Cheating On Gf Diet

[Skijoe]

What do you think the long range damage would be if once every 3 months I had a large plate of pasta or a large Pizza.

I am 75 years old and was celiac disease diagnosed 6 months ago. I did NOT have very uncomfortable systems but had weight loss, anemia, and vitamin deficiency. I quickly recovered my weight (6 weeks) after startig gluten-free diet.

[ravenwoodglass]

What do you think the long range damage would be if once every 3 months I had a large plate of pasta or a large Pizza. 

  I am 75 years old and was celiac disease diagnosed 6 months ago. I did NOT have very uncomfortable systems but had weight loss, anemia, and vitamin deficiency. I  quickly recovered my weight (6 weeks) after startig gluten-free diet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think your body is going to tell you what a bad idea it is the first time you do it. Why not just make that pizza on a gluten-free crust? You can also have all the pasta you want, just get a gluten-free brand, I am a big fan of angel hair and have found Thai rice noodles make a great substitute.

[Jnkmnky]

At your age and with your symptoms, you should do what you want. If a pizza every three months doesn't hurt you (so that you notice) too much... I think you should do what you want. No one here will tell you anything you don't already know. Try it. If it's more uncomfortable than you thought it would be, you won't even want to do it again. If it turns out that your symptoms are very mild or even undetectable, you may decide it's worth any of the invisible damage that will occur. I think you're old enough to decide what makes you happiest.

Hey- if you plan it right, you could make the holidays your three month cheat days. That may work out even better than a pizza every three months... or you could have pizza along with your turkey at Thanksgiving.

[Carriefaith]

What do you think the long range damage would be if once every 3 months I had a large plate of pasta or a large Pizza.

Gluten is toxic to people with celiac disease, so it can do a lot of nasty things to the body. I'm assuming you already know about the damage gluten can do to the intestine, but I've recently learned that gluten can damage the brain as well. I don't recommend cheating.

[KaitiUSA]

I HIGHLY recommend that you do not cheat. You see even if you don't get symptoms you will still be damaging yourself and you would have to go through that healing process. To keep putting damage to yourself is increasing your chances for alot of more serious and potentially deadly issues.

[ryebaby0]

Hmmmmm..... you conceivably have a good 20 years of life left! That's a lot of damage you could do And being a weak person, myself, once it was once every 3 months, it would be once every three weeks, then three days......

Try tinkyada pasta, and you can have it ALL the time! I can't tell the difference. We feel your pain about the pizza, but homemade is pretty good too. (But not the same as someone else doing the work!)

Safe journey--

joanna

[jknnej]

I agree with most here....cheating is NOT an option. You may be 75 years old but why would you want to make your life span any shorter? Being diagnosed at a later age already puts you at a higher risk for many celiac disease related diseases; I don't think you would want to make it worse.

I also know how hard it is and I, too would recommed you seek out a great gluten-free crust or a great gluten-free restaurant and try to get your fix there. That's what I do. Depending on where you live, that can be easy or difficult. Where are you located? Here in AZ we have a GREAT pizza place that offers gluten-free crusts. So does Ca and NY.

Jnkmnky, I'm not trying to offend, but I strongly and of course, respectfully, disagree with your post. I think it HIGHLY irresponsible to condone ANY cheating on this website, no matter the circumstance. I'm not saying we should lecture people that are struggling or anything like that, but I also firmly believe people come here for support and we should encourage them as gently as possible NOT to cheat on their diet. If even one person thinks it's OK to cheat based on something we have said, it could negatively affect their health. I also think it compromises the integrity of this website; someone with celiac disease coming to this site and reading posts that say it's OK to cheat will probably make them think, "These people are clearly not educated on celiac disease." They may not come back or may not join because our lack of credibility.

If someone is already cheating we need to support them and educate them in any way we can. We may not ever stop them. But, we should also never say that we don't think it's harmful, especially when we know it is.

I feel very strongly about that.

[Nevadan]

Jnkmnky, I'm not trying to offend, but I strongly and of course, respectfully, disagree with your post.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

AMEN to jknnej's comment!!

Skijoe,

As someone else said, at 75 you have potentially many more yrs left and particularly for these years, it's the quality of life that counts. I would worry about the related diseases and what they could mean for you.

BTW I'm a 60 yr old male with only moderate reactions to gluten, but I already have been dx'ed with osteoporosis and have had mild anemia for many yrs. The way I look at it, you can take more pills for some of these things with who knows what side effects, but I would rather treat the root cause which for many things is eliminating gluten. Have you had a bone density test - I recommend it!!

I've found the gluten-free diet to be very tasty - and healthy.

Sounds like you're a skier - is it snow or water; if snow where do you ski?

