My Favorite Bread

There are very few simple things in life. Sometimes I get burdened down with the complexities of getting through each day. My goal is to simplify and do less needless work instead of more. Therefore, if a recipe for home made, artisan, organic, succulent, sour dough, ancient grain bread, with the perfect moist crumb structure that never crumbles, and slices sandwich thin, sounds like complex busy work, think again!

Once a week, or twice, as your family gets addicted to this bread, you can spend twenty minutes from grinding to everything wiped clean. It takes more brain space for me to remember to buy bread at the store! And the taste, if you like real bread, is unsurpassable

I don’t have space to delve into the complexities of this nutritional powerhouse, but one thought to chew on is that unless your bread is made with soured dough, or sprouted, it is laden with phytates, which make your bread very hard to digest. They bind with certain vitamins and minerals in your body and leech them out in your pee. Yuk! The digestibility of the nutrients in the grain is another reason to enjoy sour dough bread. Beside its delicious, distinctive taste, many people with grain allergies do well with true sour dough bread.

This recipe is made with two grains, primarily rye and a little spelt. My reason for choosing these grains is as follows. Rye is the cheapest grain to purchase in bulk, which is a plus for big families on a tight budget. Rye also boasts the most fiber of any other grain which makes it super colon friendly. Rye, being so high in fiber, makes the glycemic index of this bread less than other grain breads.

The fact that it is soured slows the speed with which this energy food turns to sugar in the blood stream, which means it is a boon for those who are trying to watch their carbohydrate intake. Of course, if you are over 30 and don’t have a speedy Gonzales metabolism, don’t reach for more than two pieces at one sitting.  I usually eat one large hunk, drizzled with cold pressed oil or raw butter.  My children, who burn more carbs for energy, eat almost five slices at once when they are really hungry.

My reason for choosing spelt is because it is high in protein and a non-hybridized ancient grain. It also gives the mixture a nice spongy texture. This recipe is centered on these two grains and their proportions. It took a whole summer (nearly four years ago) of experimenting to come up with this mix.

Try it first with these particular grains in their exact measurements I have listed. If you would prefer to use all wheat, or other grains, feel free to experiment. You may have to change the proportions of water to flour, or the wetness of the mixture. The key to this recipe is to make a very wet dough. If you achieve this, you will reap super soft loaves and not hard bricks.

SERENE ALLISON
Primm Springs, Tennessee, USA

 

SOUR DOUGH BREAD

Ingredients:

2 quarts home grown rye-fed sour dough starter
6 ½ cups rye flour (freshly ground if possible)
6 ½ cups spelt flour (freshly ground is possible)
2 ½ Tbs. Sea salt
1 ½ quarts water--more or less as needed. The important thing is to get the right gooey, wet, oatmeal porridge consistency.

Method:

1.    Put all ingredients in order in a large pot or bowl and knead with a big wooden rolling pin (or wooden spoon or some other device) by pulling the pin towards you and pushing it away from you--about five minutes, or 10 minutes for those who want extra toned arms.  You can even get your hands into the gooey mixture and kneed, washing well when finished. You cannot knead this mixture on a counter. It is meant to look and feel like goo.

2.    To check for the perfect consistency, test midway kneading, rather than at the beginning as it will get thicker when the gluten fibers start coming together. 

3.    Put in buttered pans to rise. I raise my bread for at least seven hours for a good rise. Sometimes you will get the height you want after only four hours but the phytates will not be removed until at least seven hours. I either make the bread in the morning and bake for evening dinner or make it in the evening and bake for breakfast.

4.    Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

5.    If you want to go all the way, you can put a pan of water in the bottom tray underneath the pans, which steams your bread and cook your bread in ceramic bread tins. It will give the most excellent crust.

6.    To put this gooey mixture into your tins, wet a cereal bowl, dip it into the bowl and flop it into your pans. Each pan should be a generous half full. Wet your hands and flatten the bread with the slap of a wet palm.

The above recipe makes five loaves. If you don’t need that many, you could halve the recipe.

SOUR DOUGH STARTER

Method:

1.    In a sterilized bowl (pour boiling water over it to sterilize) add one cup of rye flour and one cup of pure water. Keep it on your counter top with a breathable cloth. Every day for seven days swap it to a new clean sterilized bowl and add one extra cup of rye flour and one extra cup of water. You swap bowls to make sure you do not catch bad bacteria while catching your wild yeast from the air.

2.    After seven days your starter should be bubbly and spongy and should smell good and sour. If you have caught your yeast, put your new starter into a clean home--a plastic or glass bowl that will hold three quarts of liquid. Never use metal. There is no need to switch bowls any more.

3.    It is now a family pet. Take it out and clean its home once a month. Feed it one cup of flour and one cup of water every day. Cover with a breathable cloth--I use a nylon mesh bag from the regular painting store. These are fantastic as they allow air in and keep insects out.

4.    When you feed your starter and stir it around, you may only use plastic or wooden utensils. No metal please or you will kill your new pet.

