Live Wandering

When I go on a trip, I never want to forgo my plans because of something I ate and I’m not talking about food poisoning. I learned quickly in situations after I indulged my cravings, that my impulsive decisions would eventually lead me to regret my recklessness. I think cravings are one of many ways our bodies communicate to us. Cravings aren’t a bad thing but personally my lower GI tract gives me painful reminders that my body can only handle a limited amount of “splurging.” That isn’t to say I don’t do it altogether. I just have to be smart about it.

Let me back up to the start of this year. In March, I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). After working with a GI specialist and following a low-fodmap diet for months at the end of 2022, I was able to figure out the foods I could and shouldn’t eat according to my body’s signals. This process has made me more conscious of what I’m putting into my body and resulted in an overhaul of my lifestyle; for instance, I now drink almost a gallon of water a day and do five to six workouts per week. That has been my regime for eight months now.

Living alone allowed me to regulate my meals easily. I knew exactly what I was consuming when I prepped meals for myself. I had full control of what I was buying, how I was preparing the meals, and how much I consumed of each ingredient. The solitary life was within my comfort zone but I eventually had to face the inevitable of eating out and dining with other people.

I used to be the traveler or friend that wanted to be as little of an inconvenience to the group and waitstaff as possible. I’d order blindly and suffer the consequences later if I wasn’t prepared when it came time to order. One trip I flew to Colorado to stay with a friend and visit for a week. One night we went out with friends and I consequently made my friends leave early because they were my ride back to their home where I was staying. I had suffered from stabbing pain shortly after finishing my meal so not only did we not get to finish our conversation with our other friends but I felt the guilty for having caused dinner to be cut short.

This experience taught me that I needed to change my mindset. Taking care of my body and knowing what foods I can consume isn’t an inconvenience. Rather it is acceptiing that every body is different and mine just happens to have restricitions on what can be digested. The mindset shift hasn’t been easy but I know now that I’d rather take a bit longer to order than to have to cut dinner short because I was careless.

This lesson among other trial and error situations have led me to figure out a few things when it comes to ordering food outside of my home–which mind you isn’t that often unless I am traveling. Traveling used to stress me out when it came to eating because my IBS pains can be severe to the point I’m in bed for hours or half a day. In my efforts to navigate my own body, here a a few tips I discovered limit my IBS symptoms whenever I decide to dine out.

Before you continue reading, I am not an expert in this field and this post shouldn’t be taken as professional medical advice. Definitely talk to your healthcare provider about any issues or symptoms you may be experiencing. I’m just sharing what works for me personally. 💕

Tips from my IBS journey that helped me dine out with ease:

Know yourself

This may seem like an obvious step but I can’t stress enough how important is was for me to get to know my body. It was the first step to regulating my diet. It wouldn’t have been possible to limit foods that caused me pain if I couldn’t identify them.

To help me keep track, I kept a food log in my Samsung Health app for a couple of years which helped me narrow down problematic foods and my symptoms. In addition to foods, I noted when my symptoms would occur, what I was feeling, how often I felt the symptoms, and the potential foods that caused it. If you have an aversion to recording in your phone, a small notebook works just as well. Mark the date, time, and meal you ate that may have caused the discomfort (with most of the ingredients listed).

I found that the more information I documented, the more insight I had later on. It brought me back to high school when I had to do science experiments in class; this method of recording everything I ate and felt helped me realize that I need to avoid garlic and onion like they are the plague. Without the food log, I don’t know if I would have figured that or other foods were causing my discomfort.

Give yourself (and everyone) options

Expecting to always pick the restaurant isn’t a realistic expectation but when I do have the option to bring ideas to the table, I do my best to pick a few options that I think will work with my low-FODMAP diet. After creating a selection of establishments, I present them to my party so they can decide which cuisine they prefer. It’s kind of a win-win situation when the opportunity presents itself. I hate feeling selfish but this strategy gives me the option to eat without fear of becoming debilitated later while giving the other people in my group a choice at the same time.

Have the menu in mind before arriving

When you’re traveling, especially abroad, it might be worth looking at the menus before you arrive at your destination. Having a meal in mind with backup options will help you feel less pressure when the time comes to order.

Don’t rush yourself

I’m trying to break my habit of people-pleasing in situations that I need to put myself first. Especially, when it comes to my body. In the past, I’d randomly pick something from the menu if I was undecided but the rest of my party was already ordering. When in doubt, take your time and tell your party to order. The wait staff can always come back to take your order in a few minutes while they get more beverages or bring out an ordered appetizer.

Don’t be afraid to eat before or after the designated engagement

When I’m required to eat at a place for business or leisure, I do my best to research ahead of time. Yet, some menus don’t give you enough details. In this scenario, I have called the restuarant–during their slow business hours–to check if they had anything available for my diet restrictions. This may seem like overkill, but it helps me make a plan. If the restaurant doesn’t have low-FODMAP options, I plan around the scheduled event and eat before or after.

Allow time to rest

Some days, I give in to my cravings and I don’t have the capacity to care about my IBS. In this situation, I plan a “rest” period after the meal. For example, after an indulgent lunch I would leave the evening open without any planned activities. In the past, I planned an entire rest day following a large dinner at a restaurant I wanted to try. It entirely depends on the situation but I have learned to work with my body whether I plan out time for the IBS pain or I plan to eat a low-FODMAP diet.

That being said, I’m cautious of what I eat the night before and the day of flying. I don’t want to be caught in an airplane with unbearable pain in my lower GI tract. It all comes down to planning and being aware of how my body will react.

Order confidently

One of my hospitality professors at university shared a piece of wisdom that I carry with me: a good chef will be able to create a dish that isn’t on the menu. While there are limitations, when you look at a menu you can see what ingredients and basic dishes the chef might be able to make based on your diet restrictions. For example, a waiter helped me order a salmon salad that wasn’t a single dish on the meny but instead I combined an entree with a salad and omitted the high-FODMAP ingredients. I have found people are willing to work with your diet restrictions if you ask politel. It is just a matter of making your diet restrictions known.

Don’t stress about others’ opinions

It can be daunting speaking up for yourself in regards to your body. There are times when I begin to feel like a nuisance or I’m being a difficult customer, but I promise the anxiety isn’t worth it. At the end of the day, your body is the only thing that you are born with and die with. It’s with you for your entire life and to not prioritize it seems nonsensical.

After realizing that my body should always come first because it is how I move, flow, and function from my sleeping to waking life, I changed my lifestyle for the better. I don’t like routines but I don’t mind planning and being organized when it comes to self-improvement.

As someone who cares about her overall wellness and has been trying to keep that as a main priority, I do my best to take initiative that will help me live a better life. IBS has altered my life but instead of thinking of my diet as unfair or extra work, I’ve learned to adapt with it in the planning stages. Planning my meals has become habitual. I love that I know my body and while IBS isn’t fun to deal with when the symptoms are strong, I’m grateful I can help my body perform to the best of its ability by fueling it with foods that digest properly.

I’m curious to know if you have similar tips regarding IBS issues when traveling or eating out. Let me know in the comments.