BODY & MIND SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2020 |
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Best foods for eye health
The
eyes have it Macular degeneration has large impact on American population
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BRADFORD CROFT, D.O.
As the disease progresses, there may be wavy or blurred vision...there becomes a loss of the center of the visual field—imagine looking at a photograph with the center of the picture erased.
East Flagstaff Family Medicine
ore than 10 million Americans suffer from vision loss due to macular degeneration, more than glaucoma and cataracts combined. The retina is the back lining of the eye, responsible for receiving images projected by the lens. The central portion, or macula, is where the ability to focus central vision occurs. As that lining deteriorates, the ability to read, recognize faces or colors, drive a car and see objects in fine detail becomes compromised. In the early stages of macular degeneration, the individual may not yet be aware there are any changes in vision. As the disease progresses, there may be wavy or blurred vision. With additional change, there becomes a loss of the center of the visual field— imagine looking at a photograph with the center of the picture erased. Macular degeneration is a little-known disease, but research continues to shed as much light on it as possible. There is evidence that lifestyle, genetics and environment all contribute to its development, with people who have a family history at greater risk. White populations also have a greater likelihood of developing this disease than blacks or Latinos. Those with light colored eyes are more likely to experience vision deteriora-
tion due to macular degeneration, as are those with long-term UV exposure without protection. Females, those who are overweight, eat a high fat diet or have cardiovascular disease are also at greater risk, and smoking doubles the risk of macular degeneration. The threat increases with aging, particularly for those over the age of 60. Because the disease most commonly occurs with age, it is referred to as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The early stages of AMD may not be evident to the patient. A careful eye exam may identify the initial presence of drusen, the degenerative deposits found in the retina, as the disease is diagnosed. Intermediate AMD develops as the number and size of drusen increase, which may provide some degree of visual changes, but still may not necessarily be apparent to the individual. A comprehensive eye exam
along with additional testing should show larger and increasing drusen or changes in the retinal pigment. Late AMD has established apparent vision loss. Another form of macular degeneration is known as Stargardt disease. This type is genetic in nature and commonly presents in young individuals, earning it the name of early onset or juvenile macular degeneration. Dry degeneration (atrophic) is far the more common type of macular degeneration (85-90%) while the balance is wet degeneration (exudative). Although both present problems, the wet form is a much more aggressive form of the disease. Dry degeneration involves the proliferation of drusen, where eventually the macular cells will thin and die, causing loss of central vision. Wet degeneration involves overgrowth of blood vessels in the eye, causing bleeding and fluid in the retina, eventually leading to scarring and vision loss. At this time, macular degeneration is an incurable disease, although there are opportunities to reduce your risk and slow the progression once diagnosed. Risk reduction may include exercise, diet changes, protecting your eyes from UV exposure and not smoking. Regular eye examinations may be the single most important factor in intervention, especially if you have risk factors or a family history of macular degeneration.
Can what you eat impact how you see? Research from some of the most well-respected eye health organizations in the world says yes. Organizations such as the American Optometric Association and the American Academy of Ophthalmology continue to recommend specific nutrients for eye health. The best part? Their recommendations come from all major food groups, making it easy for you to find an eyehealthy option to add to your diet. Here is the list of the 10 foods recommended by these two organizations: Fish; nuts and legumes; seeds; citrus fruits; leafy green vegetables; carrots; sweet potatoes; beef; eggs; and water.
Fish, Nuts and Seeds
Many fish are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, including tuna, salmon, trout and herring. These rich, fatty options can help keep your eye health on track and can even reverse dry eye symptoms. Nuts and seeds are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, which can help stave off age-related eye damage. Consider these nuts when filling up your grocery cart: walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews and peanuts. These seeds also pack a positive punch when it comes to eye health: Chia seeds, flax seeds and hemp seeds.
Fruits and Vegetables
Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, which can help keep your eyes young and healthy. These fruit options include lemons, oranges and grapefruits. For vegetable fans, leafy green options are your best bet in finding eye-friendly vitamin C. Consider spinach, kale and collards when preparing your upcoming meals. Carrots and sweet potatoes are also a great option due to their heavy vitamin A and carotene concentrations.
