<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

A happier mindset....As a celiac I eat a healthier diet than the rest of
human society.  I am privileged to have an intolerance to over processed,
unhealthy, and unnatural foods.  I, personally, do not substitute.  I never
eat ANY (gf or not) breads, cakes, coated, crusted, etc.. foods.  For one,
it's a pain in the butt, and two, my body doesn't want the real stuff so
why should I force a fake version down my throat.  Where do I get my
energy, my carbs, my calories?  From foods I CAN eat...potatoes, rice, corn,
beans, meat, veggies...the list goes on! (no, it really does!)

Some recent posts have discussed paleo-ish diets at length.  I recall
studying quite a bit of this as an anthropology minor in college.  At the
same time, when I was diagnosed, I developed my own little theory...to help
me deal with and understand my new `problem'.  I decided that celiac was no
problem at all, not a disease, and I was not a less healthy member of
society for having it.  To me being celiac meant I was the next step on the
human evolutionary trail.  Over time, mutant genes are generated that allow
our species, and any other for that matter, to become more diverse.
Diversity allows US, collectively, to get beyond crippling diseases, to
survive in a variety of environments, and to adapt to the world.  Having
said that, think of celiac as an enhancement...adding to the diversity of the
world.  Though it may not seem like it now, celiac is another step in our
evolution.  During college I thought that maybe a huge event would prove
this...perhaps a cataclysmic plague would kill off all the wheat, or maybe a
new parasite would evolve that would destroy the grain industry, or perhaps
human error and genetic modification would do the trick...through it all
celiacs would thrive.  At any cost, I decided that being celiac meant I was
one step ahead of the rest.  Now, after the recent posts and a re-read of
some human diet studies, I've opted for a new reason.  Celiac is the human
body's way of evolving a natural instinct...to avoid something we've poisoned
ourselves with for to long.

Whether or not this is true at all has yet to be proven by science, but its
wonderful food for thought and a great way to mentally live with celiac.
Next time that co-worker eats his slice of pizza in front of you, just
think " wow, it's so great I don't have to deal with an addiction to
poisons like wheat, poor guy. "

Kat in UT