Mosaics' Blog

So true, just say no. I have had no difficulty in saying no, and like you I don't understand how people can get tempted.
I must admit it is harder to say no when on a diet, as I admit to cheating on that heaps of times. But coeliac is so different, one crumb and it can be quite damaging to our health. A diet, I guess you can cheat, without feeling completely like death warmed up, but in the long run it is just as bad. The thought of instant pain puts me right of the temptation to eat gluten.
I probably would not be as good if I was a diabetic, I might not be as vigilant as I should be, is that because the reactions would not be so instant. I must admit I do push boundaries, and that gets me all the time. But boundary pushing, as in trying something I am not 100% with, is getting less and less.
So really, this gluten free diet does suit my personality, and there are nowhere near as many treats, and I like that. I can't say I cheat, maybe one more chocolate than necessary, on occassions, but we all need a little extra now and again. But gluten, never.
Cathy

Ah - but what about those of us with Celiac Disease who are fortnate enough not to suffer from any of the symptoms generally associated with celaic. While I am certain I have celiac (three blood tests and 2 endoscopies one positive and then one cleaned up after on the diet for two years) I never have suffered in any way. It is as if I jsut dont eat gluten for the fun of it - or for some speculated health reasons that no one is really certian about regarding assymptomatic people. While I rarely break the diet I definitely hear the temptation.
(sorry for the bitterness - it goes in waves)
More power to everyone.

didi

Ha! I understand the bitterness.

I was diagnosed with celiac disease before I had any noticeable symptoms, and I was not suffering either. Both of my children also. Earlier in my blog I told about how I was diagnosed.

Your comment makes me wonder how old you are. For the people that I personally know with celiac disease, they didn't start getting miserable or noticing any symptoms until they were close to or over 50. Up until then, they were apparently perfectly healthy, asympomatic, etc. Although, after going off gluten, some realized that they actually weren't feeling as well as they thought, or they had symptoms, but didn't recognize them as such.

It's like my brother who said that he was like a man that was nearly blind, but didn't know it until he got glasses and could see clearly. He had lived with symptoms for so long and had just thought they were a natural part of aging or stress or whatever. Not until he went off gluten did he realize that there was actually something wrong with [i]him[/i].

The only problem that I had was acid reflux. You see it on TV so much that it seems everyone has it, right? Just pop a pill and take care of it. And that's exactly what I was doing. Now that I know it wasn't normal to have acid reflux, it irritates me no end to see all of those meds advertised. Find out[i] why [/i] you have acid reflux people! It's not normal!

Tell me, for you who did not have any symptoms so to speak, what happens with you now if you accidently get glutened? Do you suffer? I would find it hard going without something and not have any visible reason for doing it. For me it is easy, because I do suffer. Suffering now, and I can't sleep.
I am one of those nearly 50 year olds who thought I was perfectly healthy with a bit of dairrhea, but not until I started the diet, six months ago, did I realise there was more than just the diahrrea going on. I am listening to my body, and I know when I have erred, and it is always accidental, as someone, namely a food manufacturer has let me down again. I can understand the glasses thing, as I was quite shortsighted by the time I realised I needed them. Maybe I was blind to a lot of things. But when you are so used to one thing, it just becomes normal for yourself. I really only became concerned with the reflux cropping up more often and the fact that I did not enjoy christmas at all, through overeating and spending a lot more time on the loo. I come from a family, well my mother still has stomach issues. But so far I am the only diagnosed in the family.
I was only starting to suffer reflux, and happy to say have not had it for 6 months. Yay. It irritates me about my mother who takes a pill for her reflux, and another one for her cholestrol and then just eats whatever she likes. My hubby takes his reflux pills too, without a thought as to what could be causing it. I would rather control my ails through diet if possible, than take a pill to cure it. That is why this disease suits me, not that I ever wanted it. But I would rather this if I had to have one than a whole host of other things.
Cathy

Kaycee, y es, I've written previously that I do suffer when I accidently get gluten. In fact, I'm much more sensitive to gluten now that I've been gluten-free for three years than I was in the beginning. My experience has been almost exactly like yours in that I didn't realize I had symptoms before I was diagnosed because I thought I was normal. It's kinda like the saying "you never miss the water 'til the well runs dry" in reverse. Often we don't know we have symptoms until they're gone.