Hanna is so excited to share with you her journey for starting AWG Bakery and advice for healthy living free of toxins and chemicals. What started as one of the hardest times in her life, turned into the creation of the bread we all love. We hope you will spend a few minutes with Hanna and get to know the amazing woman who is helping so many people enjoy bread again!
Why did you start baking the bread?
In my mid-twenties, I began having health issues and not feeling myself, which was so not normal for me. I was a dancer my whole life and always aware of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I found a functional medicine practitioner and with her help I did a complete lifestyle change to heal my body from the inside out. I changed my diet to cut out gluten and grains, only ate organic foods, and removed toxins and chemicals from my home, which all helped in reversing my issues. I always loved bread but couldn’t find a clean gluten and grain free bread on the market, so I thought I would try to make one. I spent a year working on our Everyday Bread recipe in my kitchen and started to sell it locally. The response was amazing! There were SO many people excited to find a clean, healthy bread and from this AWG was born!
What are your top tips for someone starting to cut out gluten?
First, I know this can feel overwhelming! The main reason I started AWG was to help people on this journey. There are so many great swaps for gluten nowadays. If you are looking at gluten free products on the grocery shelf, it is so important to look at the ingredients. Make sure all the ingredients are actual foods, not chemically made. Just because it’s gluten free doesn’t mean it’s healthy! All the grain free flours we use in our breads are nutritious ingredients and have health benefits. This was so important to me when creating the recipe.
What is your #1 health tip?
Cut out all seed oils! They are high in omega-6 fats and can lead to inflammation. Seed oils are very processed and used in ultra-processed foods, especially fast food. They are hidden in all sorts of products, such as bread, protein bars and shakes, salad dressings, hummus, crackers, sauces, frozen foods, and even chocolate. Make sure to stay away from all these oils:
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Canola
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Corn
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Cottonseed
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Grapeseed
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Soybean
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Sunflower
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Safflower
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Rice bran
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Peanut
It all goes back to ingredients! Understand what you put in your body. We are so proud to confidently tell our customers that we only use ingredients you know and can pronounce!
What’s your favorite way to eat AWG bread?
Breakfast! I love having a few slices with my eggs in the morning but lately my favorite is our Everything Bagel with cream cheese, so good and filling! Also, I have been loving making a bagel sandwich. My toddler loves the Everyday Bagel with melted raw butter!
If I’m looking for a professional to help with my health, nutrition, and digestion, where do you suggest I start?
Functional medicine practitioners and holistic nutritionists are fantastic! They look at your whole body and take the time to really understand your issues. Through their comprehensive tests, they find the root cause of an issue and work with you on a healing journey rather than just telling you what to do or not listening to your concerns. Conventional medicine tends to have a band-aid approach with medicine. You have to go to so many different doctors to try to figure out the issue and many times they will just give you a prescription. I am all about finding the cause and naturally adjusting my body back into harmony.
How do I create a non-toxic home? I’m overwhelmed!
There is so much that goes with this, I get it! I would just start small and slowly make changes as you can. It is really important to drink filtered water, which filters fluoride at the minimum. Also, switch to non toxic home cleaning supplies and detergents. I love Branch Basics as it covers all the cleaning supplies needed in a concentrate form. For a great resource, I love @alittlelesstoxic on Instagram. Shawna shares great tips on all of this and her book, A Healthier Home: The Room by Room Guide to Make Any Space A Little Less Toxic, is a fantastic guide to detoxifying your home.
I know all these changes and decisions can feel completely overwhelming. You are not alone! There are so many supportive people and resources ready to help you. One step at a time, you got this!
