Jaime Hartman (00:07):
Welcome to the AIP Summit Podcast, your go-to resource for taking control of your autoimmune health, presented by AIP Certified Coaches. Hi, I'm Jaime Hartman.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (00:18):
And I'm Marie-Noelle Marquis. And we're here to equip you with the tools knowledge and support you need to effectively use the autoimmune protocol.
Jaime Hartman (00:25):
And today we are talking about taking AIP on the road. It is spring here in the Northern Hemisphere, and for a lot of people, that means travel of some sort is on the horizon. You might be making plans for spring break or a summer getaway, or perhaps you have a family event like a wedding or graduation coming up. So in this episode, we want to share some of our tips and ideas for maintaining your autoimmune health while you're away from home, including how to navigate food sensitivities and how to even continue eating according to the AIP elimination protocol, if that's what you need to do right now, we'll be hearing some specific tips from one of our colleagues, but first, let's start with our personal experiences. Marie-Noelle, what experience do you have traveling and using AIP?
Marie-Noelle Marquis (01:26):
Well, I would say when I first started my AIP journey, traveling just meant that I would have nothing to eat until I reach destination, and then I would hope for the best. But I think in 2019, I took a two month trip to Australia and New Zealand and I did a 180. I had just recovered from one of my worst flare up and I wasn't about to risk getting sick again, so I actually packed an 18 pound suitcase with AIP friendly on the go food, just food. It was a bit ridiculous to carry an extra suitcase around, but to my defense, I had no idea that what I would be able to find once I got there and honestly no regrets. It saved me from going hungry many, many, many times. So I brought things like Patagonia mussels and the salmon and chopsticks and epic jerky and dried fruit and dehydrated veggies and et cetera. It wasn't the most exciting food, but it was safe nutrient dense, so it worked. How about you, Jaime? What experience do you have traveling and using AIP?
Jaime Hartman (02:40):
Well, the time that I started AIP I was working in the publishing industry my prior life, and at first I was mostly working from a home office and I had some local travel. So actually AIP was fairly easy to start with because I could cook all my meals at home and I would have to go somewhere and then I'd come back and that worked out pretty easily. But then I got promotion, and that promotion came with a dramatically expanded territory and I started having to travel on a weekly basis. And a lot of those trips were actually on airplanes. I was flying and I was staying in hotels at some point. I was in a hotel at least a couple of nights every week. So it was hard and we'll talk about some of the ways that you can, how do you fly and how do you stay in hotels and all that stuff.
(03:26):
But I would just want to share with our listeners that my biggest challenge during that time was that my job was in sales, and so there was an expectation that I was supposed to take my clients or my potential clients out for lunch, mostly lunch, but other meals as well sometimes. And I really didn't want to have to explain this diet that I was following or my health reasons for it. I mean, it would just distract from the business that we were trying to do. So I had to figure out how to gracefully navigate those situations. Yeah, that's right.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (03:56):
So yeah, that sounds like it would be very hard and you don't know these people most of the time, I'm sure. So how did you handle it?
Jaime Hartman (04:03):
Well, it wasn't easy and I'll be honest, I didn't always do the right thing. On a few occasions, I decided to just go ahead and eat something that I knew I shouldn't. Eventually though I realized that that wasn't going to work for a long-term solution. I needed to make my health a priority. I started first to just do some research about restaurants in the areas where these clients and potential clients work so that I'd always be ready to suggest one that I knew could work for me. I'd plan my order in advance. And if I had a large enough group where this was easy to do, I would once we were seated, excuse myself, to go speak to the waiter away from the table, which is not that weird when you're in a business setting because a lot of times you want to tell 'em like, make sure the bill comes to me.
(04:49):
I'm going to treat these people. But I would also tell 'em what I was going to order and that I had some food sensitivities and this is the reason why, and I'd make sure the waiter knew that there would be a generous tip for them at the end of the meal. And then on other occasions I figured out I could sidestep that issue entirely. I would use that expense account that I had to bring food into the office staff instead of taking the boss out to lunch. And I think that's a good lesson to just remember here, whatever your unique circumstance, sometimes it's not a problem that can easily be solved, so maybe you can work around it by doing something different. Also, we had conferences, we had banquet type events. I had some success talking to the catering staff ahead of time. Other times though, I would just realize I had to skip the meal entirely and I would just eat something before or after in my hotel room.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (05:42):
That's great. I mean those are very creative and efficient or great ways. Sounds like you really made it work.
