Do any of you with Hashimoto's occasionally have 'cheat meals' that include gluten, etc.?

[faeground]

I just finished Elle Russ's book and she does say it's okay to occasionally have a cheat meal (like once every 6 months), even with Hashimoto's, but no more than that.

Do any of you do that?

[SmallBlueThing]

I eat a wide variety of minimally-processed foods, including wheat bread with yeast or sourdough leaven (although I think dark rye is more nutritious). I'm not cheating, as I'm not in the gluten-free game. Best wishes for your health.

sciencebasedmedicine.org/ri...

[Lynneypin]

No, I never cheat. I read that it can set us back 6 months.

[Baobabs in reply to Lynneypin]

It is my considered opinion that gluten is pure poison so no, I don't ever cheat. Even if no obvious symptoms are apparent I truly believe this is insidious and detrimental fare to the body. Not good for anyone with autoimmune disease and we need to maintain gut health always. There will be folk who disagree and that's fine but no one will convince me otherwise. Before anyone tries to influence me let me state, we will simply have to agree .......................... To disagree.

[BadHare]

If being gluten free works for someone, it seems daft to cause a potential setback when It takes three months to get rid of anti-gliadin antiodies from consumption of even a bread crumb.

I'm not GF & don't have Hashimoto's, though I do stick to sourdough to keep phytate levels lower, which can be an issue for some people, rather than gluten.

[Foxtrot89]

I know it sounds cheesy but at the moment it feels like eating gluten is only cheating myself. I had some the other day by accident and it made me feel like I’d taken a sedative and felt awful for several days after.

It’s not like a weight loss diet where someone might pig out and regret the amount they ate, not for me anyway. It really affects me badly at the moment.

[Hidden]

I didn't find I was reacting to gluten when I was eating it but now iv cut it out, the times I have accidently consumed it, I feel terrible for probably two weeks. It causes leaky gut so if ever you cheat it will set your immune system into overdrive and to start attacking your thyroid x

[Shenow]

I think it depends on how you feel after you have eaten gluten. I was gluten free for a year because all the forums said it helps. I didn't notice any change in my health and being gluten free made me pretty miserable as limited choices when eating out and visiting friends for meals etc so I re-introduced it and there was no change in my health. However, I don't eat gluten in the morning because that's when I take my meds. So it's a bit of trial and error to find out what works for you.

[Baobabs in reply to Shenow]

I'm not sure how you feel afterwards is a reliable barometer. A colleague of mine years ago found out by accident she had Celiac Disease. She had only suffered bloating and the occasional upset stomach. Her intestines were so irritated with gluten she has to have a yearly endoscopy to ensure her gut was healthy, functioning and free of abnormal cell growth. No apparent problems on the surface but beneath utter chaos was happening. We think that those food allergies requiring the use of an EpiPen represent the most severe instances but the insidious working of food intolerances is just as serious a situation.

[isolda_m]

I'm not gluten free because gluten does not seem to bother me at all. I am skeptical of the one-size-fits all gluten scare stories that are universal in Thyroid books and on these sorts of boards. I've never had digestive problems at all. My immune system problems show up with very sensitive skin when I eat the wrong thing. I can eat wheat and oats, both of which contain gluten, but not barley, which contains gluten, or corn (maize) which does not. I think I'm sensitive to one or more proteins present in certain grains, just not gluten. I eat barley or corn very rarely, perhaps once every few months. I can get away with eating one serving of those foods. If I eat more, my skin starts turning red and getting very sensitive.

I eat a whole foods 90% plant based diet, with at least 700g of fruits and vegetables each day. I eat whole grains, beans and nuts as well as lots of herbs, spices, and green and herbal teas. This seems to be working for me. My last test was negative for antibodies.

[Angel_of_the_North]

If you need to be gluten -free then you need to be gluten-free - completely. It's a fact that modern grains contain far more gluten than their ancestors so might cause sensitivity problems where they were none a couple of hundred years ago (in spite of what all the quackbuster/big pharma schill sites (like the one quoted earlier in this thread) say. It didn't make a difference to my thyroid, but my asthma gradually went away when I stopped eating processed grains. I was always allergic to oats and came out in a rash after touching them, so not really surprising that I had some sensitivity to eating grains.

[Marz]

I personally think that wheat and other crops are over sprayed with harmful chemicals - both when growing and after - which can also contribute to sensitivities.

One of my local taverna owners here in Crete - grows his own ancient wheat ( Xia or Zia ) which is low in gluten. He makes bread from the flour and it is delicious. I have been gluten free for several years ( have/had Crohns too ) - and feel my gut has mostly healed so can eat this ancient bread. I have more problems with corn and nightshades and processed foods.

[seekingjenna71]

I dont plan cheat meals. But the times i have forgotten to check etc I have felt bad. So no! I woukdnt volunteer to feel that way

[klr31]

Yes, I occasionally cheat and eat gluten and as long as I don't eat too much at any one time then I seem to get away with it.

Karen

[silverfox7]

Thankfully I don't have antibodies it I salute all those who have benefitted from going gluten free and reading posts about it I'm so glad I'm not in that catagory. My gut feeling, no pun intended, would be don't try it when you have done so well.

[SilverAvocado]

My understanding is that not everyone with Hashimotos has issues with gluten, there is a suspected number people sometimes quote, it's something like 80 or 90% of Hashis sufferers.

If you've given up gluten for several months, seen no difference, and don't experience any ill effects when you eat gluten, then you may be in the lucky 10% (or whatever it is).

Some people who do need to be gluten free will feel very unwell after tiny amounts. It seems like some can eat a bit more and be fine.

It's trial and error to see which group you fall into, and if you can eat gluten without discomfort or symptoms you might as well. If course this is talking purely about Hashimotos symptoms. Others in this thread suggest other reasons you might avoid gluten, but I think that's probably a different discussion.