Shakeela Dawood
Growing up, I was always a sickly, crying child. As a teenager I was often misunderstood, suffered bouts of depression and hated been told what I could and couldn’t do. It was crazy and surreal to often wake up to the strong, sweet smell of flowers in my room and to exist in a constant state of déjà-vu. I lived in world far, far, far away from here.
At 16, I was diagnosed with an ulcer, and everything from there seem to spiral into a never-ending hole. Depression filtered into everyday life; I was always sick and throwing up, I wasn’t able to eat much. I felt that I had become an alien in my own family. Misery was slowly becoming a friend.
By 19, I felt like there was a perpetual kick-boxing match in my abdomen, coupled with bloating, ongoing headaches and hellish PMS cramps... misery had not only moved in, it had consumed me.
In my early twenties, I went for colonoscopy and endoscope (not fun), and Whoop!!!! I was finally diagnosed…with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome/ spastic colon). My happiness was short-lived, as nothing helped my condition – the prescribed medication, probiotics, eating bran... Nothing. Misery moved back in.
After several fruitless years of consulting numerous doctors for all sorts of ailments, I came across an article about eliminating foods that cause allergies and intolerance. And BINGO, after a month of slightly bland and boring food, I had finally worked out that I was gluten-intolerant.
The cherry on top of this crazy fruitcake was my diagnosis with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy a few years ago, which I later found out is linked to my gluten intolerance.
And so began my gluten-free eating journey…
Karissa Samuel
Dreamer | Visionary | Girl Next Door
Hi, I'm Karissa & I'm gluten intolerant.
My friends don't like inviting me over for dinner because they don't know what to cook, my noodles taste like rubber and I cheat often and pay for it.
I don't have nearly as much will power as Shakeela and I am easily tempted by glorious Velvet cake!
Like Shakeela, I was sick often, misdiagnosed and worst of all, suffered with debilitating migraines. Deep down inside I knew that I was not supposed to eat wheat and the day I was diagnosed, my worst nightmare was a reality.
The following months of detoxing off gluten were some of the hardest. I was moody, grumpy, emotional and imagine I know what a drug addict feels like when being weaned off their bad stuff. Except my bad stuff is so delicious. It was too hard!
I wanted an easy life, I didnt want to have to read every label and interrogate every waiter, so after a year of being completely gluten free, I gave in and started cheating.
The headaches came back, IBS symtoms plague me and my immune system has definately been compromised.
It was then when I decided that it HAS to be easier to live a gluten free life in South Africa. People need to know about gluten and the harm it causes to most bodies. More importantly, gluten free velvet cakes need to be perfected!
We need to have it easy to live a gluten free life. If only there was a connection for us gluten intolerants to get all our information, recipes and lifestyle tips to make our lives easier to live...
If only...
