Celiac and Fat-Soluble Vitamins

One of the things I've been thinking about lately is the possibility that intestinal damage due to gluten grains (primarily wheat) contributes to the diseases of civilization by inhibiting the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. If it were a contributing factor, we would expect to see a higher incidence of the common chronic diseases in newly-diagnosed celiac patients, who are often deficient in fat-soluble vitamins. We might also see a resolution of chronic disease in celiac patients who have been adhering faithfully to a long-term, gluten-free diet.

One thing that definitely associates with celiac disease is bone and tooth problems. Celiac patients often present with osteoporosis, osteopenia (thin bones), cavities or tooth enamel abnormalities (thanks Peter).

An Italian study showed that among 642 heart transplant candidates, 1.9% had anti-endomyosal antibodies (a feature of celiac), compared with 0.35% of controls. That's more than a 5-fold enrichment! The majority of those patients were presumably unaware of their celiac disease, so they were not eating a gluten-free diet.

Interestingly, celiac doesn't seem to cause obesity; to the contrary. That's one facet of modern health problems that it definitely does not cause.

The relationship between cancer and celiac disease is very interesting. The largest study I came across was conducted in Sweden using retrospective data from 12,000 celiac patients. They found that adult celiac patients have a higher overall risk of cancer, but that the extra risk disappears with age. The drop in cancer incidence may reflect dropping gluten following a celiac diagnosis. Here's another study showing that the elevated cancer risk occurs mostly in the first year after diagnosis, suggesting that eliminating gluten solves the problem. Interestingly, celiac patients have a greatly elevated risk of lymphoma, but a lower risk of breast cancer.

There's a very strong link between celiac and type I diabetes. In a large study, 1 in 8 type I diabetic children had celiac disease. This doesn't necessarily tell us much since celiac and type I diabetes are both autoimmune disorders.

One last study to add a nail to the coffin. Up to this point, all the studies I've mentioned have been purely observational, not able to establish a causal relationship. I came across a small study recently which examined the effect of a high-fiber diet on vitamin D metabolism in healthy (presumably non-celiac) adults. They broke the cohort up into two groups, and fed one group 20g of bran in addition to their normal diet. The other group got nothing extra. The bran-fed group had a vitamin D elimination half-life of 19.5 days, compared to 27.5 for the control group. In other words, for whatever reason, the group eating extra bran was burning through their vitamin D reserves 30% faster than the control group.

Unfortunately, the paper doesn't say what kind of bran it was, but it was probably wheat or oat (**Update- it's wheat bran**). This is important because it would determine if gluten was involved. Either way, it shows that something in grains can interfere with fat-soluble vitamin status, which is consistent with the staggering negative effect of refined wheat products on healthy non-industrialized cultures.

Add to this the possibility that many people may have some degree of gluten sensitivity, and you start to see a big problem. All together, the data are consistent with gluten grains interfering with fat-soluble vitamin status in a subset of people. As I discussed earlier, this could contribute to the diseases of civilization. These data don't prove anything conclusively, but I do find them thought-provoking.

Thanks to Dudua for the CC photo

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Baking is Fun

Those were some baking supplies I bought during my recent trip to the San Francisco Bay area.


After having ramen at a Japanese restaurant in Mountain View, we spent the rest of the evening shopping at the Whole Foods Market. While the others wondered around aimlessly, I headed for the baking supplies section. I was so delighted to find bottles of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla extract. I have read so much about what a great difference it would make if a good quality pure vanilla extract is used in your bakes. I had even planned to ordered it online. Since the price of a 4oz bottle was the same as the one quoted online, I grabbed a bottle and placed it in the basket.

Further down the aisle, I spotted cans of Ghirardelli cocoa powder. As much as I would like to try using Dutch processed cocoa powder, there were only natural ones on the shelves. I have no luck in getting any valrhona cocoa powder either. Since a can of Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder was selling at a much cheaper price compared to what I would have to pay here, I took a can with only a very slight hesitation...that few seconds were spent convincing myself that there would be space for it in our already filled to the brim luggage bags.