5.    Use your starter and bake again when your starter has grown back. Always leave at least one cup to grow within its starter house. If you caught a good starter your bread should rise nice and lofty and never be like a brick.

HELPFUL HINTS

1.    If for some reason you don’t leave a cup, but only a spoonful, then feed it one spoonful of flour and one spoonful of water. In a few hours, feed it two spoonfuls of each and then in a few hours again four of each until you have your cup and you can continue as usual.

2.    Sometimes you will want to bake sooner than your starter will grow. In this case, if you have a quart of starter, you can feed it a quart of flour and a quart of water each day. The key is not to feed more food to your starter than the volume of your starter. You will dilute it too much and it will die.

3.    My mother and I have kept our pet alive for nearly four years from when I first made the starter. A good idea is to share some of your starter with a friend. If you go away or forget to keep it going, you may be able to get some back from her. Mom has come to my rescue on a couple of occasions.

4.    If for some reason you can’t catch a starter (in some places the wild yeast may not be as prolific), order one on line. Feed it as I explained. Feed it only rye flour for this bread recipe to succeed.

I LOVE FAT!

Fat! Fat! Fat! There’s nothing more lovely than fat! It makes you feel wonderful, look gorgeous and adds years to your life. That’s right, there is no misprint. FAT is the new craze. It’s not just a fad that will come and go but a scientific revelation for the new millennium. If you want to be beautiful, you’ve got to have fat!

To ease your mind, I’m talking about eating fat, not wearing it! In fact, the more good fat you eat, the thinner you will be. Low-fat, fat-free diets are for the birds. Healthy fats are the new superfoods. It’s an ancient discovery, but has taken a while to be fully realized amongst the fat-busting quackery.

When I say that fat is healthy, I am not talking about lard, fried pork rinds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, or Crisco which are all deadly poisons.

My diet consists largely of organic greens and good fats, which together are the most powerful body-building combination. I pour healthy fats into my green smoothies. (Did you read Green to Go in Above Rubies #64 which tells you about energy building green smoothies?) I mix flax seed oil into my carrot or green juices and I pour good fat dressings over my large salads.

Extra virgin flax oil, coconut oil, olive oil and fish oil are all excellent dietary fats. Use them liberally in your diet. I talked about the miracles of coconut oil in Above Rubies #59 and I still revel in its delicious flavor and health benefits. However, I have recently discovered what I call the “King of all oils.” Let’s lay out the red carpet for…

RED PALM OIL

Come follow me to the woods of Primm Springs, Tennessee; to a little log cabin with a humble kitchen where I first heard about “Red Oil.” I had just adopted four beautiful children from Liberia, West Africa. I was in the process of teaching them how to eat healthy and each day poured cold pressed oils over their brown rice. But they kept on badgering me about this red oil which their mother used in their village in Liberia before they came to the orphanage. 

I told them I hadn’t heard of it and it was probably regular vegetable oil that had red peppers marinated inside. I didn’t think much of it and kept on changing the subject when it came up. Was I ignorant of an incredible super-food! I was intent on introducing them to my ways but they ended up introducing me to health concepts for which I will ever be thankful.

Not long after, I met a nutritionist who touted the incredible benefits of red palm oil. I almost choked remembering my sweet African children’s recommendation which I had shunned. Now I have located red palm oil from a company of integrity and my whole family love to indulge in red palm oil.

Nutritionists recommend one tablespoon per day to improve your overall health. This one single tablespoon of red palm oil contains 10,000 IU of immunity boosting vitamin A which is enough to eliminate the risk of the common cold and the ‘flu by 67 percent.

This oil is incredibly beautiful. It has a rich orange color when cool and a deep red hue when melted. The color comes from its richness in natural carotenoids, tocoplerols and tocotrienols which are powerful super antioxidants

PREVENTS BREAST CANCER

Red palm oil is the richest natural source of tocotrienols which are not found in any other vegetable oil. Tocotrienols inhibit the proliferation and growth of human breast cancer cells in culture. Gamma tocotrienol is three times more potent in stopping the growth of human breast cancer cells than tamoxifen, a drug widely used in the treatment of this cancer. Do you have friends with cancer? Tell them about this oil which prevents cancer and stops the growth of existing cancer cells.

Tocotrienols also help prevent skin aging and damage from free radicals. This God-gifted oil is naturally rich in vitamin A for a properly functioning immune system. It contains no cholesterol and actually raises you HDL, your “good” cholesterol level while simultaneously lowering your LDL, the “bad” kind. It is naturally rich in vitamin E for a healthy heart.

Red palm oil is a must for stroke victims and for those who have a family history of this problem. It keeps the blood thin and free flowing. This miracle “cure all” actually dissolves dangerous arterial plaque that can lead to heart attack. Did you know that 78 percent of arterial plaque is oxidized fat, stuck there by our modern diet filled with bad trans fats?

