Gluten Free is not healthy? Blasphemy –you must think someone has hijacked my blog, but it’s true. Just because a food is gluten free does not mean it is healthy.
Sadly, the recent popularity of “gluten free” has many thinking that if they eliminate gluten, they are on a healthy diet. As Michael Pollan wrote last year in the New York Times Magazine, “Gluten has become the bad nutrient of the moment.”
I think it’s time for those of us in the gluten free blogoshpere to admit that villainizing one ingredient is not enough when it comes to eating well.
With all of the hype surrounding gluten free, no one mentions the dirty little secret of the Standard Gluten Free Diet. Few realize that when it comes to gluten free baked goods such as bread, snacks, and desserts, gluten free food is not as nutritious as “regular” food. That’s because gluten free goods are generally made with ingredients such as rice, corn, potatoes, sorghum, tapioca and millet, which are higher in carbohydrates and lower in protein and other nutrients than wheat flour. Sad, but true. The typical gluten free ingredients that are used in place of wheat are less nutritious than wheat itself.
The Gluten Free diet is a very specific requirement for very specific people –those with celiac, gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity. People with these conditions have to eliminate gluten from their diets to make sure their body doesn’t deteriorate. Let’s remember though, that doing so doesn’t actually speak to eating the diet and consuming the foods that allow your body to thrive. Those are two separate things. Therefore, the millions of Americans jumping on the gluten free bandwagon, who believe that eliminating one ingredient is a quick fix are short changing themselves.
If you have any of the above conditions (and it’s a good idea to go to a doctor and get tested if you think you might) remove gluten from your diet. For that matter, if something makes you feel sick, get it out of your diet! However, if you think eliminating one food gives you a free pass to eat processed gluten free goods made from rice, corn, etc., and that this will make you healthy, guess again.
The best path to wellness is a well rounded diet which includes many foods –it is far more work than simply bastardizing one ingredient, such as gluten.
What does eating healthy entail? Consuming a diverse array of nutrient dense foods every day; day after day. When I was a little girl, my Dad told me to eat the rainbow. So I’m staying away from fad diets and sticking with Dad’s advice. I have to agree with him, eating close to the earth is, and always has been, the way to go.
Chris says
Well Said!
Kathy K. says
Great post! Lays it all out so clearly. I had already thought that eating well today is not always as simple as it seems. You always bring a lot of clarity to the issues.
Randi says
I beg to differ, too. I am not gluten intolerant or celiac, simply feel better being off wheat (and if you read the book, Wheat Belly, many good reasons not to eat it, no matter who you are.) But I do agree with what you said about replacing with processed gluten free items is not healthy. Just because something says “gluent free” on it does NOT make it healthy. But outside of that, when eating real foods, it feels like a much healthier way to eat predominately, and also avoids all those wheat based baked goods. I also seem to gain weight if use almond flour much, so not using barely at all anymore, but coconut flour is great. More recipes with that and less with almond, at least for my personal preference. Thanks for the discussion!
Susan says
So wonderful of you to write about this. It has been one of my biggest pet peeves. You could say the same about vegetarian (if it isn’t done correctly) and even vegan. People need to realize it is about the nutrients available in what they are eating. That is one of the reasons I like your blog.
Thanks!
sara says
great post. it drives me crazy when i hear people go on and on about all the great gluten free products they’re buying for their families. if they would just read the labels!
Julie Bates says
Amen to that! I gained so much weight the first few weeks after switching to a GF diet as directed by my doctor, simply because I switched to a bunch of processed gluten-free products. I now follow a mostly paleo/primal type diet and feel great. But I shake my head at all the people who are switching to a bunch of processed junk just because its “gluten free” because they think its healthy. Thanks for addressing this issue!
Sarah says
Elana, I enjoy your website with one resounding exception. How do you rationalize the large use of almond flour? I will only make recipes here that do not contain it.
First off, it’s one thing to eat a handful of almonds. It’s quite another to take the amount of almonds required to make a cup or two of almond meal then cook them. What you’re left with is a calorie-dense, oxidized Omega-6 bomb.
I use gluten-free flour (a pure mix of rice flour, potato and tapioca starch) in sparse amounts to enhance some of my cooking. Although it may have my carbs or less protein I feel it’s a much safer route than almond flour.
Any thoughts here? It really irks me no one in the Paleo community seems to recognize this as a problem.
