to grind 5 cups of grain by hand to a very fine mixture (it is a good way to burn off some of the calories you'd consume by eating the bread). Some day I hope to have it installed in an enclosed location outside near my outdoor wood fire brick oven -- but that doesn't exist yet. And I haven't thrown the hand-crank mill away because if the grid ever goes down, I will have it handy. However, if you are going to be making bread regularly (and I've proved that I am going to be making bread regularly) you will want a dependable electric mill, at least while we still have electricity. <br />
<br />
Incidentally, I feel the same way about ovens. My indoor convection oven is such a convenience, and I don't have to slug wood. Someday, perhaps, I'll have that outdoor wood fire brick oven. But I'm in no hurry. Unless the grid goes down.</div>
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<b>Results</b></div>
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A good bread, indeed. This loaf exudes freshness. <br />
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It stales, like any bread, but it doesn't stale quickly. So far, I'm happy with my purchase. Now all I need is a continuous source of organic grain. <br />
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I better dig up my back yard and get planting. Too bad the ground is frozen.</div>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
<ul>
<li><i><b>You can go still higher on the hydration. Try 80% hydration next time.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Try adding a few kernels that haven't been milled to a complete powder. Try fermenting the merely cracked grain.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Try grinding the grain halfway, then running it through again on a feiner setting, to slow down the milling, and prevent the friction heat of a too-fast milling.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b><a href="http://www.frischmahlen.de/component/option,com_docman/Itemid,100/task,doc_download/gid,23/">German spec. sheet for the Fidibus Classic</a></b></i></li>
<li><i><b>The user manual for Komo Grain Mills and Flakers that came with my mill has a diagram of two bags of flour. On the left is a whole grain flour, and the bag is completely full, with vitamins B2, B2 and the mineral Iron listed in mg, per 3.5 oz flour as 0.16, 0.32, an 3.4 respectively. The right hand side has a bag that is 2/3 empty. The same nutrients are labelled as 0.03, 0.06 and 1.1mg. That diagram brings the point home, but it only speaks for whole grain flour, not for home-milled flour specifically.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>There is one bread recipe in the Komo Grain Mill user manual, but curiously, it does not contain wheat. It is labelled "Whole wheat bread 'easy as pie', but the grains it contains are spelt and rye. Furthermore, it includes yeast, honey, vinegar, spices, and many seeds. The point of the recipe seems to be speed of preparation (20 minutes plus 75minutes of baking), "suitable for children or grown-ups who have little time to spare." I was going to try this recipe as part of the Komo Mill review, but it simply doesn't appeal to me.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>I bought my mill through Breadtopia's online shopping. I don't mind giving them a plug, Eric and Denyce Rusch of <a href="http://www.breadtopia.com/">Breadtopia</a> are providing a good and faithful service. I'm not a Facebook fan, but <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MyBreadtopia">breadtopia</a> can be found there too. Thanks, breadtopia, for drop-shipping my mill.</b></i></li>
</ul>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640298770028582012.post-25530837165314239052013-02-25T04:00:00.001-08:002013-02-25T04:00:18.254-08:00Sourdough Wheat Bread with Udad flour<div class="p1">
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You can add almost anything to wheat bread. </div>
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I often find myself wandering the aisles of different stores and markets, looking for things that might be added to a loaf. In particular, I like to peruse the international section of grocery stores, and when I can find them, ethnic stores. The other day I had the opportunity to check out a certain Indian food store. There are a lot of things there that make me wonder: <i>would this go well with a Tartine-style sourdough bread?</i></div>
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The residents of India have been grinding up lots of things for their culinary arts for years. In particular, today I want to look at how they grind up a certain legume and turn it into flour. Udad flour (Udad d'Urid) is made from the so-called "black lentil," or "black gram pulse." Wikipedia says it is ground from the whole urad bean, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigna_mungo">Vigna mungo</a></i>. </div>
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Is the Udad flour I found (imported by <a href="http://www.deepfoods.com/default.asp">Deep</a>) ground from the <i>whole</i> pulse, or is the dark husk removed before the flour is made? From the light colour of the flour, I <i>suspect</i> that much of the skin has been removed prior to milling -- but I don't know.</div>
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The flour has an unusual scent when you are mixing it, quite noticeably leguminous, almost like the scent of pea stalks. There is a sweetness to it. Perhaps this is why Indians make sweet deserts from it, like the <a href="http://www.vahrehvah.com/Udad+flour+laddus:581">Udad flour laddus</a>. I've also seen recipes that use it to make batters for frying, or crepes, cakes and pancakes. There are <a href="http://www.tarladalal.com/recipes-using-urad-dal-flour-1036">lots of things</a> you can make with it. Many times, it is added to wheat flour. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khichdi">Khichdi</a>, a dish with rice and lentils, seems to be one of the staples of south Asia.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br />