You may have heard of doctors subscribing aspirin to thin the blood and prevent strokes. This has horrible side effects and can lead to leaky gut syndrome. If you have a grandparent or family member taking aspirin for this purpose, tell them about natural red palm oil that has no side effects.It is miracle oil for the elderly; and also for the young who want to prevent the discomfort that comes with ageing.

The antioxidants in red palm oil act as scavengers. They prevent and eat up the free radicals that are the instigators of most of our modern diseases--Alzheimer’s, senility, rheumatism, heart attacks, arthritis, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, spinal muscular atrophy, macular degeneration, and stroke.

MAKES YOU SLIM

If all these wonders weren’t enough, it also makes you slender! It can trim body fat by 27 percent. Research shows it can melt off those stubborn pounds. “The secret is palmolein, a compound in red palm oil that helps your liver break down sugar for energy before it can be stored as fat,” explains nutrition researcher, K.C. Hayes, Ph.D.

I stand amazed and there is still more!
* Reduces risk of diabetes by a whopping 58 percent.
* Naturally rich in retinal for great vision.
* High in essential fatty acids.
* Rich in beta carotenes—15 times more than a carrot and 300 times more than tomatoes.
* No carbohydrates.
* Easy to digest and absorb.
* Excellent source of energy—a must for all mothers!
* Safe for cooking.

This last point is exciting for me as I hate heating any fat. I feel guilty that I’m feeding free radicals to my family in every plump muffin. You have probably heard that all oils, other than coconut oil, are dangerous for health when heated. This is true, but sometimes you don’t want your sautéed potatoes tasting like a Hawaiian Pina Colada.

BEST FOR COOKING

Palm oil is even more stable than coconut oil for cooking. It is protected by its high levels of vitamin E, antioxidants, and has a natural resistance to oxidation and rancidity. Research revealed that cooking with red palm oil, even at high temperatures showed no adverse affects on blood lipids. Another reason for its cooking benefit is that it contains very low concentrations of linolenic acid and only moderate levels of linoleic acid; which are the most easily oxidized components of oils.

It is resistant to rancidity. Most olive oils sold in clear jars are already rancid when you purchase them as oils are very easily oxidized by light. Always purchase olive oil in dark glass or tins. Rancid oils cause free radicals in the body.

At Christmas time I substituted all my baking recipes that called for butter with red palm oil and my family gave rave reviews. My children, and especially my African children, live on this stuff! They put it on their rice, on their millet, on their toast and on everything they eat. We use it for baking and cooking and Selah (our 14 year old) uses it in all her African dishes—she is a great African cook. Of course, there is lots of raw food around my house (I am still a raw foodist). I put a dollop of palm oil in most of my raw creations--smoothies, desserts, pâtés and treats.

I just had to let you in on this wonderful addition to my kitchen.

From my mixing bowl to yours…

SERENE ALLISON - Primm Springs, Tennessee, USA

RED PALM OIL RECIPES FROM SERENE’S KITCHEN:

The following recipes are an enjoyable way to eat your good fats—and keep healthy and slim!

I Love Fat Breakfast

Mash 1 – 2 bananas in bowl
Add 1 Tbs. Safari Red Palm Oil, and mash into banana
Add 1 Tbs. Flax Seed Oil
Juice of one lemon
Optional:
1 tsp. molecularly distilled fish oil
Raisins or chopped dates
Mix all together and enjoy.

Safari Dream

(For mother and toddler to share)
In a blender place:
1 ½ bananas
2 figs or dates
1 Tbs. Safari Red Palm Oil
1 Tbs. Flax Seed Oil
1 Tbs. coconut (either the white from the brown coconut, or flesh from the fresh young coconut, or if you have neither of these, 1 Tbs. coconut oil or dried coconut.
Juice of one lemon
Blend until like whipped cream.

Safari Sunshine

(A cheaper version for the whole family)
5 – 6 fresh bananas
5 Tbs. Safari Red Palm Oil
2 handfuls of flax seed
3 generous handfuls or Tbs. of coconut (use one of the choices above)
2 heaped Tbs. raw honey
Juice of 3 big lemons
1 cup water or water of 1 coconut water if tastes fresh
3 generous handfuls of ice cubs
Blend in Vita Mix or good blender until smooth.

Ginger Sunrise

2 fresh oranges
2 lemons, peeled with knife, removing yellow rind, but keeping the white pith
1 – 2 bananas
2 Tbs. Safari Red Palm Oil
1 large handful of flax seeds
1-2 handfuls or 2 Tbs. coconut (use on of the choices above)
2 chunks fresh raw ginger (about 1”)
1 heaped Tbs. raw honey
Ice cubes
Blend very well in Vita Mix or good blender until smooth.

Golden Popcorn

Melt red palm oil and pour over popcorn.
Add whatever spices you fancy, e.g.
Salt and pepper, cayenne pepper and Nutritional Yeast.

To purchase Red Palm Oil or Coconut Oil, Call Charity Callis, Ph: 877 841 2861 or 714 925 7085

ACID OR ALKALINE?