Jaime Hartman (05:50):
Well, I never starved. That's good. But I did have to spend a lot of time going to grocery stores, eating really plain meals. I really wish that your company Urban AIP had been around back then. I would've probably packed some in my suitcase or if I had a longer trip, maybe even had an order sent to my hotel ahead of time.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (06:10):
Yeah, absolutely. My latest trips, actually I've actually been a lot more balanced in my New Zealand experience. I found the Hot Logic portable oven. I know if you guys are not familiar with the hot logic, it looks like an insulated lunch bag that you can plug into the wall or even in your car and it will heat up your food. It takes a little longer, but it does a really good job. And you can choose some meals from Urban AIP. They fit perfectly inside the Hot Logic. And then you can get hot food on the hot food on a plane or at the airport or whenever you are. And that's what I've been doing. So I can plug it in on my plane ride or when I get to the hotel. So if I travel somewhere in the US, I actually sometimes even ship a box of Urban AIP meals directly to my hotel and 10 meals will fit just right in those small hotel refrigerator. So I've been able to have delicious warm AIP meals without the stress. I'm wondering what will I eat and where will I find food that sued me that's safe for me.
Jaime Hartman (07:13):
Oh, that's so cool. I'll put a link in the show notes for the Hot Logic so people who aren't familiar with that know what it is that we're talking about. I'm also thinking that Urban AIP meals would be a great solution for people if they're visiting family or friends and those family or friends that they're staying with don't know how or just aren't able to make food for them that's compliant. So I'm picturing when everyone else sits down to that meal that you can't eat, you would just pull out your delicious Urban AIP meal, heat it up and just join them at the table.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (07:42):
That's right, and you can heat up the meals in a microwave. I mean always we recommend oven. I feel like it's always the best option, but it's completely microwavable. And then you can also have us ship it to your friends or your family's house. And one thing too, I dunno if it's just because the picture or the marketing we've done, you can eat it, you can heat you meal in the tray. It's all plant-based, plastic-free, safe for you, and you can eat in the tray, but you can put it on a plate and it makes you feel like you're joining your family and friends and you're actually having not a package meal. I've just noticed that because it's just one element that makes you feel like closer, that you're part of what's happening. I think the key to success here is to start with what your mindset is. So now let's listen to our colleague Dixie Mehrens as she talks about this at the start of the presentation she created for an AIP Summit event back in 2021.
Dixie Mehrens (08:46):
I have literally driven coast to coast, flown to Washington DC and New York. I've been to all inclusive resorts on several cruises and we camped a lot when the kids were little and we also visit friends and family that are out of state too. And so I have really figured out what works for me and I hope you can take a few of these tips and make your travel plans go just a little bit smoother this summer. Before I get into the details of how to thrive on AIP while traveling, I do want to talk a little bit about mindset around travel. Some women I know they won't advocate for themselves when it comes to food. They don't want to be a bother or a burden or ask questions at a restaurant or have to ask for the manager or even stand up for themselves with extended family who just don't get it.
(09:31):
They don't want to appear rude or difficult, but really you don't want to not feel well on vacation because of something you ate just to appease someone else, especially on vacation. This is your life, this is your body and you need it to be well. So that way you can enjoy time with those that you love and do those things you want to do when you're out and about. I want you to know that you are important, that how you feel physically really does matter. That food concerns are valid and that food can be navigated successfully while traveling and safely. And part of traveling on AIP is going into it with the right mindset of why are you taking this trip though? There's a lot of people they live to eat. That's what vacation is to them. But for us on AIP, it's really not about the food.
(10:22):
Vacation is the time to unwind, to see sites. It's a time to be away with our families, to bond, to play, to do things, share experiences. It's really about connection and that is really an important part of AIP connecting. That's a big part of our healing journey, and that's what vacation really is all about. So what is it that you are looking forward to dig into the other aspects of travel besides food that you love and keep that as your motivation for advocating for yourself. Realize that you don't have to eat like you do, but that you get to actually, you're choosing this for your health and it makes you feel better when you do. And honestly, it's just not worth it when we don't feel well. And also remember that you're not alone. There's a lot of us, there's plenty of us out here that are doing the same thing as you. When we're getting ready to travel and dealing with difficult relatives, we are right there with you, including me.
Jaime Hartman (11:24):
You are not alone. We say it at the end of every episode. You might be doing AIP on your own, but you don't need to feel like you are alone. It's so important and it's so true, and I hope that what Dixie just shared for you really drove that point home. So now that we've established the importance of mindset, let's move on to the next key to success, which is planning. Not planning ahead of time can lead to some very interesting, shall we say, AIP meals! Marie-Noelle, what's the strangest unplanned meal you've had?
Marie-Noelle Marquis (11:57):
The unplanned meals. I don't think we realize how much stress those are going to be until you are stranded and hungry. I'm sure I've had stranger ones and what I'm going to say, but I feel like a few times I've had to pick up prosciutto and plantain chips at random little stores to get me through a bag of ka olives randomly, but I'm sure there's stranger, but I definitely, you said the unplanned meals and I'm like, oh, no, I know that feeling. How about you, Jaime?
