Tick Talk: Bite-Sized Conversations for Alpha Gals

A set of speech bubbles on a green background.

Welcome to Tick Talk, a special corner in the alpha-gal syndrome community. Each week, I’ll present a new poll question to ignite engaging, bite-sized conversations among those of us living with this unique food allergy. By sharing your response, you’re doing more than just contributing to a fellow alpha-gal’s journey — you’re helping us all learn and grow together as we navigate this often misdiagnosed and misunderstood condition.

What Your Fellow Alpha Gals are Saying

Curious about what other alpha gals are thinking and experiencing? Browse the polls below for a glimpse into their perspectives, challenges, and triumphs.

The people living with the condition are the experts quote by Michael J Fox

Favorite Breakfast Foods

What’s your go-to alpha-gal friendly breakfast food?

Being diagnosed with alpha-gal means saying goodbye to real bacon, pork sausage gravy, and other beloved breakfast foods. Despite these changes, there’s still plenty to enjoy at the most important meal of the day. What alpha-gal friendly breakfasts have you come to love?

Share your thoughts by answering the question below!


A colorful word cloud highlighting various ags-friendly breakfast foods, titled "favorite ags-friendly breakfast foods according to sage alpha gal readers," updated april 20, 2024.

Recalling Tick Bites

Do you remember being bitten by the tick that you believe triggered your alpha-gal syndrome?

An alpha-gal diagnosis is life changing. However, pinpointing the exact moment of the tick bite that changed our lives can be challenging. Some alpha gals vividly remember the encounter, while others have no recollection of being bitten. What about you?

Share your thoughts by answering the question below!

Pie chart showing survey results on alpha-gal syndrome awareness with 55% yes and 45% no responses, branded by alphagal.

Your Family’s Eating Habits

How has an alpha-gal diagnosis changed your family’s eating habits at home?

Whether you’ve turned your kitchen into an alpha-gal friendly zone or are navigating this new dietary journey solo, I’m curious to learn more about your family’s eating habits.

A pie chart showing family eating habits since being diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome.

Living with Alpha-Gal Syndrome

How long have you been living with alpha-gal syndrome?

A diagram of a pie chart showing how long respondents have been living with alpha-gal.

Foods I Crave (but Can No Longer Eat)

Being diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome means saying goodbye to red meat and a whole lot more. Reflecting on the foods you once enjoyed, what do you find yourself missing the most? Is it a juicy steak, a hot dog at the ballpark, real bacon, or perhaps something else?

What food do you miss THE MOST since your alpha-gal diagnosis?

A graphic showing that people diagnosed with alpha-gal miss real cheese, bacon, and pork products the most.

Alpha-gal Syndrome Care Providers

What type of healthcare provider plays the biggest role in managing your alpha-gal syndrome?

Share your thoughts by answering the question below!

What type of healthcare provider plays the biggest role in managing your alpha-gal syndrome?

Overseeing the alpha-gal syndrome community and its tick talk discussions, involving the management of alpha gel.

Community Awareness

Do you find yourself often explaining alpha-gal to others in your community, or are you in an area where it’s already well-known?

Share your thoughts by answering the question below!

Do many people in your area know about alpha-gal syndrome?

A diagram of the alpha-gal community map.

Dining Out with Alpha Gal

You may experience many or all of these, but which is the most challenging?

Share your thoughts by clicking the button below to answer the poll!

What’s the most challenging aspect of dining out with alpha-gal syndrome?



A pie chart representing the dining out habits within the alpha-gal community.

How Does Alpha-Gal Make You Feel?

An alpha-gal diagnosis is more than never eating a cheeseburger again. It’s life-changing, with implications that extend beyond a backyard barbeque. Like any of life’s big blows, it’s not uncommon to feel denial, anger, depression, or other emotions as your move toward accepting your new normal.

When you think about where you’re at in your alpha-gal journey, what ONE WORD best describes how you feel?

Share your thoughts by clicking the button below to answer the poll!

What ONE WORD describes how alpha-gal make you feel right now?


My experience with alpha gal syndrome within the alpha-gal community.

Preferred Cooking Method

If you’re like me, you regularly use several cooking methods to make alpha-gal friendly meals. But which option is your MOST favorite?

Share your thoughts by clicking the button below to answer the poll!

Which cooking method do you prefer MOST for your alpha-gal friendly meals?


A pie chart that shows that the Air Fryer is the preferred cooking method for the alpha-gal community.

Support from Family and Friends

Having the support of your family, friends, and co-workers can make all of the difference when it comes to living with alpha-gal syndrome. How well do your loved ones support you?

Share your thoughts by clicking the button below to answer the poll!

Do your family and friends support your dietary needs?

A diagram illustrating how well Sage Alpha Gal readers feel about the support they receive from family and friends.

Alpha-Gal Friendly Protein

recent study proved a link between eating protein and slowing down the aging process. But when you’re living with alpha-gal syndrome, getting enough protein can be difficult.

Share your thoughts by clicking the button below to answer the poll!

What’s Your Favorite AGS-Friendly Protein Source?

A graphic showing that alpha-gals prefer poultry and eggs as their favorite alpha-gal friendly protein.