Tracy says
I just don’t bake. I tried using almond flour to make bread/cake/muffins and I blew up like a balloon! I’ve never had a bloating problem like that before. I still eat almonds. But only whole, raw and in little groups of 8-10 nuts….every once in a great while :-) I got over the whole “I miss cookies/brownies/bread/cake” thing a long time ago. Besides…Grok didn’t bake, right?
nat says
Same thing happened to me. As soon as I stopped baking with almond flour (and coconut flour) I lost those pesky 5 lbs that I had been struggling to lose. I stick with a certain brand of rice/tapioca bread that I buy once every few weeks, if and when I ever have a bread craving but if not, then I just don’t eat bread or baked goods.
Therese says
Nat,
What brand of rice/tapioca bread do you use?
nat says
It’s called Jennifer’s Multi-Grain Rice Bread, and it is amazing. I buy it where I live (Toronto, Canada) area at a place called Planet Organic.
Therese says
Dear Nat,
Thank you so much for the information!
Therese
Therese says
Nat, Oops, I couldn’t find the product online (I live in Michigan). Does the Jennifer’s Multi-Grain Rice Bread package have a website listed by any chance? Thanks again!
Barb says
Nat, Thanks so much for this information. It’s unusual to find helpful posts like this about the Toronto area.
Katie says
Agreed! Thanks Nat! I’m in Toronto as well… I will check out Planet Organic!
Stacey says
I LOVE Elana’s Almond flour recipes, but I can only eat a very small serving since I seem to have similar digestive issues with almonds as I do with wheat. I guess moderation is the key with anything.
sara says
I have to agree with you, Sarah, regarding the almond flour. I wonder if Elana’s views have changed on this???
Yes, it is gluten free and yes, it is higher in protein. But come on… most almond flour is not prepared safely (soaked / sprouted) & the omega 6 levels are through the roof. I agree with Elana’s article above, but almond flour is just another gluten-free sub for wheat flour. It is not “healthy”… which speaks to the point of this article, yet MANY of your recipes on here are made with almond flour. I take that to mean your views have shifted?
I personally would never use almond flour. I am not going to say any flour substitutes are “healthy.” I do very occasionaly use rice flour (maybe once a month), but I don’t pretend it’s healthy.
Overally, I do like the point of the article. We cannot cut out 1 thing & think all of a sudden we have healthy diets. We should focus on eating the most nutrious (and varied) foods we can.
nat says
Almond flour is crazy-high in calories as well…..I understand your position….
Megan Knowles says
It seems to me that what Elana strives for is balance and recognizing what makes YOU as an individual feel great. If you read some of Elana’s other posts, she went grain free, not just gluten free, a long time ago. She discovered that grains were not meant for her, so she took them out of her diet. In doing so, she wanted to find a suitable replacement, or at least that is how it seems to me. While I agree that almond flour isn’t good for everyone, it’s no different than wheat not being good for everyone. If you find something doesn’t agree with you, don’t eat it, it’s that simple. What Elana’s site is doing is giving people on a fairly limited diet something to look forward to. I decided to get better with my eating habits quite a few years ago and in doing that, I had to cut back on processed foods, baked goods, etc. I lowered my intake of carbs and grains and made 95% of my meals from fresh, wholesome ingredients. As I learned more, I wanted to get even healthier and I discovered almond flour and coconut flour!! I was thrilled because that meant there was another option for me to use when I did want to make a treat for myself or for a function. I know too much of anything isn’t good for me, but I’m a human being who grew up with all this commercialized garbage food seeming “normal”. How many of us in my age range (25-35) didn’t grow up thinking bread and baked goods were healthy? Or that ice cream and candy bars were a perfectly fine sleepover treat? I became accustomed to those treats being in my life and removing them completely feels like I’m being punished. I LOVE that by using some of Elana’s recipes I can still have my treats OCCASIONALLY, and they are just that – TREATS. I’m a baker through and through and I don’t think I would ever give that up completely. I know enough about health to know that bombarding your body with too much of anything, is usually not a good approach. So, while Elana has a lot of recipes packed with almond flour, she surely does not suggest you eat the whole yield of said recipe, nor does she say to eat one of those recipes for every meal, or even every day. Elana has brilliantly compiled recipes for people who are looking for some grain free, decently healthy food and still feel as if they are treating themselves. I know that I’m much more successful eating healthy when I know I can treat myself without being too unhealthy. So, find some balance, acknowledge what makes YOU feel good and eat that way.
MANDA says
i couldnt agree more! i am grain free due to blood sugar issues and tummy issues. i tolerate almond flour and coconut flour quite well and they have been a real treat from time to time on my ‘new way of eating’ journey!
Katherine says
Don’t we all consider these “treat” foods though? I mean, no one could reasonably assume that eating cupcakes, muffins and bread (even GF) forms the basis of a healthy diet.