Jaime Hartman (12:36):
Well, clearly you're in fancier places than me because prosciutto, I would love to have found prosciutto. One time I was on the road in the deep south of the United States, and the only thing that I could find to eat that was compliant with my dietary needs at the time was a bag of pork rinds. Then I scrounged up a box of raisins at a gas station. I was really excited about the raisins. Yeah, now we're going to hear some of Dixie's tips for planning, for preparing food and for packing what you need so that you don't get stuck in that situation.
Dixie Mehrens (13:15):
Okay, so planning, prepping and organization. If you really want to have a good vacation and not be sick and enjoy your time, you need to do a little planning, a little prepping and getting organized. I know some people aren't as great at this or don't enjoy it as much, but boy, it makes a difference. It's sad to lose a little bit of that spontaneity of being able to eat whatever we want, wherever we want, that kind of thing on vacation. But it doesn't mean that you can't still enjoy your time away and with a little pre-planning, you can be more spontaneous because you are prepared. Plus you can have a great vacation and not spend all your time in the kitchen. Okay, so let's start with lodging. You're going to want to book hotels with kitchenettes or full kitchens. Hotels with a mini fridge and a microwave are probably okay if you're just staying overnight on the way to your final destination, but any length of time, you're going to probably want at least two burners and a full fridge.
(14:08):
Candlewood Suites also has outdoor grills that you can have access to, and so that comes in really handy when you search for hotels. Some think that a microwave in a mini fridge is a kitchen, so do your homework, call the hotel if you're not sure but isn't clear. You can also always book a VRBO or Airbnb or another rental unit for longer stays. These are really quite affordable. The advantage to that is that they do have ovens, but hotels usually don't. So that helps you plan your meals accordingly and pre-clean regardless of where you stay. As soon as I walk in, I throw everything in the dishwasher and wipe everything down. It just helps prevent cross contamination from any residue. And even when I'm at relatives, I'll be discreet, but I will often wash out a pan or a dish before I use it and maybe wipe the counter down where I'm working and I try to be real discreet about that plan ahead by prepping ahead.
(15:06):
So a few weeks out, what I do is I map it out. I list when, where for how long, and that way I'll know what meals I'm going to need. I suggest getting a calendar or a notebook or you can use this sheet list your dates, locations, and your activities. For instance, driving in the car, a flight excursions, a sightseeing trip, and the return home, you have to make sure you plan for that too. And then meal plan, list all the meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Don't forget on the road and the return trip, I suggest columns. Then out to the left list all the items that you need to pack. You can have one column for dry packing and you can have one for cooler packing. And then don't forget to note any items that you need to prep beforehand, like maybe pre chopping vegetables or pre-cooking meat.
(15:53):
And I highlight those. Do this by meal just like you're doing a regular meal plan, but do it a few weeks before your trip. And at this point, this is when you can decide whether you're going to be bringing food that is prepped and ready to eat and just warm it up or if you are going to be making food from scratch while you're away or some combination of that. And then what I do is I cook ahead. So a few weeks out, I don't want to cook on vacation. I want to break my vacation meal plan. Tells me exactly how many extra sausage, patties, burgers, chicken, breast tenders, pre-cooked ground beef, Turkey, bison, whatever it is that I'm going to need to cook ahead of time. I can literally go down my meal plan and count the days I'm having burgers for breakfast and I know exactly how many to bring.
(16:37):
Or I'll know that I need to triple batch of stew or soup or mashed parsnips or cauliflower or one pan meals so that I'll have ready to eat meals available and I will package label and freeze these flat in Ziplocs so that they fit nicely in the cooler. Then this just spreads out that cooking. So there's not as much to do right before leaving or when I get there and I actually do get a break. Meat takes the longest to cook, so if I have it cooked already, all I'm doing is putting a small amount of water in the pan, putting a lid on it and steaming it warm, and then I can throw some veggies on top of it to finish steaming those. Add a packaged salad. It's quick easy meals. It's not fancy, but it has enough protein, enough fats and veggies, so I feel nourished.
(17:20):
And so I have energy to sightsee without spending time in the kitchen and without feeling bad for eating something I shouldn't have or getting cross-contaminated. And I do this even when I'm not traveling, just to save time in the kitchen with meal prep. And then the day before, I will pre-cook in pre roasts vegetables or squashes or bake extra sweet potatoes and those kinds of things. The day before I leave, especially if I'm not going to have access to an oven, they don't seem to freeze great, but you can freeze them. But I cook it and I cool it and I store it overnight, and then I always plan to eat it within a couple days of arriving. I'll also pre chop any fresh veggies that I plan to use while I'm there so that I don't have to do it when I'm on vacation.
