Lately I’ve been thinking about my wellness journey, trying to decide where the starting line was. When did I really begin on this path? If I go way back, the journey must have started when my grandfather learned that a vegetarian diet is a healthier option and encouraged his family to embrace this lifestyle at home. By default, I was raised vegetarian, but after a closer look, I decided I was still not eating the healthiest. I had, and still have, plenty of room for improvement. 

It wasn’t until I was watching an ant hill with my son in our backyard, that I became more aware of what I was putting in my body. For a while we would feed the ants tiny pieces of my homemade bread, and the ants rapidly took the bread into their den, way down inside the dirt. One day, being out of homemade bread, we fed the ants small pieces of store brand whole wheat bread. We were surprised when the ants would not touch the bread at all, even if we placed it right on top of the entrance to their hole. Hmmm, what was it about the bread that the ants would not eat it? And if they didn’t, should I?

A few years later, my son and I were leaving the grocery store when we decided to purchase sweet rolls to eat on the way home. At the time he was fascinated by labels and started reading the ingredients listed on the back of the package. Flour, yeast, water, sugar, eggs, and then a list of names I suspect one needs a degree in chemistry to be able to pronounce correctly. 

I looked at the sweet roll on my hand, and all of a sudden it didn’t taste so good. The most simple bread we make at home requires four ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, and water. Sometimes we like to add applesauce, wheat germ, seeds, or honey. So most breads have between 4-8 ingredients. I started counting the ingredients listed on the package for sweet rolls and finished at 30! 30 ingredients to make small sweet rolls. 30! And most of those ingredients I didn’t recognize as food!

I searched on the internet some of the ingredients listed and was sad to think that I had been putting inside my body synthetic wax and chemicals that are used in the production of fertilizers, plastic, pesticides, construction materials, and so forth. 

So, I found a recipe for sweet rolls with fewer ingredients and use my freezer as preservative! I can pronounce all the ingredients and the flavor is so much better. 

Often, when label reading, we focus on nutrients like fat, carbs, or protein, but don’t really pay attention to all the names in the ingredient list. 

Our bodies are wonderful machines that require the best nutrition available for optimum function. As part of my personal journey to health and wellness, which I believe began by watching little ants in my backyard, I want to be mindful of what I put inside this one body I’ve been given. And I want to chose foods that will fill me with energy, strength, and health. I encourage you to do the same. 

Since I’m talking about bread, I thought I would share the recipe for one of our favorite homemade breads. I do have a kitchenaid mixer, so I just add the ingredients in and let it mix it all for me. If you have to mix by hand just mix all the other ingredients and add the flour in the end. Enjoy!

4 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour ( you can substitute 1 cup of bread flour if you want a more fluffy bread.)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 TBS yeast
2 cups of warm water
5-6 TBS apple sauce (use half apple sauce and half oil for a less dry loaf)
1 tsp salt

Mix the yeast with one cup of warm water and let it stand for about 10 minutes. Then mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Add a little more water if you think the dough is dry. Place the dough in a loaf pan and let it rise for about one hour. Bake at 400F for 35 minutes.