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My child has been have stomach pains ever since switching to Paleo. The only things we have changed with our eating is the removal of all grains and the addition of almond flour and coconut flour. In order to make the transistion easier I have been baking quite a bit using paleo friendly recipes for muffins, pancakes, snack bars etc. So it was suggested to me that maybe it is all the almonds and almond flour that she is eating that is causing the problem. I have been searching online and so far have not found any information that almonds can be a gut irritant. Anyone else have problems with almonds?

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If I eat more than a handful of almonds at a time (or equal amount of flour) my gut feels like it is tearing. The pain has been so bad at times it has had me doubled over on the bathroom floor. – mth Apr 19 2011 at 22:03
almonds - salicylate - gut irritant. You could try hazelnuts or cashews and grind them into a flour instead, as they are among the lowest in salicylate. As a highly sensitive person myself, I do well with soaking hazelnuts in ascorbic acid, cooking them in a pressure cooker with baking soda, removing skins and making into nut milk or grinding into a meal. – ddibwynt Jul 17 at 17:58
Hazelnuts and cashews are incidentally also lower in omega-6 than most nuts (excepting macadamias which also high in salicylate), so that's an added benefit. – ddibwynt Jul 17 at 18:00

13 Answers

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Yeah, I have trouble with almonds and almond flour. My mother has the same issues with coconut flour. I would suggest that rice based foods are the gentlest for transitioning off gluten-based baked goods.

Nut milks have always worked OK for me and are a good way to consume nuts that doesn't irritate the stomach so much.

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I would try to cut down on nuts/nut flours long term. Almonds are high in PUFA, and the fact that they are pulverized, makes them oxidize more quickly. Personally, I wouldn't consume more than a couple ounces per day, at most.

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if you want to continue baking stuff, try more along the lines of an egg based meringue maybe with coconut in it, like macaroon style. whipped egg white as the main binder.

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Your kid's stomach problems might stem from all the fiber in coconut flour. Coconut flour is absurdly high in fiber and can lead to stomach cramps. Almond flour's fats tend to turn rancid when heated. Stick to white rice flour which is gentler on the stomach than all of the above.

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Coconut flour definitely meant big-time bloat/pain from the fiber. I really can't imagine it's "natural." Almonds are also high in salicylate, a gut irritant (like aspirin - salicylic acid - which screws up the gut lining). – ddibwynt Jul 17 at 17:57
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Nuts weren't at all kind to my intestines. Lectins to blame? Not sure. The high PUFA content shouldn't be the cause of any acute GI problems, but it should be a strong reason to avoid them as a staple of your diet.

Cutting out the nuts -- castrating my diet, as it were-- and increasing meat intake has "rounded out" my GI problems. Take this as you will.

I agree with tartate, too. I've done some baking with coconut flour. It works nicely, but I've only baked simple things. I'm more of a cook, anyway.

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"Cutting out the nuts -- castrating my diet, as it were" an epic quote – Kasra Oct 9 2011 at 6:00
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nuts and any flours are totally unnecessary and also can cause problems for many people. lectins are a big problem, the pasteurization of almonds, the hybridization & domestication, not soaking them in acidic mediums, nuts and seeds have protective mechanisms, high PUFA & omega 6 content, indigestible proteins and fibers, the list goes on and on.

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I would try soaking them in warm salted water for at least 7 hours and then drying them in a warm oven, not more than 150 degrees F or in a dehydrator (what I use very successfully) for 12-24 hours. Has worked well for me. This is from Nourishing Traditions.

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I definetely have issues with almonds. Especially the skins. I have the same problem with walnuts too. If she's having tummy trouble I'd skip them. There's a way to soak them to remove some of the phytic acid but nothing really helps me. I remember nuts being even worse when I was a kid.

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Whenever I eat almonds my body freaks out.. It's very odd. My skin gets all rashy, and my lips get tight, I get acne, and stomach problems. I used to almonds everyday.

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Yes almonds can give me a stomachache as well. Coconut flour is kinda hard on the digestion too. If you really want to bake, how about macaroons? You can also make pancakes out of banana - just blend together banana, egg, and a dash of vanilla (one egg per banana) and fry them up like regular pancakes.

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I also have problems with almonds! I just don't eat snacks for the most part. Fruit, jerky, hardboiled eggs.

Larabars seem to be okay for me, but I only eat one every so often

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I recently developed an allergy to almonds due to eating them heavily once i cut out grains. I get rashy, and have other digestive issues I would rather not discuss in public. Guess I ate them too often or something.

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Rather than trying to use Paleo flours to mimic non-Paleo goods, I find that recipes that are naturally grain free are the ones that taste the best.. so flourless chocolate cake and merengues work great, but I don't try to make cupcakes and cakes, I'd rather have berries or other items that are naturally Paleo.

Also my kids and I love items such as banana "pancakes"-- made with bananas and eggs (and NO flour at all).

If you consume dairy items like Brazilian Cheese Bread (made with cassava flour-- but, obviously, contains cheese, too!) and "Quick Bread" (which contains egg and cheese) are also great Paleo-ish substitutes (www.livefabuLESS.com/quickbread) that 'hit the spot' without using grains and gluten.

Hope that helps!

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