The Chef
Destiny Takes its Turn
“What is the professional exit strategy of a lawyer?” This is how a German joke starts. The answer is “Chef”. Did you laugh? I did in the past, but without knowing the truth behind it! Now I laugh because I am so puzzled about its truth. After working as a lawyer in the field of Foreign Direct Investment between Germany and China for more than ten years, I followed my French husband to the US and … became a Chef. The idea did not come out of the blue, though. It matured over the years and had its tipping point during my very own health crisis.
Necessity is the Mother of Invention
When I first arrived in the US, at the end of 2016 with my little family of three, the first thing I craved was the traditional German Vollkornbrötchen (whole grain bread roll). Vollkornbrötchen is a freshly baked, unrefined, healthy and absolutely cute in size. I could not find it anywhere near me. So, I started to bake my own. I poured my creativity into this hobby and experimented with different flours and ingredients. Friends, family and visitors began to express their appreciation for my creations.
In August of 2017, I became paralyzed from the chest down within 13 hours. I spent 6 weeks in the hospital and ultimately left it – Thank God – not in a wheelchair but using a walker. A few months later I was able to walk with a cane. As of today, I have not recovered 100% and am classified as “permanently disabled”. There is no known remedy for this very rare disease called “Spontaneous Spinal Cord Infarct” and its root cause remains a mystery in my case. We only assume that it was linked to a bite by either a spider or a snake in Florida shortly before the incident occurred.
I will never accept the fact that there is no cure to this disease. So, I started researching other medical advancements and discovered naturopathic medicine and the nutritional aspects of healing. I was blown away by all the knowledge I gained and changed mine and my family’s diet accordingly. I still do not know whether the change in diet will help my nervous system fully recover but I can confirm that my immune system got much stronger. My family members are rarely sick, and they perform at work and school at a high intellectual level.
Looking around and seeing a multitude of diseases people suffer from malnutrition in a world of abundance, I found my new professional purpose in promoting health awareness through my little home bakery. Will I be able to initiate a shift in peoples’ minds from associating sugary, salty, fatty and processed treats with satisfaction to connecting unsweetened, natural and nutrient-dense Gourmet bread with pleasure?
Time will tell.
Dr.iur. turned Chef Thuly
