Amodimethicone, Castor Oil for Sheen?

According to this study, amodimethicone and castor oil are among certain substances that "increase the luster of hair." Has this been true in your experience? Does castor oil give you sheen? What about amodimethicone-based products? Do other oils/substance give your hair more sheen or shine?


MORE READS:
AMODIMETHICONE + OTHER CONES
CLEANSING AGENTS FOR CONES

Healthy Hair Feature: Redecouverte

1) Are you natural, relaxed, texlaxed, or transitioning?
I've been natural since September 2006.

2) What mistakes have you made in your hair care journey?
I am not sure if it qualifies as a mistake but for the past two years I haven't made up my mind whether I wanted locs or just rock my loose hair. I love locs and think they're absolutely beautiful. I also love my loose hair, its thickness and versatility. So I've had a few past locking attempt that did not last more than 3 months. I end up missing my loose hair and take down the babies locs. My hair locks pretty fast and taking down my hair can be quite traumatic. In the long run, it affects my ends.

3) What is your current HEALTHY HAIR routine?
I don't really have a routine, I go with the flow. I usually wash my hair twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays) and then do either a hot oil treatment or a deep conditioning. I use mostly natural products because they are more nourishing to my hair than commercial ones. Once in a while I'll do a rhassoul treatment.

Other than that, I don't really have a set routine.

4) Do you have a HEALTHY BODY routine? If so, what is it?
In regards to skincare, I use the oil cleansing method for my face. I exfoliate once or twice a week and do a facial mask as needed.
I mostly use shea butter for my body and I also love exfoliating once to twice a week.
In regards to diet, I still need to work on it. I have severe Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and diabetes running in the family so last year I decided to change completely my diet and went vegan cold turkey. Eventually I decided to adopt a vegetarian diet with as little dairy products as I can (I still love lattes and ice cream) and include raw foods. My diet is still a work in progress and it has been hard to say goodbye to comfort meals such as chapatis, samosas, jollof rice etc..

5) Do you have any advice for those seeking healthy tresses?
Yes, first and foremost don't get caught up in hair typing. I grew up mainly in West Africa, mostly Ghana and Senegal and I've never heard about hair types until I came to the USA. I don't think it really matters whether you have 4 a, b, c, d because each head is unique. I still don't know what my hair type is and I am fine.

The second advice will be not to compare yourself to others and just be happy with your own progress. This is hard because we go to hair forums and stalk people's fotki to be inspired especially when we have little support outside of the online communities. But when I started finding myself resenting people who have big chopped and had more hair in 6 months than me in 4 years, I had to take a step back and remember that each person is different.

Last but not least, do what works for you and have fun. Sometimes we get caught up in hair challenges and we become stressed out if we don't see any progress.

Interview with Jimmy Moore

About two months ago, I did an interview with Jimmy Moore of the Livin' la Vida Low Carb internet empire. I hardly remember what we talked about, but I think it went well. I enjoyed Jimmy's pleasant and open-minded attitude. Head over to Jimmy's website and listen to the interview here.

I do recall making at least one mistake. When discussing heart attacks,I said "atrial fibrillation" when I meant "ventricular fibrillation".

Sugar, Acne, and Skin Care Recap!

Skin Care Tip of the Day: You are what you eat.  Sweets, which are proinflammatory, may contribute to acne [1] [2].  (In my personal experience, they definitely do.) For clearer skin, avoid chocolate, cookies, cake, sodas, fruit juices, and other proinflammatory foods. Consume anti-inflammatory foods like salmon, whole grain, and oranges. Also, drink plenty of water.

*************
In case you missed previous skin care topics on this blog, here is a recap:

1. Black Skin and Sunscreen
2. Hyperpigmentation in Black Skin
3. Building a Skin Care Regimen
4. Hey Med School ... Skin Care, Please?
5. Household Makeup Removers
6. Natural Skin Care ... On a Budget

and more!

In Search of Traditional Asian Diets

It's been difficult for me to find good information on Asian diets prior to modernization. Traditional Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese diets are sometimes portrayed as consisting mostly of white rice, with vegetables and a bit of meat and soy, but I find that implausible. Rice doesn't grow everywhere, and removing all the bran was prohibitively labor-intensive before the introduction of modern machine milling. One hundred years ago, bran was partially removed by beating or grinding in a mortar and pestle, as it still is in parts of rural Asia today. Only the wealthy could afford true white rice.