I believe in healthy eating. I’m a whole-grain loving, two salad a day kind of a woman, but I don’t like to do anything in extremes. I don’t have the will power to eat only raw food like my sister Serene, and I don’t have the time to be juicing all day! I’m what you would call a healthy eater who still likes her treats.

HEADACHE SUFFERERS ARE ACIDIC!

But recently I’ve had to face up to some facts. While my moderate eating style has kept me reasonably healthy, I haven’t experienced abundant energy or radiant health. I’ve suffered terrible varicose veins during my last two pregnancies and, in the past few years, I’ve had chronic headaches. The crunch came not long ago when my headaches became frequent and unbearable. Desperately searching for a cure, I read that headache sufferers are most often acidic. I tested myself for acidity and sure enough, I was very acidic.

After researching the acid/alkaline subject, I became convinced I needed to make my body more alkaline, but didn’t know how I could do it. I would either have to make extreme changes in my diet, or spend hundreds of dollars on supplements. Neither option appealed to me!

I was determined to restore my health. After much research and experimenting with various foods I came up with my own plan for an alkaline body. It costs hardly any money and it works.

Before I share this plan with you, I’ll explain a little about pH. The human body contains about ten gallons of fluid. Our cells swim in this fluid. The body’s system works best in a neutral to slightly alkaline environment. When the body’s fluids become acidic, problems arise.

The typical American diet produces acid ash. The body tries to compensate for this acidity by using alkaline minerals such as calcium and magnesium. If the diet does not have enough of these minerals, the body borrows from whatever source it can. This usually means bones and vital organs. Over time this weakens the body and acidity prevails.

In the book, Alkalize or Die, the author, Dr Baroody states that acidosis is the foundation for all disease. It decreases energy in our cells, decreases our ability to eliminate toxins, makes us more susceptible to fatigue and illness and makes cancer cells thrive. An acid pH level is always present with cancer. Our pH levels (potential hydrogen) are measured on a scale of 1-14, seven being neutral. Anything below six is acid. At a pH slightly above 7.4 cancer cells become dormant and at pH 8.5 cancer cells will die.

Diet is the primary cause of acid/alkaline imbalance. However, it is true that people assimilate foods differently. Although I was eating a considerably healthy diet compared to the typical American diet, it wasn’t enough to alkalize me. For some people, simply eating a lot of raw fruits and vegetables is enough to keep them alkaline. That said, acidosis is a problem for most people in this country.

TRY LEMONS

If you research lists of highly alkaline foods, you’ll notice a food at the top of every chart—lemons! They seem out of place! I always thought lemons were acidic. It is true they are high in citric acid, but after being metabolized and assimilated by the body, they leave an alkaline ash. Lemons, in fact, are one of the most alkalizing foods we can consume.

I was astonished to discover the health benefits of lemons. I’d never given them much thought before, aside from plucking them out of my water at restaurants. They have four times more vitamin C than oranges. They enable the liver to make more enzymes than any other food. They relieve indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching. No wonder advertisers promote their cleaning products with slogans like The Power of Lemon! Lemons are an antiseptic for our bodies also. They have the ability to scour toxins from the cellular tissue. They are antiviral, antioxidant, astringent, antifungal, an immune stimulant and diuretic. Limonoids, part of the lemon’s structure, are potent anti-carcinogens that prevent cancerous cells form spreading.

Lemons cleanse the lymphatic system, invigorate skin tissue and increase blood flow. They counteract anxiety and depression, drain excess water retention and reduce uric acid which is responsible for arthritis. They lower cholesterol. Their high mineral content is one reason why they are so alkalizing. They contain 48% potassium which nourishes the brain and nerve cells and 29% calcium which nourishes the teeth and bones. It is important to consume lemons while pregnant for strong bones for the baby.

After discovering all this information about lemons, a little idea formed in my head. What would happen if I drank a lot of lemon water everyday? Would it raise my pH level? I had checked my pH level that morning and it was low--in the fives. I squeezed three lemons into two liters of water and sipped on it all day, hoping my pH would improve the next day. Guess what? It worked! After three days on lemon water I had much higher alkaline levels and I felt better than I had in a long time.

I continued researching and experimenting and discovered more helpful information. Here’s my five step program for anyone who wants a healthy alkaline pH:

Step 1: Test Yourself

To accurately test your pH levels you should do so first thing in the morning. This is your most acidic time. You can test your urine and your saliva. Test strips can be purchased at health stores, some pharmacies, or on line. The cheapest place I have found is www.drclardstore.com You can buy them there for $3.99.

You should aim for your urine test to be higher than 6.2 in the mornings. A healthy reading would be high sixes or low sevens. Your saliva levels will usually read slightly higher. Your levels should spike after meals and go into the high sevens and eights. This shows that you have enough enzymes to assimilate your meals. If healthy, you should stay above seven in the evenings.

Step 2: Lemon Water

Mornings are a cleansing time for our bodies. The first thing you should do upon rising is to drink lemon juice in some warm water. This will aid in proper elimination of wastes. In other words, you won’t be constipated.

