I didn't want to be that person that had to read every ingredient and pay attention to every piece of bread or baked good I may potentially eat. I like bread. Bread is life. It is awesome. Warm baked awesome goodness.
Up until now I never cared. I ate what I wanted. I scoffed at those that paid four to five times as much for "organic" flour - because that was a hipster thing - hipster food. "Organic" is more of a status than a needed element. Unless someone had a serious gluten sensitivity or Celiac - there was no need for them to make a fuss about "no bun" in a restaurant, or passing on the bread at the dinner table. I'm not going to lie, I would get borderline annoyed when out with people who I KNEW had no such dietary requirements and made the staff at restaurants go to such lengths to appease their "trendy" eating habits. I was kind of a jerk. Because in reality - eating habits or dietary requirements - people should eat what they want and what makes them happy. Who cares about what society says. I should have remembered that.
According to United States Law passed somewhere around 1998 - all cereal and bread flours MUST be fortified with Folic Acid and other b vitamins in order to limit the birth defects found in live births in the US. It worked. In fact, birth defects and issues with pregnancy reduced by nearly 35% after the implementation of this program.
Recently I found out, though, that one of the basic building blocks in my body doesn't work. And, because of that - my body can't process certain vitamins - specifically the B group vitamins - including Folic Acid. Basically, I've got a genetic mutation - I'm a mutant. Specifically, MTHFR.
And I love to bake. And crackers. And to make gravies. I use A LOT of flour. The readily available ingredient is so versatile - and cheap. Heaven knows I've used my fair share of all purpose flour as I raise a family of 7 in order to save money on sandwich bread.
And now I find out I can't have anything that isn't organic - non-enriched. And to buy that, I might as well take out a second mortgage on my house. What doesn't make sense is that flour that is untouched - simply ground wheat - costs FOUR TIMES as much as flour that has to go through additional processes to add vitamins and remove part of the wheat germ to fit the standards.
Because - THAT makes sense. (But we won't go into that)
So here I sit, in my new found ingredient-reading label-watching screaming-and-running-from-the-donut-shop life, wondering how in the heck I became THAT person.
Genetics. Genetics made me that girl.
But the truth is - I'm doing so much better. I'm taking specialty supplements designed to bypass the liver process (that doesn't work), I've cut out enriched flour (even my beloved graham crackers), and I've eaten recently my first protein-style burger (wrapped in lettuce, no bun) - and liked it.
I still don't plan to be the one that makes a big deal out of the menu at parties. I'm certainly not going gluten free. I'll probably find myself a nice grain mill and start milling some of this food storage wheat that I have stored up and make my own flour. It would be really nice if I could buy organic flour without the trendy price tag - but, until then - I'll just find ways around it.
But, my health is improving. My hands aren't shaking like they used to. I have more energy. And I get to tell my kids I'm a mutant - and they tell their friends. That makes me freaking cool...just hopefully they don't ask me what my super powers are.
Up until now I never cared. I ate what I wanted. I scoffed at those that paid four to five times as much for "organic" flour - because that was a hipster thing - hipster food. "Organic" is more of a status than a needed element. Unless someone had a serious gluten sensitivity or Celiac - there was no need for them to make a fuss about "no bun" in a restaurant, or passing on the bread at the dinner table. I'm not going to lie, I would get borderline annoyed when out with people who I KNEW had no such dietary requirements and made the staff at restaurants go to such lengths to appease their "trendy" eating habits. I was kind of a jerk. Because in reality - eating habits or dietary requirements - people should eat what they want and what makes them happy. Who cares about what society says. I should have remembered that.
According to United States Law passed somewhere around 1998 - all cereal and bread flours MUST be fortified with Folic Acid and other b vitamins in order to limit the birth defects found in live births in the US. It worked. In fact, birth defects and issues with pregnancy reduced by nearly 35% after the implementation of this program.
Recently I found out, though, that one of the basic building blocks in my body doesn't work. And, because of that - my body can't process certain vitamins - specifically the B group vitamins - including Folic Acid. Basically, I've got a genetic mutation - I'm a mutant. Specifically, MTHFR.
 |
| Not bread I made, mind you. But still bread. Tasty, Tasty bread. |
And now I find out I can't have anything that isn't organic - non-enriched. And to buy that, I might as well take out a second mortgage on my house. What doesn't make sense is that flour that is untouched - simply ground wheat - costs FOUR TIMES as much as flour that has to go through additional processes to add vitamins and remove part of the wheat germ to fit the standards.
Because - THAT makes sense. (But we won't go into that)
So here I sit, in my new found ingredient-reading label-watching screaming-and-running-from-the-donut-shop life, wondering how in the heck I became THAT person.
Genetics. Genetics made me that girl.
But the truth is - I'm doing so much better. I'm taking specialty supplements designed to bypass the liver process (that doesn't work), I've cut out enriched flour (even my beloved graham crackers), and I've eaten recently my first protein-style burger (wrapped in lettuce, no bun) - and liked it.
I still don't plan to be the one that makes a big deal out of the menu at parties. I'm certainly not going gluten free. I'll probably find myself a nice grain mill and start milling some of this food storage wheat that I have stored up and make my own flour. It would be really nice if I could buy organic flour without the trendy price tag - but, until then - I'll just find ways around it.
But, my health is improving. My hands aren't shaking like they used to. I have more energy. And I get to tell my kids I'm a mutant - and they tell their friends. That makes me freaking cool...just hopefully they don't ask me what my super powers are.