George

[Jnkmnky]

ok, fine. I'll take back my "make your own decision" comment to a 75 year old who understands the consequences of his actions. I will stick with reminding people that it is NOT healthy to cheat. SkiJoe... cheating will cause harm to your body. That is undeniable. Do not cheat. I condone cheating after a certain point in life, but that is not what this site is about. Kinnikinnick's pizza crusts are pretty good.

Open Original Shared Link

Here is their web address. Try the crusts. Add extra olive oil and garlic salt to the crust to make it more greasy and "real" pizza like. Also the donuts, bagels and bread are very good.

[pixiegirl]

I don't want to beat this issue into the ground or make someone feel bad or picked on, but I just have a quick comment to make about "condoning cheating after a certain point in life". My question would be..... how do you decide when that certain point is?

A short (and true story): My grandfather at 80 was healthy and living in his own house, had a nice veggie garden behind it , took care of the whole place himself. However he's 80 right! (dear old grand dad is passed away now but was born in the 1880's!! so not great health care back then). He had lost a big tree in his front yard the winter before, due to a terrible ice storm. So that spring he goes out a buys a new tree for his front yard. A 4 foot tall maple.

His 5 kids freak out... they say, "dad you are 80 for god sake why didn't you buy a bigger tree?" He says why spend the money? They say, "because you will never see this one shading the house!!"

How wrong they were, grand dad lived in that house for another 27 years, on his own with that veggie garden he tended every single year until he died. He did see that maple tree shading his front yard.

So its pretty hard to decide when you've reached that "point in life" when it might be ok to start poisoning you body with gluten.

Peace, Susan

[Jnkmnky]

I don't want to beat this issue into the ground or make someone feel bad or picked on, but I just have a quick comment to make about "condoning cheating after a certain point in life".  My question would be..... how do you decide when that certain point is?

Peace,  Susan   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I never feel bad or picked on by people who disagree with me. As for what I highlighted in blue.... The person who is affected decides when theat point is.. not you or me or anyone else. That's my opinion. He came here sort of asking permission to do something he clearly understood would be not the best choice. I was reminding him that he doesn't need our permission. At 75 years of age, he is old enough to cheat and see how it goes. Now, I wouldn't condone a parent letting a child cheat to make life easier. That's sick and wrong. But if an adult wants to cheat, then by all means- cheat.

[KaitiUSA]

  But if an adult wants to cheat, then by all means- cheat.

I definitely do not agree with that approach on things. Nobody can tell him or anyone else what to do however why would you want to damage yourself? I mean sure if you want to damage yourself and increase your risks or premature death and serious things then sure go ahead and cheat...your life is in your hands..it is all up to you.

How you said about parents letting their kids cheat and that being wrong...well wouldn't it be a little selfish for an adult to cheat and put him/her at risk of family members losing a loved one? This is not something that affects just the person with celiac...this affects everyone in the family at some level.

[Jnkmnky]

I definitely do not agree with that approach on things. Nobody can tell him or anyone else what to do however why would you want to damage yourself? I mean sure if you want to damage yourself and increase your risks or premature death and serious things then sure go ahead and cheat...your life is in your hands..it is all up to you.

How you said about parents letting their kids cheat and that being wrong...well wouldn't it be a little selfish for an adult to cheat and put him/her at risk of family members losing a loved one? This is not something that affects just the person with celiac...this affects everyone in the family at some level.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well save that sentiment for all the people who smoke, drink, eat crap, drive without seatbelts, don't wear sunscreen, drive over the speed limit, policemen, military members, those who don't wear their bike helmets, doctors, people who climb high ladders, order their meat cooked rare, eat over-easy eggs, ....

Why would you want to damage yourself? I don't know. I increase my risk of premature death everytime I eat buttered popcorn at the movies... or a hotdog with all those nitrates. I think "selfish" is also trying to live someone else's life and make their choices for them. I have my own business to mind. Sure, it's not right to eat the gluten with celiac disease. I'd be pissed if my son grew up and decided to cheat once in awhile. But we're talking about a 75 year old who can decide for himself. Telling him it can and will cause damage is fair enough- but beyond that is intrusive.

[Skijoe]

Thank you all for your input.

My question was "What would be the damage to a celiac disease person if occasionally (once every three months) he had a plate of pasta".

I don't personally have a will power problem and have not knowingly eaten gluten since diagnosed in May, but I keep reading the term "damage" and don't know specifically what the risk is to the occasional gluten meal.

My symptoms(weight loss, flatulence, & slight anemea ) were corrected in two months after starting the diet. I had the condition for two years before being correctly diagnosed. During that time 80% of my diet consisted of gluten products.

I wonder, if I seemingly had no permanent "damage" after having the disease untreated for two years what would be the permanent "damage" of an occasional G meal.

Waiting for a response

Skijoe

Incidentally, for those who asked I have ski trips planned this coming season to Heavenly Valley (Dec) Aspen (Jan) French Alps (March)

[Rachel--24]

Thank you all for your input.