(18:05):
And I've been known to pack my crockpot too. So I will pre peel, precut all the root veggies. I dip them in water and lemon juice to keep 'em from oxidizing, dry 'em off, put 'em in a Ziploc, put 'em on the top of the cooler. As long as I don't get frozen, they'll be good. And then I just use 'em within a few days of arriving. I throw it all in the crockpot with the frozen roast that I brought and dinner's done, and I literally didn't do anything but dump in the crockpot. And so that's a great way to go. And the floor smells great when you get back from sightseeing pack, the dry goods and the kitchen accessories. So the day or two before I go, I'll use my meal plan as a guide and I'll go through it chronologically and do the dry packing.
(18:41):
Here's the list of some of the kitchen equipment and non-perishables. I'll pack anything that's going to make my life easier. If it doesn't require refrigeration, it goes here and I'll use one of these giant Rubbermaid tubs and I'll just pack all of it in there so I can pick it up from the car and take it to the hotel room and it's all together in one spot. And so pack salt too. So salt often has those little packages of salt, often have dextrose and other fillers. So just visit the camping section in your store, find a little salt shaker, tuck it in your purse, and then you're going to have it for travel and for restaurants. And then instead of pepper, you can add garlic or onion powder or some other seasoning that you may like. And I'll often also use empty spice containers and just relabel them.
(19:25):
Or I'll put a little bit of spice or herbs or something in a Ziploc and bring those for travel and invest in a thermos. I love my thermos. Look for one that keeps food hot, at least 12 hours. This is a two cup. I fill it with boiling water for three to five minutes, dump it out, fill it with my warm stew or other food that I've steam heated and I just layer it inside. I think the key is to pack it full. So when I prepackaged my freezer meals, I always put two cups worth in the freezer meal, and so when I warm 'em up, it's filling up my thermos and it's enough to really keep me full. I eat pretty hardy on the road, that way I'm not hungry and not needing snacks. I don't know when the next meal will be. And so then I can enjoy the safe meal and company and conversation.
(20:08):
Anywhere we end up on our trip, whether it's in the car or we're site ceiling or even over at relatives houses. One thing I do find with this is that if I pack a paper bowl, I can dump it out and it's a little bit easier to eat. Don't forget to pack silverware. Day of travel, I pack the cooler. Here I am packing the cooler the morning we're leaving, I use that meal plan list to go through and collect all my cooler items, and it helps me not forget things. Also, when I pack the cooler, I'm going to think about things that I need easy access to on the road. And so I pack it someplace in the cooler where I can get to it on top or on one side, and sometimes I'll highlight or circle those items. Then I freeze everything ahead of time that I can, and this is going to keep the cooler cold.
(20:50):
I place all my frozen stuff on the bottom with ice, and then I place my fresh veggies and non frozen items on the top and hotels have ice. And so if I have a two days travel to get somewhere, I'll bring the cooler into the hotel, fill it back up with ice, and just take it out to the car for the final leg of the trip the next day and pack a lunch. Okay, so grabbing a snack on the road isn't an option for me and it probably isn't for you. So I've invested in several of these cooler bags. Two of these look like a purse. One's a bigger bag not shown here. I also have a backpack cooler. I'll use these for the car, for sightseeing, for museums, air travel, amusement parks, running errands, visiting friends and family, even eating at restaurants that I don't or can't eat at.
(21:33):
I will bring one of these bags in. And so that first day of in transit travel, I'm going to have a lunch with me. I'm going to have something cold like chicken tenders and some priest steam veggies that I can eat a finger fruit on the road. I might have some plantan chips, piece of fruit, coconut chips, just something I can snack on while I'm driving. I also use plastic containers when I'm traveling. Now normally I store in glass, but for travel, I just don't feel comfortable with that. And so I have the sized Rubbermaid plastic container that I'll bring. And I also have those little cups that it's like a TSA sized container for dressing. I can do packaged salmon or tuna or cold chicken or roasted veggies. It makes an easy lunch for car or air travel or sightseeing, make a grocery list.
(22:16):
So here's a few grocery items that are easy and well before I leave from my travel meal plan, I will create a grocery list and order perishable groceries online and have them delivered to the hotel the evening I arrive or the next morning before I go out for the day. You can usually schedule that. I meet them in the lobby with one of those luggage carts. And this has worked really, really well for me and has really been worth it. I am not spending vacation time at the grocery store. If I can help it, have your hotel grocery address handy. That way you can Google and find nearby stores where you can order online before you go or when you're in transit. You could also pick up on the way to the hotel. There is one time I used an Uber to run to the store, and that worked out fine too.
(23:02):
But I do the list and the searching and the legwork before I ever leave home so that this is a really quick and efficient process. It's not going to take a lot of time away from my trip. Right? Some hotels also offer free grocery shopping, but I always feel like this might be a little bit more than what they bargained for. Or you can go to the Instacart app and find your preferred store. Just make sure that you pick one near the hotel and not your default home address. I've also found Instacart really worth the membership. I use it even at when I'm at home. You can designate replacement items and write notes. For instance, if I want softer avocados so that they're ready that week, I'm on vacation. And I have found with direct grocery store ordering, I just don't have that much to make that many notes.