Since the beginning of my experiments with lemons I have discovered it is best to use one lemon at a time to ensure their optimum healing power. Now, instead of juicing all three lemons at once, I fill a quart jar 3\4 full of water, add the juice of one lemon and drink this in the first part of the morning. I sweeten this with either stevia or maple syrup. It’s delicious. I drink another one in the afternoon and another in the evening. It is okay to drink this during meals as the enzymes help digest heavy foods. It is also best to drink through a straw to save the enamel on your teeth.

Note: Maybe your body doesn’t need three lemons to become alkaline. You may want to use less or more as needed. There is a condition known as alkosis when the body becomes too alkaline. This is rare and is usually caused by certain types of prescription drugs or antacids.

Step 3: Go for Greens

After lemons and watermelons, the next most alkalizing foods are greens. Don’t forget to eat your green salads! Use lots of parsley. It is not just for garnishing! Parsley is cheap—only 50c a bunch at WalMart. When chopped finely, it is irresistible. My sister-in-law. Monique, comes to my house for lunch most days and we eat a scrumptious parsley salad together which she has created. We try to eat parsley every day for lunch as it is such a miracle alkaline food. We often accompany the salad with baked sweet potatoes, another yummy alkaline food. Tabouli is a great way to get your parsley and your lemons at the same time.

It is helpful to use green supplements to become more alkaline but I have found them too expensive for my budget. They usually cost between $25 and $40. Ouch! There is one exception-- alfalfa. It is known as the father of all foods for its high mineral content. I love it because it is cheap. You can buy a month’s supply of capsules for $3 - $7. Alfalfa’s roots grow 250 feet deep. No wonder it is so full of vitamins and minerals like iron and calcium, magnesium and potassium. All these minerals combat acidity. It is nature’s best source of vitamin K which helps protect against osteoporosis. It is a great source of chlorophyll and is up to 50% protein.

Step 4: Choose Millet

I am in love with this grain. It is an ancient grain, used in China before rice became available. It is a highly alkaline grain and inexpensive. Use it instead of your regular grains. Sorry, most grains are acid forming, even whole wheat. Millet is very versatile. We make delicious breads with it. It can be made fluffy like rice or creamy like mashed potatoes. My mother likes to put millet in the crock pot over night with raisins and cut apples. In the morning it is soft and aromatic.

Monique and I find a new use for millet almost everyday. Today for lunch we cooked it like rice and topped it with diced cucumber (highly alkaline). We then poured flax seed oil, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and hot sauce over top. It was so delicious we couldn’t stop congratulating ourselves. It’s fun to team up with a friend who also wants to become more alkaline.

Millet is the least allergy forming of grains and will not ferment in the stomach. It is a good food for babies and children as it is easily digested and will not cause intestinal distress. My children, including my one-year-old love their millet porridge in the morning. I quickly grind the grain up in my Vita Mix (you could use a coffee grinder) and put it in the saucepan with water, stirring until thickened. You can sweeten with maple syrup or stevia.

Millet has the highest calcium content of all grains and is rich in B vitamins. When eaten regularly, millet provides natural rebuilding of bone cartilage and connective tissue, giving relief to arthritis sufferers and other painful conditions.

The only other alkalizing grains are buck wheat and quinoa.

Step 5: Find the Balance

I’m sure you are wondering which the most acidic foods are. The highest is artificial sweeteners. Don’t dink diet sodas. They are acidic and dehydrate the body. Coffee and black tea are also acidic, whereas Green and herb teas are alkaline.

All sugar and refined foods are extremely acidic.But there’s no need to panic--maple syrup is alkaline and so is raw honey. My favorite sweetener is stevia.

Not all acidic foods are bad. We must have a healthy balance of both alkaline and healthy acidic foods. Most experts agree that in order to heal your body you should eat 80% alkaline and 20% acidic. To maintain health you can have 60% alkaline and 40% acidic.

Meat and cheese are acidic. Don’t eat too much meat although I still include it in my diet. Most nuts are acidic, except almonds and Brazil nuts but all nuts are still beneficial in their raw state.

Cold pressed oils are alkaline. Use plenty of extra virgin olive oil and flax seed oil. However canola oil and peanut oil are acidic. Avoid what is termed ‘vegetable oil’ as it is not as good as it sounds.

Almost all raw fruits, dried fruits, raw vegetables and steamed vegetables are alkaline. If you have the time, juicing is another great way to increase your alkaline levels.

HEADACHE FREE!

Note: A woman’s menstrual cycle often has an effect on her pH level. My body drops into acidic levels during my period and I have to be more aggressive in fighting acid during this time. I believe this was the major cause of the terrible headaches I suffered on those days. Since my body has become more alkaline, I have been headache free.

PEARL BARRETT
Primm Springs, Tennessee, USA
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Monique’s Parsley Salad

1 bunch parsley
4 fresh Roma tomatoes, chopped finely
3-4 hard boiled eggs, chopped finely
Handful of finely chopped nuts, walnuts or pecans
Pour Olive Oil over the mixture
Sprinkle in cayenne pepper and Creole seasoning
A squirt of Braggs Liquid Aminos
Stir together. Taste and adjust.
Serves two people.