I make paleo(ish) treats once in awhile because it’s keeps the peace on the homefront but I’d never consider that these are acceptable foods for every day or every meal. And because I do believe that starches are a part of of a biologically appropriate (paleo) diet, I do generally use only about 1/3 of the almond flour called for in these recipes and substitute white rice flour, tapioca starch and potato starch.
Amy says
Coconut flour is a great alternative to the almond flour. I’ve noticed that in many of the Primal/Paleo based sites, baking recipes usually call for coconut flour. I do the Primal/Paleo and have read many threads about the concerns with the Omega-6 content in a baking recipe that contains almond flour. I love to cook, but I tend to just stick with my meat and veggie concoctions considering I’ve never really had much luck with the baking!
JC says
I absolutely agree with Sarah regarding almond flour. I cannot even think of making Elana’s recipes made with that ingredient. Any nut – I don’t care if it is almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, you name it. Eating any kind of nut absolutely rips through my gut as badly as if I were eating gluten – maybe even worse. Likewise coconut – wonder if others suffer equally from these items?
Maria says
Yes, I have to be careful with coconut, too. I haven’t made any of Elana’s dairy-free ice cream recipes that contain coconut milk because that milk, in particular, seems to do a real number on my belly. I can tolerate coconut flour recipes, but not in large quantities, which is a real bummer because they taste so yummy.
Sheridan says
Hey JC, perhaps you might be interested in looking into a healing diet like the GAPS diet (www.gapsdiet.com) which assists you in healing your gut. We have been eating this way for over a year now. I no longer have tummy pains when I make the very occasional baked treat for my family with almond or coconut flour. :)
Danielle says
You may be suffering from Fructose Malabsorption. It is a fairly recently-identified disorder that seems better understood in Australia, where it was researched and identified by Dr. Sue Shepherd. Essentially, your gut (which is supposed to allow fructose molecules to harmlessly pass through into your blood stream) stops being able to do so and the resulting lingering presence of it in your bowel throws a party for the bacteria living there.
Hence the bloating and digestive disruption.
Almonds and other nuts are still on the “debated” list of offenders. I have seen some people say they are harmless and yet others say no nuts except pistachios are safe. More research is being done and we’ll know more in the coming years.
PS: Agave is one of the worst offenders.
Carla says
I never thought the receipts (especially the baked goods) were meant to be eaten without boundaries. When I make cookies, I eat ONE cookie, maybe two if they’re small enough and put the rest of the dough in the fridge. Problem solved.
Judy says
Thank-you for bring this up! I sit back and shake my head at the no-fat craze, the high fiber craze, the eggs are evil craze, the low cholesterol craze and now the gluten-free craze. No one food for the average person is pure evil or is going to miraculously make you healthy. It takes a very wide variety of foods in moderation for good health.
Jackie says
And the low carb craze!
J. says
I beg to differ. I am convinced gluten really is evil for almost everybody, not just for people with the aforementioned conditions. I was a sickly child and a sickly young adult. My body went haywire a couple of years before I was 30. Back then, I needed more health care than an average 70 year-old person. I always tested negative for gluten. Despite my allergist’s advice (“you should not eliminate gluten if you are not allergic to it), I went gluten-free upon discovering the paleo diet, and now, in my early 30s, I finally know what it is like to be healthy. Meanwhile, I have converted many of my family members, and all of them have seen excellent health results although they had never been as miserable as me. For example, my mother’s blood pressure went down from the worrying levels around 170/110 to 110/70 in about three weeks!
Of course, if you just replace gluten-containing junk with gluten-free junk, you cannot expect miracles. Paleo/primal boards are full of people who bake on a regular basis and believe that they have a healthy lifestyle.
tracy says
i am off the charts gluten sensitive based on a stool test. however, when i had blood allergy tests done a couple of years ago, i showed up as not having an allergy to gluten at all. maybe your gluten issue just didn’t show up in the tests your doctor ordered?
J. says
Yes, it could be. Nevertheless, many people around me experienced substantial improvement in their health (or mood, skin and other things). You could argue that gluten intolerance runs in the family, but they are in fact individuals from unrelated families (my parents, their siblings, spouses of their siblings, my husband’s family etc.).
Folly says
J
As having to live Gluten Free to live I agree with junk in and junk out. Even with the Paleo diet. It is beginning to amaze me with how people are dreaming up recipes for this. Everyone has to have good nutrition “hidden” in sweets and such. Paleo is no good if you eat fresh foods high in sorbitol –why? Overtime you will damage phase 1 of the glycogen process and begin the trek to diabetes and not even know it. Sorbitol is what actually causes the neuropathy.