(23:47):
Plus, with Instacart, I can text with my shopper while she's shopping, and so that way I can emphasize organic or emphasize certain items. But if there's ever any time that they've ever gotten something that I haven't wanted or it wasn't exactly what I listed, I have filed a complaint and they have always given me a credit, but vacation's not really about perfection anyway. It's more about making it easier on myself and I want to break. So if organic isn't available or my shopper messes up and buys, what non-organic veggies are better than none, and it's not perfect always, but I want to be on vacation, and so I kind of just roll with it because it isn't worth getting upset about. So if I think I might not be able to find something that I absolutely must have, then I'm going to bring it in the car with me or pack it in my suitcase.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (24:43):
So many good ideas here, and there is some great visuals to go with this presentation that our podcast listeners are missing. So if you are a member of the AIP Summit Community, you'll find a video of this session in the archives.
Jaime Hartman (24:57):
That's right. The archives are organized by year, so you would look in 2021 for this particular session, but I also want to make sure people know that our archives now have a global search function. So you could just type the word "travel" in the search bar and you'd find this session and you'd also find other summit presentations and webinars that we've hosted over the years on this topic. So really cool. If you're not a member yet, use the link in the show notes to get more details. But for right now, let's move on and talk a little bit more about eating out in restaurants. I think for a lot of people, this is where things really go off the rails because they want to avoid the awkwardness of being a difficult customer with lots of special requests.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (25:40):
Yeah, I agree. And I think it can also be hard to communicate your needs, especially if there's a language barrier. Jaime, have you ever had any experience traveling internationally following AIP?
Jaime Hartman (25:51):
Well, not while I was in the elimination phase, but I have eaten gluten-free and dairy-free in Japan, and I've eaten and also nightshade free in France. And I've also been to Italy where I did stay and dairy-free, but I didn't even try to be nightshade free. And that's actually where I discovered that I can eat tomatoes occasionally, but if I eat them several days in a row, I start to have some symptoms. Nothing dramatic for me, fortunately, I was able to recover, but it was a lesson that I learned I was traveling and had to adapt. And I would say of those three countries, Japan was definitely the hardest in large part because my ability to communicate in Japanese basically begins and ends with hello and thank you. So there were a few instances where I had to just point and hope for the best, which is definitely not something I tried if I wasn't at that point feeling pretty confident in my body's ability to be resilient and to bounce back. And then I would say Italy was the easiest, even though I don't speak Italian, there's a high degree of awareness of celiac disease in Italy, and there's also a willingness to accommodate people with food allergies there that I haven't seen in a lot of other places. How about you?
Marie-Noelle Marquis (27:06):
That's really amazing because, and also, honestly, I would've thought the complete opposite. I would've been like, oh, Japan, I'll just have sashimi, and I've never been to Japan clearly, and I would've felt like Italy. Oh my goodness. So it's great to know because I think even planning a vacation, you might go, oh, well, Italy is just out of the question. I'll never be able to. So having that information, that's great. How about me? You just made me realize that I have not traveled to a non-English or non-French speaking countries since I've been on AIP other than I guess Mexico. And so I can only imagine, again, being in Japan. Yes, I think that'd be pretty difficult. I think whether well actually Mexico or also Chinatown, Los Angeles, there's a lot of pointing at the menu, and some of my favorite restaurants actually were in Chinatown, la, and I've just been avoiding them because I'm like, that's probably soy sauce.
(28:13):
I'm really not sure what I'll be able to eat, and will I really get my point across? Probably not. I found that even in English speaking areas, even here, it can be hard. I was just at a restaurant not that long ago, told the servers, the server, I had a gluten allergy, and I tell people, celiac, I'm not going to give them an entire course on AIP and autoimmunity. And they came back confirming like, oh, no worries. It's all good. Yes, there's no nuts in the dish, but he's not vegan. Okay, all right, let me rethink my order. Let me see if I can speak to a manager. You don't want to be rude, but I'm like, yeah, I don't think so. Yeah, clearly it wasn't as obvious as I thought it was.
Jaime Hartman (29:01):
So what did you do in that situation?
Marie-Noelle Marquis (29:04):
Well, I did wrestle with do I go, can I talk to the manager? She's going to be like, I'm in trouble. So I did explain what gluten was also, I figured, well, she's going to come up with that question a lot. So I was like, oh, no, no gluten, anything, wheat, anything flour. I listed some hidden places where it could be found in the food, and she actually actually was like, well, let me check with the manager. So I did that.