Given the difficulty of growing rice in most places, and hand milling it, the modern widespread consumption of white rice in Asia must be a 20th century phenomenon, originating in the last 20-100 years depending on location. Therefore, white rice consumption does not predate the emergence of the "diseases of civilization" in Asia.

In the book Western Diseases: Their Emergence and Prevention, there are several accounts of traditional Asian diets I find interesting.

Taiwan in 1980

The staple constituent of the diet is polished white rice. Formerly in the poorer areas along the sea coast the staple diet was sweet potato, with small amounts of white rice added. Formerly in the mountains sweet potato, millet and taro were the staple foods. During the last 15 years, with the general economic development of the whole island, white polished rice has largely replaced other foods. There is almost universal disinclination to eat brown (unpolished) rice, because white rice is more palatable, it bears kudos, cooking is easier and quicker, and it can be stored for a much longer period.

Traditionally, coronary heart disease and high blood pressure were rare, but the prevalence is now increasing rapidly. Stroke is common. Diabetes was rare but is increasing gradually.

Mainland China

China is a diverse country, and the food culture varies by region.

Snapper (1965)… quoted an analysis by Guy and Yeh of Peiping (Peking) diets in 1938. There was a whole cereal/legume/vegetable diet for poorer people and a milled-cereal/meat/vegetable diet for the richer people.

Symptoms of vitamin A, C and D deficiency were common in the poor, although coronary heart disease and high blood pressure were rare. Diabetes occurred at a higher rate than in most traditionally-living populations.

Japan

On the Japanese island of Okinawa, the traditional staple is the sweet potato, with a smaller amount of rice eaten as well. Seafood, vegetables, pork and soy are also on the menu. In Akira Kurosawa’s movie Seven Samurai, set in 16th century mainland Japan, peasants ate home-processed millet and barley, while the wealthy ate white rice. Although a movie may not be the best source of information, I suspect it has some historical basis.

White Rice: a Traditional Asian Staple?

It depends on your perspective. How far back do you have to go before you can call a food traditional? Many peoples' grandparents ate white rice, but I doubt their great great grandparents ate it frequently. White rice may have been a staple for the wealthy for hundreds of years in some places. But for most of Asia, in the last few thousand years, it was probably a rare treat. The diet most likely resembled that of many non-industrial African cultures: an assortment of traditionally prepared grains, root vegetables, legumes, vegetables and a little meat.

Please add any additional information you may have about traditional Asian diets to the comments section.

Type 4 Series: Knots and Tangles

This is a series on how to style and manage type 4 hair healthily. It doesn't matter whether you are natural, transitioning, or stretching relaxers.

Today's topic: Combatting knots and tangles.

Here are previous posts addressing knots and tangles in natural hair of any type (2, 3, 4, etc.):
Knots ... Be Gone!
When You Get a Knot

I recommend reading them first.

*****************
Tight coils, little to no curl pattern, and major shrinkage make type 4 hair a conducive environment for knots and tangles. Imagine tossing several tightly coiled wires into a bag haphazardly.  Now imagine removing these wires one by one from the bag. Knots and tangles galore, right? A similar event can occur in type 4 natural hair that is left loose, wild, and shrunken.

The basics to minimizing knots & tangles
Protective style frequently. Detangle thoroughly and regularly. Keep the hair moisturized. (For more details on the basics, read the earlier mentioned posts.) Tips: Use a wide tooth comb first then follow up with a medium tooth comb or a gentle paddle brush. Refrain from wearing wash-n-gos after passing 6-8 inches in length.

Further prevention ... Wash in braids
Washing loose hair is discouraged. (Think back to the bag full of tightly coiled wires.)  Instead, wash your hair in braided sections to minimize tangling. About washing in twists: Twists, unless done small or medium, tend to unravel during a wash. Thus, braids may be a better option.

Continuing on ... Short-term stretched styles
If you want to wear your hair out, stretched styles (i.e., twist outs, braid outs) are by far the best method.  However, allowing such styles to age beyond their limit leaves room for shrinkage and tangling.  Keep the style wear to a minimum.  Note: The higher the humidity, the shorter the wear. The longer your hair, the shorter the wear.

