text: Discussion Topics « VibrantDish
  4 Gluten-Free Baking Flours
  Buckwheat Flour is related to rhubarb, not wheat, this flour comes from buckwheat groats has a robust earthy flavor and is filled with B vitamins, fiber, and rutin, a powerful antioxidant. Its whole grain taste is great for baked breakfast foods including pancakes, crepes, bars, scones, quick breads, and maple cookies. TRY: Arrowhead Mills buckwheat flour
  Garbanzo Flour also known as Chickpea flour is made from roasted or dried chickpeas. It is sky high in protein and fiber (6 and 5 grams per 1/4 cup). You can work it into bread dough, a savory pie-crust, falafel mix, hummus blends, and burger or meat-loaf recipes. Also you can try it out as a thickener for soups, stews, gravies, and sauces. TRY: Bob's Red Mill garbanzo flour.
  Teff Flour is the world's tiniest grain and yields a sweet, malty flavor when milled. The flour is a good source of calcium and iron that perks up batters and doughs for flat-breads, waffles, gingerbread cookies, and anything baked with chocolate. TRY: Bob's Red Mill teff flour
  Quinoa Flour is easy to digest and full of protein, magnesium, fiber, zinc, and folate. Its delicate nutty flavor is ideal for banana bread, biscotti, shortcakes, and pizza crust. Also great for dredging fish and chicken before cooking. TRY: Ancient Harvest quinoa flour
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  Make mealtime a sacred or honored event. Research indicated that you will maximize how you digest and assimilate food when you are relaxed. Sadhana, a Sanskrit word that means "practice," can describe a spiritual practice or an ordinary activity that is undertaken mindfully or with a focused purpose. That purpose can be to get more nourishment from food or to spend quality time with loved ones. When you practice eating and preparing food slowly, carefully, and with intention, you are practicing food sadhana. When you eat alone, avoid computer screens, televisions, and books. Focus on the moment and savoring the flavor and texture of your food. When eating with others, don't answer the phone or open a magazine. Perhaps spend the first five minutes with those at the table in silent appreciation of your meal. Slowing down and reducing stimulation from your environment during meals can help you digest more effectively and can contribute to a better spiritual and emotional connection with food.
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  The world has a bounty of healing foods. Sometimes the best eats come close to home. Goji berries harvested from the Himalayas might make you live longer, but so could strawberries grown a few miles away from your doorstep. Easier on the pocketbook, local food is not only good for you, it's kinder on the planet. Think of all the energy wasted away by the trucks, trains, and jet planes that travel thousands of miles to bring food to consumers. There is a bounty of healthy foods available from around the world, but eating primarily locally grown, seasonally produced foods has other benefits for your health. The food is usually fresher, and in some ancient healing traditions, the food grown in the environment new where you live has greater balancing and healing effect than food cultivated far away. Look for "locally grown" signs at the supermarket, or shop at farmers markets for the freshest local foods. Even better, grown your own food. Front or backyard and even container gardens can yield a delicious harvest of fresh herbs and produce.
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  Most & Least Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables
  Top Twelve Most Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables:
  Peaches, Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Cherries, Strawberries, Lettuce, Grapes, Pears, Spinach, Potatoes
  Twelve Least-Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables:
  Asparagus, Avocados, Bananas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Corn, Kiwi, Mangoes, Onions, Papaya
  Although washing fruits and vegetables reduces surface residues of harmful chemicals, come pesticides are absorbs directly into the edible portion of the pant. Some chemicals specifically resist removal and are designed to adhere to the surface of the fruit or vegetable. Peeling will remove some pesticides, but you will also lose extremely beneficial nutrients located in the skin of a fruit or vegetable.