An interesting <a href="http://www.veggiebelly.com/2011/03/perfect-dosa-recipe.html">blog posting by Sala at veggie belly</a>, quoted an Indian chef who said that idli, dosa and uthappam are made with a 5:1 rice:udad fermented batter. Idli are made on the first day, dosa on the second, and uthappam on the third. I would assume that the difference in taste and texture achieved is due to the amount of fermentation going on; when other ingredients are added to the batter to make a completely different food, the dish obtains a completely different name. Ah, the genius of invention and experimentation with fermented food. It might be fun to try some of these different recipes.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
But here, I am simply adding some udad flour to an ordinary sourdough whole wheat bread to see how they work together.</div>
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<br /></div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2">WW flour 80%</li>
<li class="li2">Udad flour 20%</li>
<li class="li2">sourdough starter 20%</li>
<li class="li2">wheat germ 5%</li>
<li class="li2">salt 2%</li>
<li class="li2">water 76%</li>
</ul>
<div class="p1">
<b></b><br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<b>Method</b></div>
<div class="p2">
This was the standard Tartine sourdough method.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
But I was gone to the post office and grocery store when the dough was quite done bulk fermenting. By the time I got it into the baskets to proof, the dough was becoming flaccid. There must be a lot of proteases in the Udad flour. Or else it ferments a lot faster than the wheat flour.</div>
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<div class="p2">
In any case, I had no great belief that this bread would turn out. The dough felt gummy, and wouldn't hold its shape. Nevertheless, I put it in a heavily floured basket with a few flax seeds in the bottom, and set it in the cold garage. My intention was to bake it sooner than later. My original idea was to bake it in the morning, but the dough was fermenting too fast, so I felt that even 2 hours in a cold garage was going to be too long.</div>
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<b></b><br />
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<div class="p2">
<b>Regarding Udad</b></div>
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"<a href="http://www.pulsecanada.com/uploads/b1/d6/b1d6e08fdff0a3158ad808fb1510ba86/2010-Pulse-Processing-Functionality-and-Application-Litera..pdf">Pulsecanada</a>" describes udad flour as "moderately tasteless", with 24% protein, 59.6% carbohydrate, and 1.4% fat. But it also states that some varieties of black gram may be defatted.</div>
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The nutritional info on the back of the Deep flour bag was woefully inadequate to satisfy my own curiosity.* Furthermore, I was quite surprised that I could not find much nutritional info on Udad flour on the Internet. The pulse that this flour is made from is one of the staples of the poorest people who thrive on a vegetarian diet in South Asia. And yet, very little is known about its specific nutritional qualities. It hasn't been studied to the same extent as many other parts of the human diet. It is generally assumed to be a good source of protein, but one continuously comes across warnings that overeating it may promote flatulence.</div>
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In the absence of western chemical science, which might take apart the legume completely to discover its makeup in vitamins and minerals, and thereby learn how these affect humans <i>in vivo</i>, we get traditional Ayurvedic medicine, which has centuries of anecdotal evidence regarding the many properties of urad, and its flour, udad. Yet if that is where I must go for information, so be it.</div>
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The Ayurvedic Encyclopedia (Tirtha, S. (1998) <i>The Ayurvedic Encyclopedia: Natural secrets to healing prevention and longevity</i>. Ayurveda Holistic centre Press, Bayville, NY) says this of the "black gram (Masha)," in its section on legumes:</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Black Gram (Masha) </i>Energetics:<i> Sweet, astringent/cold/sweet P- V+ K+ mildly </i>Action<i>: Nutritive, demulcent, aphrodisiac, nervine tonic, lactogogue </i>Indications:<i> The most strengthening bean, diarrhea, dysentery, indigestion, hemorrhoids, arthritis, paralysis, liver disorders, cystitis, rheumatism. Increases semen and breast milk. Externally —plaster for arthritis/joint pain. **</i></blockquote>
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As with other legumes, "they combine well with grains for a staple food, containing all the eight essential amino acids…"</div>
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I did find one interesting article (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3444848/pdf/TSWJ2012-710412.pdf">Karakoy, T. (2012). Diversity of Macro- and Micronutrients in the seeds of Lentil Landraces. Sc World J. 10.1100/710412, 9pp</a>.) which studied the macro and micro nutrients of various lentil varieties, especially wild varieties, which the very poor tend to use as staples in their diet. It states that "lentil is the fourth most important pulse (legume) crop in the world after bean, pea and chickpea" but that "on average, global pulse consumption is in decline, but lentil consumption is increasing faster than human population growth." Again, this tells us little of the specific udad or urad flour I found, but the article does point out that a lot of the variation in nutrients in lentils mostly comes from the soil it is grown on.</div>
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IF the udad flour is made from a typical lentil, it may or may not have nutrients in more or less these quantities (I have combined Karakov's means with pulsecanada's info, but I wouldn't take any of these values as gospel. It just gives a ballpark number):</div>
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<ul>
<li>Carbohydrate: ~59.6%</li>
<li>Protein: ~25%</li>
<li>Fiber: ~22%</li>
<li>Fat: ~ 1.4%</li>