Speaking of stretching ... Use a thick, heavy detangler
During your regular detangling sessions, use a cholesterol-based or other thick, heavy conditioner to ease the process.  The conditioner will add weight to the hair thus stretching the coils temporarily. Alternative: Some type 4's prefer detangling on dry, stretched, lubricated hair since wet strands equate to shrinkage.

Do not wet the knot
In the event that you do get a knot, the worst thing you can do is apply water. Why? Because it will shrink the hair and make the knot harder to unravel. Instead, apply an oil or butter and gradually pull out each strand from the knot one by one. Alternative: Some type 4's have success applying conditioner to a knot while others do not. Do what works for you.  Depending on how serious the knot is, a thin tool - such as the end of a rattail comb - may be used to undo the knot. Refrain from using sharp tools, like needles or safety pins, which may damage the cuticle.

"Soul" Food Mondays || Fear of Failure

"The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure." - Eriksson

Fear of not reaching your goal. Fear of making a fool of yourself. Fear of your current relationship failing like the others did. Whatever the fear, realize that it is preventing you from succeeding. If you fail, so what. Dust yourself off and try again. No one said the journey would be easy and without bumps in the road. The worst thing you can do is to let fear of failure sabotage your path to success.

Update: Taste of Yesterday and Tomorrow

Sorry, for being away for so long.

Don't worry, I've been at work on a pretty interesting piece called "Weakening Veganism: Intersectional, International, Interspecies Conversations." In it, I argue that veganism should be thought of as a conversational process with others that affirms and enriches human-animal relationships rather than an antagonistic identity based on following a fixed moral system based on abstaining from human-animal relationships. You can get a taste of it by visiting the "Paradigm Shift" page.(Yep, it's a new feature just like the "About" and "Table of Contents" pages. I may also try adding a "Video" page, too.)

If you're an old reader, you'll notice the blog has undergone a major template change... and I love it! Yeah, it's not green, but I like the earthiness of the browns. And it's damn sexy, too. But I'm not opposed to changing things around if people have suggestions.

In other news, I will be presenting a paper called "Queering the Breast: De-Naturing the Hu/man through Breastfeeding Practices" that articulates a new relationship between humans, animals, and food based on experience, transformation, and nourishment. It's based on the "The Identity Politics of Breasts" series I posted last summer and is a hybrid creature of animal, feminist, queer, and trans* studies. I hope to get this published in an upcoming special issue on animals in Hypathia. I also plan on publishing a refined version of my "The Racial and Colonial Politics of Meat" when I get the chance in addition to a piece on "Animal Anarchist Ethics in the Flesh" based on the "Weakening Veganism" post described above. So that's a taste of what's to come.

Finally, most of my blogging has been done on Facebook. I usually type responses to other blogs and new pieces that are maybe 200-500 words without any citations.Would people prefer I post these on here?

I've been reluctant because I've tried to maintain very high quality posts, but, then again, its only a blog. Also, 2) how much would you prefer shorter posts--does anyone read through the whole thing ever?

Throw some feedback at me if you're interested in any of this!

Henna on Nails: Henna "Nail Polish"

The use of henna on nails goes back centuries and spans across continents, including Africa, Asia, and Europe.  For a brief history on this use, read this henna-pledia.

Henna for lasting nail color
Henna color has a permanence that conventional nail polish lacks.  The color does not chip prematurely but lasts until the nail grows out fully. 

Henna for stronger nails
Henna binds to the keratin in nails thus strengthening the nails.

Henna coloring instructions
Read this recipe and instructions for painting one's nails with henna.  Various colors can be achieved, including red, burgundy, black, turmeric, and others depending on the henna mixture.

