Finding Sunshine
Alpha-Gal can be a lonely place.
It’s hard to give up so much when the very things you’re sacrificing used to provide so much joy. On top of the isolation of giving up the food we love, the diagnosis can be a source of a ridiculous amount of negative emotion – sadness, anger, frustration, anxiety. We don’t deny facing these at some point or another since we were diagnosed.
We’ve debated a lot about how to fill the void. And we’ve learned it’s easier to write about than to put into practice.
Candice candidly admits that she cried when she found out about her wheat allergy 12 years ago. Fate delivered a gut punch to someone who spent years finding her true passion in cooking and baking. She couldn’t imagine how she would ever find bliss in the kitchen again. She packed up her cookbooks and grieved what she thought was the loss of her passion. So, what did she do? She googled. She feverishly searched the internet for gluten-free recipes and immediately started breathing easier. She didn’t give up her passion. She learned how to modify it. Instead of feeling deprived, she began to feel excited at the new challenge. And if you have any question about her success, all you need to do is try her gluten-free French Toast. With a hint of fresh orange zest. It’s amazing.
Her alpha-gal diagnosis brought all those feelings flooding back. But she remembered how, after her wheat allergy diagnosis, her confidence grew the more she cooked and baked. So, after alpha-gal, she got busy modifying recipes, creating new ones, and in no time at all, she was twirling in the kitchen again. The overwhelming, negative emotions diminished much quicker the second time around.
So, when I gave up gluten products a few years ago in an attempt to get control of my gut issues and inflammation, Candice softened the blow. She consoled me and showed me that I also didn’t have to give up the joy I found in the kitchen. And when the doctor handed me my alpha-gal diagnosis, and the rug was pulled out from under me, I remembered what Candice taught me. Modify. Change your perspective. Cook. Bake. Twirl.
We are still trying to navigate the emotions brought on by giving up many of the foods that we loved. But we’ve found that blogging about what we learn and sharing delicious food with others has been healing for us. It helps to fill the void. Whether or not cooking is your passion, we encourage those of you on this same path to face the diagnosis with a new perspective. There are a lot of us out here. And we’re ready to help you find a sliver of sunshine in the darkness, starting with the alpha-gal friendly French Toast HERE.
Modify your passion if you need to. Twirl in the kitchen. And for heaven’s sake, add fresh orange zest to your French Toast.
🐟🐓❤️ Debbie & Candice