Maybe seeing rice flour in every gluten free recipe that you come across makes you want to pull your hair out – what on earth happened to ‘variety is the spice of life?’

Well eating gluten free doesn’t have to be boring anymore! If you have been looking for something a little more exciting, perhaps a bit more nutritious that is still gluten free then I would like to introduce you to – Lupin flour.

What Is Lupin Flour?

Lupin flour has been born and bred in our own Australian soils – Western Australia to be exact. It is an extremely unique seed that’s not only gluten free but also contains a wide variety of health benefits.

Lupin is naturally high in protein, fibre and low in fat with a very low Glycemic Index, so it’s fantastic for any of you who are aiming to lose weight or trying to maintain a healthy weight. It doesn’t end there though (I know i didn’t think it could get better either!.

More Health Benefits

1. Makes you feel fuller for longer
You know how sometimes after eating a big carbohydrate meal you find you are ravenous only an hour or so afterwards? Well lupin flour doesn’t do that, because of it’s low glycemic index and it’s naturally occurring fibre you will find your appetite is sustained a lot longer.

So that you means you will no longer be reaching for the chocolate soon after.

2. Improving Blood Pressure
There has been some research on lupin and the naturally occurring arginine that has vaso-dilating properties to support normal blood pressure

3. Prebiotics for Digestive Health
The fibre in lupin acts like a pre-biotic in the digestive tract as it reduces transit time providing a great environment for the good bacteria in your digestive system

4. Improving Cholesterol
Lupin fibre is considered a soluble fibre that aids in reducing total cholesterol without affecting your good HDL cholesterol. The protein found in lupin also supports your liver to modify serum lipid profiles by enhancing the degradation of LDL cholesterol.

5. Balances Blood Sugar Levels
Lupin flour has been shown to greatly reduce the release of glucose into the blood stream stabilsing blood sugar levels. This means it’s great for weight loss, metabolic syndrome and diabetics!

6. Contains Omega 3 & 6
The fats found in lupin are polyunsaturated fats which are your Omega 3 and 6′s. These are your essential fatty acids that must come from your diet and have a wide range of health benefits including better concentration, memory, improved cardiovascular health and increased hydration of skin

Has It Won You Over Yet?

Who thought eating a gluten free flour could be so highly beneficial? It’s super exciting to see something that is so healthy for us and is tolerable by gluten intolerant or wheat intolerant individuals.

Now the test is to see how good it tastes! I have a received a free sample of lupin flour and I’ll be making one of their recipes called Energy Slice that is a nutritional snack incorporating lupin flour as it’s main ingredient.

There are many recipes on their website that uses lupin flour, so don’t think you’ll be left out in the dark when you start trying lupin flour as an alternative gluten free flour!

I will post a new article as soon as I’ve made it – hopefully successfully!

One Downfall

Since lupin is considered a legume, it has the potential to trigger allergic reactions in those of you with peanut allergies (as it is essentially the same family). Anyone with nut allergies are asked to be cautious when ingesting lupin.

To learn more about Irwin Valley Lupin flour or to find out where to purchase it please visit their website here.

No related posts.

You may have an intolerance to fatty foods – which is very different to a food allergy. It doesn’t involve the immune system like an allergy does, but instead it is caused from the inability of your digestive system to break down the fat.

The symptoms that you experience after eating fatty foods may turn you off eating anything soaked in oil ever again – which you know isn’t particularly healthy for you anyway!

But you can’t help but wish that this didn’t happen to you. Lets face it, it’s not fun being in pain for hours on end after you have indulged in rich food.

Well I am going to tell you, that it is possible to alleviate these symptoms naturally by simply supporting your body to digest fats!

Before i tell you how, lets first look at what symptoms you may be experiencing so that you can know for sure if you have an intolerance to fatty foods.

Fat Intolerance Symptoms

These symptoms can occur immediately or up to a couple of hours after you’ve eaten fatty foods, and these foods don’t need to be just rich, oily junk foods either.

They can be healthy fats too! Often taking fish oil capsules, which are high in essential fatty acids (good fats) can cause unwanted side effects as well. This doesn’t happen to everyone, so it really depends on the severity of your fat intolerance.

• Reflux
• Heart Burn
• Nausea
• Diarrhoea
• Bloating
• Bowel movements called Steatorrhoea (stee-at-OR-rea) that are frothy and smell foul
• Wind

How To Relieve Fat Intolerance Symptoms Naturally

Fat intolerance usually occurs in those of you who have an under functioning liver. The liver is so important in digesting fats because it is responsible for releasing a substance called bile, which is stored in your gallbladder and released every time you eat fatty foods.

Bile acts like the dish washing liquid that you use in the sink to dissolve grease and fat off your dishes. It emulsifies and breaks down the fat you have eaten once it enters the small intestine.

If you have a lack of bile being produced every time you eat fatty foods, the fat won’t be broken down and emulsified adequately which will cause many of the symptoms mentioned above.

If you have had your gall bladder removed, or have a history of gall stones – it is usually a big indicator that your liver isn’t doing too well which can be causing your fat intolerance.

Anything that places stress on your liver like; alcohol, caffeinated drinks e.g. Redbull, Mother, V, coffee, medications or recreational drugs can greatly diminish the functioning of your liver.

If you combine this with a diet lacking fresh fruits, vegetables and good quality protein you may be deficient in the necessary nutrients needed to support your body to detoxify, produce bile and function and its full potential.

Support Your Liver To Help Digest Fat

These are simply ways you can help support the functioning of your liver to help you better digest fat.

• Lemon – Squeeze 1/4 to 1/2 a fresh lemon into room temperature water and drink immediately upon rising, this kick starts your liver and assists with digestion of food
• Lecithin – Add 1 tablespoon of lecithin on your cereal or in smoothies once to twice daily. Lecithin contains something called choline which is a ‘lipotropic’ and is necessary component to help you metabolize fats
• Dandelion Root Tea - Dandelion has several properties to help support your liver to detoxify and function better. It has ‘cholagogue’ and ‘choleretic’ actions that stimulate the release of bile from your gallbladder, as well as increasing the production of bile by your liver. Caution – This should not be used if you have gallstones
• Globe Artichoke – This is another herb that has similar properties to Dandelion which can be taken in capsule form after each meal to assist with the digestion of fats. Caution – This should not be used if you have gallstones.

Give your liver some TLC and it will repay you! If you have tried any of these recommendations or have found a great natural remedy for relieving your fat intolerance symptoms then please feel free to share in the comments below.

Related posts:

1. Common Food Allergy Symptoms

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