Low Micronutrient Intake may Contribute to Obesity

[2013 update: I'm skeptical of the idea that micronutrient insufficiency/deficiency promotes obesity.  Although the trial discussed below suggested it might be a factor, it has not been a general finding that micronutrient supplementation causes fat loss, and the result needs to be repeated to be believable in my opinion.  Also, conditions of frank micronutrient deficiency are not usually associated with fat gain]

Lower Micronutrient Status in the Obese

Investigators have noted repeatedly that obese people have a lower blood concentration of a number of nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K, several B vitamins, zinc and iron (1). Although there is evidence that some of these may influence fat mass in animals, the evidence for a cause-and-effect relationship in humans is generally slim. There is quite a bit of indirect evidence that vitamin D status influences the risk of obesity (2), although a large, well-controlled study found that high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation does not cause fat loss in overweight and obese volunteers over the course of a year (3). It may still have a preventive effect, or require a longer timescale, but that remains to be determined.

Hot off the Presses

A new study in the journal Obesity, by Y. Li and colleagues, showed that compared to a placebo, a low-dose multivitamin caused obese volunteers to lose 7 lb (3.2 kg) of fat mass in 6 months, mostly from the abdominal region (4). The supplement also reduced LDL by 27%, increased HDL by a whopping 40% and increased resting energy expenditure. Here's what the supplement contained:

Vitamin A(containing natural mixed b-carotene) 5000 IU
Vitamin D 400 IU
Vitamin E 30 IU
Thiamin 1.5 mg
Riboflavin 1.7 mg
Vitamin B6 2 mg
Vitamin C 60 mg
Vitamin B12 6 mcg
Vitamin K1 25 mcg
Biotin 30 mcg
Folic acid 400 mcg
Nicotinamide 20 mg
Pantothenic acid 10 mg
Calcium 162 mg
Phosphorus 125 mg
Chlorine 36.3 mg
Magnesium 100 mg
Iron 18 mg
Copper 2 mg
Zinc 15 mg
Manganese 2.5 mg
Iodine 150 mcg
Chromium 25 mcg
Molybdenum 25 mcg
Selenium 25 mcg
Nickel 5 mcg
Stannum 10 mcg
Silicon 10 mcg
Vanadium 10 mcg

Although the result needs to be repeated, if we take it at face value, it has some important implications:

• The nutrient density of a diet may influence obesity risk, as I speculated in my recent audio interview and related posts (5, 6, 7, 8, 9).
• Many nutrients act together to create health, and multiple insufficiencies may contribute to disease. This may be why single nutrient supplementation trials usually don't find much.
• Another possibility is that obesity can result from a number of different nutrient insufficiencies, and the cause is different in different people. This study may have seen a large effect because it corrected many different insufficiencies.
• This result, once again, kills the simplistic notion that body fat is determined exclusively by voluntary food consumption and exercise behaviors (sometimes called the "calories in, calories out" idea, or "gluttony and sloth"). In this case, a multivitamin was able to increase resting energy expenditure and cause fat loss without any voluntary changes in food intake or exercise, suggesting metabolic effects and a possible downward shift of the body fat "setpoint" due to improved nutrient status.

Practical Implications

Does this mean we should all take multivitamins to stay or become thin? No. There is no multivitamin that can match the completeness and balance of a nutrient-dense, whole food, omnivorous diet. Beef liver, leafy greens and sunlight are nature's vitamin pills. Avoiding refined foods instantly doubles the micronutrient content of the typical diet. Properly preparing whole grains by soaking and fermentation is equivalent to taking a multi-mineral along with conventionally prepared grains, as absorption of key minerals is increased by 50-300% (10). Or you can eat root vegetables instead of grains, and enjoy their naturally high mineral availability. Or both.

Vegan logos, 11 Reasons

So I was recently asked by someone why I was vegan. Oddly, this hadn't been something I had thought about recently, so I decided to go through my reasoning. I wanted to keep it short, but you know me! The point is, I'm trying to capture the bigger picture within a linear narrative that, while simplified, still captures some nuance. Let me know what you think I may turn this into a pamphlet. Am I missing something?

1. Nonhuman animals are sentient
2. Nearly all animals raised for food today suffer tremendously.
3. The problem is institutional and of use, not merely cruelty.
4. Discrimination and Contradiction.
5. Killing animals for food involves either self-deception or habituation to violence.
6. Meat is a symbol and legitimator of power and hierarchy.
7. One cannot meet the global demand for meat while fairly feeding the world.
8. The current world consumption of animals is unsustainable.
9. Veganism is the practice of social and ecological justice.
10. It doesn’t matter whether eating animals is natural.
11. Veganism is fun and delicious!Read more »

New Layout

I thought I'd spruce the place up a bit! Let me know what you think in the comments.