Beef and Eggs
Beef is rich in zinc, which can help delay age-related sight issues and macular degeneration. Chicken breast and pork loin also contain zinc, but at slightly lower levels. Eggs are a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which can also reduce the risk of age-related sight loss.
Water
Water may be one of the most important aspects of eye health. Fluid is essential to the overall longevity of your eyes because of dehydration’s negative impact on vision. Drinking plenty of water, along with the aforementioned foods, can help with your eye health in the short and long-term.
For more information East Flagstaff Family Medicine is located at 1515 E. Cedar Ave., Suite A-3. Call (928) 774-2788 for more information, or visit www.eastflagfamilymed.com to learn about more topics covered in Dr. Croft’s monthly Health Bytes column. © ADOBE STOCK
Detecting early memory loss in women LAUREN J. MAPP
The San Diego Union-Tribune
SAN DIEGO — Women represent twothirds of Alzheimer’s disease patients, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, but when it comes to the diagnosis of early forms of memory loss, their symptoms are less likely to be detected than in male patients. Researchers at UC San Diego, however, may have found the key to better detecting early memory loss in women. In a recent study of data from nearly 1,000 Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative patients, researchers found that tailoring verbal memory tests based on sex may help to diagnose amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), which can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s. Women typically have stronger verbal memory skills than men, making it harder to observe early symptoms of dementia in female patients compared to their male
counterparts. “If we adjust our criteria for diagnosis to be sex-specific and to account for that female advantage, like we did in the current study, our results suggest that we would actually improve diagnostic accuracy in both women and men,” said Erin Sundermann, an assistant project scientist at UCSD who led the project. The study, published in the American Academy of Neurology journal, used a more narrow set of criteria to evaluate memory loss for women. Using this new method, 10 percent of the female patients who were deemed cognitively healthy under the old criteria would be diagnosed with aMCI. About 80 percent of people diagnosed with aMCI later develop Alzheimer’s, according to the National Institute of Health. Symptoms include losing things, forgetting to go to planned events and having more difficulty recalling words than others in the
same age range. Age and education level are often looked at when diagnosing forms of dementia, but the sex of the patient is usually not considered, UCSD reports. Earlier detection of memory loss is important when it comes to various treatment and slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s, Sundermann said. “The female advantage in verbal memory may actually put women at a disadvantage in terms of detecting Alzheimer’s disease in its early disease stages, when our currently available treatments and interventions are likely most effective,” she said. Adjusting memory loss standards for sex can also help to prevent men from being misdiagnosed with a cognitive impairment. The initial study found that with the new sex-specific criteria, 10 percent of the men previously diagnosed with aMCI were cognitively healthy.
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To strengthen the findings, Sundermann added that the study will have to be replicated using different groups of patients, especially those with more ethnic and educational diversity. “We’d also want to look more at the mechanism underlying women’s ability to maintain their memory performance, despite having brain changes,” she said. Co-authors involved with the project included Mark W. Bondi from UCSD and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, as well as others from State University of New York, Mayo Clinic, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and University of Illinois at Chicago. The study was partially funded by grants from the National Institute of Health and the Department of Defense, a UCSD spokeswoman said. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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BODY & MIND
| SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2020
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WALK IT OUT Taking that first step on road to good health
T
HARVARD HEALTH
