REMEMBER BRAVE ALIX? LOOK AT HER NOW...
mother’s natural instinct is often right, despite on occasions being contradictory to what ‘experts’ and professionals advise – and this was the case of British expat Sharon, who moved to Spain in 2005.
Costa Blanca News followed her plight and struggle back in 2013, when her then 13 year old daughter Alexandra (Alix) Brown was experiencing a multitude of medical issues and numerous incorrect diagnosis – not only from here in Spain, but also in the UK. We shared her harrowing and difficult path, which regularly resulted in Alix spending weeks on end in various hospital beds, being passed from one department to another as medics struggled to detect the root of her pain and suffering.
Doctors eventually identified numerous conditions and told Sharon that she would never be able to lead a normal life like her peers, especially going out to eat – something, which if you saw Alix now, would find very hard to believe.
Like many in this day and age, Google has become man’s best friend and Sharon was no exception. She literally spent hundreds of hours studying and researching the rare conditions that her daughter had and concluded that diet had a major impact on the body. “What you put into your body has an effect on your wellbeing” Sharon said. By making what some may consider drastic changes to their diet, turning Vegan, both mother and now daughter look the picture of health. A vegan diet is one that consists of only plant-derived foods and excludes any animal or animal by-products such as eggs and dairy.
Sharon has always held a keen interest in food, having worked as a junior chef at the prestigious 5 Star luxury Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland. She has helped prepare food for the likes of Bono, U2, Tiger Woods plus numerous other world class golfers and even the late David Bowie, who were all guests there. Fast-forward to her current situation, Sharon quickly realized that eating out for people like her daughter, with food intolerances and allergies, was virtually impossible. In fact, many so-called vegan restaurants often only offered one or two specific options on an otherwise conventional meat and fish menu.
Those with acute intolerances can be very badly affected solely by food being prepared on the same surfaces and so the brainwave for opening a truly vegan and vegetarian restaurant came about. Everything is freshly prepared, including the butter and cheese, which Sharon makes herself. She takes it very seriously, understanding the impact and consequences to someone with health issues and how it can set them back. Most of us cannot comprehend not being able to eat whatever took their fancy on a menu, so for those it is groundbreaking not having that worry.
The restaurant is called ‘Gaia” – who in Greek mythology was the Goddess of Mother Earth. While Sharon prepares the dishes, Alix can be found front of house – a perfect partnership. They opened at the beginning of the week and offer a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. The restaurant can be found on Calle Johann Sebastian Bach, at the far end of Albir the road just off the seafront on the Albir and Altea boarder. You can contact Sharon via their Facebook page – GaiaRestaurantAlbir and she will be more than happy to answer any questions or prepare
special dietary requirements with 24 notice.
We at CBN wish them both every success in their venture and are delighted that Alix is progressing so well since our last report.