How a Sudden Event in My Life 7 Years ago Taught me How To Overcome Easier the Unexpected!

Firstly I was never a housewife type, which I admire a lot, therefore I didn’t know how to cook much. You know, just some basics.. how to make sandwiches, pasta, fried potatoes etc. I used to eat something ready or something quick. So suddenly my body started to react badly in almost everything I was eating and in 3 months I lost 10kg. Obviously something serious was going on. So after couple of tests and doctor visits I was diagnosed with Coeliac disease with severe damage of my intestine. The day I found out, I looked at the doctor and asked him "Is there a cure?" He said: There is no cure but you can manage it by avoiding gluten. I said ok that sounds easy.. no pills, no injections .. cool! He also added: You need to avoid tiny traces of gluten too because if you don’t, it can be dangerous for you. Oh, that spooked me.. and how do I do it Doc? You should cook your food, sweets and everything you will eat at home where you can’t have any gluten related products if possible to avoid cross contamination! This is where we laugh!

Fact No.1: A sudden event lead to a severe damage which needs to be treated immediately. I had no idea how to cook! I had to adjust immediately to a situation that I haven’t been before without knowing what to do or how!

Despite the fear of the unknown and the disease, at first I went to buy some essentials, as I had only the basics, like utensils, pans, oven pans etc because in any case I had to eat gluten free food at least 3 times a day effective immediately, from the next morning! Also just to give you the whole picture, supermarkets had just a few basic products, no restaurant was familiar how to cook safe gluten free food only some hotels.. Anyway bought some GF flour, vegetables, fruits, fish, chicken .. to start with.

Fact No 2. Identify the situation and work with everything you have!

I will keep it short, at the beginning it was a nightmare.. Trying to bake bread was a disaster, every time the bin was eating the bread, my food.. No taste whatsoever! But every time I was trying something different, day after day, year after year.. And you know what? I started to understand how to make my food better, healthier and tasty enough.

Fact No.3: Keep it simple, one step at a time but try to find what’s working better for you as I did and never quit

This year, as every year, I had to bake my favorite traditional Easter GF “flaounes” and I tried something different, new! After seven years of constant trying this year I made the perfect ones! Very tasty looking good “flaounes”. It took me 7 years? Yes because I only bake them once a year. I felt like I won a trophy! Took a picture send it to my family, they were so proud.

Fact No.4 Never stop trying until you are satisfied from the results

This is the first time I write about something so personal but seeing the affect that had on me and how this helped me to see things a bit differently and more positively made me share it with you. Of course corona virus is hitting hard the whole world but we need to accept the fact, constantly trying something different to find what will help us grow more, how to become better, what we need to change and eventually the rewards will come.

Hope you find it useful :)

Yours,

Maria