he next time you have a medical check-up, don’t be surprised if your doctor hands you a prescription to walk. This simple activity that you’ve been doing since you were tiny is “the closest thing we have to a wonder drug,” in the words of Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Judging from the research, it’s a wellearned reputation. Walking can have a bigger impact on disease risk and various health conditions than just about any other remedy that’s readily available to you. What’s more, it’s free and has practically no negative side effects. Walking for 2.5 hours a week — that’s just 21 minutes a day — can cut your risk of heart disease by 30 percent. In addition, this do-anywhere, no-equipment-required activity has also been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, and keep you mentally sharp. In fact, according to some estimates, walking regularly could save Americans over $100 billion a year in health care costs. Even a quick one-minute jaunt pays off. A University of Utah study found that for every minute of brisk walking that women did throughout the day, they lowered their risk of obesity by 5 percent. No more “I don’t have time” excuses! Start walking, and you’ll be helping to make your community stronger, too. Social scientists have found that as more people take to the streets, neighborhood crime rates fall and the local economy improves. It’s also a wonderful way to meet new people and connect with neighbors. Take a walk with your children after dinner. It can promote communication, reduce behavior problems and improve academic performance. Walking can even help your mood. A number of studies have found that it’s as effective as drugs for decreasing depression, as mood-elevating endorphin levels increase. It can help relieve everyday stresses, too. Tension starts to ease as the road stretches out in front of you. And many people find that walking helps clear the mind — you may even find the solution to a problem
that’s been bugging you. Walking is a vital part of life, unless you have some type of disability or health condition that prevents you from walking, of course. But most Americans don’t do enough walking in the course of their daily lives to reap the myriad health benefits it has to offer. Have you ever resolved on New Year’s Day to start exercising more — only to find that you didn’t have the time or couldn’t afford expensive lessons, classes or gym fees? Maybe concerns about injuries kept you on the sidelines. Walking could be the way to keep your resolution. Here’s why: You already know how to do it: Just put one foot in front of the other. There’s no learning curve like you would have if you took up a new activity, such as Zumba or tennis. You can do it anywhere: Step out your front door. Take a walk from where you work. You can walk around areas that you frequent, such as the grocery store, a shopping center, a place of worship, the library, the doctor’s office, the hair salon or the homes of friends and family. There are even indoor options, such as malls, office buildings, hospitals or airports. You don’t need any special equipment: If you’re walking for exercise, it’s best to have a comfortable pair of shoes, preferably sneakers. But that’s it. While there are some items of clothing and gear that can make walking more enjoyable, they are not essential. It’s gentle on your knees — and the rest of your body: Unlike running, you keep one foot on the ground at all times when you’re walking, making it a low-impact, joint-friendly type of exercise. Not surprising, then, that walkers have a much lower risk of exercise-related injuries than runners — just 1 percent to 5 percent for walkers, versus 20 percent to 70 percent for runners.
Rediscovering healthy routines © ADOBE STOCK
Back to the basics
Brushing your teeth has gone high-tech. There are apps that tell you exactly how long to brush. You can find smart toothbrushes that optimize the brushing experience. But if you still have trouble staying consistent with your brushing habits, consider the following brushing basics from the Mayo Clinic to improve your oral health. Brush your teeth twice a day. Take about two minutes to do a thorough job. Clean your tongue. We may not always remember to use our toothbrush or tongue scraper, but this is an important part of your oral health. Your tongue contains bacteria, which can lead to other health issues if not cleaned properly. Use the best equipment. This includes a fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush that fits your mouth comfortably. Practice makes perfect. Remember to hold your toothbrush at a slight angle. Gently brush with a circular motion. Brush too hard, and you can damage your gums and possibly your enamel. Keep it clean. Always rinse your toothbrush with water after brushing and store your toothbrush in an upright position to
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allow it to air out. Replace your toothbrush often. The Mayo Clinic recommends investing in a new toothbrush or a replacement head for your electric or battery-operated toothbrush every three months.
Become the Boss of Floss
No matter how well you brush, you’ll likely miss some of the food and bacteria in the tight spaces between your teeth, not to mention the hard-to-reach gum line. Here are some flossing tips to complement your brushing basics. Use floss generously. The Mayo Clinic suggests breaking off about 18 inches of floss per usage. Wind most of the floss around the middle finger on one hand, and the rest around the middle finger on the other hand. Get a grip. Experts recommend you grip the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers but remember to gently guide the floss between your teeth using a rubbing motion. Don’t forget the gums. When the floss reaches your gum line, curve it against one tooth, making a “C” shape.
