Hello Green Beauty: 2017

Carrier Oil Profile: Argan Oil

Healthier, Gluten-Free Alternatives to White Flour

White flour (a.k.a. all-purpose flour) is a kitchen pantry staple that is often used in baking and cooking. It’s such a big part of our lives as most of the food we eat contain it. I’m talking about delicious breads, cookies, cakes and pasta. White flour is made from whole wheat grain. Unprocessed whole wheat grains are actually packed with nutrients. Unfortunately, most of the white flours that we bought in the supermarket are refined and bleached. It means that most of the nutrients of the whole wheat grains have been removed such as the bran and germ (which are a good source of fiber).

White flour also contains gluten. When flour is mixed with water, the gluten serves as a binder to form an elastic dough that makes our breads chewy in texture. The problem is there are some people who can’t digest gluten well. They either suffer from celiac disease or simply have gluten-sensitivity. Celiac disease is an extreme form of gluten intolerance wherein the body treats the gluten as foreign invaders which prompt the immune system to attack the gluten. Eventually, this could lead to damage in the lining of the stomach and digestive issues like severe diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and bloating. This is the reason why people with gluten allergy can’t eat bread or pasta that are made from white flour. They don’t have to worry though because there are now gluten-free flours available in the market that are packed with nutrients which are beneficial to our body. Even if you don’t have gluten allergy, you may still want to try using gluten-free flours for their health benefits.

Let’s get to know the following gluten-free white flour substitutes:

1. Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is made from ground and dried coconut meat. It is not only gluten-free, it’s also grain-free and nut-free. It is rich in fiber and protein which help balance the blood sugar level in the body (ideal for those with diabetes). It also contains medium chain triglycerides that our body use to produce energy, thus increasing our metabolism.

Things you can do with coconut flour

Since coconut flour is rich in protein, you can use coconut flour instead of whey protein powder in your smoothies.
Due to its high fiber content, coconut flour can be used to thicken soups and sauces. Just be aware though that coconut flour absorbs more liquid than white flour so you may need to double the amount of liquid in your recipe.
Dredge meat or vegetables with coconut flour before frying.
When it comes to baking with coconut flour, you can substitute 1 cup of white flour with approximately ¼ cup of coconut flour. The only drawback is that baked goods made with coconut flour tends to by dryer. Because of this, you need to increase the amount of eggs and liquids used in your baked recipe.

Where to buy coconut flour in the Philippines

CocoWonder Coconut Flour is available at Shopee

2. Almond Flour

Almond flour is made from finely ground almonds. It’s both gluten-free and grain-free but if you have nut allergy then it’s safer to stay away from it. Almond flour has higher fiber and protein contents than coconut flour. It is also an ideal choice for people who are into a low-carbohydrate diet. Because of its high antioxidant level which comes from Vitamin E, almond flour can also reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure (source).

It’s important to note that since almond flour goes rancid faster, it is best to store it in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life. Always do a smell test. Fresh almond flour has a nutty aroma.

Things you can do with almond flour

Almond flour can be used in most baked recipes, especially if you prefer low-carb version of your favorite cookies, muffins and biscuits. It also adds a nutty taste and aroma to all of your baked goodies. For recipes that require yeast (e.g. bread), you have to combine almond flour with the other gluten-free flours (e.g. coconut flour) to lighten up the density of the bread.
Almond flour is the perfect flour to use for making gluten-free, low-carb, protein-rich and fiber-rich pancakes that are moist in texture.

Where to buy almond flour in the Philippines

Almond Flour is available at The Green Grocer

3. Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat flour is a gluten-free and grain-free flour that is made from ground buckwheat seeds. Although its name includes the word “wheat”, it’s really not related to wheat at all.

Korean and Japanese people often use buckwheat flour in making noodles because it contains good amount of fiber and is a good source of minerals like iron, manganese, copper and magnesium. This is the reason why regular consumption of food made with buckwheat flour may lower the risk of developing heart diseases by reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the body (source). Moreover, diabetic people can take advantage from incorporating buckwheat into their diet due to its low glycemic index which can help lower blood glucose.

Another interesting thing to note is that most buckwheat flours available in the market are light to dark brown in color. This is because the buckwheat seeds are first roasted before they are grounded into flour. The darker the color of the buckwheat flour, the more earthy its flavor.

Things you can do with buckwheat flour

Make hearty, rich-flavored pancakes, waffles and crepes with buckwheat flour. It will add a slight brown color to these dishes making them look more appetizing.
Make your own fresh handmade soba noodles using buckwheat flour. It’s quite tricky though to create 100% gluten-free soba noodles. That’s why professional soba makers recommend mixing 80% buckwheat flour with 20% white flour (all-purpose flour). The addition of white flour helps bind the dough together so that it won’t crumble and break while rolling it out. Try this step-by-step soba noodle recipe from Kitchn.

Where to buy buckwheat flour in the Philippines

Bob’s Red Mill Organic Buckwheat Flour is available at Lazada

4. Oat Flour

It is a known fact that oats are loaded with lots of nutrients and health benefits. Oat flour is high in soluble fiber and this study shows that regular intake of soluble fiber can reduce the risk of heart diseases. It also regulates the cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels in the body.