Playlist for June

Summer weather equals more frequent washes equals more frequent twist sets.  (Down from 3-4 weeks of wearing a set to 2 weeks.)  For summer hair care tips, click here.

On repeat: Small/medium twists pulled back

Sounds like: Lauryn Hill and her locs

Interlude: weekly washes & moisturizing, bi-weekly detangling & redo

Reader's Question: When Shea Butter Doesn't Work

Post inspired by a reader! Thank you for your question. 

For some people, shea butter is not an effective moisturizer (or sealant).  In order to enhance its moisturizing properties, oils (e.g., olive oil), aloe vera gel, or other substances are added and the final mixture is applied to damp (not dry) hair.   However, even this technique does not work for some.  So now what?

Add Honey

Honey is a natural humectant, or substance that aids in moisture retention. Adding 1-3 teaspoons of honey to a cup of shea butter may do the trick. However, if this option does not work, try ...

Alternative - Glycerin and Water

Vegetable glycerin, like honey, is a natural humectant. Mix a teaspoon of vegetable glycerin with a cup of water to start.  Spritz on damp or dry hair. Add more glycerin to your mixture if desired. 

Alternative - Products Containing Propylene Glycol

Propylene Glycol is yet another humectant.  If you are familiar with jerri curls and leisure curls, then you are aware of the wet drippy look of these styles.  Well, this "wet drippy" look is achieved by products called activators, which usually contain propylene glycol as well as water and glycerin.  Activators can be applied to all hairs, natural or relaxed, to aid with moisture retention.  (Propylene glycol in this form is safe.)


Alternative - Kokum Butter and Honey

Kokum butter is stocked with fatty acids (e.g., oleic acid, stearic acid, etc.).  It is used in certain natural hair care products to aid in moisturization.  It is also very firm.  Try mixing kokum with another butter, such as mango or avocado, to make it usable.  Add some honey to improve moisture retention.

Upcoming "Type 4 Series" Posts

Coming soon (readers' requests) ...

- Easy ways to combat tangles and knots

- More elegant, special-occasion styles

- Styling fine/thin hair

- Styling short, neck-length hair

Feel free to add more requests in the comments section.

Nitrate: a Protective Factor in Leafy Greens

Cancer Link and Food Sources

Nitrate (NO3) is a molecule that has received a lot of bad press over the years. It is thought to promote digestive cancers, in part due to its ability to form carcinogens when used as a preservative for processed meat. Because of this (1), nitrate was viewed with suspicion and a number of countries imposed strict limits on its use as a food additive.

But what if I told you that by far the greatest source of nitrate in the modern diet isn't processed meat-- but vegetables, particularly leafy greens (2)? And that the evidence linking exposure to nitrate itself has largely failed to materialize? For example, one study found no difference in the incidence of gastric cancer between nitrate fertilizer plant workers and the general population (3). Most other studies in animals and humans have not supported the hypothesis that nitrate itself is carcinogenic (4, 5, 6), but rather that they are only carcinogenic in the context of processed meats due to the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines. This, combined with recent findings on nitrate biology, has changed the way we think about this molecule in recent years.

A New Example of Human Symbiosis

In 2003, Dr. K. Cosby and colleagues showed that nitrite (NO2; not the same as nitrate) dilates blood vessels in humans when infused into the blood (7). Investigators subsequently uncovered an amazing new example of human-bacteria symbiosis: dietary nitrate (NO3) is absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream and picked up by the salivary glands. It's then secreted into saliva, where oral bacteria use it as an energy source, converting it to nitrite (NO2). After swallowing, the nitrite is reabsorbed into the bloodstream (8). Humans and oral bacteria may have co-evolved to take advantage of this process. Antibacterial mouthwash prevents it.

