At a young age, while sitting dewey eyed at my desk, I was taught that cheating is something I should never do. Even on the play ground I heard the screams of “cheater cheater pumpkin eater”! Throughout my childhood and early adulthood, the concept of being labeled a cheater is something I have avoided like the plague. But there I was, holding a package of ramen noodles ready to cheat.
After being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, my entire life changed. I was no longer able to aimlessly eat without thinking and now I was a cheater cheater, gluten eater. To someone able to eat a “regular” diet, there should be no internal struggle with eating ramen. But to me, those were death noodles. I tried to pretend that my stomach was not already physically rejecting the poison and move on with my life. As I writhed in pain I got to thinking; what could continuing to eat gluten actually do to my body?
I already knew that gluten caused immense damage to my villi and overall gut health. However, I had no idea what other potential risks were waiting for me. Continuing to eat gluten after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease can cause over 300 symptoms. Some, like nausea and vomiting seem to be manageable at first glance. What many people with Celiac do not realize, is that the repeating poisoning of your gut can and will cause your symptoms to worsen over time. There will be more options on your table of self destruction. Today on the menu we have nausea and noodles, followed by bone loss and biscuits and we’ll end the course with seizures and Subway.
Continuing to eat gluten after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease can cause over 300 symptoms.
These are just a few of the very serious symptoms that can be avoided by strict adhesion to a gluten free lifestyle. Those with Celiac Disease that continue to eat gluten are more susceptible to developing anemia, causing nerving damage and being the victim of a complete gastrointestinal shut down. These things can be accompanied by infertility in women, Thyroid Disease and Diabetes. Cheating on a consistent basis can also increase the risk of developing Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer that is fatal if left untreated.
After reading these things, I no longer thought of it as an innocent act, but as my own hand hammering one more nail into my figurative coffin. I so quickly forgot that I am the only one capable of taking control of my health and protecting my body from any more potential damage. From then on, I decided to become a glutenator and give my body a fightingchance. Besides, no one likes a cheater.
Photo credit: Simply Gluten Free (1) Gluten Dude