On the last day of our vacation, we managed to find our way to a Trader Joe's store nearby. I got a bottle of garlic lemon that comes with a grinder and two bars of Belgian baking chocolate. It was only while taking photos of the items that I realised they have got 100% cocoa content. Now, I really do not have any idea what to use them for? I wonder whether it will be too bitter??

Besides the baking ingredients, while shopping at the local supermarts and retail stores, I got myself a set of measuring cups for dry ingredients (so that I don't have to do any conversion for ingredients that are measured in cups), a heat-proof spatula (I was in the "I Must Get Something!" mood) and I searched high and low before I finally found the lemon zester!


I love shopping at the local supermarkets and grocery stores in California...in fact, it was one of our favourite pastimes during our short stay in the LA area many years ago. There's space enough for two trolleys to pass thru without the danger of bumping into one other. We could spend hours drooling over the vast varieties of junk foods that are available on the shelves ;) Some of the food items are so much cheaper....you get two tubs of Ben & Jerry's for less than S$8!


It's good to be able to get back to my baking routine after a long break. This is the first cake I baked when the school term resumed. This is a truly flourless cake. Yes, zero flour content and no other dry ingredients such as almond powder or cocoa powder...just dark chocolates, butter, eggs and sugar...and some icing sugar or cocoa powder for dusting on the final product. It was awfully chocolaty, with a texture that was moist, smooth and velvety. The only fault I could find was that the amount of ingredients use is quite little, resulting in a much too thin layer...you will never get satisfied with just one slice. I am sorry I won't be able to post the recipe of this Chocolate Souffle Cake (due to copyright issues), however, I will look out for similar recipes to try out and hopefully will be able to find something close.

Since I can't post the recipe, I will like to share with you some wonderful things you could do with your photos. It was only last week that I stumbled across this site by chance. I have since been hooked, playing around with the various fun 'toys' which are available for free..the best part is, there is no extra steps of downloading any software (which often puts me off). I tried the Rubik's Cube tool, and was very surprised at how good the effect turn out.





with the same photo I try it on this...

...the outcome really makes me tickles ;p


Have Fun!!

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MINI VANILLA BEAN CHEESECAKES WITH FRESH BERRIES

School's out!

Yay! And kids think they're happy to get out.

Where's the first place I headed right after school on Friday afternoon?

Williams Sonoma. I thought that if I drove down Granville Street on the way home, and there "happened" to be a parking spot, it would be some sort of karmic thing and it was meant to be that I go shopping. I wasn't going to cheat either by circling the block a few times. Just one shot.

Lo and behold, I found a spot off of Granville on a little side street with shady trees. I only had to walk one block and I didn't even have to cross any streets. Zowie. That's baking karma.

on the back of this box is a recipe for cheesecake that is supposed to fit the capacity of this baking tin. i ended up having about 1/2 a cup extra cheesecake filling.

I zeroed in on the bakeware section first as usual, to see if there was anything new. I saw some really neat baba molds. The charlotte molds were so cute too. What caught my eye though was a single box left of the mini cheesecake molds. I thought these would be more versatile.

these nonstick mini cheesecake molds have a removable base. they even provide a dowel for the purpose of assisting unmolding.

I was hoping to find some nice plates. I've been eyeing the French-made Pillivuyt line of dinnerware: the rimless white dishes made of porcelain. I haven't yet been able to legitimize buying a set of these dishes, though I yearn for them each time I go into this store. You see, I have a perfectly fine set of white IKEA dishes. Yes, Ikea. The thing is these Ikea dishes are so darned resilient. I haven't broken or chipped any and I'm beginning to wonder how I'm ever going to break them all require a new dinnerware set.In the end, after circling the aisles a couple of times, I settled on this ceramic ivory cake stand with ruffles. It was so adorable. I hardly ever make cakes this small. But, now that I have this cake stand, I really do need to start!

