After writing a blog for 16 years, I finally found my passion related to food and health benefits.
My life journey is quite long.
Long life journey story
If you are interested, let's spend some time reading about my journey from a typical food blog until I created this special blog about gluten-free and gluten-free sourdough.
It all started little by little, and I didn't gain this knowledge all at once.
Early Life and PCOS Diagnosis
Hormone problems since childhood
Since childhood, I've had hormone problems, PCOS. I became aware of having PCOS during college because I was worried about having periods only once a year and very little flow.At that time, the doctor said there was no effective treatment except taking medicine to make periods happen.
Marriage and Struggle to Conceive
Clomid medication and miscarriage
At that time, I was still pretty relaxed. Until I got married in 2011. When you're married, you naturally want to have children, right? So, because of PCOS, I needed to take medicine called Clomid to help my eggs grow. After two years of marriage, I got pregnant, but at 8 weeks, I lost the baby because there was no baby's heartbeat and no development.I was so frustrated at that time because I really took care of my diet and took the medicine prescribed by the doctor. At the same time, I used a face cream sold by a friend. I didn't know that that face cream could have an impact on the baby during pregnancy.
Realization about harmful cosmetics
I only became aware of this after two years. I searched for the reason why I lost the baby. And the closest cause was that skincare product. It turns out it contained mercury. At that time, there was no knowledge about it.
But yeah, experience will teach us, right?
So I stopped using cosmetics since then. I tried various ways to conceive, I met many doctors, and one of them is a famous doctor in Malaysia. I underwent many treatments, including taking Clomid three times a year and even reached the stage of undergoing IUI. Still unsuccessful.
Pursuing Natural Conception
Doctor's advice to change lifestyle
Until the doctor advised me to change my dietary lifestyle to correct my hormones, do light exercises, and try to conceive naturally first. If unsuccessful, then I have to undergo ovarian drilling. Just hearing about needing surgery, I immediately thought, 'by hook or by crook, I must get pregnant naturally'. Haha!Journey to Natural Conception
Researching alternative methods
So I diligently researched ways to conceive. Since I couldn't take Clomid anymore to stimulate egg growth (because I reached the usage limit per year), I searched for alternative methods to stimulate egg growth. Because with PCOS, eggs don't grow properly. Then I found tips on another blog about drinking bean sprout water to conceive. However, the blog didn't explain in detail the connection between bean sprouts and pregnancy. (Now I know the connection after joining PCNM Class by Doc Norman 2024)
Combining methods (bean sprout water, massage, exercise, no white sugar)
So in 2017, I tried combining various methods to conceive, such as drinking bean sprout water, massaging to correct the uterus, light exercise, and cutting out white sugar. Alhamdulillah, my eggs successfully grew. So I was lucky, I didn't need to undergo ovarian drilling. Pheww!
Success in egg growth and pregnancy
I got pregnant in 2018. At that time, awareness about nutrition was not comprehensive yet. I ate fast food and even processed foods like ramen during pregnancy. I gradually became aware of nutrition after Aali, my first child, was born.
Nutritional Awareness and Child's Allergies
Lack of nutritional knowledge during first pregnancy
Aali, my first child, came into the world. Since 2 months old, his body showed allergic reactions. Among them were bleeding eczema, allergy to eggs including eggshell contact. Even a slight touch would cause his whole body to turn blue. I once gave Aali a little boiled egg white. And that was the worst moment for me because my child was at risk of anaphylaxis. His body turned blue, and he couldn't breathe.
Child's allergic reactions and eczema
I felt extremely scared and trembling. Imagine me driving with the baby in my lap, who had turned pale blue. I drove like a mad person, shaking. My husband was working and far from home. While driving, I kept pumping and pressing on my child's hands and feet to keep him awake and his blood flowing smoothly.
Traumatic experience with anaphylaxis
But when we arrived at the hospital, treatment was only given an hour later. While waiting, I kept pumping my child's hands and feet. When we finally got to see the doctor, only antihistamine medication was provided. Since then, I've been searching for the causes and ways to treat my child. From the age of 4 months onwards, I sought ways to treat my child's eczema and allergies. I started to learn slowly about the necessary vitamins (orthomolecular medicine) and which foods are okay (related to histamine).
