I went back to my specialist for my neck and she is pleased with my progress but what I want to tell you about is some advice she gave me. I had just been reading about this a few days before and then she told me too. You see, I am worried about the anti-inflammatory pills I am taking at the moment to reduce the discomfort in my neck so that my brain learns a new way to react and I mentioned this to her. She said there is an alternative that has recently been found scientifically to be very effective – an extract from turmeric, curcuma longa. I love that natural medicine and formal medicine have collided. Cinnamon also is an anti-inflammatory so it will be going into all my baking from now on. I could just eat 4 tablespoons of turmeric a day to replace the rather expensive curcuma longa pills I have bought but that seems rather excessive.
So these biscuits have cinnamon in them but also some yummy chocolate lumps as well. These biscuits are now a favourite and lasted several days – until they were all eaten, that is.
Unfortunately, there has recently been the release from the Monash University where they research FODMAPs of some disturbing information. Cocoa is now deemed to be high in FODMAPs and should be avoided in all but the smallest amounts. They are gradually researching individual foods one by one but each one takes several months and costs around $5,000. So there is still much to be learned. They haven’t got onto chocolate yet but I suspect it is also going to be dropped into the high FODMAP camp. I have always known that this might be the case because I have to eat very small portions of sweets like chocolate brownies before I have a reaction. But I think I have had my head in the sand about it. Anyway, that’s enough bad news for the day. These cookies would be good even without the chocolate. Okay, not as good, but passable.
- 65gms/2.3oz unsalted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup white rice flour
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- ¼ cup potato starch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup dark chocolate drops
- Heat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and beat again until well incorporated and the mixture becomes thick.
- Add the vanilla and mix in.
- Sift all the dry ingredients together.
- Mix the wet ingredients with the dry.
- Add the chocolate drops and fold in.
- Chill the mixture in the fridge for ½ an hour.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Roll the mixture into balls about the size of a ping pong ball and place on the tray. Flatten them a little.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
I take anti-inflammatory pills too. I will be looking into the natural alternatives, thank you for sharing!
Do you? I remember you mentioning pain from sitting at a computer too long. Is it for that?
Cinnamon and turmeric do have amazing properties. People have thought for a long time that both have great benefits, but good to see some scientific research backing it up. Disturbing news about cocoa, however. Anyway, super looking cookies – thanks.
It is confirming to see the scientific world come on board with some of these beliefs that have been held for centuries.
I’m starting to believe that for every chemical drug there is out there, there’s a natural alternative. It sounds like you’re onto something that will do your neck a lot of good while not doing the rest of you any harm. Yummy looking biscuits xx
I think that many medicines are either made from natural substances or synthetic copies of them. Then they put a big price on them and sell them as lifesavers. I do hate taking medicines so the turmeric extract will do me nicely.
HI,,,,I am 62 yrs and still learning…FODMAP info has changed my life in 24 hrs! Like you, I had to go gluten free ( 10 yrs ago ) and I can not take pain meds of any kind, so had to adjust . Just figured out my gut issues for the last few yrs is fructose….who knew? Ele from central California
Good to have you here, Ele. It is a miracle diet for those with digestive issues, isn’t it? It has completely changed my life as well. Fructose sure was a hard one to nail down for me too.