I was very happy with the performance of the mini cheesecake pan and in the future, instead of a baked cheesecake, I may do a refrigerated one using gelatin instead so I can incorporate fresh fruit into the batter: like mango! As well, I was thinking of making other pastries and desserts with this nifty pan. I was thinking of making mini mousses using a biscuit joconde for the base, flavouring that with some syrup and then topping that with chocolate mousse. I'll have to see if that idea is feasible for these tiny molds.

i grated dark chocolate on the cheesecake tops before topping them with fresh seasonal berries

MINI VANILLA BEAN CHEESECAKES WITH SEASONAL BERRIES

adapted from Williams Sonoma recipe on the back of the bakeware box

For the Crusts:

• 1 cup (114 g) chocolate cookie or vanilla wafer crumbs [i used digestive biscuits]
• 2 T sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 T unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling:

• 16 oz (500 g) cream cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (125g) sugar
• [i added a vanilla bean, split; seeds scraped out and added to the cream]
• pinch of salt

For decoration:

• I used fresh seasonal raspberries, strawberries and pitted bing cherries
• dark chocolate shavings

1. Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350degreesF. Lightly coat the cups of the 12-cup cheesecake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. To make the crusts, in a small bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the cups and using your fingertips, press it evenly into the bottom. Bake until the crusts are set, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Reduce the heat to 300degreesF.
3. To make the filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cream and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and salt and beat until incorporated, about 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Pour the batter into the crusts, dividing it evenly among the cups. Bake until the cheesecakes are set, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours beore unmolding.
5. To unmold, insert the dowel into the hole in the bottom of each cup. Gently push up to remove the cheesecake from the cup. Use a small spatula or butter knife to remove the cake from the metal bottom. If the cheesecakes are sticking to the pan, gently run a toothpick around each cheesecake to loosen it before pushing it out of the cup. Makes 12 mini cheesecakes.

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How about a Trash Tie giveaway! It's over!

When I first started blogging almost three years ago, I ran across an amazing designer named Heather Bailey. I have lurked on her blog for ages. I downloaded her free pattern for headbands (although being lazy, I have yet to make them). I look to her for design trends and decorating ideas. In essence, I have been stalking her.

Then one day she cam out with these amazing little products called Trash Ties.

What a novel idea! It is a patented wire encased in satin. And they work so well. My kids love it when I use them because there is no cutting elastics out of their hair, they don't pull their hair, and who doesn't love saying "Trash-a-Ties"...the name my girls have so lovingly bestowed upon them.

I have taken some time to get to know my Trash Ties before I gushed about them on here. I am twisting them in and out of my daughters hair like a pro. Anytime I go to do a twisty style, they beg for them rather than my original way of doing things. If that isn't a testament to them, I don't know what is.

And these only get better with time. We have used them so much that the ends are starting to look like little puffs. SO CUTE!

So, in honor of my VERY FAVORITE NEW HAIR STUFF, I am having a little giveaway. One lucky reader and stylist will receive a 25" trash tie in gold. All you have to do is leave a little comment for me and you have to go and check out Heather's Trash Tie site to see the incredible things you can do with these.

Remember, you may only enter once and on Wednesday, July 2nd at 5:00, the contest will be over and the winner will be announced on Independence Day.

ETA: IF you already have Trash Ties, or to see MORE options...Visit THIS link.

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Four Messy Piggies All In A Row

Divide the hair in the middle of the head

Part the hair right where the temple starts.


Pull the hair up into a little ponytail being careful to only pull the hair half way through the last time you pull it out.

Repeat until you have four messy ponies (I know I put piggies on the title, it flows much better than ponies)

Curl the ends of the hair.

Fluff hair and spray it.

Add pre-made bows or ribbons for a finishing touch.

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The Seat of Power

Have you ever wondered why the buttocks is one of the most attractive parts of the body on both sexes?

