If you asked the everyday person what it means to eat healthy, you’re likely to get a list of "low’s" and "no’s." Whether it’s fat, carbs, or excessive calories, a well-intentioned list of low’s and no’s inspire our sense of what’s good for us. And if you’re gluten intolerant, you are learning to add "no gluten" to the list. Curiously, most of our thinking in terms of low’s and no’s 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, we’ll buy it thinking it’s 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.

The 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 doesn’t mean it is in fact healthy.

Now, let’s 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 low’s and no’s 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 low’s and no’s 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. Let’s take a look at these with special insight for those enjoying a gluten free lifestyle:

1. 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 cooking getaways!

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.