<li>Micronutrients:</li>
<ul>
<li>Potassium 0.8% </li>
<li>Phosphorous 0.385% </li>
<li>Calcium 0.154%</li>
<li>Magnesium 0.1%</li>
<li>Sodium 0.0398%</li>
<li>Zinc 0.0055% </li>
<li>Iron 0.0038% </li>
<li>Niacin 0.002%</li>
<li>Copper 0.0012%</li>
<li>Manganese 0.0013% </li>
<li>Thiamin 0.00042%</li>
<li>Riboflavin 0.0002%</li>
<li>Vitamin C 0%</li>
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Despite claims that I've seen for lentil's relatively high folate levels, I've found no specific information on it.<br />
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<b>Results</b></div>
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I didn't have high expectations for this bread, especially since it smelled so weird when mixing it, and especially since it sagged so much and was so gummy when shaping it. And I felt it was too fermented because the gluten kept tearing.</div>
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Despite that: this was a very good bread. The final scent of the loaf was not <i>too</i> leguminous; the taste was not <i>too</i> beaney. The crumb was moist, the crust not too rigid. The bread was good with cheese, and with nut butters, and with tomato based spreads. Quite a well-rounded loaf.</div>
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<b>Notes to Myself</b><br />
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<li><i><b>Although this is not a traditional Indian bread, you could certainly look to Indian cuisine for ideas on how to improve it. Spices could be added to this bread for other taste ideas, with little trouble: cayenne, fenugreek, turmeric, or basically whatever suits your fancy. If flatulence is a problem Ayurveda has remedies for that: ginger, catkins, etc.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>As usual, grinding the whole lentil for your own flour is going to be healthier, I assume, than using some pre-milled legumes. I like the idea of whole foods. Before going to Veggiebelly's web site, I'd never seen those unique wet grinders. I'm not convinced I need one, but they look cool.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>** The P, V and K named in the quotation from the Ayurvedic Encyclopedia above refer to the 3 constitutions, or doshas: air (Váyu), fire (Pitta), and water (Kapha), whose balance can get pretty complicated in Ayurvedic medicine. </b></i> <b><i>I respect this tradition, admitting that I don't understand it. However, the pronouncements Ayurveda makes on ingredients don't seem to have the same kind of rigor of scientific testing that the best western science has -- but that might only be my own bias, born of cultural blinders and ignorance. I've seen bad western science, with very poorly designed tests, whose results are misleading. I suspect there is both good and bad info in Ayurveda too. As with all things, test it for yourself and see if your results are consistent with what is said to be known.</i></b></li>
<li><i><b>* If you can't make out the crappy picture above (I couldn't):<br /></b></i><div class="p1">
Nutrition facts</div>
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serving Size 1/4 cup (30g)</div>
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servings per container about 30</div>
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Amount Per serving</div>
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Calories 113 Calories from Fat 9</div>
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% Daily Value *</div>
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Total Fat 1 g<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span"></span>2%</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>saturated Fat 0g<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span> 0%</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>trans fat 0g</div>
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Cholesterol 0mg <span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>0%</div>
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Sodium 25mg<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span"></span>1%</div>
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Total Carbohydrate 19g<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>6%</div>
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Dietary Fiber 4g<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>16%</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>sugars 1g</div>
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Protein 7g</div>
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Vitamin A 0%<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Vitamin C 0%</div>
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Calcium 0%<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Iron 15%</div>
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* Percent Daily values are based on a 1200 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs</div>
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Calories per gram</div>
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Fat 9 Carbohydrate 4 Protein 4</div>
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Nutrition Information ??</div>
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Typical Values Per 100g</div>
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Energy 1604kj/382Kcal</div>
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Protein 23.3g</div>
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Carbohydrates 63.2g</div>
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of which sugars 3.3g</div>
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Fat 3.3g</div>
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of which saturated 0.0g</div>
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Fiber 13.3g</div>
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sodium < 1.0g</div>
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Cholesterol 0.0g</div>
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Trans fat 0.0g</div>
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Cellarguyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650364701367341204noreply@blogger.com3