The shape of the buttocks comes mostly from the gluteal muscles (maximus and medius), superimposed by a layer of fat. The 'glutes' are some of the strongest muscles in the body, due to their large size and efficient leverage. Thrusting doesn't even come close to tapping into the glutes' tremendous power. What does? Heavy lifting. Sprints. Jumps. In short, some of the most functional full-body movements we perform as humans.

In any full-body movement, the hips are the central source of power. The strongest muscles surround the hips, and muscle strength diminishes progressively as you move further from them. A shapely buttocks is typically a strong buttocks, and a strong buttocks generally means a strong person. So if you want to decide at a glance whether a person is capable of sprinting and jumping after large prey, and then carrying it home, the buttocks is a good place to look.

The buttocks is also a storage area for fat. Humans tend to store a disproportionate amount of fat near their center of gravity: in the abdominal cavity, on the hips and on the buttocks. The right amount of fat indicates a healthy individual. A shapely buttocks is typically attached to someone who is strong and well-nourished. It's not so hard to imagine why we find it attractive.

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Happy Birthday

It's my son's birthday today. It is hard to believe that 10 years have already gone by!

This is the first time he told me that he will not want to throw a birthday party...he doesn't want me to be busy preparing for the party and cleaning up after it is over. How thoughtful of him :)

I offered to make a durian mousse cake for him, since he loves this fruit and I have been waiting for an occasion to try out this recipe. He told me to bake something else as his younger brother hates durians. In the end, we decided to make a mango mousse cake.

On Sunday night, we had a mini-party with just the four of us to celebrate the occasion. The birthday cake was made with layered sponge cake filled with mango mousse. I baked the sponge layer using this recipe which has became my favourite. I made the mousse layer following this recipe shared by Florence. Instead of decorating the cake with whipping cream, I made a mirror layer using a mixture of mango cordial, water and gelatin powder. As requested by the birthday boy, we left the cake plain, without any decoration. We loved the taste of the cake...especially the mousse layer which was very delicious. It was a joy to watch the boys wiped out every single crumb on their plates. My husband helped himself with another bigger slice before we could finish ours!

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Real Food VIII: Ghee

All this talk about butter is making me hungry. Richard mentioned in the comments that he bought some ghee recently and has been enjoying it, so I thought I'd post a recipe. Ghee is the Hindi word for clarified butter. It's butter that has had everything removed but the fat. Rich in fat-soluble vitamins and lacking the sometimes problematic lactose and casein, ghee has rightfully been considered a health food in India since ancient times.

Another advantage of ghee is its high smoke point, which is higher than butter because it doesn't contain any protein or sugars. Consequently, food sauteed in ghee has a clean, rich taste.

The recipe is simple but touchy. I recommend using the best butter you can get your hands on. 100% grass-fed, unsalted cultured butter is the best.

Ingredient and materials

• Butter (1 lb minimum)
• Wide-mouth glass jars
• Cheesecloth
• Rubber bands
  

Recipe

1. Place the butter in a saucepan and turn the heat to medium until it's melted.
   
2. Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down to low. It's very important to calibrate the heat correctly. Typically, you will want the burner on its lowest setting. The idea is to evaporate the water without burning the oil. It should boil, but slowly.
3. The melted butter starts out cloudy but gradually clears up as the water evaporates. At the same time, a crust will form on the surface of the ghee and the bottom of the pan. Keep the heat very low.
   
4. Push a portion of the top crust to the side with a spoon to see inside of the saucepan. When the butter looks clear and bubbles only rise from the bottom every few seconds, it's done. You have to be very careful because once the water has evaporated, the fat heats up quickly and burns the crust. This gives the ghee an acrid flavor and color. Make sure to handle the pot cautiously, because hot oil can give severe burns.
   
5. Allow the ghee to cool until it's warm but not hot. Place a piece of cheesecloth over the lid of your jar. Secure it with a rubber band. Pour the ghee through the cheesecloth, into the jar.
   
6. Store ghee in the refrigerator or at room temperature. It keeps much longer than butter.

The picture above is of my last batch of ghee.