I don’t think oat flour is available in the Philippines. Luckily, it’s not hard to create your own oat flour and it is cheaper. All you need to do is to grind good quality rolled oats (not the instant one) into powder using food processor or coffee grinder. You need to store the homemade oat flour in airtight container to maintain its freshness.

Things you can do with oat flour

Because of the coarse texture of oat flour, it is often used to bake healthier, gluten-free cookies. It makes the cookies soft and chewy in texture.
Boost your smoothies with extra protein and fiber by adding a few tablespoons of oat flour. Its high fiber quality will make the smoothies more filling so you will feel less hungry. Check out this banana-oat smoothie recipe by Real Fit Real Food Mom.

There are many other gluten-free flours available (e.g. rice flour, cassava flour, etc.) but these are the most commonly used ones. Take note also that not all gluten-free flours are created equally. Some of them works best for specific type of recipes. Gluten-free flours are also quite tricky to use specially when baking bread with yeast. It’s because gluten is the component that causes the bread to rise when it comes in contact with yeast. Professional gluten-free bakers often add a little bit of xanthan gum to gluten-free bread recipes which serve as a binder (otherwise, your baked goodies will fall apart). Moreover, there are cases where one type of gluten-free flour will not work alone in a recipe (to completely replace white flour). In that scenario, you can create your own gluten-free flour blend and use it in place of all-purpose white flour in a 1:1 ratio. If you’re afraid to experiment, then there are a lot of tried-and-tested recipes on the internet that use gluten-free flours. Start trying those recipes first until you get the right ratio of gluten-free flour to substitute in your own recipes.

Gluten-free flours are also way more expensive than traditional white flour. Luckily, most gluten-free flours that are derived from nuts (e.g. almond) and seeds (e.g. chia seeds) can be homemade by just grinding them into fine powder.

Have you used gluten-free flour in cooking and baking? What are your favorite gluten-free flours? Share your experience on the comment section below.

References:

Bjardanottir, A. What is gluten, and why is it bad for some people. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318606.php

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In Green Living,

Jacinto & Lirio: Making Sustainable “Leather” From Water Hyacinth

Jacinto and Lirio: Making Sustainable Leather From Water Hyacinth

Water hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes) are free-floating aquatic plants which grow so fast they can easily double their population in a matter of 2 weeks. It is for this reason that they are infamously known as pest (invasive) species. If water hyacinths are left uncontrolled, they will eventually cover the entire pond or lake which can deplete oxygen in water. Without enough supply of oxygen, the fish inhabitants of the infested pond or lake will die. This will also affect the livelihood of families who rely on catching fishes as their source of living. Normally, people will just cut the water hyacinths to throw them out or burn them (since they are inedible) and pray really hard that they won’t grow again (but they always do).

Fortunately, a group of young social entrepreneurs has decided to come up with a solution to the increasing water hyacinth infestation problem in areas like Laguna and Rizal. They gave birth to a social enterprise known today as Jacinto & Lirio (which means “Hyacinth” and “Lily”). Instead of throwing out the water hyacinths, Jacinto & Lirio has found a way to transform them into handmade plant-based leather goods which are more eco-friendly than traditional synthetic or animal leathers. Moreover, they aim to empower the families affected by the water hyacinth infestation by providing them livelihood opportunities. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. They have managed to solve two problems with one single action.

Hands down, the people behind Jacinto & Lirio really took time and effort to research on how to turn something considered as useless and pest into something useful. If you will take a look at their water hyacinth leatherization process, it’s not an easy feat as there are several steps involved from sun-drying the plant stalks to manually sewing them to form a sturdy plant-based leather. Their products boast of stylish, unique and multi-functional designs which are perfect for millennials who are always on-the-go.

Here are some of their amazing eco-friendly products (check their website for a complete list of what they offer).

1. Jacinto & Lirio Lakbay Travel Kit (Php 550.00)

This is perfect for travelers who want to keep all of their travel essentials in one portable and lightweight organizer. It has passport holder and front pocket where you can put stuff that you want easy-access like boarding pass. There is also a zippered pocket at the back to store paper bills, coins and other smaller items (e.g. receipts).

2. Jacinto & Lirio Laro Customizable Planner (Php 909.00 – 1,049.00)

This is not your ordinary planner because it has so many functions. Aside from the planner itself, it has both photo ID and card holders (ideal for ATM cards). Moreover, it has a removable pouch where you can store small items like paper bills, coins, mobile phone, powerbank, etc. In case you need more space for writing, you can even insert an additional notebook into the planner. Their planner/notebook sheets are also watercolor and calligraphy ink-friendly.

