Staying On The Diet

[paradise2004]

I have known about my Celiac disease for about five years, and probably had it for at least 8. I constantly had stomach aches and was exhausted. Since my diagnosis I have gone on and off the diet. I can feel the consequences but somehow I still eat gluten. Compared to most, my reactions aren't that bad. I get a bad stomach ache and feel exhausted. Is there anyone that can convince me to stay on this program? I know what may happen: It will ruin my intestine and may give me stomach cancer, I don't know if I really understand it though. Thanks.

[kvogt]

Anyone in your family have lupus? It killed my grandmother. I figure it could kill me, too. Anyone have rhumatoid arthritis? That would be a nasty thing to get. I've got a big ugly, red, itchy patch of eczema on my leg - another autoimmune disease - that I would have rather not gotten. Probably wouldn't have it if I had been diagnosed in time. You may have light symptoms now, but as you get older and your immune system gets more tired, you will probably have more trouble.

Is this the sort of response you were looking for?

[tarnalberry]

"Is there anyone that can convince me to stay on this program?"

No. Until you determine if your quality and length of life is more important than the taste of wheat based products, you won't stick with the diet. And I don't mean that in a rude or judgemental way; it's possible that someone finds bagels and wheat pasta so important to their life that it is worthwhile, in overall happiness over the span of their life, to deal with whatever level of symptoms they have an risk dieing earlier. I'd disagree, of course, but that wouldn't mean it wasn't true for them. ;-) (My moral philosophy is ethical egoism... this take on it comes from that.)

Some reasons to consider:

* Eating gluten when you have gluten intolerance will:

- Give you intestinal symptoms (even if they are mild)

- Give you other symptoms (mental and physical, and again they may be mild)

- Lower your quality of life, by an amount that you can't determine until you try being gluten-free for a while, and by an amount that may vary over the course of your life

- Increase your risk of dieing early

- Increase your risk of cancer and the cost, symptoms and medical treatments (many of which are uncomfortable) along with that

- Increase your risk of diabetes and the cost, symptoms and medical treatments (many of which are unpleasant) along with that

- Increase your risk of other autoimmune diseases and the cost, symptoms and medical treatments (many of which aren't fun) along with that

* Avoiding gluten, while initially difficult, is a learned skill that becomes easier with time.

* Taking full responsibility for your health and the work that goes into maintaining your health is representative of other healthy choices to be made in your life and is practice for all of those other decisions.

Those are just a couple things that come to mind.

[wclemens]

paradise2004,

Hi. Glad you're here. In 1977 I learned that my sister, brother, and I were the only ones on my mother's side of the family to not have Polycystic Kidney Disease, an hereditary, terminal kidney disease. I watched my mother, grandmother, two aunts, and two cousins die of the disease. Imagine how ecstatic my sister, brother, and I were to realize that we had been given a life without the threat of this terminal illness (my mother died at 48).

Later we watched as our father died of colon cancer. Oh what we would give to have our mother and father here with us now, as we, along with our children and grandchildren experience life.

Celiac Disease has tried to bring us all down. It has caused physical illness, depression, doubts about our sanity, conflict, anger, irritation, frustration, and pain. Suffering is no stranger to us. Why would we give in to it, and cause our early demise, by eating foods which we know are poison for us? My dad always told me, "Don't be a quitter!" I'd be giving up, just quitting, if I let grains, milk, dairy, egg whites or yeast pass these ruby red lips--lips which have so much good and so much positive to share with others. I just won't do it. I will stand up and fight! I will take each day and make the most of it, giving my best. I will offer hope and inspiration to others, who may not know what to do. I will thank my Creator that He spared me from an hereditary kidney disease and colon cancer, and that He gave me the opportunity to live my dreams.

We care about you, and we really want you to join with us in this fight. Together we can change the world. We can make a difference. We can experience victory, joy, and jubilation. Yay! Go team, go! Welda

[flagbabyds]

It's really up to you and you have to decide if you want to die when you are 60 or when you are 100? I choose 100 but it is really up to you. If you want to be throwing up and being sick all the time then that is your choice, but if you want to be happy and healthy, stay on the diet.

[burdee]

OK, I'll add my 2 cents' worth: When you 'cheat', whom are you cheating? Only yourself. When you learn that touching a hot burner on a stove will cause pain and damage your body, do you intentionally put your hand on the hot burner? Would you 'cheat' the 'rule against touching the hot burner' if you did?

Perhaps the 'cheating' notion comes from calling the gluten free eating program a 'diet'. Most diets deprive us of foods we like and force us to eat foods we dislike. That's not necessarily so with the gluten-free approach. You can find GREAT gluten-free substitutes for many gluten containing breads, pastries, pastas, etc. You can find gluten-free brands for many condiments and gluten-free versions of many other foods. Focus on SUBSTITUTION, not deprivation.

You may discover many great foods you never tried, because you were stuck in a gluten rut. I certainly was. I hardly ever tried other grains or starches, because I didn't like white rice or white russet potatoes, but I ate a LOT of gluten laden breads. I seldom tried other ethnic foods. Now I love all kinds of rice, rice noodles, quinoa, amaranth, many varieties of nuts and nut butters, all kinds of beans, squashes, and any potato except russet. I love trying authentic Mexican and Thai restaurants which have lots of gluten-free choices. Even though I must avoid dairy and soy, as well as gluten, I now have soooo many more food choices, because I was forced to look beyond my old favorites.

BURDEE

[darlindeb25]

i tell people that i am not on a diet--it's a way of life and gluten-free is a way of life--when you are diabetic and have to change the way you eat, its not called a diet--same thing--its the way we live, no ifs, ands, or buts--i tell people i do not have a wheat allergy, but that i can not tolerate any wheat in my system and then i add or barley, rye, and oats and they dont understand, its up to us to educate people--lets be teachers----deb

[darlindeb25]

ps---we cant look at gluten-free as a life sentence--its---WOW, I HAVE MY LIFE BACK--YEHA-------deb