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    As I fully expected the replies ranged from total
disagreement, calling me an insensitive brute, to 
total agreement, calling me a celiac guru, and replies
somewhere in between those extremes. I will leave you
with the most thoughtful, meaningful reply:

"Hi Dimitrios, 

    Your comments always make me laugh, and you always 
seem to say what I am thinking. I know it is tough for people 
who are super sensitive to gluten, even to those poor 
little raisins that happened to be near a machine that 
processed a wheat containing product, but really, the 
whining is incredible. Thanks for pointing that out, 
although people do not really see it. 

     My take on the whole thing is that while celiac disease 
is serious, in general the American public (and most likely 
Europe too) is so immune suppressed from the denatured food, 
stress, air pollution, world news, sedentary life styles 
and God knows what else, that their immune system are really 
shot. As a consequence, we are all overly sensitive to some 
allergens - in food, water and air. I am even struck by how 
many more people have seasonal allergies now - in my youth 
no one ever talked about allergies, and I grew up in the 
farming South (Tennessee). Also, the number of cases of asthma 
has sky rocketed as has lupus, and other auto immune diseases. 
My personal feeling is that instead of whining and petitioning 
(and being a victim), people could be doing a lot more to 
strengthen their immune system so that they are not so sensitive. 
There is yoga, Qigong, Ayurvedic medicine, meditation, etc., etc.
- all things that have been known to strengthen the immune 
system and heal the body. In fact, after 10 years of being 
on inhalers for asthma, I am now off of everything. I exercise,
I eat better, I meditate and do Qigong. I still have celiac 
disease, but I am not as sensitive to minor cross contamination 
as before. 

    Long story short, I wish people would be more proactive in 
taking care of their health instead of whining and succumbing 
to being a victim. Well, I just wanted to say, "bravo" for 
your response. I hear you!! And, you always make me smile."
 See the world in proper perspective: www.petersmap.com

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