Help! What Should I Feed Our Children?

One morning you open your front door to get the newspaper and stumble over a beautifully wrapped package. In amazement you open this gift and find nestled inside a pure, white bunny. Around its neck is a little note that reads… “This is a special gift from heaven for you. I want you to take care of it for me. I trust you to make sure it grows big and strong. From your heavenly Father.” Wow! After receiving this gift, I’m sure you’d be off to the library to research the best food to feed your bunny.

Let’s bring this imaginary world back to reality. If you are a mother, God has visited you, and blessed you with a beautiful gift (or gifts) from His creative hands. Each miracle of life was carefully chosen for you to help nourish and nurture them to healthy maturity. This is a heavy responsibility, not something to take lightly or do nonchalantly. It should not be a burden, but an exciting challenge that God, the Creator of life, has entrusted to us. We are to nurture this seed of life from conception onwards. 

We are talking about human life, not bunnies, so why don’t we raise them healthily? Is it because it’s so easy, in our busy lives, to drive through McDonalds, or buy pre-packaged, devitalized junk? Is it because everyone else does it, so it must be okay? 

Would we give fruit loops (full of dye and over 50% sugar), or some white processed bread (basically no more nutrients than cardboard, no matter how much it is chemically enriched), and some pop, to our little bunny and hope for the best? Of course we wouldn’t. We would feed it the healthiest bunny food possible, and not take any chances.  So why do we feed our precious children whatever rubbish is convenient, and maybe appease our conscience with a smattering of fruit, and a daily bright orange vitamin in the shape of a cartoon character? One day it dawned on me that I cannot gamble with my children’s health. God assigned me this very job.  

Who’s the Best Fed?

The sad realization is that most pets are fed nutritionally better than a lot of children. There are many advertisements for special vet recommended dog food, filled with a myriad of vitamins and minerals. Food advertisements for children are almost always for a new brand of sugar-frosted cereal or a processed, packaged meal like macaroni and cheese. Who would dream of filling their dog’s drinking dish with coke? Yet it is not a shocking thing to see a glass of pop poured out for a child! What a sad mix up.

In most restaurants the children’s menu has nothing that you could call nourishing. Cheeseburgers, fries, chicken nuggets dunked in greasy batter, and pizza are the usual fair. Young children are being filled with garbage, not fit for an animal, and suffer discomforts like obesity, allergies, skin disorders, headaches, tummy aches, earaches, anemia, fatigue, moodiness (which is frequently diet related) and even hyperactivity. This last complaint is sometimes sadly mistaken for A.D.D. and then the children have to live on drug medication which destroys living cells - all because of the dead junk food we put in their bodies to begin with! 

As mothers, we need to ask ourselves; are we poisoning our children through today’s accepted diet? We do live in an imperfect world and there are things beyond our control. God is our ultimate trust, not our diet. I believe however, that what we “can do” we “should do”.

I love the Scripture in Psalm 144:12 TLB that describes the children in a nation that God blesses, “Sons vigorous and tall as growing plants. Daughters of graceful beauty like the pillars of a palace wall.” To have our children be described this way, our sons would need to be fit and vigorous, and our daughters would have to be in shape, elegant and strong. We can only fulfill this verse by feeding our children in the right way.

Out with the Whites!

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. What foods do we need to eliminate from our children’s diet. What are the main offenders? I like to call them “the whites” – all white flour products, white rice, white sugar, white pasta and all white foods that were meant to be brown. These foods are poisons and give our children nothing but a clogged colon. Denatured white products are molecularly altered from the way God made them.

White flour mixed with water is an old glue recipe that has been used for years with paper mache making. White bread is nothing but GLUE!

White sugar is a drug, which is seriously addictive and is the culprit in many behavioral problems. It destroys our children’s immune defense from warding off illness. The average American child consumes 33 teaspoons of sugar per day, hidden in the food we feed them; not counting sugar that is added afterward. This is easy to achieve when you consider a lot of the packaged cereal is 50% refined sugar, and even daily items like bread and peanut butter contain sugar. Nearly every pre-packaged food item in a regular grocery store is brimming with sugar, not to mention a myriad of other preservatives, food dyes, and chemicals. Get rid of all the processed junk. It’s dead, lifeless and won’t nourish lively children, full of health and gusto.

What we put in our children’s cups is also filled with sugar and other deadly substances. This includes our babies’ bottles. Most of the formulas on the market are laden with corn syrup, which is a refined sugar. Pop is a chemical cocktail and can start to corrode a 10-penny nail or a baby tooth if left in overnight. Can you imagine what it is doing to our children’s insides? Train your children to drink water.

Away with Pickiness!

