By Marie-Line Grinda
To those of you who are familiar with this seed (yes, seed), buckwheat can be an acquired taste. A powerful superfood with a mild flavor, buckwheat is not only gluten free, but also relatively high in good-quality protein, fiber, magnesium and essential amino acids. This carb has a low glycemic index—no fussy digestion, no pain. For someone like me who has suffered with digestive issues for over 20 years, this is indeed revolutionary.
This past winter, I was sent a link to a recipe for buckwheat bread by a nutritionist who has been helping me heal from SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and leaky gut.
I was in the middle of a drastic low-FODMAP diet, a regimen free from fermentable carbs, gluten, sugar and dairy, among other things. I had to take a ridiculous amount of supplements by day, only to be rewarded with chicken broth and bok choy in the evening. I was ready to try anything to satisfy my bread cravings, and this recipe was it.
I became obsessed with the one-ingredient bread, slicing it to bake into crackers, adding different seeds for different flavors. When the world started opening up this spring, I didn’t leave the house without a goodie bag for my friends. I needed everyone to know about it.
This past June, I launched The Gut Goodness by ML (I often go by ML—my French, two-worded name just doesn’t work in the U.S.) with the encouragement of those friends, and started selling my gluten-free goods at the East Hampton Market on Fridays from 9AM-2PM and on some Sundays. The idea behind the brand is using as few ingredients—all organic—as possible to enjoy a pain-free eating experience. The demand for simple, one-ingredient foods that can address severe gut issues such as diabetes, SIBO, celiac disease, leaky gut, Crohn’s disease and others has been overwhelming. I am humbled by the response and the returning customers who trust my products. We offer three moist breads: amaranth, walnut and seeds. Top your toasted, sliced bread with a divine cashew spread for breakfast or a snack, enjoy the crackers on a cheese board with cheeses from the market, and you’ll wow your guests with new flavors.
I call it a buckwheat revolution, because it has rocked my world to know that I always have a safe, nutritious, pain-free food on hand in my fridge. The anxiety surrounding meal time is practically gone, and that is extraordinary. @thegutgoodness on Instagram; thegutgoodness.com