There are many things that may be needed for people even eating Paleo. I am not going into here because each person needs to assess how their body is functioning. Lemon juice is a wonder drug if used properly at the proper time without being buried in a “recipe”. That is something our society and culture does. We want food with pretty and bows. That is how we arrive at unhealthy gluten free food we see everywhere now –full of chemicals and sugar. Yuk.
Lucinda says
I actually think you are making her point perfectly. You have done more than eliminate gluten. It sounds like you are eating a healthier diet overall (which often comes hand-in-hand with going gf when you start reading labels and seeing what is actually in a lot of food). Eating gf but baking all the time is not a healthy diet. Both of you are saying the same thing. Glad you have been able to make a difference in the lives of those around you.
Doug says
Exactly – if J is eating paleo that usually cuts out dairy, dramatically lowers carbs, etc. etc. It’s a pretty dramatic shift away from the average modern diet.
J. says
Not really. I have just eliminated gluten and lowered carbs. I do not buy any processed foods now, but then this is not new; in my pre-paleo days I would hardly ever buy something with more than one ingredient. In this respect, I do not think I made a dramatic shift.
Linda says
I think the problem lies in your statement about replacing gluten-containing junk with gluten-free junk. Too many people are doing just that and still eating the junk. I follow the Paleo lifestyle (not necessarily gluten free, but am grain and flour free for the most part) and am constantly amazed at some of the foods out there claiming to be gluten free that are just junk food in disguise. I have also seen some Paleo recipes that make me cringe – Paleo donuts, paleo cakes and breads that are far off the Paleo principals and not necessarily healthy.
LegendsOfBatman says
@J.
I’m glad you seem to be healthier.
However, studies do seem to support that this new fad diet is just another in a long line of gimmickary and hopping on whatever bandwagon is current.
What is even more insulting is, many of these so called healthy foods are not good for the person who is supposed to be helped. For example, there are at least two companies who state on their product that they are Gluten Free, BUT are not good for people with celiac disease.
Eh? It’s Gluten-Free, and those with Celiac disease are not supposed to have gluten, but, the foods are not for those with Celiac disease? WHAT?
It’s a con and a scam and reprehensible what these companies are doing to fool the consumer. They should be punished for their deceptions and trickery.
patricia says
I had been feeling sick with digestive issues, weight and bloating when I tried the Paleo diet 6 months ago. I could always lose weight on any diet but not really feel healthy…what a change Paleo made…I was already sensitive to dairy so cutting out wheat and processed products was the big change and did it ever work…I felt better almost right away, lost 35 pounds in 10 weeks and grew to love cooking natural for the fist time. Not counting calories but ensuring fresh quality foods were my new way of eating has changed my life. My husband loves the way we eat and loves trying new dishes. I did just buy Elana’s new Almond Flour Cookbook and have made muffins and bars but especially the vegetable tarts with the almond crusts have me experimenting with my own ideas. I have not enjoyed ready made gluten free products at all but Paleo and my new eating regime has made the best change in my overall health…I recommend it to all my friends…Elana’s on-line recipes add to my options so many thanks…try it you will love it!!!
remtothemax says
okay, uh, see i am definitely a regular eater person
i adore wheat in all its forms
you will pull glutenful bread out of my cold dead hands
i am in full support of people who are on special diets, even if it is just because it makes you feel better
i have friends who are vegetarian, celiac, vegan, and raw-vegan. even a friend who is weirdly allergic to apples and carrots
i have no problem accommodating them ever
but anyone who has posted on here about how they disagree and how a lot of people would feel better if they went on x diet
you’re wrong
i’m telling you now
you’re wrong
a diet is an incredibly personal decision
bread doesn’t give me any digestive problems, but even if they were slight, what about the mental effect of cutting me off from all the memories and emotional attachment i have with regards to the smell and taste of baking fresh bread?