Eating habits like refusing to eat crusts, wasting food, and general pickiness are habits of an unhappy eater. Children who will not eat their sandwich if it is not cut in a particular way, or who will not eat foods that have different texture, are often the children who do not enjoy their foods. They get in a habit of moaning, and nothing seems to satisfy them. They always want something else because they are allowed to choose.  Children who are made to eat whatever is cooked for the family are a lot happier at the dinner table. They learn to enjoy a wide variety of different foods and textures, and have a broader, healthier palate than children eating packet macaroni and cheese and the like.

Remember, you in control of what your children eat, not your children. You are the one who buys the food and prepares the meals. Do not let that control slip over to them. When I was growing up we were taught to thankfully eat what was put in front of us. Today, overworked mothers are making two or three different meals for different family members.

Another area to work on with our children is self-control regarding food. They can’t have every thing they want, when they want it, or be catered to every whim. This training also helps when you are guests at other people’s meal tables, as the children will be grateful for whatever is served.

A World of Fun and Flavors

It is never too late to start! Train your children to love fresh produce when they are young. Children are naturally inclined to these foods, if not introduced to junk food. Serve lots of raw fruit. Arrange in funny faces, throw in delicious smoothies, freeze and whip into dessert treats, or eat whole – they are perfect for little hands to grip.

Give your children lots of raw, colorful fresh veggies such as carrot sticks with a yummy healthy dip. My three-year-old and I love to eat corn, raw and sweet, straight off the cob. Of course theses foods are a little harder for younger toddlers, but creativity can make it work. When I make my 15-month little girl her meals, I try and incorporate raw vegetables as much as possible.  For example, I put a peeled and cored apple in the blender and add a few lettuce leaves. The sweetness of the apple makes a delightful taste and the lettuce is already pre-chewed. I also throw in some sprouts or other super foods in her blended concoctions. The sweet fruit makes almost anything palatable.

My three-year-old loves salad. I told him that it is cool because it is dinosaur food as the big dinosaurs ate lots of greens. He loves dinosaurs, so he devours it. I cut the yummy dinosaur food finely, add crunchy seeds, nut sprinkles, and homemade zesty dressings that he helps me make in the blender. We add sprouts that he helps grow, and he feels part of the whole process.

Make it fun! Hand out raw little trees (broccoli) with a fun dip, celery with peanut or almond butters, and raisins (wash them well if they are not organic). Slice fresh yellow squash thinly in rounds for crunchy chips to dip in whatever your imagination can dream up e.g. guacamole, fresh salsa, and cheesy tofu spread (recipe included).

Green is Great!

Get your children comfortable with “green.” Use whatever tactic you think will work. My son thinks green foods are the coolest. I make him delectable smoothies with frozen banana, purified water, almonds, a little honey, and whatever else I want to throw in. It is always bright green, however, because I also add “spiralina” which is a super food, full of protein, vitamins and minerals including B12. It also is a cancer fighter. You cannot taste the spiralina because of the banana and other goodies, but it is GREEN! We call this drink “army drink”. Arden thinks it is groovy, because it is green like all the camouflage army stuff and makes soldiers strong.

He is really into swords, and when I give him his “barley green”, (a health supplement), he takes it straight from the spoon, and asks for more when I say with a real exuberant voice, “Time for sword fighting powder to give you big muscles!”

My children love “army ice-cream” which is frozen bananas whipped into the most delicious ice cream with a teaspoon of spiralina, and whatever else you want - maybe some tahini, or peanut butter, or a dash of vanilla. It is truly the best guilt-free ice cream you could serve for breakfast! Of course, you can call it “princess food” for the little girls (explaining how this food helps keep you pretty as a princess.)

Try Tadpoles!

Sprout! Children love to water them and watch them grow. You can throw them in their smoothies for an extra boost and they won’t even know it. Raw is best, but you can also bake chickpea sprouts at 350 for 15 minutes with some zesty flavors for a crunchy treat instead of potato chips. My little ones like to carry them around in their own little zip lock pouch and snack on them here and there. They are really fun with their little tails hanging down and they taste great. I call them “tadpoles” for my bug-loving boy.

Use honey, fruit juice, blackstrap molasses or stevia instead of sugar. Lower the amount of meat and dairy in their diets, as they are high in cholesterol and fat, and contain no fiber whatsoever. If they are not farm raised, they are also filled with hormones. There are purer and higher sources of protein and calcium to be found in the plant kingdom.  Incorporate beans, lentils, and whole grains into mealtimes on the nights you don’t serve meat.  Purchase a vegetarian cookbook and make some hearty chilies with these healthful staples. Give tofu a second chance. With the right recipes, it is tasty, and healthy.

Have fun with a “baked potato bonanza” party night. Bake plenty of taters and have an assortment of dips, dunkers, sprinkles, and sauces. Eating healthy is fun. I get excited even writing about it. It will be a challenge at times, but don’t see it as a burden. It is an exciting task to raise our children as healthy as we possibly can for God.

Start them out Right!

