For those of  you who have problems with gluten, and thought you had to give up muffins….you’ll find an easy and yummy recipe below for Buckwheat Apple Muffins.

Meantime, please remember there are many people who CAN eat  and successfully digest wheat and other gluten containing grains.  The whole grains promoted by nutritionists (like me)  and others can be very beneficial for digestion and adding the needed grams of fiber. 

Most of us recommend at least 30-35 grams of fiber daily.  The average American intake of fiber is about 10 - 13 grams daily, woefully short of what we need to keep regular –  keeping the laxative companies in business. 

Exercise does make a difference as the body regularly needs some of that too to keep circulation and our parts functioning properly.  Try 20 minutes of bicycle riding 3 – 4 time a week, or dancing around your home or office…you may get some strange looks, depending on your office or work atmosphere, but the cardio benefits are worth it.  Besides, you never know, you might start a trend.

Organic whole grains in breads, cereals soups and as meal accompaniments are among the tastiest and easiest ways to get your daily dose of fiber.  Eating raw vegtables and fruits adds to the tasty mix of nutrtious foods that contribute to your overall health and wellbeing, and they have no gluten.

Again, please read labels before buying packaged foods.  My choice and recommendations  will always be fresh over packaged and seasonally fresh at that!

With so much focus on wheat and gluten free diets while perusing Energy Times for June, I found this yummy muffin recipe you can make easily at home and satisfy the fussiest “muffin maven”.   Enjoy!

BUCKWHEAT APPLE MUFFINS                                                               (Energy Times, June 2010,with permission from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook by Cybele Pascal))

1/2 Cup canola oil,    1 Cup light Agave nectar,   1-1/2 Cups unsweetened applesauce*,   1 tsp pure vanilla extract,    1 tsp ground cinnamon,    3 Cups buckwheat flour,    3/4 tsp xanthan gum,   1-1/2 tsp baking soda,    1/2 tsp salt,    1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled & diced (about 1-1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350′,   Line a muffin pan with 12 muffin liners (cups).  With an electric mixer on medium speed, combine the canola oil and agave and mix for about 20 seconds.  Add the applesauce, vanilla and cinnamon.  Mix for about 20 seconds.  

In a separate bowl combine the flour, gum, baking soda and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined, about 20-25 seconds.  Fold in the apple – the batter will be thick.

Fill the liners to the rim with batter.  Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through.  Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

If  the Granny Smith is too tart for you, replace it with fuji or other semi-sweet crisp apples.  The sweetness of the agave (a natural honey-like sweetener from the agave plant), will counter the tartness of Granny Smith apples making for a delightful balanced taste.

Other gluten-free flours include corn, rice, soy, sorghum, garbanzos, and tapioca and potato starch.