The Montague Wrap
Jacob and Samuel are the gorgeous Montague brothers who are following a grain free diet. In a recent consultation with mum and dad it turns out that the boys really miss their fajita night since starting their new way of eating as it has been hard to find a grain free wrap. My daughter and I spent the whole weekend working on lots of recipes and combinations of ingredients to find the most perfect, bendable, and tasty wrap and we have finally cracked it! We have dedicated this recipe to the Montague boys and are thrilled that they will be able to share fajita night with mum and dad.
Jacob and Samuel are 15 and both have autism and they came to our clinic a couple of months ago. Since following their health plan they have really flourished. Their wonderful, dedicated parents have been amazing and have followed the boys health plan with military precision! Here is what mum and dad say about the wonderful progress the boys have made:
“Our 15yr old twin boys, Jacob and Samuel, were diagnosed as severely autistic shortly after their second birthdays. So drastically did their challenging behaviours impact on our lives that for many years – just to keep afloat – we simply relied on conventional therapies, such as behavioural interventions and PECS, to manage the boys’ conditions. Looking back they were little more than sticking-plaster interventions. By the time they were 9 the boys’ severity was becoming unmanageable, they were both aggressive and we were constantly advised to consider institutionalising them. No way. It was obvious that the conventional approach was not working – we needed to look more deeply into why the boys presented as they did and as such turned to biomedical interventions, the first being their diet and the use of supplements. Over the last few years the biomedical approach has been fundamental to the boys turning a corner and making slow but significant progress, though they remain non verbal. Then at the end of last year, after watching various and numerous webinars on biomedical interventions, I came across one by Stella regarding the work she was doing at Brainstorm Health. Subsequently we had a lengthy appointment with Stella, the boys had various tests done and an initial Health Plan for each was produced. The boys have been following the Plans since mid February of this year and we’ve recently had a follow up appointment with Stella in which we were able to report quite significant progress in such a relatively short time. Samuel’s bed wetting has ceased, Jacob’s vocalisation has increased ten-fold (he even came up to me a few days back and said a clear ‘Hello’) and both boys have calmed considerably. There have been no aggressive episodes at all since February from either boy. It’s so exciting because it’s such early days with Stella yet we feel she has already got a strong grasp of the particular issues each boy has. It is so evident that Stella knows her stuff, that she is passionate about what she does and that she tries to keep up on everything that is current in her field. After the follow up consultation with Stella further Health Plans have been drawn up for each boy following on from their previous progress. I cannot wait to see what the next month or so brings”
Ingredients
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 3/4 cup ground flaxseeds
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 tbsp psyllium husk
- 2 tbsp ground chia seeds
- 1 tsp good quality sea salt
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and add 1 cup of warm water and mix until you have a paste. If the mixture feels a little dry or crumbly then add a little more water. Leave for 30 minutes.
- shape the mixture into a log and cut into 8 pieces - each price should weigh about 70g. Roll each piece into a ball and place between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll flat into the shape of a pancake. Use a palate knife to cut a circle and trim the edges off. Keep the trimmings - once you have done all the balls you will be left with enough combined trimming to make a whole new wrap!
- Heat a large non-stick pan and then place a few drop of olive oil in the pan. Use the palate knife to lift the wrap off the parchment paper and place in the pan. Cook for about 1.5 to 2 minutes on each side. Repeat until you have 8 to 9 wraps. Each time you make a new wrap add a little oil to the pan.
- The wraps will keep int he fridge for 5 days and they also freeze really well.
Notes
THE SCIENCE BIT
Among all 127 World’s Healthiest Foods, FLAXSEED comes out number one as a source of omega-3s. The primary omega-3 fatty acid found in flaxseeds is alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. The ALA in flaxseed has found to be stable for at least 3 hours of cooking at oven temperatures (approximately 300F/150C), which makes it available after ground flaxseeds have been added to baked goods like muffins or breads. FLAXSEEDS are also a great source of fibre and provide antioxidants due to their structure as polyphenols. The unique structure of lignans gives them a further health-supportive role to play, however, in the form of phytoestrogens. Along with isoflavones, lignans are one of the few naturally occurring compounds in food that function as weak or moderate estrogens when consumed by humans. Among all foods commonly eaten by humans, researchers rank flaxseeds as the number one source of lignans. Sesame seeds come in second, but contain only one-seventh of the total lignans as flaxseeds. To give a few further examples, sunflower seeds contain about 1/350th as many lignans, and cashews nuts contain about 1/475th as many lignans as flaxseeds. Finally FLAXSEEDS contain “Mucilage” which refers to water-soluble, gel-forming fiber that can provide special support to the intestinal tract. For example, gums can help prevent the too rapid emptying of the stomach contents into the small intestine, thereby improving absorption of certain nutrients in the small intestine. Arabinoxylans and galactoxylans are included within the mucilage gums found in flaxseeds. This combination of features—omega-3 fatty acids, high-lignan content, and mucilage gums—is a key factor in the unique health benefits of FLAXSEEDS. CHIA seeds are a member of the Salvia Hispanica Family and were a prized food to the ancient Aztecs and Mayans. CHIA is the ancient Mayan word for strength. CHIA seeds are packed with omega 3 fatty acids, known for anti- inflammatory and liver protective properties. They are loaded with calcium, magnesium, and manganese as well as protein and fibre and a host of antioxidants including; quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin. They are similar to flaxseeds with the added advantage of being far less prone to rancidity. A true Food Superhero.