3. Jacinto & Lirio Burda Resizable Laptop Wrap (Php 1,135.00)

If you want to carry your laptop and tablet in style, this resizable wrap is exactly what you need. Its body is made out of polyester fabric which is durable and wrinkle-resistant and is accented with water hyacinth plant leather. It even has a zippered pocket at the back for storing power cords. It can fit most tablets and laptops (10 – 13” in size). For smaller mobile gadgets (e.g. smartphone, powerbank, etc.), there is also Burda Mini Resizable Wrap.

Aside from the products mentioned above, Jacinto & Lirio also sells other items made from eco-friendly materials like bags, journals, notebooks, wallets, iPad covers, among others. So if you’re looking for environment-friendly gifts (that are proudly Filipino-made) to be given to your family and friends this holiday season, then you can purchase Jacinto & Lirio products from the following websites:

Official Website: http://www.jacintoandlirio.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacintoandLirio/

Shopee: http://www.shopee.ph/jacintoandlirio

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In Beauty, Essential Oil

How to Know If Your Essential Oils Are Pure

If you are into aromatherapy like me, then most probably you have already started collecting essential oils as part of your DIY kit. Currently, I see a lot of suppliers selling essential oils on various online marketplace like Lazada and Shopee (even on Facebook). If you’re not careful, then you might get trick to buy essential oils that are not “pure”. Why is it important that you only buy high quality and 100% pure essential oils? It is because essential oils that have been adulterated (e.g. mixed with another ingredient) will not offer the same therapeutic benefits as pure essential oils. We know too well that essential oils are quite expensive so we need to be sure that we are getting the real deal. Here are some simple tests that will help you identify if your essential oils are pure and not loaded with cheap fillers.

Water Test

It is a known fact that oil and water don’t mix together. This is the reason why when I’m making a room spray, I blend the essential oil in alcohol so that it will mix with water. Basically, if you add essential oil into water and the oil just floats on top, then your essential oil is pure. However, if the essential oil magically blends in the water, then it is most likely diluted with a solvent (e.g. unscented alcohol). Always remember: pure undiluted essential oils will not mix with water based on their chemistry.

Paper Test

Some of the common fillers that suppliers add in essential oils are vegetable and mineral oils. This is actually the most commonly used trick by suppliers into making people think that their essential oil is pure. In reality, if you add a few drops of orange essential oil into a carrier oil, the carrier oil will smell like orange essential oil so most consumers will never think that their essential oil has been diluted. Now, one important thing to note about essential oils: they will evaporate if exposed to air for a long period of time. This is where the paper test comes in. Put a drop of essential oil you want to test on a piece of white paper and leave it there for 24 hours. The expectation is that pure essential oil should evaporate without leaving any oily residue. On the other hand, if it evaporates too quickly (e.g. within 30 minutes), then most probably the essential oil is diluted with an alcohol and not with a vegetable or mineral oil.

Container Test

Ever wonder why essential oils are always stored in glass containers? It’s because pure and undiluted essential oils have strong chemical compounds that can deteriorate plastic containers that are not chemical-resistant. Again, I’m talking about undiluted essential oils. You can safely use PET plastic containers to store products blended with essential oils (e.g. lotion, massage oil, etc.) since they have already been diluted with either a carrier oil or water. To perform this test, just add a few drops of essential oil to a disposable plastic cup and wait for an hour. If the plastic cup melted, then your essential oil is definitely undiluted.

Price

Pure essential oils are usually expensive because the process of extracting essential oil from a plant is not easy. For instance, it usually takes 200 kg of lavender flowers to extract just 1 kg of lavender essential oil. In retail market, a tiny 10ml bottle of lavender essential oil normally costs between Php150 to Php300. So if you happen to see a large 100ml bottle of lavender essential oil that sells for Php250, then beware because that is most probably not pure (price is too good to be true).

GC/MS Test

If you really want to be sure about the purity and authenticity of your essential oils, then you can ask for a copy of GC/MS test report of your essential oils from your supplier. Gas Chromatography (GC) / Mass Spectrometry (MS) is a testing method that is used to breakdown the chemical components of the essential oil and to show the percentage of each of these components. The GC/MS test result can accurately identify if the essential oil is contaminated with other chemicals or additives.

Finally, my best advice is to always buy your essential oils from reputable suppliers. Read previous customer reviews of the supplier, it’s one way to verify the supplier’s reputation with regards to the essential oils they’re selling. When in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask questions to your supplier. It is really a plus point for me if the supplier is knowledgeable about the essential oils he’s selling (e.g. shelf life, usage rate and extraction process of the essential oil).

Have you done any of those tests before on your essential oils? If you do, share your experience on the comment section below.

P.S. To always get the latest blog updates, don’t forget to follow me on Facebook.

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, by Hello Green Beauty

Pages

Carrier Oil Profile: Argan Oil

Healthier, Gluten-Free Alternatives to White Flour

Jacinto & Lirio: Making Sustainable “Leather” From Water Hyacinth

How to Know If Your Essential Oils Are Pure

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Carrier Oil Profile: Argan Oil

Healthier, Gluten-Free Alternatives to White Flour

Jacinto & Lirio: Making Sustainable “Leather” From Water Hyacinth

How to Know If Your Essential Oils Are Pure

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