Nitrate Protects the Cardiovascular System

In 2008, Dr. Andrew J. Webb and colleagues showed that nitrate in the form of 1/2 liter of beet juice (equivalent in volume to about 1.5 soda cans) substantially lowers blood pressure in healthy volunteers for over 24 hours. It also preserved blood vessel performance after brief oxygen deprivation, and reduced the tendency of the blood to clot (9). These are all changes that one would expect to protect against cardiovascular disease. Another group showed that in monkeys, the ability of nitrite to lower blood pressure did not diminish after two weeks, showing that the animals did not develop a tolerance to it on this timescale (10).

Subsequent studies showed that dietary nitrite reduces blood vessel dysfunction and inflammation (CRP) in cholesterol-fed mice (11). Low doses of nitrite also dramatically reduce tissue death in the hearts of mice exposed to conditions mimicking a heart attack, as well as protecting other tissues against oxygen deprivation damage (12). The doses used in this study were the equivalent of a human eating a large serving (100 g; roughly 1/4 lb) of lettuce or spinach.

Mechanism

Nitrite is thought to protect the cardiovascular system by serving as a precursor for nitric oxide (NO), one of the most potent anti-inflammatory and blood vessel-dilating compounds in the body (13). A decrease in blood vessel nitric oxide is probably one of the mechanisms of diet-induced atherosclerosis and increased clotting tendency, and it is likely an early consequence of eating a poor diet (14).

The Long View

Leafy greens were one of the "protective foods" emphasized by the nutrition giant Sir Edward Mellanby (15), along with eggs and high-quality full-fat dairy. There are many reasons to believe greens are an excellent contribution to the human diet, and what researchers have recently learned about nitrate biology certainly reinforces that notion. Leafy greens may be particularly useful for the prevention and reversal of cardiovascular disease, but are likely to have positive effects on other organ systems both in health and disease. It's ironic that a molecule suspected to be the harmful factor in processed meats is turning out to be one of the major protective factors in vegetables.

Type 4 Series: Formal Style (Rollerset)

This is a series on how to style and manage type 4 hair healthily. It doesn't matter whether you are natural, transitioning, or stretching relaxers.

Today's topic: Roller set type 4 hair with no/low heat. Style into an elegant updo as pictured.

Difficulty level: Easy/Medium for experienced rollersetters or those with short hair, Hard for newbie rollersetters or those with long hair

Time: several hours

Tools: 

moisturizer (no humectants), 

gel (if you're natural; recommend Pantene, Eco Styler),
OR setting lotion (if you're relaxed, transitioning) 

anti-humidity serum (recommend Redken, CHI, Pantene), 

rattail comb, 

ouchless bands, 

snap-on magnetic rollers (size depends on length of hair; the smaller, the longer lasting the style)

OR flexi-rods (more difficult to use)

Instructions:

• Wash, deep condition, detangle as usual
• Apply moisturizer and braid into 6-10 sections with ouchless bands at the roots
• Allow hair to airdry to 70-80% (somewhere between damp + dry but closer to damp).  This step stretches the coils and minimizes the density of natural, shrunken hair.

• One by one, undo each braid, remove the ouchless band, and do the following:
• Part a 1 inch by 2 1/2 inch section of hair
• Apply a moderate amount of gel to the section
• Follow up with a moderate amount of anti-humidity serum 
• Comb with rattail comb and roll tautly with a snap-on magnetic roller
• Repeat until done and move onto the next braid
• After you've finished roller setting, let the hair airdry COMPLETELY. (Alternatively, you may sit under a hooded dryer until hair is dry.)
• Remove the rollers and style as desired.  

[Back in 2008 with flexi-rods]

NOTE:

*It's KEY to let the hair dry completely before removing the rollers.

*The smaller the parts, the tighter and smoother the curls. 

*The smaller the rollers, the tighter and smoother the curls.

*Gel works better on my hair than setting lotion.  Experiment with your hair to see what works for you.

*Reserve this style for dry (non-rainy, non-humid) weather.

Fermented Grain Recipes from Around the World

In my last two posts on grains, I described how traditional food processing methods make grains more nutritious and digestible (1, 2). I promised to briefly describe a few recipes from around the world, then got distracted by other things. Here they are.

Africa: Ogi

Grain fermentation is widespread in Africa and is probably nearly as old as agriculture on the continent. The nutritional importance of fermentation is suggested by the amount of time and effort that many African cultures put into it, when they could save themselves a lot of trouble by simply soaking and cooking their grains.

