Is it ok to cheat on the gluten free diet?

[Cindy Doerr]

I was diagnosed with celiac disease about a year ago and have been on a gluten free diet since then. 

My question is how bad is it for a person with this disease to eat a food that contains gluten every now and then.

I'm also on a Keto diet and sometimes I find it difficult because of all the limitations I have to deal with by just eating anything allowed in Keto plus anything that contains gluten.

[Scott Adams]

No, people with celiac disease should never cheat on their gluten-free diets. 

It would be better for you to cheat on your keto diet and stay gluten-free, than to cheat on your gluten-free diet, as it will trigger a cascading autoimmune reaction to begin again.

[Darren]

Cheating implies you are getting away with something. You aren't getting away with anything if you cheat on the diet. The best thing is to accept that this is what life has thrown at you, and move on. It's not worth it both physically or emotionally. 

[trents]

When you cheat it may take two or three weeks to recover. Ain't worth it.

[Cindy Doerr]

I realize what everyone is saying.  I have only cheated one time by having 2 Grands Biscuits.  I just want to know.... will I get Cancer from this or am I Doomed or can I recover from every two months or so from having a little bit of Gluten one day.

I live in a small town and I’m originally from Dallas, Texas 30 years ago.  But my GP here doesn’t kno anything about celiac disease and all she tells me is not to eat anything with flour. U guys have no ideal what it’s like living in a small town like this.  I’m all I have to help me is GOOGLE.

 

thanks,

 

Cindy Doerr

[trents]

Cindy, what difference does living in a small town make in this matter? Are you saying you don't have many choices when it comes to choosing physicians knowledgeable about Celiac Disease? I live in a small town in the middle of a very rural county in Washington state. I don't feel handicapped by that. There is so much knowledge on the Internet about medicine and health and it is available to anyone. Are Gram's biscuit's a brand or are you referring to your grandmother's homemade biscuits? Gluten free baked goods and baking ingredients have come along way. Maybe you should focus on finding something to replace Gram's biscuits or creating something yourself rather than cheating and harming your body.

[Aaron275]

For many of us, the reactions to gluten get worse and worse the longer we are on the gluten-free diet. I know this was the case for me. I have no desire to cheat anymore because it is simply not worth the recovery time.

[GFinDC]

10 hours ago, Cindy Doerr said:

I realize what everyone is saying.  I have only cheated one time by having 2 Grands Biscuits.  I just want to know.... will I get Cancer from this or am I Doomed or can I recover from every two months or so from having a little bit of Gluten one day.

I live in a small town and I’m originally from Dallas, Texas 30 years ago.  But my GP here doesn’t kno anything about celiac disease and all she tells me is not to eat anything with flour. U guys have no ideal what it’s like living in a small town like this.  I’m all I have to help me is GOOGLE.

 

thanks,

 

Cindy Doerr

Hi Cindy,

You probably won't get cancer from one glutening every few months.  But then again, no one can say for sure.  I am going to assume you haven't been on the gluten-free diet for long?  Wanting to cheat on the diet is something I think is natural at first and maybe for some while after.  Radically changing our diets is not a simple thing and it takes time to adjust mentally IMHO.

The immune system starts cranking out antibodies when exposed to gluten.  The antibodies are what do the damage to our bodies, often starting in the gut.  Antibodies are cells and they don't disappear immediately after you eat something with gluten.  The immune system may continue to to produce antibodies for weeks to months after a gluten exposure.  So a one day exposure to gluten can lead to damage for weeks or months.

Sometimes people don't have substantial symptoms from eating gluten.  Some people even have no symptoms.  For those people it seems to me it may be harder to not cheat.  But for others who have pain and other symptoms the desire to cheat tends to be less.

[Cindy Doerr]

49 minutes ago, GFinDC said:

Hi Cindy,

You probably won't get cancer from one glutening every few months.  But then again, no one can say for sure.  I am going to assume you haven't been on the gluten-free diet for long?  Wanting to cheat on the diet is something I think is natural at first and maybe for some while after.  Radically changing our diets is not a simple thing and it takes time to adjust mentally IMHO.

The immune system starts cranking out antibodies when exposed to gluten.  The antibodies are what do the damage to our bodies, often starting in the gut.  Antibodies are cells and they don't disappear immediately after you eat something with gluten.  The immune system may continue to to produce antibodies for weeks to months after a gluten exposure.  So a one day exposure to gluten can lead to damage for weeks or months.

Sometimes people don't have substantial symptoms from eating gluten.  Some people even have no symptoms.  For those people it seems to me it may be harder to not cheat.  But for others who have pain and other symptoms the desire to cheat tends to be less.

Thank u so much for your response.  I’ve been on a strict gluten free diet for more than six months.  Plus being 100 pounds overweight, I’ve added a keto diet with this for the same amount of time.  I just get so frustrated with the limitations but I do feel good going without gluten.  Everything thing I’ve studied about celiac disease was on my own.  My doctor doesn’t know anything about this disease so if it wasn’t for the internet and this site, I would be at a loss.  It’s getting to point that when I go grocery shopping, I can basically look at a food and tell if it has gluten.  Ive also downloaded a gluten scanner to my iPhone that has been a great help to me.  Thank u again for the response that I needed.  You were a great help!

[Wheatwacked]

On 11/4/2020 at 9:55 AM, Cindy Doerr said:

 I just get so frustrated with the limitations

We are constantly bombarded with advertising of the Cool People eating wonderful gluten based foods; it is hard to resist. Of course the next commercial has someone dancing and smiling because they're on the newest diabetes medicine. When you get that craving, remember how limited you felt when you felt crappy, before the gluten-free and Keto; is feeling like you used to worth a donut? Sometimes it seems like you're not making progress and just depriving yourself of the wonderful world of Gluten and Carbs, but keep the faith. They'll continue to get sicker and you'll continue to get healthier. Part of the healing process is mourning the loss of foods you loved, and that takes time.