Jaime Hartman (29:34):
So it became an opportunity for her to learn and in a way that was kind and supportive. I hope her manager also was supportive and kind. Now on that note, let's hear what Dixie has to say about eating in restaurants. She also talks about sightseeing and she even talks about eating on cruise ships,
Dixie Mehrens (30:00):
Right? Restaurants. Okay, so I'm not going to cover everything here. What to do when you're eating out, there's just too much to cover. But here are some of the things that I do do when I'm eating out, and obviously this is a really big part of traveling first, just realize that not every restaurant's going to be a viable, viable option for you. It is of course a little easier to navigate if you've done some reintroductions, even if it's just black pepper. But you can still do this regardless. However, this seems to be a place where I hear about a lot of AI peers falling off the wagon. They cave into temptation, feel like they can't ask too many questions, don't feel comfortable speaking up about their needs to either family or the wait staff. It's just not worth feeling bad. There is enough risk already in eating out with cross-contamination.
(30:49):
You are going to want to do everything that you can to avoid eating something that's going to make you feel bad. For this reason, I do try to minimize how much I eat out because every time I eat something that I shouldn't have gotten, the inflammation just sets me back. So I want to feel good and I want to have energy when I'm seeing the sites. I don't want to be stuck in the hotel room in miserable the next day. So again, I will usually eat a bigger breakfast in the hotel in the morning, and then I bring my lunch for sightseeing that day. And then before I leave home, I will plan out our vacation activities, like sites we want to visit, and then I'm going to do some advanced scouting, and I'm going to look for nearby restaurants that my family might like that I'm going to feel safe at.
(31:34):
If there aren't any, I'm going to pack my dinner and my thermos, but nicer sit down restaurants are better at meeting my needs. I'll look up menus online ahead of time. I typically get a piece of grilled beef or fish in double order of steamed veggies, and I also order my meal last so that it's on the waiter's mind when he walks away. I skip the salad because of cross-contamination, unless I've had a super reassuring talk from the kitchen manager, and I know that they have a separate space where they prepare those for people without allergies. There's a lot of cross-contamination that happens there. I have also brought my meals into restaurants where others in my group were ordering. I wouldn't order, but if it was a nicer sit down restaurant, I'd ask for a plate. And then when everyone else's meal comes and it's being distributed, I will discretely dump my container onto the plate and eat along with everyone else.
(32:28):
I am rarely asked about that. If I am, I just explain that I have too many allergies for them to accommodate me, but my group wanted to eat here. Usually the waiter, the waitress, they've got too many other things going on to care, and honestly, they don't want the liability. If you make a big deal about it or ask, they're going to tell you you can't bring outside food in. But I've never had a problem because I'm just discreet and I'm respectful. And these are also not these high end five star dining places. These are just pretty normal restaurants. Finally, you might want to consider traveling and taking maybe extra digestive enzymes, maybe one specifically for potential gluten exposure just to help break food down in case it was cross-contaminated as well as maybe activated charcoal. But you'll want to read labels and talk to your practitioner about that.
(33:17):
In Phoenix Helix, she's got a good list of paleo restaurants that are a good starting place from all over the world, and there's more and more places. So if you're doing some good searching, you might be surprised at what you can find sightseeing. Okay, so I make my own ground beef, beef jerky, that way I can just grab it and take it with me. There's tons of recipes online. It's been a huge saver for me, lifesaver for me when I'm traveling because protein keeps me full and keeps me going. And then all I have to do is add some raw or lightly steamed veggies or olives, avocado piece of fruit, and then I've got lunch on the go and I'll, I'll also take a salad with protein on it. That's pretty much an easy go-to for me, but don't laugh. I've also brought baby food that squeezes into your mouth so I don't have to use a spoon in order to get some veggies in.
(34:05):
You can make it yourself. It's easy to digest. I'm getting my veggies in and no one really questions baby food. Often when I travel too, I'll put water bottles or I'll buy water bottles and then I'll dump a little out, and then I'll put 'em in the freezer the night I get to the hotel, and then I just pop those in my lunchbox and it keeps everything cool. And I've brought my lunch into museums. Most places have these security scanners or they search bags, but I just packed my sweater, my jacket, my phone, my map on top of my lunch, put it on the security scanner belt, and they didn't care. And if you're concerned, you can always ask before you go through security because sometimes they can refuse to let you in with outside food. Sometimes I would just explain my allergies and they would just let me go.
(34:49):
They didn't want to hear about it. And so just be discreet Snacks. Here are a few AIP snack ideas. I will take any prepackaged snacks that I can, and you can get creative and you can find some really great things here, but this is very individual, so you're going to have to find things that work for you that you can eat. If I'm eating a big enough meal, I don't always need a snack, and that's what I really try to do. I try to eat a big breakfast, a big lunch, and a big dinner, and I try to stay away from snacking, but I like to have a backup plan. And so these might be some pre-packaged things or things I'll have with me in my bag just in case resorts and all inclusive. So I've done this twice before we booked with the resort.