Ogi is a common West African porridge that's eaten as a staple food by people of all ages. It's even used as a weaning food. It's made in essentially the same manner from corn, sorghum or millet.

Whole grain is soaked in water for one to three days. It's then wet milled, mixed with water and sieved to remove a portion of the bran. Extra bran is fed to animals, while the white, starchy sediment is fermented for two to three days. This is then cooked into a thin or thick porridge and eaten.

South America: Pozol

At first glance, some people may think I left the 'e' off the word 'pozole', a traditional Mexican stew. However, pozol is an entirely different beast, an ancient food almost totally unknown in the US, but which fueled the Mayan empire and remains a staple food in Southeastern Mexico.

To make pozol, first the corn must be 'nixtamalized': whole kernels are boiled in a large volume of water with calcium hydroxide (10% w/v). This is a processing step in most traditional South American corn recipes, as it allows a person to avoid pellagra (niacin deficiency)! The loosened bran is removed from the kernels by hand.

The kernels are then ground into dough, formed into balls and placed into banana leaves to ferment for one to 14 days. Following fermentation, pozol is diluted in water and consumed raw.

Europe: Sourdough Bread

Sourdough bread is Europe's quintessential fermented grain food. Before purified yeast strains came into widespread use in the 20th century, all bread would have been some form of sourdough.

Although in my opinion wheat is problematic for many people, sourdough fermentation renders it more nutritious and better tolerated by those with gluten/wheat sensitivity. In an interesting series of studies, Dr. Marco Gobbetti's group, among others, has shown that fermentation partially degrades gluten, explaining the ability of fermentation to decrease the adverse effects of gluten in those who are sensitive to it (3). They even showed that people with celiac disease can safely eat wheat bread that has been long-fermented with selected bacteria and yeasts under laboratory conditions (4). Rye contains about half the gluten of bread wheat, and is generally nutritionally superior to wheat, so sourdough rye is a better choice in my opinion.

To make sourdough bread, first the dry grains are ground into flour. Next, the flour is sifted through a screen to remove a portion of the bran. The earliest bread eaters probably didn't do this, although there is evidence of the wealthy eating sifted flour in societies as old as ancient Egypt and ancient Rome. I don't know what the optimum amount of bran to include in flour is, but it's not zero. I would be inclined to keep at least half of it, recognizing that the bran is disproportionately rich in nutrients.

Next, a portion of flour is mixed with water and a "sourdough starter", until it has a runny consistency. The starter is a diverse culture of bacteria and yeast that is carefully maintained by the bread maker. This culture acidifies the batter and produces carbon dioxide gas. The mixture is allowed to ferment for 8-12 hours. Finally, flour and salt are added to the batter and formed into dough balls. These are allowed to ferment and rise for a few hours, then baked.

My Experience

I've tried making ogi (millet) and pozol, and I have to admit that neither attempt was successful. Pozol in particular may depend on local populations of bacteria and yeast, as the grains' microorganisms are killed during processing. However, I do eat fermented grains regularly in the form of homemade brown rice 'uthappam' and sourdough buckwheat 'crepes'. The buckwheat crepes are tasty and easy to make. I'll post a recipe at some point.

The first two recipes are from the FAO publication Fermented Cereals: a Global Perspective (5).

Oils, Aloe Vera, and Whipped Hair Butter

It's that time of year again to mix another whipped hair butter!  (My batch ran out this weekend.)  

Ingredients (all are moisturizing):

• unrefined shea butter (softening)
• coconut oil (protection [1] [2])
• olive oil
• safflower OR grapeseed oil (high in fatty acids)
• aloe vera gel
• essential oil (for fragrance, optional)

Instructions:

Read my earlier post on the body butter mixture; the instructions are very similar.  For every cup of shea butter, use 1/4 a cup of olive oil, 1/8 a cup of coconut oil, 1/8 a cup of safflower/grapeseed oil, and a few tablespoons of aloe vera gel.  Of course you can tweak this mixture for a creamier or firmer consistency.  Feel free add drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance!

FOR THE MIXOLOGISTS:

More whipped butter recipes can be found here.

Hiatus Update

Back from hiatus, but only posting weekly for now.  :)