If you have been feeling down lately, the key to getting out of the slump may be health related. According to the Harvard Medical School, one in 10 adults in the United States struggle with depression. Research shows that exercise is an effective way to treat the condition and can even work as well or better than antidepressants. Common symptoms of depression include reduced energy, appetite changes and increased pain perception. So, how do you find the motivation to get into a new routine and change your mental mindset? Experts at Harvard suggest starting slowly to get your body used to being active before increasing your level of physical activity. Here is some motivation to get started and keep the momentum going. There is a happier version of you waiting to get active.
How Does Exercise Improve Moods? Physical activity is an important contributor to positive mental health. The JED Foundation, an emotional health nonprofit for teens and young adults, offers these benefits of becoming active. • Improves mood and mental health by releasing endorphins through your body to reduce anxiety and depressed moods while enhancing self-esteem. • Boosts energy and brainpower by delivering oxygen and nutrients to the brain and various tissues. • Prevents illnesses like high blood pres-
sure, strokes and heart disease. • Improves your quality of sleep and helps you fall asleep faster.
Clean Diet
Along with an active lifestyle, taking your diet seriously can provide you with a more positive mindset. Experts at the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research have found that a healthy diet protects us from risk factors associated with depression and anxiety. By loading up with healthy nutrients, vitamins can become the protein-building blocks and neurotransmitters that transfer information and signals between various parts of the brain and body. Gut health is another area that is growing in finding a relationship between food and moods. Increase the number of probiotics in your diet to maintain a healthy gut environment and decrease inflammation in the body, which ultimately affects our cognition. Foods rich with probiotics include sauerkraut, olives, pickles and coconut.
Improved Self-Perception
Taking control of your health also promotes more self-esteem by improving the perception you have of yourself. Overcome the obstacles of becoming active and maintaining a healthy diet by logging your journey with pictures or diary entries. Looking back on the process can keep you motivated once you see how far you have come.
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Take vitamins seriously Without eating a balanced, healthy diet, chances are your body may be lacking at least some of the nutrients it needs to operate efficiently. You can find out which vitamins you need to consume more of after simple tests at your doctor’s office. You may be tempted to substitute a healthy diet with one of the many multivitamins you find at your grocery store. However, the American Heart Association doesn’t recommend solely relying on them for nutrition. Instead, studies show that healthy people benefit by taking certain vitamin or mineral supplements above the daily recommended allowance. Test have been shown to lower rates of cardiovascular disease or the risk factors associated with it. Here are some nutrients you should add to your diet on the road to getting healthy, from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. They are efficient in naturally boosting your vitamin intake.
Calcium
This mineral is key to building strong bones and promoting better function for your heart, muscles and nerves. The Mayo Clinic states that reports even show calcium as a reinforcement to protect against cancers, diabetes and high blood pressure. Incorporate low-fat milk; plant-fortified milk, like almond or soy; and yogurt or cheese to give your body the calcium it needs. Greens like broccoli and beans are also high in the mineral.
Iron
Being efficient in iron preserves numerous vital functions our bodies rely on, including general focus and energy, gastrointestinal health and enhancing the immune system. Foods that are packed with iron include fortified breakfast cereals, eggs and beans. A deficiency can sometimes lead to anemia which results in being tired or having shortness of breath.
Vitamin D
This super mineral is efficient in maintaining bones and teeth health, regulating insulin levels, supporting lung and cardiovascular function and promoting health of the immune, brain and nervous system. Unfortunately, the U.S. National Library of Medicine estimates that more than a billion people worldwide are deficient in vitamin D. To add more to your life, spend some extra time in the sunlight as it helps your body naturally produce it. Foods you can add to your diet include seafood like salmon, shrimp and oysters, or mushrooms and egg yolks if you’re not a fan of fish.
