I’m a creature of habit. I’m that person who orders the same thing at restaurants. I jog the same route in my neighborhood, shop at the same stores and buy the same products each week. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
If it isn’t broken, why fix it, right?!
Well, changing our lifestyle to be more healthy has definitely thrown a kink into this idea! I’ve started venturing out of my little box and trying healthier dishes when we dine out and I’ve also had to find alternatives for many of our previous household staples. I now buy coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and coconut sugar and maple syrup instead of white sugar. I’ve had to get really creative with baking grain and gluten free, especially since I don’t have the universal all-purpose flour anymore. Baking with alternative flours is so much more complex than baking with regular flour. Without gluten, (a substance found in certain grains, including wheat, which gives it elasticity) these alternative flours sometimes require special binding ingredients and are still not able to produce the same texture that wheat flour achieves. Baking is a science, and unfortunately for me, I wasn’t the best science student! I really have to do lots of research and recipe testing and tweaking until I get it right.
I decided I wanted to try and tackle my first paleo bread! We’re not strictly paleo, but we try and limit our grain intake when possible. I started reading the book “Grain Brain,” and although I don’t agree with everything the author believes, I do see benefits in limiting our consumption of breads, pastas, rice, etc. I enjoy eating grains and starches, but I can definitely tell a difference in the way that I feel if I eat too much of those types of foods. So, I’m more in the “all things in moderation” camp….