you asked the everyday person what it means to eat healthy,
youre likely to get a list of "lows" and
"nos." Whether its fat, carbs, or excessive
calories, a well-intentioned list of lows and nos
inspire our sense of whats good for us. And if youre
gluten intolerant, you are learning to add "no gluten"
to the list. Curiously, most of our thinking in terms of lows
and nos is less influenced by fact and a lot more by how
food is marketed.
Advertisers would have us believe that if
a food has less of something we know is bad, it must be good
for us. Take margarine, for example. Discovered in 1869 by
a French food chemist, margarine is marketed as a cholesterol-free
alternative to butter. Manufacturers of this "wonder
fat" know that if they stamp a no cholesterol label on
their product, well buy it thinking its a healthy
food. We all know that not taking steps to lower serum cholesterol
can lead to a higher chance of having a heart attack or stroke.
But is margarine a healthy alternative? True, pure margarine
has no cholesterol. But making the leap from no cholesterol
to "healthy" is dangerous, and our lack of awareness
means money in the bank for food manufacturers.
fact: most commercially produced margarine is high in saturated
fat. And not only is it high in saturated fat, but the most
commonly used process to make it saturated creates trans-fatty
acids. Excesses of both saturated fat and trans-fatty acids
have been shown to increase risk of heart attacks. Interestingly
enough, a study reported in the prestigious journal Atherosclerosis
reports that consumption of milk, cream, cheese, or butter
has not been consistently shown to raise blood cholesterol.
So, calling a food healthy simply because it is void of something
we think is bad for us doesnt mean it is in fact healthy.
Now, lets take eating gluten-free.
If you have Celiac disease, eating foods that have no gluten
will keep you from having intolerable symptoms. But are foods
healthy simply because they are gluten-free? Margarine is
cholesterol-free, but can still cause problems. So how can
you break free of the lows and nos and still eat
healthy while enjoying your gluten free lifestyle?
There are seven principles for eating healthy
that have served as my guide for nutritional counseling over
the past dozen or so years. Shifting the focus away from lows
and nos and onto sensational and sensible eating makes
these principles easy to follow. Following these principles
should be easier for those who are eating gluten free since
eating this way often means saying no to processed foods.
Lets take a look at these with special insight for those
enjoying a gluten free lifestyle:
Whole. Food should be whole, natural, and real. Examples of
whole gluten-free grains and flours include brown rice, quinoa,
corn, millet, and buckwheat. Margarine, for example, is not
a natural food nor is it real.
2. Fresh. Food should be eaten as close
to nature as possible. Commercial tomatoes, for example, are
often picked green and ripened in transit using ethylene gas.
Vine ripened tomatoes that are grown close to market undergo
far less processing and are full of naturally ripened flavor!
3. Seasonal. Choose foods that are grown
in the season you buy them. Seasonal foods cost less and are
often of higher quality since they do not have to be flown
or trucked in from their place of origin. Canning and jarring
are deliciously acceptable if the foods are packed in the
season in which they were harvested.
4. Traditional. Foods should bring us closer
to community and culture. I advise eating gluten-free foods
in sync with your familial and personal eating history. Glutenfreeda.com
has a wealth of ideas for gluten-free conversions of your
favorite traditional foods. 5. Local. Choose foods grown locally.
Like seasonally produced foods, foods grown locally cost less
and are often of higher quality since they do not have to
be flown or trucked in from their place of origin.
6. Balanced. Choose foods rich in vitamins
and minerals, and those which have a sensible balance of carbohydrates,
proteins, and healthy fats.
7. Delicious. Food has to be delicious!
Check out Glutenfreeda.com for flavor-packed recipes and delicious
Dr. Frank Aversano, ND is a primary care
physician trained as a natural medicine specialist. He is
a writer and educator with 15 years experience in food and
fitness coaching. For more about him, check out www.naturalcuisinecoach.com.