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COLDS
AND FLU
SPREAD IN
WINTER
Here are strategies to stay well Is it a coincidence that flu almost always takes hold after Thanksgiving and Christmas? A little. Flu likes cold weather, experts said. STEVANOVIC IGOR/DREAMSTIME/TNS
STACEY BURLING
I
The Philadelphia Inquirer
t was recently the time of year when such respiratory viruses as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and 100 varieties of cold-causing rhinovirus came out to party — just as we did. If it seems as if everybody you know is coughing and sneezing or moaning about flu aches after Thanksgiving and Christmas, you’re not imagining it, infectious disease experts said. Some of this has nothing to do with the holidays. These bugs thrive in cooler, drier winter air. ‘Tis their biological season. So a lot of us would get sick in December or January even if our friends and family weren’t giving viruses a free ride from, say, Dallas or Chicago or Paris to the airport and then into our dining rooms. But there’s little doubt that our holiday desire to reconnect helped germs spread from one regional hot spot to another more easily. Even as the holidays have passed, here are some tips to stay healthy the rest of the winter.
Protect yourself and others
The single best thing you can do to protect yourself from flu is to get a flu shot, experts agree. The shot is only about 60% effective against getting sick but it does reduce symptoms if you do catch something, which means it is better at preventing hospitalizations and deaths. Even if you’re healthy and the flu is more of a nuisance than a serious threat, getting a shot can protect babies too young for inoculation and other people whose weakened immune systems prevent a strong response to the shot. That includes people with cancer and the elderly. Yet lots of people don’t get the flu shot and there are no shots against RSV and cold viruses. RSV is underappreciated as a danger for children and older adults. All these germs are spread through droplets in the air that sick people expel with coughs and sneezes. We get sick by breathing them in or, more often, touching something contaminated and then touching one of the viral portals on our face: the eyes, nose, and mouth. Anne Norris, an infectious-disease specialist at Penn Medicine, said that colds tend to be the lead-off hitter in the fall-winter viral onslaught. You can thank the return of young children to school for that. Kids, she said, spread the highly contagious virus through “direct contact with basically snot on the fingers.” When it comes to rhinovirus, which causes more than half of common colds, “children are clearly the vectors,” she said. Flu tends to start later, with the average flu season lasting 13 weeks between December and March. RSV and flu often coexist. (You’ll probably know you have flu because it hits fast and hard with aches and fever. The respiratory symptoms tend to be less pronounced than in a cold or RSV.)
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Norris said planes are not as bad for spreading germs as many fear. Ventilation systems have improved and studies have shown you’re most at risk if you are sitting directly beside or in front of someone who’s sick. Some people, she said, recommend choosing a window seat because you’re exposed to fewer passengers there than in an aisle seat. She always leaves the overhead air on to improve air circulation. Yes, that can make her seat frigid, so she also always brings socks, a sweater, and a blanket. Kevin Morgan, a nurse practitioner with MinuteClinic in Center City, Pennsylvania, goes a few steps further. He said germs can live for hours on surfaces that might not be thoroughly disinfected between flights. He recommends travel packs of disinfecting wipes to clean the tray table, arm and headrests, and seatbelt buckles. At your hotel, wipe down the TV remote and light switches. A travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer is also a good idea, he said.
‘Rhinovirus all over the place’
This brings us to what sick people can do for the rest of us. First of all, stay home if you’re sick, particularly if you’ve got a fever over 100 degrees or so. Wait until the fever has been gone a day to interact with healthy people. People are less likely to stay home with colds, which typically don’t cause fevers, but Norris wishes they would. “They’re leaving rhinovirus all over
the place for the rest of us,” she said. If your job has skimpy sick days or a culture of show-up-no-matter-howbad-you-feel, then at least try to protect the common air and surfaces by coughing into your arm or shoulder. Throw your tissues away after one use. Use hand sanitizer every time you blow your nose. Take a cough suppressant. You could even wear a surgical mask. A new economic paper from researchers at Emory and Ball State Universities and the University of Alabama-Birmingham found that higher employment and flu transmission rates go together. A 1% increase in the employment rate correlated with a 16% increase in influenza-related doctor visits. The trend was strongest in the retail and health-care sectors, where there is a lot of interpersonal contact. (There was no change among construction and manufacturing workers.) We can all try not to touch our faces. Good luck with that. Norris said there’s no good evidence that extra vitamins will help most of us ward off infection. The best source of protection is easy and cheap: Wash your hands. A lot. Wash them after using the bathroom. After flying. After riding a train or bus. After shopping. Especially before you eat. “In every study of every kind,” Norris said, “hand-washing makes a difference.” Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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BODY & MIND
| SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2020
A GREAT RECIPE
to help you keep two New Year’s resolutions
WOLFGANG PUCK
W
Tribune Content Agency
ith the holidays over and a new year u n d e r w a y, we all face an important challenge that only gets bigger and bigger by the moment: Tackling our New Year’s resolutions. As important as those promises to ourselves may be, however, there is no real mystery over what we’ll resolve. In fact, I’ll bet you can easily guess the two most common goals. That’s right! This year, a majority of people will want to eat more healthfully (or lose weight). And most of us will also want to manage our money more wisely and save more. Not surprisingly, few people keep up their resolve. Some surveys show that as many as 80 percent of resolutions are abandoned by February! So, how do you stick
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to yours? I think success comes from approaching goals realistically; making small, achievable changes in your daily life that eventually become habits and add up to bigger successes. And the best way I know to both eat smartly while saving money is to prepare nourishing food at home. The recipe I’d like to share is a perfect example of that approach. My whole wheat bread with dark chocolate and cherries is not only delicious but also low in fat (which contributes fewer than a third of its 188 calories per two-slice serving) and a decent source of dietary fiber (2.69 grams per serving). Not only that, but the chocolate and cherries are also excellent sources of the antioxidants health professionals say we should include in our diets to help safeguard us against illness. Better still: The bread is fun to make and a great activity for a cold or rainy weekend afternoon. And the delicious results will cost you far less than anything similar from an upscale
bakery. The bread is also admirably versatile. I like to toast a slice and enjoy it with my morning coffee. You can soak slices in a mixture of beaten eggs, egg whites, and some reduced-fat milk, then pan-fry it with nonstick spray, to make amazing healthy French toast. I’ve even been known to eat some of this bread at the end of a meal! (Here’s a fun tip: Top a toasted slice with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt for a satisfying impromptu dessert.) The recipe also lends itself to many variations. If you want an even lower low-fat version, double the amount of cherries and leave out the chocolate chips. Or try substituting other dried fruit, individually or in combination, cutting up larger pieces into morsels about the size of cherries or raisins. Any approach you take, I think you’ll be more than happy with the results — and with the money you save. Here’s to a healthy and prosperous new year!
WHOLE WHEAT BREAD WITH DARK CHOCOLATE AND DRIED CHERRIES Makes two 9-inch (22.5-cm) loaves For the sponge: 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1½ cups lukewarm water, 80 F 1 tablespoon honey 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour
For the dough: ¾ cup all-purpose flour ¾ cup whole wheat flour 1½ tablespoons kosher salt 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup pitted dried cherries, rehydrated in warm water for 15 minutes, thoroughly drained Nonstick cooking spray
First, prepare the sponge: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, stir together the yeast, water and honey until the yeast has dissolved. Stir in the all-purpose and whole wheat flours just until a soft, loose dough forms. Cover with a clean towel and set aside at warm room temperature for 20 minutes. Next, prepare the dough: Add the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, the salt and the olive oil to the sponge. Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook and attach the bowl containing the dough. Mix on the second-lowest speed for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue mixing on medium speed until the dough looks fairly well developed and elastic, 8 minutes longer.
Add the chocolate chips and the rehydrated drained cherries to the mixer bowl. Continue mixing at medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes longer. Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. On a lightly floured work surface and with clean hands, gently roll and shape each piece to make an even ball shape. Cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel and leave to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Evenly spray two 9-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. With your hands, shape each ball of dough into a 9-inch loaf shape and transfer it to a prepared loaf pan. Cover the pans with a damp towel and leave
at warm room temperature to rise until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. With a sharp knife, lightly score three evenly spaced diagonal slashes across the top of each loaf. Put the loaves in the preheated oven and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Carefully turn the loaves out of the pans onto a wire rack to cool. To serve, slice with a sharp serrated bread knife.
After about 45 minutes, the ball of dough will rise and double in volume. DREAMSTIME
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