Seeking a Happy Ending

Breaking the Silence on a Moving Subject
By Beth Hillson

People in garden clubs don’t talk about it. It isn’t discussed at book groups or cocktail parties. In fact, it’s never mentioned in polite society. Anyone whose delicate digestive tract is irritated by food sensitivity knows what I am talking about. “It” is gastrointestinal distress. Diarrhea or constipation. The daily search for regularity between the two extremes. We evaluate our days by the number of episodes in the bathroom. A great day is one in which everything is “normal.”

Folks on special diets are fixated on what goes in and how it comes out. Once the ice has been broken between people sharing that common bond, it’s on to stories of our infant son’s explosive bowels, or a bad food reaction that forced us to spend an elegant evening in the rest-room. We nod with understanding. We may have only known each other for a few minutes, but suddenly we’ve connected in a most irregular way. We are kindred spirits. Even as a child, I remember my mother demanding a full report on every BM.

It was her barometer for measuring my health. One day in a restaurant, I asked my little sister to deliver the report to my mother who was seated in the middle of the main dining room. My four-year-old sister opened the ladies’ room door and yelled at the top of her lungs, “Mom, Beth had a BM, and it was good.”

Recently this hush-hush topic has begun receiving some long-overdue media exposure. Advertisements loudly extol the virtues of a variety of tonics for people who are on the go or moving much too slowly. Magazines are full of articles on improving the health of our (dare I say) colons. Fringe journals recommend spirulina enemas (don’t ask!) or 30-day liquid diets.

Here are some recommendations for those of you who wish to be regular fellows: Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Increase your water intake. Drink lots and lots of H2O, folks. Eat whole grains, brown rice, potatoes with the skin left on, and corn.

Consume plenty of legumes. Add canned chickpeas, dark kidney beans and navy beans to salads and stews.
Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Try eating smaller meals. This is less taxing on that delicate digestive tract.
Discover the virtues of flax seed. Sprinkle 1–2 tablespoons of flax meal (ground flax seed) on cereal or into shakes at least once a day.

Orange Bran Flax Muffins
Makes 30

For breakfast, try alternating between slices of whole-grain bread and a flax seed muffin for a convenient way to get fiber.
1 cup rice bran
1 cup ground milled flax meal
1 cup rice bran
1 cup ground milled flax meal
1 cup brown or white rice flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup cornstarch
11/2 teaspoons guar or xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium oranges, quartered and seeded (unpeeled)
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup canola oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup golden raisins

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
3. Combine first nine ingredients. Set aside.
4. In a blender or food processor, combine the oranges, brown sugar, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and baking soda. Blend well.
5. Pour mixture into dry ingredients. Mix well to blend. Stir in raisins.
6. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
7. Bake 18–20 minutes or until tooth-pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.  

Look for ‘Perils in the Pantry’ in every issue of Living Without. Allow chef Beth Hillson, owner of the Gluten-Free Pantry, to guide you to the right ingredient for your special need. Send suggestions to:
Perils in the Pantry
Living Without
800 Connecticut Ave.
Norwalk, CT 06854