Sweet Potato And Rosemary Paleo bread
Going grain free can be hard. Everywhere you turn there is flour, wheat, bread, pastries, pasta, pizza and the list goes on. Grains have been such huge part of the modern western diet, however, studies are showing that there are benefits to a grain free diet and aside from that it’s includes a lot of healthy foods and in my experience going grain mostly free has improved my own health! I sleep better, i have more mental clarity, i lost a little excess fat that found a home in my hips and thighs once i hit 28 and was hanging around! I still have the odd gluten-free stuff when i go out like rice or oats but for the most part it feels really good and i think i’ll continue to eat mostly grain free.
So what is the Paleo, Grain-free diet?
Basically it’s all about eating unprocessed, real food. You leave out the packaged processed stuff, sugars, refined flours, additives, preservatives or other nasties, so all you’re left with is real, whole foods and more of them! Breads and other grains generally act as fillers in a meal, so without that bread, you’re most likely eating more veggies and therefore more nutrients!
So what do you eat?
- Protein – grassfed beef, free-range chicken, eggs, fish, they also encourage that you eat organ meats and other parts of the animal like liver, brains etc (i’m not game enough to try it yet!)
- Nuts, seeds
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Healthy fats: coconut oil, avocado, olive oil, macadamia oil,
- Honey Raw Organic
What you don’t eat on a paleo diet:
- legumes, grains
- processed foods
- vegetable oils
- refined sugars
- some people don’t include dairy, some include organic butter/ghee
- alcohol
Seems pretty healthy right??!
What are the benefits?
- Improved gut health due to the removal of gut irritants like gluten,
- Weight loss and increased muscle growth
- Improved metabolic health
- Better sleep
- Reduced stress
- Reduced bloating
- Nourished nervous system and brain function due to the healthy fat consumption.
- Improvements in those suffering depression or anxieties. Increased Mental clarity
- Fibre – improves gut health to feed good bacteria
- Satisfying meals that keep blood sugar stable = reduced moodiness, fatigue
- It’s rich in healthy fats
- Clearer skin and healthier looking hair
- Lowered risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer
- Higher immune function and a general feeling of well being
- Improved glucose tolerance; decreased insulin secretion and increased insulin sensitivity
- Healthier gut flora
- Better absorption of nutrients from food
- Reduced allergies
- Paleo diet is anti-inflammatory, most people experience reduction of pain associated with inflammation
- Improvements in those with respiratory problems such as asthma
What the studies are saying:
Even short-term consumption of a paleolithic type diet improves BP and glucose tolerance, decreases insulin secretion, increases insulin sensitivity and improves lipid profiles without weight loss in healthy sedentary humans.
Finally, it should be noted that consumption of The Paleo Diet resulted in important dietary characteristics which improved significantly (p<0.05) after 2 years: these variables included: increases in dietary protein, reductions in dietary carbohydrate, increases in monounsaturated fat, increases in polyunsaturated fats, increases in omega 3 fatty acids, reductions in omega 6 fatty acids, and reductions in dietary cholesterol. All of these nutritional changes are known to have multiple positive health effects that reduce the risk for metabolic syndrome diseases, cancer and autoimmunity. Future studies12 will help to further establish how contemporary Paleo diets may improve health and well being.
The problem with grains:
- Grains contain gluten a GIT irritant that can trigger an immune response and lead to inflammation, leaky gut which is a precursor for many diseases including autoimmunity and cancer. Gluten can also have a negative effect on your brain and nervous system.
- Phytic acid, the anti-nutrient, is found in nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes and it acts as the plants defence but at the same time it blocks the absorption of important nutrients like zinc and iron
- Inflammation
- Refined grains and flours can effect blood sugar, leptin, insulin resistance
- They can be addictive!
resources:
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19209185?dopt=Abstract
- http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v68/n3/full/ejcn2013290a.html
Sweet Potato And Rosemary Paleo Bread
What you need:
- 1 cup sweet potato grated finely
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- crack black pepper
- 4 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 8 free range eggs
- 1 tablespoon apple cider
- 1 heaped tsp baking powder
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 20 gm organic butter
- handful pepitas
What to do:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees
- Finely grate sweet potato and set aside
- in a blender process chia seeds on low until like a flour/meal and transfer to a bowl
- To the chia seeds add coconut flour, baking powder, rosemary, onion powder, sea salt and pepper
- In your blender crack 8 eggs and add olive oil and butter. Blend on low for 15 secs or until fluffy
- Add eggs mixture to bowl along with sweet potato and apple cider vinegar. Mix well
- In a bread loaf tin lined with baking paper, add your bead mixture and mould all the way to the sides using the back of a spoon
- Sprinkle pepitas on top
- Place in oven for 1 hour or until golden on top on 180 degrees celcius
- allow to cool for 10 mins before slicing
- Serve with avocado, eggs, kimchi, tomato, pesto or any other topping you desire!