Transition to Food-based Treatment
Searching for causes and treatments through food
I also researched treating using food little by little. I didn't treat using medication because I was scared after my child experienced side effects from being given a medicine called voren during a high fever. And that was also my nightmare. An hour after being given voren, my child cried and wanted to bang his head against the wall as if in extreme pain. It turns out that voren should not be given to children under 2 years old with a fever. And I learned this from sharing and awareness by doctors on Facebook. The one who gave voren to my child at that time was the doctor in the emergency department of the hospital.
Orthomolecular medicine and histamine-related foods
Since then, I have been searching for ways to gain knowledge to treat using food. Whether it's allergies, fevers, coughs, colds, or eczema, I treat them all using food. It would be long to tell the whole story. I'll just give a summary.
And from my child's condition, I also learned the importance of gluten-free food. Because when there are eczema issues, the child faces leaky gut problems and needs to avoid gluten as it can make the intestines unhealthy.
Discovering Gluten-Free Lifestyle
Importance of gluten-free diet for eczema and leaky gut
The journey of discovering the world of gluten-free began in 2019. At that time, there weren't many gluten-free recipes being shared in Malaysia. While there were plenty available outside the country, they didn't quite suit our tastes. So, from there, I started experimenting with creating my own recipes after numerous failed attempts with others' recipes. I still remember when I made my own condensed milk recipe. I created it in just a minute, compared to the lengthy process outlined in other recipes.
Experimenting with gluten-free recipes
However, I only made gluten-free recipes briefly because I was focused on my children until I became active again after the birth of my second child in 2023. In 2023, I began actively participating in the Facebook group for RESEPI GLUTEN FREE ASMRDHIA. I created many new recipes with my own ratios and modifications to recipe hydration.
Gluten-Free Sourdough Journey
In my quest for gluten-free knowledge and health, I became aware of the existence of gluten-free sourdough because I don't like using commercial yeast in breadmaking due to its unpleasant aftertaste.
That's why I found a better way to make gluten-free bread, cookies, and other gluten-free foods by using a gluten-free sourdough starter.
Creating new recipes with own ratios and modifications
I started around August 2022 if I'm not mistaken. And from there, the quest for knowledge began every day. Until I could create and modify my own ratios of gluten-free flour and substitute ingredients like psyllium husk, xanthan gum in recipes. I even managed to crack the code of the gluten-free field. While many people say gluten-free can't compete with wheat, can't achieve the windowpane effect, I proved them wrong. I managed to do all of that. I even succeeded in making shokupan bread texture.
Mastering Gluten-Free Sourdough
Cracking gluten-free codes (windowpane effect, textures)
I shared a lot of knowledge in the ASMRDHIA gluten-free sourdough group too. But, in sharing that knowledge, many still couldn't keep up with my pace of devouring GFSD and GF knowledge. So, I created a GFSD masterclass to assist them, and I also provided the recipe for GFSD Masterpiece, which yields fluffy, soft, and delicious results!And I've cracked many GF codes:
- Can achieve the windowpane effect
- Can make bread with a cotton-like texture
- Can create beautiful and jiggly GFSD dough without adding extra flour for adjustments
- Can achieve a bread texture comparable to wheat
Ongoing Exploration
Collaborating with Malaysian group members
And now I'm diligently searching for the perfect ratios for Gluten-Free and Gluten-Free Sourdough sandwich bread that are truly perfect and masterpieces.
And this journey isn't just about bread. I've experimented with dozens of gluten-free flours. Now, I have more than 10 types of gluten-free starters, and each one has its own unique functions and aroma.
Besides that, members in the GFSD group that I created in Malaysia are all amazing. Their recipes are all delicious and interesting to try, and they suit the Malaysian taste palate perfectly.
My journey of getting to know gluten-free sourdough continues non-stop and unlimited. And I continue to create recipes for the benefit of the global community.