Living a gluten-free lifestyle, many wonder if having just a little gluten is OK.
The quick and final answer is . . . NO!
Being gluten-free and passing by a pizza place, a bakery, or your favorite Chinese food restaurant, you think, just a little gluten will not hurt.
Hold on and stop right there!
Once you ingest that gluten, however yummy that bite may be, it will not be worth it. For me, a crumb can knock me out from a day to a week before I feel better again. Not worth it! Just a little gluten is all it takes to knock you down again!
This is possibly a door we all
have to go through to
realize that a life of gluten-free eating
AND FEELING SO MUCH BETTER
is really what we need to stay
on our road to health.
My dear sweet friend, Mary found out in her 80’s that she had Celiac Disease. As you can imagine this was a huge adjustment. She called me almost in tears, explaining her “I just had to” moment.
She depicted the scene where while shopping noticed a very delicious, tempting apple pie. She kept walking by it, knowing that it was not gluten-free, but hearing that little voice in her head saying, “oh, just one taste, it will be so good”. Oh, she thought she needed that pie and could have just a little gluten, right? You could just see the little devil sitting on her shoulder whispering in her ear!
In the end, she bought the pie, cut herself a piece, and instantly savored every bite. All too quickly, she realized she made a HUGE mistake. Crying, and with a little of that oh-silly-me laughter of hers, she said, “Jenn, I will never do that again!”
Just a little bit of gluten did her NO GOOD. Poor Mary learned her lesson the hard way.
Just Say No
Celiac Disease is an auto-immune disease – which means that your body will attack itself when it feels it needs protecting. When you eat gluten your body will attack to protect itself, possibly causing harm to parts of your body.
You may experience gas, bloating, belly ache, headache, muscle aches, or even extreme diarrhea. Not so pleasant. Of course, gluten affects each person differently. Instead, you may experience brain fog, exhaustion or neuropathy (the numbing of your hands and/or feet).
Some people feel no effects immediately, but ultimately, they are hurting their internal organs, which down the road can become very serious.
You will have bumps in the road
Following your gluten-free diet, you will have bumps in the road. You will learn where gluten is hidden. But, intentionally eating just a little bit of gluten, or a lot will only cause you discomfort and harm. (Really make sure your teenagers know this!)
Additionally, if you have gluten-intolerance, you can have the same reaction. So, the answer for you is also, “NO”.
So, instead of being tempted . . . .
call a friend,
go for a hike or a walk,
try out a new recipe to get your mind
over your craving.
Do not go back to eating gluten!
Join our Gluten-Free Facebook Group
to help create a gluten-free life
that WORKS for you
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