Nine months ago I started my journey into the gluten-free lifestyle after I got my lab results showing that my body was being ravaged by this tiny molecule.  This news was doubly difficult because anybody who is gluten sensitive is also sensitive to all dairy products.  Cheese is my favorite food in the whole world, followed by hot sourdough bread slathered in butter.  My first thought was what is the point of living if I can't have bread, butter, and cheese?  I later learned that this is a perfectly normal response because the gluten in grains and the casein in dairy form morphine like drugs in the body that we become really addicted to.  I was facing having to come off my morphine high cold turkey.

After going through withdrawal for a couple months my mind started to clear and I began the long process of rebuilding my life - my dietary life.  Quite separate from the addiction to grains and dairy, there is the very real and practical reality of having to live and participate with a culture that so heavily uses these two foods.  Apart from Southeast Asian cuisine, almost every item in any restaurant I have been in manages to sneak either flour or cheese into every main dish.  Even a simple steak will be doused in gluten containing sauces and marinades.  (Maybe addiction is good for business?)  Undaunted, I was determined to recreate a reasonable American diet without dairy or gluten.  As folks who have been over to our place for dinner can attest, I have done a respectable job of remaking classic American foods without the forbidden ingredients.

The one tough challenge has been recreating bread.  This has been made 10 times more difficult by my choice to lose weight on a low carb eating lifestyle.  How can you have bread without carbs?  All the low carb lame bread replacement recipes I have found rely heavily on dairy products like cream and cheese.  The gluten free breads in the health food stores feel like you are eating chewy paste...not to mention they are pure carb - just no gluten.  I needed some divine inspiration.  The first inspiration came from angel food cake (how is that for divine?) Since angel food is mostly egg whites, I reasoned I could figure something out from that angle.  Internet research showed up with some low-carb Italian Sponge Cake recipes using soy flour, but I don't use soy (for many reasons.)  I came across a Focaccia bread made with flaxseed flour that was very low carb - closer.  I was happy with this for several months as I could vary the spices and flavors in many ways.

In the course of playing around with different flax Focaccia breads I started mixing in almond meal from Trader Joe's.  Flax fiber retains a lot of moisture, making bread-like products almost slimy.  The almond flour helped to dry this out.  I still had not given up on the angel food, but had been stalled for the lack of a proper two piece angel food pan.  A patient loaned me one and I was trying to blend the flax flour gently into whipped egg whites without much luck.  Then I hit upon a serendipitous discovery.  I had to stop using baking powder in my Focaccia because I found out that baking powder is ¼ cornstarch - a no no because of the corn gluten.  In researching the ingredients of baking powder, I found that it is mainly cream of tartar and baking soda.  I had already been using cream of tartar to stiffen the egg whites.  So I thought, what if instead of beating the egg whites first and then trying to blend in the flax/almond flour, I let the baking soda and cream of tartar form the bubbles after the egg white and "flour" were already nicely blended?

Success!...sort of.  I had to use a ton of egg whites and the end result was still too slimy.  Well, dozens of experimental loaves later and success has been achieved.  I finally have a real, low-carb, gluten-free, casein-free sandwich bread.  It has been a journey!  This bread will serve as a basis for many other recipes to come.  But I have found that this is far more than just a bread replacement - it is a major protein source.  A single slice of this bread has as much protein as a slice of deli turkey or ham.  This bread can serve as a major food supplement for seniors and egg eating vegetarians that routinely do not get enough protein in their diets.  People like to eat bread products.  They are easy, tasty, and don't require cooking.  One loaf of this bread has 140 grams of protein!  That is 3 days protein for your average senior.

So what is the catch?  No one will ever market this in the stores because the raw ingredients are so expensive it would have to sell for $20 a loaf.  If you were to go to the grocery store and buy the ingredients tomorrow - for one loaf it comes to over $15.  If you are gluten/casein sensitive, it might be worth the effort and cost - especially considering the amount of protein you are getting without the junk carbs.  For this reason I am not going to bother you with the recipe.  Instead I am going to create a protein bread mix that will take you all of 5 minutes to mix up and pop into the oven - just add water.  And through the miracle of bulk purchasing of the raw ingredients, I am able to reduce the cost to you by 33%.  I am still trying to decide whether to make the cost a simple $10 or make it the deceptively more attractive price of $9.95.  What do you think?

The light colored loaf above is a yeast free version of the bread.  It is a softer, finer grain bread.  The darker crustier loaf to the right is the same bread but with yeast added.  It is a lighter bread with a more homemade texture.  You will be able to make either version with the same mix.  Watch for the Miracle Protein Bread Mix to appear in the office soon...first as a sandwich bread, then as sweet breads like chocolate, lemon, spice molasses, and more.  Getting your protein needs met will never be easier or more tasty!            

 

 

david@fairoakshealth.com

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About Dr. DeLapp

Dr. DeLapp has been a philosopher, non-force Chiropractor, medical intuitive, and health innovator for over 30 years.  He began experimenting with  medical intuition in 1972 while studying physics at UC Davis.  In addition to physics he designed and completed an individual major in the philosophy and psychology of education.  Shortly after he choose to pursue a career in the only truly health oriented profession available at that time, Chiropractic.  He graduated with honors in 1981 with his doctorate and opened a private practice. 
Since that time he has continued his research into the effects of consciousness and learning on health. 
He developed the Biomagnetic Retraining system for correcting movement abnormalities. 
Since 1991 he has focused on developing a powerful system for uncovering and assisting the mind-body connection in health and personal growth.  The in-depth coaching, guided by the subconscious direction from the body, is called Heartflow and the simpler mind-body retraining for health and unfoldment he has named Gracework.  Both are available at Fair Oaks Health.

Dr David DeLapp DC
Chiropractor

Ellen Flowers FGM
Spiritual Life Coach

 

Somatic Therapies

 

Lorena Morales