    My question was "What would be the damage to a celiac disease person if occasionally (once every three months) he had a plate of pasta".

    I don't personally have a will power problem and have not knowingly eaten gluten since diagnosed in May, but I keep reading the term "damage" and don't know specifically what the risk is to the occasional gluten meal.

  My symptoms(weight loss, flatulence, & slight anemea ) were corrected in two months after starting the diet.  I had the condition for two years before being correctly diagnosed.  During that time 80% of my diet consisted of gluten products. 

    I wonder, if I seemingly had no permanent "damage" after having the disease untreated for two years what would be the permanent "damage"  of an occasional G meal.

Waiting for a response

Skijoe

Incidentally, for those who asked I have ski trips planned this coming season to Heavenly Valley (Dec) Aspen  (Jan)  French Alps (March)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that a cheat here and there will probably not result in complete flattening of the villi or anything like that...it will cause small amounts of damage I would assume. By saying "damage" I'm thinking that aside from the damage it could be doing to the villi there is also the fact that your immune system is "fighting" gluten everytime you ingest it. To me this says that your immune system is working hard...unnessarily. It puts a strain on the body everytime your body has to fight to recover from the glutening and I would imagine absorption of nutrients would also be affected. Even though the reaction may be temporary it takes awhile for the body to get back to 100% even if you're not noticing all the symptoms. I think the less you make your body work and the less your immune system has to fight gluten the healthier you will be for now and in the future.

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Joe,

If you have symptoms (like me) then you have to weigh the pros and cons...Is it worth a day or two on the toilet with stomach aches, pain, dizziness and a general sense of malaize for 4-5 days...

Do I trade that in for a 15 gratification of pasta???? Personally, I say no

If you have no symptoms, this is a tougher question. Those folks don't fell anything in the short term, but the long term can be worse...

To be honest, I don't think any of us has the answer. From my perspective, pasta doesn't really taste that different anyway -- I always thought it was the sauce that mattered.

I suppose the unfortunate thing is that action will perpetuate the idea that it is ok for "all Celiacs" to cheat....though, obviously it is not...

[elonwy]

I understand the reasoning, when I was first diagnosed I thought "well holiday's I'll cheat." Further reasearch made me think otherwise, and now I have no desire to cheat. The effects of gluten are cumulative, and the long-term risks are pretty horrifying. I will now quote source to help illustrate this point. Also, cheating one every three months or so is almost as bad as not doing the diet at all.

From glutensolutions:

"If you are diagnosed with Celiac Disease, fortunately there is a simple and effective treatment -- to maintain a strictly gluten-free diet forever. You must never be exposed to gluten again. Otherwise, you can continue to damage your small intestines, even if you do not experience any symptoms. Even the most minute traces of gluten can cause damage, such as licking a common postage stamp or eating a tiny piece of bread. People who "cheat" on their diet cause additional harm to their bodies because the debilitating effects of gluten accumulate over time."

"If left undiagnosed, vitamin and mineral deficiencies can result from Celiac Disease. Rickets and Osteomalacia are common complications along with pancreas disorders, infertility problems, miscarriage and nerve damage. Left untreated, the disease can cause irreversible damage and life threatening complications."

Its not like cheating on a low-fat diet for heart disease, it damages and weakens your immune system when you ingest gluten, even if you don't feel symptoms.

Your risk of intestitinal cancer is increased, and following the gluten-free diet lowers the risk level to that of the general population ( this can be found in many sources.)

Increased risk of osteoperosis, even if effects of malabsorption are not felt. Increased risk of loss of dental enamel, teeth problems ( I've been having fun with that).

From UMMEDU online:

"What are the long-term effects of celiac disease?

Untreated celiac disease can be life threatening. Celiacs are more likely to be afflicted with problems relating to malabsorption, including osteoporosis, tooth enamel defects, central and peripheral nervous system disease, pancreatic disease, internal hemorrhaging, organ disorders (gall bladder, liver, and spleen), and gynecological disorders. Untreated celiac disease has also been linked an increased risk of certain types of cancer, especially intestinal lymphoma."

Enough scariness?

Hope that helps.

Elonwy

[tarnalberry]

The thing is, you say your 'symptoms' resolved in two months being on the diet. But did all the internal imbalances correct themselves fully in that time, or was the *total* recovery (regardless of outward symptoms) longer? Studies suggest that it really takes longer than that, and even if it is only two months, if you cheat every three months, your body is spending 67% of it's time in a sub-optimal state that leaves it more prone to infection, inflammation, and other things that cause wear and tear on the body over time. It's kinda like always waiting another 50% as long as you should to get the oil changed on your car - you're causing problems, but most accelerating the wear and tear on the car.

I wouldn't advise it, based on that, myself, but as has been pointed out, it's a personal decision.