Discussion Board

I seem to have a problem with wheat, but I don't have celiac AFAIK. I don't have digestive or intestinal symptoms when eating it. It seems to affect me with heartburn/gerd and then subsequently, my asthma.

The other day, I made myself some chapatis/tortillas. They were so tasty, I hogged them all down and then later that evening, I had to use my inhaler, which I hadn't had to use in days.

I've been eating some gluten-free foods as much as possible. I do like the gf pastas, although regular pasta doesn't seem to bother me as much as bread does. And I can do bread, but only occasionally.

I read somewhere that wheat seems to be a problem for people b/c it's been so modified. Modern wheat has more chromosomes than its ancestor. Although, everything we eat is modified. I'm sure the original corn that the native americans cultivated is way different than the giant ears of super sweet yellow corn we have now. Although corn is on the list of top allergens, so maybe there's something to the modification theory.

Anyway, I bought some guar gum yesterday and a bunch of different flours (sorghum, brown rice, etc.), and I'm planning on trying out some gluten-free recipes. But I came across information on spelt, kamut, emmer, and einkorn. It seems that they are ancient wheats with fewer chromosomes. They have gluten in them, but supposedly if one in intolerant to gluten and not a true celiac, these wheats are fine.

Does anyone have experience using these flours to make breads and related items? I'm not interested in someone who eats a multi-grain porridge or cereal with one of those grains in it. I'm wondering how suitable they are used as flours for baking. Although they have gluten, it's not as much as modern wheats, so I'm wondering would anything made with them benefit from a little guar or xanthan gum added? Do they taste good? I'm not a big sandwich eater, but I do like flatbreads. I found that chapatis/tortillas are so easy to make. I also like making homemade noodles. You don't need any eggs. Just water works fine.