(35:29):
I did call 'em ahead of time. I sent them a documented email listing all my allergies, and I call 'em that because people take it more seriously. They assured me they could accommodate me. They're not going to tell you otherwise because they want your business. Before I leave, I will use Google Translate and make a list in English on one side, like Spanish on the other color coded in red and green for yes and no. I literally listed the foods that I could eat and could not eat down to oils and seasonings and common veggies is what I just kept it simple for them. And I had extras of these so I could give them to every waiter that we had. And I found it best if I ate at the same places on the resort every day, I would be very specific with what I wanted.
(36:14):
I would piecemeal the menu together to get the protein and the veggies that I wanted. If I was leaving the resort for an excursion that day, sometimes they would pack me a to-go lunch when I asked, and they would do that while I was eating breakfast. It's not quick dining, so you're going to need to allow extra time for that. And all my meals were pretty simple and pretty plain, but I could eat well. And so also I would tip well. So when I found an attendant that would help me, I would make sure I tipped them and then they would keep helping me. And of course, I would also pack snacks in my suitcase so that way I have something safe to eat on an excursion or long afternoons at the beach. This is just one of those trips where you're going to want to remember that you're there to enjoy the beach and the time away, you're not really there for the food.
(36:59):
I mean, I ate, but it was plain. But even before AIP I never thought that the food was all that great. It looked okay, but it was just meh. So really just remember, you're not there for the food. You're there for the experience, but common at all, inclusives are the poolside drinks. So you can enjoy mocktails, and there are recipes online. It's easy to ask for fresh lemons or lime muddled mint or pineapple. I would not use the mixes. Most bars have those fresh fruits on hand already, and I would go directly to the bartender first. Be very specific with what it is that you want and what you can't have and order from them before you order from the wandering pool staff. And sometimes just having a lime on the side of a fancy glass of even sparkling water is enough to make you feel like it's a treat.
(37:51):
Cruises. Same with the cruise line. I would call and email ahead. Some cruise lines would let you put in a request for special item, but do email and submit the request well in advance and confirm it right before the deadline that you have to get that information in by. There are no guarantees with it, but you have a pretty good chance of getting what you need. As soon as I get on board, I go to the dining room and I ask for the head waiter or the dining room manager. I explain all my allergies. I have extra sheets of paper listing them out. I made sure everyone that I dealt with had one of those. They would usually assign me a cook and a waiter for the duration of the cruise. And at breakfast and lunch, I'd tell the hostess which waiter that I needed to have for my allergies.
(38:31):
And then we always had this waiter at dinnertime. And so that's always great that they assign somebody because they understand. And each evening he would have me look at a menu to order dinner for the following evening. I would list out everything that I wanted, how I wanted it, and how much. And they only made me exactly what I asked for. So be thorough, be specific, piecemeal the menu together. For example, breakfast, I would ask for steak that wasn't on the breakfast menu. I didn't even look at a breakfast menu because it had all sorts of pancakes and things on it. So I would just ask for a steak and that's okay. I asked for a whole avocado sliced. I asked for onions, lightly grilled in olive oil. It was the only oil. They had a side of steamed carrots, some spinach, sauteed and olive oil and some fruit. And I'll tell you what, by the end of the cruise every morning, they were bringing me exactly that for breakfast without me even having to order the night. I ordered lamb. I asked for the exact number of lamb chops I wanted, and this was an even earlier cruise. My hair was longer, but I always asked for a cup of berries for dessert because everyone else was having dessert. I wanted something too, right?
(39:42):
One night with fish filets, I would ask for two because one doesn't fill me up. I'm a big eater and I've been doing activities like snorkeling and swimming and hiking and on cruises. Sometimes I don't get lunch because often on excursions, countries aren't allowing food from the cruise ship to be brought on land. So I would eat a big breakfast and a big dinner, and sometimes I was, sometimes I was able to sneak off some bars, packaged bars or beef jerky on land for the afternoon. But I always ate in the dining room. But when you first get on the boat, all they have available is the buffet. So you're going to want to make sure you do eat before you get on the boat if you can. This is where that beef jerky really helps me out. But you can always ask for an attendant to help you.
(40:24):
Sometimes they're going to have carved meat that you can get whole fruit. You can ask for a fresh batch of veggies or a salad that others haven't served from yet to prevent cross-contamination. But ask, don't assume there's going to be hidden oils, sugars, and ingredients. So have them check for you. Be specific, be clear, be nice. Have those sheets of paper ready that talk about your allergies and be gracious in thanking people. People really do want to be appreciated, and if you make them feel like that, they're going to be glad to help you. If you're impatient and short, I don't know if your meal will be safe, right? So for the cruise in my suitcase, I did pack items like bars and jerky and collagen powders. I double bagged them. I put them in clear ziplocs, and I enclosed my allergy note facing out, so it could be read by security.
