Keto Times - Surviving on the Road
This past week I was away from home for an extended period of time -- six days. Three of those days involved plane travel/hotel stays/long work days. I knew that there would be some tricky logistics involved in managing my peculiar diet.
One thing I've learned is that when away, wait staff are (in general) very helpful. I tell them I'm on a medical diet and that while I have some unusual requests, it won't be hard. When I can, I try to look at a menu online if we are dining out because that way, I know what I can eat. My question(s) are prepped. If there's an item I think is iffy, I can ask if the item is prepared with any sugars, flours or any other carbohydates. I also often ask for a side of olive oil for dipping. Since I can't control the fat content while away, I need to add extra fat where ever I can, and olive oil is easy on the waiter and reasonably palatable for me.
Sometimes, like this past weekend, a dear friend suggests a restaurant I simply can't eat at. And I must either decline or suggest we go somewhere else, which is what we did.
Hamburgers with cheese and bacon have become my go-to food. You can get those just about everywhere, and with bonus olive oil or mayo, I'm good to go. Also, I can always a manage a blue cheese wedge salad, if there is one. Or a green salad with blue cheese dressing.
So out of town eating can be limited depending on where I go. But I am figuring out how to manage.
Sometimes there are other challenges. One of them is how I deal with my fat shake. Ideally, the powdered fat is mixed with 1/2 cup of hot water, 1 tbsp heavy cream, 1tbsp of oil, a splash of splenda, and ten raspberries (or black berries or 3 strawberries). On the road I package up daily amounts in plastic baggies (Mark says I'm in trouble if anyone thinks it's cocaine) and try to make do with what's available. Sometimes, this doesn't work out so well.
On this trip I discovered that I can't just mix this up with water, add some heavy cream and drink it down. Both times I tried, my pancreas had a severe reaction to that much fat, at all once, that fast, and let's just say immediate purging occurred shortly thereafter. A deeply unpleasant (and near disastrous) event. So I learned my lesson and I am now far, far more cautious with this stuff. Mix it right. Drink it slow. Take it seriously.
The good news is that long-term traveling is doable as long as I'm careful, cautious, and don't get cocky or stupid or about it. This is very heartening.
One thing I've learned is that when away, wait staff are (in general) very helpful. I tell them I'm on a medical diet and that while I have some unusual requests, it won't be hard. When I can, I try to look at a menu online if we are dining out because that way, I know what I can eat. My question(s) are prepped. If there's an item I think is iffy, I can ask if the item is prepared with any sugars, flours or any other carbohydates. I also often ask for a side of olive oil for dipping. Since I can't control the fat content while away, I need to add extra fat where ever I can, and olive oil is easy on the waiter and reasonably palatable for me.
Sometimes, like this past weekend, a dear friend suggests a restaurant I simply can't eat at. And I must either decline or suggest we go somewhere else, which is what we did.
Hamburgers with cheese and bacon have become my go-to food. You can get those just about everywhere, and with bonus olive oil or mayo, I'm good to go. Also, I can always a manage a blue cheese wedge salad, if there is one. Or a green salad with blue cheese dressing.
So out of town eating can be limited depending on where I go. But I am figuring out how to manage.
Sometimes there are other challenges. One of them is how I deal with my fat shake. Ideally, the powdered fat is mixed with 1/2 cup of hot water, 1 tbsp heavy cream, 1tbsp of oil, a splash of splenda, and ten raspberries (or black berries or 3 strawberries). On the road I package up daily amounts in plastic baggies (Mark says I'm in trouble if anyone thinks it's cocaine) and try to make do with what's available. Sometimes, this doesn't work out so well.
On this trip I discovered that I can't just mix this up with water, add some heavy cream and drink it down. Both times I tried, my pancreas had a severe reaction to that much fat, at all once, that fast, and let's just say immediate purging occurred shortly thereafter. A deeply unpleasant (and near disastrous) event. So I learned my lesson and I am now far, far more cautious with this stuff. Mix it right. Drink it slow. Take it seriously.
The good news is that long-term traveling is doable as long as I'm careful, cautious, and don't get cocky or stupid or about it. This is very heartening.