A secret flour with many health benefits, especially for diabetics (delicious bread recipe included!)
The plant that this flour is made from was first planted in Hawaii in the 1820s, and is native to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It is gluten free and high in both fiber and protein. It has a low glycemic index, which means that it does not increase blood sugar quickly, and will also make you feel fuller for a longer time.
It has a sweet nutty taste, is low in calories, and is rich in phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium and vitamins, especially the B vitamins. Calcium can help improve bone strength, potassium is beneficial for water regulation and lowering blood pressure, magnesium helps with enzyme production with a positive affect on more than 300 enzymes, and iron is important to prevent anemia and also helps the immune system too. It also contains zinc, which can also help improve your immune system.
It contains sucrose and high amounts of dietary fiber, mostly insoluble but also some soluble fiber. Soluble fiber easily dissolves in water and is broken down into a gel-like substance in the colon, which can help to protect against colon disease and some cancers. On the other hand, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and is left intact as the food moves through the gastrointestinal tract.
You can it in many places on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, where I live. There’s one variety that is especially abundant close to the Papohaku area on the west side of the island, with long pods hanging from the tree. These pods contain beans known as mesquite beans, and the flour is made from the dried pods. There’s also a second, smaller variety of this tree that you can find throughout the island.
Did you guess which type of flour is it? It’s kiawe flour! You may not have heard of this before, but I am sure that when you try it you’ll want to use it regularly, the taste is so good.
If you live on Molokai then you can order it online from the Mobile Market at www.sustainablemolokai.org and start enjoying it in your healthy cooking. If you’re not on Molokai then you can find it in some good health food stores, and you can find it online too.
Here’s a low carb, gluten and grain free, and high in fiber and omega-3 bread recipe that’s delicious and super easy to make! All you need for a low-carb kiawe and flax-seed bread is:
- 7 egg whites
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
- 1/3 cup of kiawe flour
- 2 cups of ground flax seed
- 1 tbsp organic grass-fed butter or 1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)
- First blend the egg whites to make the white firm, then mix everything together, put into a baking tray and bake for around 40 minutes at 350 F
** If you’re not able to find kiawe flour, then you can substitute the 1/3 cup of kiawe flour with 1/4 cup of coconut flour. It’s delicious with coconut flour too!