(41:12):
And I tell you this because there was food in my checked luggage, and I guarantee you're going to get it late. They're going to search it, so make it easy for 'em. They didn't take anything from me, but my allergy note was clearly visible. Just be aware because they really don't like you bringing food on board. Final tips. So make a list of pre-planned meals and snacks for your trips and save your meal plans. Okay? This way, you're not going to have to recreate the wheel next time you go on vacation. Even if you've done other reintroductions, this is going to be a jumpstart on your planning for next time and before you leave on vacation, I encourage you to plan the week's meals when you return before you ever leave. I don't know about you, but it's hard to get back on track and get in the swing of things.
(42:01):
You ever need a vacation from a vacation. If you plan out your meals or a minimum at least a few days worth after you return home, it's going to save that mental energy. It's going to streamline your reentry back home. I cannot tell you what a lifesaver this has been. I have even made pre-made dinner or precooked shredded meat for the evening that we get back. So I can just toss in some sweet potatoes in the oven, add a bag of frozen veggies, and I've got dinner. And I'll also create the grocery list ahead of time for that reentry week. I have also taken this with me, and on the drive home, I will go online and order it, and I will have those groceries delivered that night or the next day. This saves me a trip to the store. It restocks us, and it really helps with that reentry back from vacation.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (42:52):
That was really helpful, and I really appreciate also her final points about planning for reentry from your vacation.
Jaime Hartman (42:59):
Yeah, I agree. And I'm just thinking that is another great use case for some Urban AIP meals. Even if you didn't bring any with you on your actual trip, having some in the freezer to be your first few meals after coming back home would allow you to make that reentry smoother. Now let's wrap this up by sharing some final thoughts about traveling and AIP, Marie-Noelle.What is your top advice for our listeners?
Marie-Noelle Marquis (43:21):
Not to sound like a broken record, but prepare, prepare, prepare. Put as much care into making sure that you have the nutrients you need to be successful and fully enjoy your trip as you do planning sightseeing activities. After all, none of those will matter if you flare up or, I mean, your health is everything. So going on a hike while you feel pain-free and nourish is blissful while going on a hike with sore joints and starving is complete torture, and you won't even enjoy the beauty around you. So plan for your wellbeing and make it a treat. I know we can feel like a burden and be like, okay, now what am I going to bring? What am I eat? But let's see if we can reframe that, right? A trip is filled with new opportunities, so maybe we can also find joy, the same type of joy in planning what will be eating similar to you plan? What am I going to wear? Well, what am I going to bring to eat? Maybe it's a challenge to find some new fun food that are AIP compliant. So prepare. What about you, Jaime?
Jaime Hartman (44:29):
I think I could summarize my advice in just one word, flexibility, and now I'll explain that. So one word, but I'll use multiple words to explain it. Assume that no matter how carefully you plan and prepare, something is going to go wrong, at some point, something is going to go wrong and you'll just need to roll with it. Having some backup plans help, but ultimately it is just about knowing what is absolutely most important for you to keep doing and let go of the rest and enjoy yourself.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (45:02):
I love that. And also, before we go, I just want to remind our listeners that if you are interested in ordering meals from Urban AIP, use the code PODCAST at checkout to enjoy an additional discount on your mailbox and PODCASTSNACKS with an S all in one word for a buy one, get the second one half off for our AIP compliant crackers.
Jaime Hartman (45:25):
And I believe those crackers were recently recognized at the Natural Product Expo, correct?
Marie-Noelle Marquis (45:30):
Yeah, we're finalists. We were finalists for a Nexty award. So it's Natural Product Expo recognizes emerging brands like new products that are really innovative. It's innovation, inspiration, integrity. So those are your three criteria. So it was really, really, really cool to be, we launched our crackers five months ago from, I guess in the fall of 2024. So to have that recognition was huge for us. We're side by side with really much, much, much bigger brands that you'll find on the shelf the Whole Foods. So that was really cool. And we have a savory cracker and a sweet one, and both of them are really great to have on hand on the go. So highly recommend it. And if you're traveling somewhere in the US and you want meals shipped to your destination, please do reach out to us directly. You'll find our contact page at urbanaip.com, and we would be more than happy to support you that way and make sure you have food at your destination. So once again, we want to remind you that AIP is not just a diet, but is also a protocol. So ordering those meals will make it much more relaxing. Take the stress off your plate, and it's a protocol with multiple branches that there are multiple ways for you to approach it also. So through this podcast, AIP Certified Coaches bring you resources so that you don't have to do AIP alone.
Jaime Hartman (46:57):
We'll be back with another episode in two weeks. So make sure you subscribe to the AIP Summit Podcast in your favorite podcast player if you haven't already.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (47:06):
And if you'd like to leave us a rating and a review, it would help others find this podcast where we are committed to helping you use the power of the autoimmune protocol to elevate your wellness journey to new heights.
Jaime Hartman (47:23):
The AIP Summit Podcast is a Gutsy By Nature production. Content presented is for purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
