So here we are at the end of another month, and what a month it’s been: a real celebration of the wonderful, versatile, and delicious world of sourdough!

As an inclusive group, for the month of August, we are catering for our gluten-free members! Gluten gets such bad press these days and so many people feel better removing gluten from their diets but replacing gluten with expensive processed gluten-free products is not a wise move in the health department! These products generally contain additives, among them emulsifiers, which have been proven to damage the gut lining, so go figure that one out!!

So, we will be focusing on all the wonderful naturally gluten-free grains and foods, of which there are many, including rice, quinoa, millet, oats, buckwheat, and polenta; we will, of course, also be looking at delicious and simple ways to prepare them. Lots of lovely recipes coming soon! Including gluten-free grains is a great way to increase diversity and is something we should all be aiming for. 

Bread, pasta, couscous, and pizza are all wheat-based and contain gluten; conventional wheat is routinely sprayed with glyphosate, a toxic weedkiller, that increases our risk of chronic disease and cancer, so replacing or reducing our consumption of conventional wheat is something we should all be considering! Or making our own bread and pizza bases using organic flour is a better choice. 

Gluten-free breads are notoriously not very tasty, although in recent years they have improved but remain expensive to buy, so we will be making a few delicious, healthy, and nutritious options. It is possible to make gluten-free sourdough so I will be trialling a gluten-free starter and sourdough this month. I won’t be forgetting a wee treat so I’ll be sharing some delicious gluten-free cakes and bakes!

My Live chat over on the FB group will be all about the health issues around gluten, separating the myths from the facts, and looking at all the delicious alternatives.

In good health,

Janice x

P.S. Jenna has made some lovely new Summery foraged flower wreaths, have a look at her website for more info! They are even more beautiful in real life!