My Last one

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Summer 2017

I was on vacation in our house in Sicily with my family, as every year.

Just a few days after arriving and still adjusting to the time zone, one of the first stops of our vacation, which would have officially announced the start of our summer vacation, had to be the artisanal gelateria ‘La Delizia’ down the street.

An unmissable stop for years now.

I couldn’t contain my excitement, perhaps even more than my children.

I’ve been living in New York for many years, where I’ve learned to appreciate the variety and abundance of food found in supermarkets, exotic fruits, and cuisines from around the world.

I have noticed over the years, though, that certain delicacies can only be enjoyed when I return ‘home to Sicily’.

Gli arancini con carne o burro, lo sfincione, il pane rimacinato freshly baked, la brioche con il gelato, la granita, la pasta con i tenerumi, il caciocavallo stagionato, il primosale, il gelo di mellone, la frutta Martorana… I could go on indefinitely.

That summer afternoon was the turn of the brioche with gelato: an unparalleled calorie bomb.

I chose bacio and watermelon flavors (and, of course, whipped cream).

With the first ‘lick,’ I closed my eyes, inhaled, and sighed deeply to instinctively express my state of contentment — a faint smile formed on my face.

The magic was interrupted by the ring of my cell phone. It was my doctor from New York calling… “how strange,” I thought, “perhaps she simply wants to inform me of the results of my latest blood tests that I had done just before leaving”.

I guessed it right.

She had called me precisely for this.

However, what the communication held took me by surprise:

“Iosè, I’m sorry to let you know that your antibody test for Celiac disease came back positive. It looks like you might have Celiac disease”.

“Whaaaat?

Wait a minute, how? I’m Italian”…it’s impossible I thought.

“I lived on

P — pane

P — pasta

P — pizza

all my life! I didn’t even know that you were testing me for Celiac”!

“Well, Celiac disease can go undetected for many years and can be silent. You’ll need to undergo an endoscopy to confirm the diagnosis when you come back. In the meantime, try to stay away from gluten”, my doctor said from the other side of the ocean.

How could I possibly stay away from it while being surrounded by the most delicious glutinous food on earth?

I was practically in Gluten Land!

I was shocked and in disbelief. The idea of having to give up freshly baked bread, dishes of fresh pasta, and many other Italian dishes had saddened me quite a bit.

Since the diagnosis was not entirely confirmed yet, I decided to push this ‘nuisance’ aside and postpone everything until my return to NY.

My only goal at that moment was to enjoy the vacation and all its offerings, gluten-filled food included.

That summer marked the last time I indulged in food containing gluten.

My diagnosis was confirmed in October 2017, and from that moment on, my adventure in transforming my gluten-free diet began.

An adventure initially marked by inevitable mistakes of someone who didn’t know, hours spent reading and learning, workshops, research, and various kitchen experiments — some successful, many less so.

Because, let’s face it, most of the time, if not all, gluten-free bread, pizza, and pasta fall short and are merely a sad attempt to replace ‘the irreplaceable’!

My background as a holistic nutrition consultant was certainly an advantage, although what initially seemed like a simple ‘elimination diet’ turned out to be something much more complex, requiring great discipline and information.

At that point, I decided to specialize and become a gluten-free practitioner to learn everything possible about this condition and the gluten-free diet.

You see, to this day, there is no cure or drugs for Celiac disease.

The only therapy is to adhere to a strict gluten-free diet for the rest of your life.

Driven by a personal mission, I penned a mini-guide for gluten-free beginners, a lifeline for those, much like myself, who found themselves unprepared and thrust into the abrupt transformation of their dietary habits.

As my journey unfolded, I also became an expert in the kitchen (thank god I always loved to cook), and for a while, I worked as a gluten-free home chef, preparing and delivering meals to people who either enjoy or need to follow a gluten-free diet.

Do I miss occasionally a classic, good slice of crusty bread, pizza, or a croissant?

Heck, yeah! — Cavolo, certo che si!

But I can never cheat.

My health is far more precious than indulging in culinary temptations.

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Originally published on Medium

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