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Close to Nature

"None can escape its charms. Its natural beauty cleans and warms like a fire, and you will be willing to stay forever in one place like a tree."...John Muir



"Keep close to Nature's heart...and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."...John Muir

Well, we did not have the luxury of time, nor the physical strengths to spend an entire week at the wilderness...we could only afford two days...and we tried our very best to make full use of it.

It was late morning by the time we entered the park. We had a light lunch...made up of simple sandwiches and light snacks...by the beautiful Tenaya Lake. We then stopped over at the Olmsted Point. It took me a while to figure out the rounded back view of the Half Dome from this scenic vista point. After making a couple of stops along the way, by late afternoon, we made out way out of the park, as the only accommodation that we could find...or rather we could afford, was about an hour's drive away from the park entrance at the town of Mariposa.


The next day, we head back to the park and drove straight up to the Glacier point. We were all very excited when we got to the trail head for the Sentinel Dome. It is a very easy trail except for the very last few metres up to the granite dome itself.

We came across this rock formation on the trail, from a distance I thought it really looked like the side view of a giant's head...the 'eye', 'nose' and 'chin' are so prominent!


My elder boy enjoyed the walk as he loves anything that has got to do with science...he stopped by to examine this tree trunk...and trying to 'count' how old the tree had lived. He was smart enough to give up within a few seconds!


Along the way, we saw this interesting puzzle-like bark of a Ponderosa pine...and even spotted a deer...




We felt like we were on top of the world when we finally reached the peak. The 360 degree views of the valley at this 'watch-tower' were simply awesome!









We went on to enjoy a picnic lunch at the Glacier Point...


and were delighted to have company...





At the Glacier Point, you get to see the most spectacular views of the entire Yosemite Valley...cut and sculpted into this U-shaped valley by mother nature.

Besides the magnificent granite formation, Yosemite is also the home to several waterfalls...








We ended our trip with a strenuous hike up to the footbridge of the Vernal Fall footbridge, before the long drive back to the San Francisco bay area.

We drove a total of 1500km on this 4-day road trip...hiked several miles on different trails and took many pictures and video clips. Most importanly, we brought home a lasting memory of the wonderful times we spent as a family.

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Look what you have been up too!

Ladies! Wow! You have been SO busy! I use a lot of exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I just have to say that I am super impressed at your skills. You all have some of the prettiest little girls out there and their hair is stunning to boot! I LOVE seeing these. And I have to just add that I am so flattered by all of the kind words that you have been sending me. Speaking of kind words, if you see me at the grocery store or Target...come say hi!!! I would love to chat!

Michelle sent these in of her daughters. The top picture is a DUAL lattice ponytail. She has some patience...and her daughter does as well. I will show you how to do those twists in another post. SO cute.

Marisa sent some adaptations of some of the styles here. I am LOVING the messy ponytails with the two braids. LOVE IT!!!

Kory sent me some shots of her daughters

Linnea has puffy braids crossing her head at a diagonal.

Mikayla has two French braids tucked up and under and tied them with a ribbon at the bottom and two flowers on the sides.

Lisa sent me these of her camera shy ;) daughter. It is the puffy braids with a zig-zag part.

Andrea sent me some adorable shots of her step-daughter Austin

My old locker partner from high school (how cool is that?!!?!), Gena, sent me this off-shoot of the upside down puffy braids/lattice ponytails

And she also sent me this super cute style that she found over on "Girly Do's"

Kimberly has two pretty princesses. Madison with the messy buns...

...and her daughter Sydney with the lattice ponytails

Karen has a darling variation of the smocking style. She makes it with "Knots". Isn't her Kate beautiful?!?!?!

Anna sent me this one of her little sister where she changed the ponytail part to messy buns! How darling!

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! For all of your support. I am so excited to see all of these! Keep them coming ladies! Blackeyedsue2@gmail.com. YOU ARE THE BEST!!!

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