While doing this month long detox, Cliff and I have taken the extreme by cooking and preparing all of our meals at home. It definitely requires some effort on our part but I think we have finally figured out a rhythm that works for us.  Since many social engagements revolve around food and drinks, I have to admit, I decided to make some adjustments like sticking to drinking only water at birthday parties or going to a museum instead of brunch. Look at that, I am staying hydrated and being more cultured!

I am not saying one can not go out to eat and order something healthy that is on the detox plan, but it is much harder to control what restaurants are putting in the food that you order.    Since I have food sensitivities to gluten, dairy, eggs, and yeast, at this point of the detox, I rather make my own food so I can avoid cross contamination.  However, this will not always be the case!  I absolutely love going out with friends to grab brunch or dinner. Whether you also have food sensitivities or have chosen not to eat certain ingredients, I thought I would share a few things that I have learned over the years and share some stories.

• Don’t assume a dish is safe and free of your allergies. Make your waiter aware of your food allergies.  They can often guide you to what you can eat on the menu or tell you what changes need to be made to a meal you are interested in. I used to think if I ordered grilled chicken and vegetables, I would be safe. But unfortunately, they may use flour as a thickening agent or cook their vegetables in butter.  Also, I love Thai food and especially love curry. Years of ordering curry and feeling sick afterwards (I contributed this to overeating) but turns out, curry may be used with fish sauce or soy sauce that contains gluten.  The good news is not all curry has gluten in them. You have to ask though!
• Some restaurants are more understanding of food allergies than others. It is such a treat when a restaurant has a menu that marks food allergies like gluten, dairy, what’s vegan or vegetarian, etc. I have had both positive experiences and negative experiences at restaurants.  My favorite was when I was ordering a salad at Chipotle and asked if their meats were gluten free and the woman immediately threw out my lettuce and changed her gloves as she sternly explained to me: “We take food allergies VERY seriously here. EVERYONE in here has touched a tortilla. EVERYONE!” Even though I was ordering ingredients that were themselves gluten free and dairy free, she was concerned with cross contamination. Her gloves had been handling flour tortillas and then were handling my lettuce.  I know you may think that this is crazy and that it’s probably such a small trace, but if you are sensitive to something, your body sure does react!  On the contrary, I once went to a restaurant in Brooklyn and told them my allergies and the waitress seemed annoyed with me as she responded,  ” weeeell, how allergic are you?”
• Not all waiters understand what gluten is in or what has dairy. I once went out for a friend’s birthday brunch and let the waiter know my allergies. He was the nicest guy but thought that French Toast would be okay for me to eat.
• Be “that” guy. Be picky! It’s perfectly okay to be picky and change your order to accommodate your personal needs.  My friends may be sick of me when we go out (hopefully not), but it’s my body and I do not want to feel ill from a meal.  An example of this:  “Hi.  I am allergic to gluten, dairy, and eggs. I would like the Chicken Cobb Salad, but without the blue cheese and the eggs.  Also, instead of the dressing, can I please have olive oil and lemon on the side?”
• Check the menu ahead of time/Call ahead.  For me, If I am trying a new place out and I know where I am going, I check out the menu first. Also, I often call ahead to inquire about the menu to make sure there is something I can eat there.
• Do the best you can. That is all you can do. The good news: It seems that more and more restaurants are getting on board with acknowledging food sensitivities and food allergies.  When I first found out I had these sensitivities in 2006, I had no idea what gluten was and I never heard it being talked about!

Below is an image of a menu where the waiter kindly told me what I could and could not have on their menu by crossing out everything but three items. I could have the oysters, pickles, or the Roasted Mackerel.  I had the Mackerel and it was delicious 🙂

-Dena