About 15 years ago, I always felt bloated. At the time, I was jogging three to four times a week and average weight for my height and build, so I knew it wasn’t from overeating. Many friends and relatives were saying it’s probably gluten or dairy. So, I did an experiment and stopped eating both for 6 weeks. The bloating disappeared rather quickly, and I started to feel better; but being dairy free and gluten free can be a major inconvenience. Sure, there are alternatives. There’s frozen gluten-free bread that often tastes like cardboard, although there were a few that were tolerable. Being dairy free wasn’t too bad because there are so many alternatives, like almond creamer for coffee, and dairy free cream cheese, etc.
I kept up with these new eating choices for years. Within the past three years, I learned some things that surprised me regarding my situation. I had a sensitivity, but no allergy, like celiacs disease. There are two important finds that I’d like to share with you:
Sourdough Bread Revelation
I was visiting my brother and sister-in-law in South Carolina and learned that my brother, also retired, had taken up the practice of making his own sourdough bread. He also had a book called The Plant Paradox, by Stephen R. Gundry, MD, which I began reading. I learned that sourdough bread has far less gluten in comparison to Whole Wheat or White Wheat bread. So I did a litttle research:
Type of Bread | Average Gluten Content (per 100g)
-------------------------|----------------------------------
White Wheat Bread | 10–12 grams
Whole Wheat Bread | 11–14 grams
Traditional Sourdough* | 2–4 grams or less
*Long-fermented sourdough
I introduced sourdough bread to my diet and no bloating. It was a miracle for a person who loves bread and has been eating cardboard-type substances for more than a decade. It isn’t difficult making sourdough bread. Some folks prefer using a scale. I found that method to be laborious. Once you get the hang of it, it seems fairly straightforward. There are a ton of books on sourdough or just check out the web.
This change opened up so many possibilities. Soon I was making sourdough pizza and a few sourdough desserts. This was a game changer. But wait it gets better:
What no Lactose?
I was taking a hike with a good friend who happens to be a general practitioner and he also has issues with dairy. He casually mentioned to me that the only type of dairy that he can eat safely was aged cheeses. He explained that aged cheeses are typically lactose free. Lactose is often the culprit when one has dairy sensitivities. I had a hard time digesting that information, pardon the pun, but having family members and friends and doctor visits, no one ever told me that I could eat aged cheeses without the deleterious effects that dairy typically had. I had tried taking lactose tablets, but found them unpredictable.
I was blown away because being able to safely eat aged cheeses opened up a whole new world for me. I could now have REAL cheese on my pizza and make glorious omelets, cheese and all. I stay away from sour cream, ricotta, ice cream, milk, whey. And I found perfectly satisfying alternatives for each.
Breakfast
Breakfast is my favorite meal. And for the past few years, I’ve been enjoying incorporating aged cheeses and sourdough bread into wonderful breakfasts. Eggs, considered a perfect protein, containing all 22 amino acids, are my number one favorite food. I make something different every morning. There are so many ways to cook eggs. Plus, I add an extra egg to my meal and give it to my dog. It’s great for dogs as well.
I wanted to share these findings with you just in case you “didn’t get the memo!” Sourdough bread has many health benefits aside from less than 20% of the gluten. Cooking with aged cheeses, and there are many, can open up many new recipes that you may never had thought of trying.
These two revelations changed my life, and my diet. Give it a try.