My review of Living Gluten and Dairy Free with French Gourmet Food

My review of Living Gluten and Dairy Free with French Gourmet Food

Living Gluten and Dairy Free with French Gourmet Food was written by Alain Braux, who is a gluten and dairy-free chef and nutritherapist.  His background includes working for over 40 years as a pastry chef, baker, and chef.  About 15 years ago, he furthered his education in nutrition and began working as a "nutritherapist," which is a term used in Europe for nutritionists who focus on using food for healing, as opposed to nutritionists who also work with supplements, homeopathy, and herbal medicine.  

Braux's style of writing makes the reader feel like he is talking to you as an individual.  In this "conversation," he readily admits he is not a researcher or scientist or medical provider, and when necessary refers the reader to other qualified practioners.  

There are many books on the market these days that act as guides for those having to follow a gluten free diet.  What makes Alain's book unique is that it is really two books in one:  a guide and resource book for those who are reactive to dairy and newly diagnosed with celiac or dealing with an allergy or intolerance to gluten as well as a gluten-free dairy free cookbook.  

Braux starts out by explaining the process of digestion and how celiac or gluten intolerance effects this process.  He then goes on to instruct the reader on how to implement a gluten-free and dairy free lifestyle, giving directions on ensuring your home is free of all traces of gluten, as well as tips for shopping and eating out.  

He goes on to discuss various health issues that can be caused by an intolerance to gluten, even touching on Autism.  The Appendices are extremely comprehensive, giving additional resources for learning more about celiac, gluten intolerance, and autism as well as detailed lists on hidden sources of gluten (including various chemicals and additives), as well as lists of safe foods to eat.  

Finally he ends with over 80 recipes covering everything you could possibly want: breads, pastries, cookies, appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, side dishes, and desserts.  The recipes range from the simple and quick to the more involved.  

Overall this is a great resource for anyone who needs (or wants) to follow a gluten-free, dairy free diet.  I would highly recommend it to the newly diagnosed celiac or gluten-intolerant individual, as well as to those who may have already mastered the diet but are looking for new recipes.  

Find Living Gluten and Dairy Free with French Gourmet Food by Alain Braux;  Alain Braux International Publishing, LLC, 2010; 295 pages; $19.95; ISBN 978-0-9842883-1-1 on Amazon: http://amzn.to/XzcidS 

November is Good Nutrition Month

When most of us think of November, we think of festive fall colors, cooler weather, and of course Thanksgiving.  There are a few other observances this month that involve food and nutrition:  Diabetes Month, Peanut Butter Lover’s Month, and Good Nutrition Month.

What does “Good Nutrition” mean?  In general, it means eating an adequate amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins and fats each day (and spread throughout the day) to keep your body healthy.  The exact amounts of each of these groups will vary depending on your current health status, age, weight, and activity level. 

For example, someone who has diabetes has to be very knowledgeable about how many servings of carbohydrates they eat at each meal/snack, as well as making sure each meal/snack is “balanced” so that it includes either protein, or healthy fat, or a lot of fiber with the carbohydrate portion in order to keep blood sugar levels stable.  The timing of meals and snacks for someone with diabetes is also critical; it is much easier to keep blood sugar levels stable if meals and snacks are eaten about the same time each day, and if no more than 5 hours pass between meals. 

For someone with kidney disease, they may have restrictions on how much potassium, phosphorus, and protein they can take in.  A person with celiac has to follow a gluten free diet.  A person who chooses to be vegan has to pay special attention to sources of vitamin D, zinc, vitamin B12, and calcium as these can be low in a poorly planned vegan diet.  An athlete will need to consume many more calories (primarily from carbohydrate) than your average person (for example Tour de France cyclists consume upwards of 6000 calories daily).  These are just a few examples of “specific” areas of nutrition that need to be taken into account for different people in order to make sure they are following “good nutrition” principles. 

For proper brain function and adequate energy levels, we need carbohydrates.  The exact amount is going to vary tremendously for the reasons previously given.  For most people, however, some general rules do apply for our nutrient intake. 

Most people benefit from limiting their saturated fat intake to no more than 10% of total calories, keeping trans fat intake as close to zero as possible (or no more than about 3 grams per day), and eating about 20% of total calories from mono- and polyunsaturated fat.  All of us need to also make sure that some of our polyunsaturated fats include omega 3 and omega 6 fats (these are called essential fats because our bodies cannot make these two fats).  In general, it is recommended that the average person consume at least 1% of their calories from omega 3, and up to 10% of their calories from omega 6.  The best sources of these omega 3 and omega 6 fats are nuts, seeds, avocado, seaweed, seafood, and vegetable oils. 

Most people should also consume at least 25 grams of fiber daily.  Fiber helps keep your cholesterol at normal levels, stabilize blood sugar, give us a sense of fullness (so we do not over eat), and keeps us regular!  We can meet this fiber goal by consuming the following foods daily: at least 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables, 3 servings of whole grains, 1 serving of nuts/seeds.  Consuming legumes (beans) at least 3 times per week can also contribute to our fiber intake. 

As far as protein, most people consume way more protein that they need.  Most people only need about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight.  Athletes do need about twice as much, but even most athletes easily meet their protein needs.  People who have kidney problems will likely be put on a low protein diet. 

We also need to make sure we are drinking an adequate amount of water daily in order to help our body excrete waste products efficiently.  A good indicator that you are drinking enough water is the color of your urine; it should be very pale yellow.  (Be aware that if you are taking a multivitamin with high levels of B vitamins (or a strict B complex supplement), this will likely cause your urine to be bright yellow. )

In summary, just make sure you eat a variety of foods from each food group daily (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and protein) and limit your intake of “junk foods” (desserts, chips, candy, soft drinks, etc.) as much as possible.