Breast milk is all a baby needs for the first nine months, unless it is a specially hungry baby who may want to start at six months. When you first start solids, start them with raw foods. Mash a banana, or an avocado, peel a very soft pear and let them suck it to the core, or make raw apple-sauce by blending peeled and cored apples. It’s a lot healthier than store-bought baby food that has been cooked and shelved for who knows how long. After they have tackled fresh fruit, steam and mash veggies for them.

When they are ready for finger foods, put little mounds of grated veggies on their high chair tray and let them go to town. Cube soft melon in season. Bake tofu fingers (see recipe). Make home made hot cereal – grind millet, oats, quinoa, brown rice etc. in blender and cook with water until soft. Forget the packet white rice infant cereal – it will only constipate your little one.

Be Enthusiastic!

Always be positive. Be excited about the foods you are preparing for your children. Teach them the names of the produce, and tell them what it will do for them. My three-year-old likes to sit on the counter as I prepare the food. I get him to say the names of the vegetables I am cutting up, and I tell him about them with an enthusiastic tone. Now I hear him running around telling his little friends, “I ike abacado. It gween and God made it for me cause it good, and it make me swong and have musckles.”

Always return a negative remark with a positive. When my son tells me he doesn’t like apple (or some other food) I say, “Yes you do, of course you do. God made it for us.  I love it and daddy loves it.” I then go on serving it to him as if he never said it.

I know there are things that some people truly don’t like and I would never force something upon a child that would literally make them vomit. But, when our children are young, we train their taste buds. If we don’t train them, who will? Their peers? TV advertising?

God is with us and he will help us do it! He will give us the strength, ideas, and motivation. Let’s raise strong and healthy children who can be used by God, unhindered by common ills. Let’s teach our children to enjoy food the way God made it for them.   Let’s raise thankful, happy eaters.

Serene’s Healthy Snacks for Children:

Creamy Popsicles

2 packages of silken firm tofu

1 12oz can of 100 percent juice concentrate

Handful of fresh fruit, e.g. strawberries

Blend in blender and pour into Popsicle molds

(You could use apple concentrate with strawberries, or pineapple concentrate with banana, etc.)

 

Yogurt Yum

This is fast alternative to dairy yogurt for children with lactose intolerance.

1 package of silken tofu

Lemon juice to taste for tartness

1 tsp. honey or more

Fresh fruit of choice, e.g. strawberries, blueberries, peaches, cherries.

Natural vanilla essence for vanilla yogurt.

Blend, and enjoy by itself, or with granola.

 

Savory Sprinkle

(This is actually Evangeline’s recipe that we all use).

In coffee grinder or blender mix

1/2 cup Nutritional yeast

½ cup raw sesame seeds

½ tsp. sea salt

Blend until well mixed.

Add to all foods, e.g. salads, soups, especially good on popcorn.

 

Creamy Cream Cheese

1 packet of regular tofu

Handful of sunflower seeds

1 recipe of Savory Sprinkle

Three squirts of Braggs Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)

Extra handful of Nutritional Yeast for extra cheesy flavor

Optional:

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

Dried or fresh herbs, e.g. chives, basil or dill

Blend with in food processor or hand held blender

Put on crackers, sandwiches, in celery, or make lettuce burritos.

 

Rejuvenation Bars

1 cup sprouts your children have made

1 cup of sprouted grain, e.g. spelt, wheat

1 cup raisins

1 cup almonds

4 Tbs. Coconut

Blend in food processor. Put almonds in first so they are well ground. You may need a few Tbs. of water to keep disk moving. It will not blend into a paste unless the sprouts are lengthy – full two or three day’s growth.

Shape into logs and roll in coconut. They will keep for three weeks in the refrigerator, or can be frozen. These bars are high in nutrition and iron, and full of protein and vitamins. Even your young children can be involved in the sprouting process and rolling the bars in coconut.

 

Baked Tofu Fingers

Cut up tofu food into finger sized strips

Marinate in Braggs Liquid Aminos and other seasonings, as you desire, e.g. garlic powder, onion powder, herbs etc.

Sprinkle with Nutritional Yeast

Place on baking try and bake or non-stick skillet until firm on both sides.

 

Dinosaur Mud Balls

Place in a bowl the following ingredients:

¾ cup tahini (ground sesame paste)

¾ cup carob

1 Tbs. Honey

½ cup raisins

½  - 1 cup nuts or seeds as you desire

Mix together and roll into balls and put on plate. Place in freezer until hard. Remove to container and take one whenever you feel the inclination.

 

Nana Balls (This is what the grandchildren call my mother’s CHEWY OAT BALLS)

Melt together 1 cup honey and ½ cup butter (soy butter for vegetarians) Or you can use tahini instead of butter.

Take off the heat and add the following:

4 cups rolled oats

½ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup dried apricots (use the unsulphured brand)

You can also add raisins, dates, nuts, and preserved ginger as you wish. If I don’t have apricots on hand, I leave them out and use something else.

Add sufficient milk powder to bind the mixture (about ¾ cup)

Wet your hands and roll into balls and then roll in coconut.

Place on plate in fridge or freezer until hard and then transfer to container. Keep in fridge or freezer as you wish.