my diet? i eat whatever i want
all the regular stuff, all the special diet stuff like almond milk, tofu, quinoa and all that
i just focus on trying to make as much as possible and with as fresh ingredients as possible with a focus on as many vegetables as possible
i try to focus on fruit, but i have this weird thing with textures, so i can only do so much there
basically, just eat a healthy, fresh diet
if you need something special, go for it
but don’t try to make me feel guilty for eating my slice of home made bread with home made jam
i’ll just go buy a twinkie to eat in front of you out of spite (even though i don’t like them, for you, i’ll make an exception)
especially since i have the reverse problem. i can’t gain weight. it is super frustrating and cutting out wheat and fat and sugar is probably not the way to help me stop my weight from bottoming out
c says
I never felt sick after eating gluten or dairy or coffee but after having an allergy test done this summer because I was feeling run down all the time I discovered that I had an allergy to these foods. It’s been so hard to cut them out of my diet because of exactly what you describe- my mental and emotional connection to them. Unfortunately, food is supposed to nourish our bodies, not necessarily give us an emotional boost. When I discovered the lining of my intestines were breaking down due to the inflammation the allergies were causing and the risk it put my at for developing autoimmune diseases down the road I put my physical health before my emotional connection to my beloved foods. Was it easy? Definitely not. But I do hope that it will be worth it in the end. I don’t think anyone wants to make you feel guilty – I think people just get excited about what works for them and want everyone to experience how great they feel, usually after having felt really bad for a long time. Don’t try to tear others down just because they may make you feel insecure about your connection to certain foods.
anna rutz says
I disagree with the article. I have been celiac since birth and had a myriad of ailments all my life due to a compromised immune system. I used to vomit all cereal milk based meals as a baby and periodically suffer from Dermatitis Herpetiformis on my face and upper body. My parents went crazy going to private and estate doctors but no one new what was the cause of the outbreaks. I remembered childhood as being always tired, and more when after eating. The thing is that no one did test on intolerance unless you had a violent reaction. I guess i had a strong constitution and it was only until I was 22 that I discovered I was celiac due to a violent allergic reaction to gluten/ milk. My whole face swollen to my eyelids and i was really warm. Also I had psoriasis all the time. I went to a naturist and told me to stay away from wheat / soy / gluten products. I went on a crash diet for a month and all the herpes disappeared. I never felt so good in my life, I had so much energy and months after the cleansing did not suffer from hair loss, tiredness and skin rashes. Being overconfident, I went back to a normal diet as I ” thought” my celiac disease was cured. How wrong I was! I developed IBS, my hairloss went off the roof and had recurrent pneumonia attacks. What I know now is that I damaged my small intestine beyond the recovery threshold of a twenty year old woman and now on my thirties is going to take longer to repair a weakened immune system with candida symptoms and leaky gut . Celiac disease should take very seriously. There are lots of alternatives that include good carbohydrates but stay away from gluten free processed products, they are not really good for you. Make your own bread!
Angela S says
Amen! I lived on candy bars and processed GF food when I was first diagnosed with celiac for about six months…yikes what a lousy decision. Now I eat well but it includes very little if any processed food, gluten free or otherwise.
Amber says
I agree. When I was not eating any processed foods was when I felt the best, but being in our society and addicted to sweats, I decided to try gluten free products. My IBS is back, my swelling is back. It is not enough to say that gluten free is the answer. It is if this is a problem, but corn, and rice made products are just as bad. My dr. told me to stay away from all grains. He said my body can’t handle the grains and sugars. So, I am on a basically paleo diet, except I’m allergic to nuts, so not quite diet. Basically, I eat almost all unprocessed foods. That is when I feel the best. Oh, and I made gluten, soy, dairy, and nut free pumpkin bread the other day and got more sick then when I eat the regular kind.
Amber J says
@Amber-
How did you start (make the transition)the Paleo diet? The doctors have diagnosis me with fibromyalgia and I need to make a diet change to help with the inflammation food causes. I have researched and found that the Paleo diet may be the right choice for me. However, with a family it is difficult to change your eating lifestyle when they choose not to. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks.
Amber J
Sandy says
Also have fibromyalgia and made the transition to paleo after my son started losing weight, which I needed to do…..slowly I took dairy, then grains out of my diet……I have been on paleo for over a year (including 2 Thanksgivings and Christmas’)….I have never felt better…..I have lost 55 pounds and now have energy. I have been able to incorporate it into my daily living and I am the only in my immediate family on Paleo. My son is married and lives 7 hours away….and is also still paleo.
Please give it a try….I am sure it will help….I have also started Savella for the fibro….but a very low dose…..
angie says
I really think with the fybro DX you might want to look into Lyme disease and find a good LLMD (lyme literate MD). Myself and about a dozen other people I know who were given that DX are suffering from Lyme disease.
Dana says
Try just not buying anything with a package to start. You need to have a good variety of color but packages guarantee processed. Many organic, natural foods still cause inflammation. Some research and trial/error will move the foods that bother you out of your diet.
cynthia says
Challenges come when we don’t take the time to find our what our bodies are trying to tell us. This becomes difficult because we are convinced the most popular propaganda will be our cure all. The idea of leaving processed alone is the best place to start. You will be the best captain of your own healthy ship. Great blog.