02 February 2008

No More Apologies!

It happens virtually every time I go to a restaurant and I am tired of it! I hereby refuse to apologize to yet another waiter for failing to eat all of the food they have served to me!

Here's the issue. As I have mentioned before on this blog, I have stomach issues. I get sick frequently after eating. It is the reason I am now a vegetarian. While removing most of animal protein & fat (except dairy and eggs) from my diet has helped, I do still have issues.

One of the issues is that I cannot eat very much at a time. At home I tend to eat 5-6 meals evenly spread throughout the day. They are very small meals typically consisting of a yogurt and an apple. Or a hard boiled egg and a couple of crackers with peanut butter. If I eat a "normal-sized meal," as in normal for most people, it makes me nauseous and gives me stomach aches.

When we go to a restaurant I always end up with way more food that I can eat. Which means that when the waiter comes to clear my plate, they always want to know what is wrong with the food. And then I apologize for not eating it.

But no more! If I don't want to eat all the food, I don't have to and you cannot make me. So there!

Note: Before you write in with all sorts of helpful comments about how to resolve my issue, let me tell you that I have now seen 7 different doctors in 2 different countries and tried 4 different prescriptions and a few homepathic remedies as well. Yes, I have tried the various prescriptions for IBS. Yes, I have tried ginger and peppermint. Trust me, whatever you are thinking of suggesting has likely been tried already. It didn't work. OK? The only thing I haven't yet tried is acupuncture. Which I will admit I am seriously considering. Still trying to figure out how to find a reputable one in the Zürich area who speaks English.

4 comments:

swissmiss said...

For what it's worth, I can't clean my plate in Switzerland either, especially if I go to a restaurant for lunch. The portions are HUGE here!

Do I dare ask if you have tried Osteopathie? (Hard to describe - like a mix between chiropractice and acupressure. Sort of.) The Swiss swear by it...

Global Librarian said...

I have never even heard of osteopathy. I'll do some research.

I am moderately comfortable with the thought of acupuncture. From the research I have done, there are enough research studies conducted at reputable medical universities to suggest it can have a positive impact with virtually no negative reactions. The greatest risk is the use of unsterilzed needles. But is is pretty easy to verify that the needles used are sterilized.

CanadianSwiss said...

I totally understand you. I don't have a problem with meat or heavy foods (f.e. deep fried), but I would also rather eat 4-5 times a day in smaller portions. In my case, I think it's hereditary. My Dad also eats like that. Maybe that's also the case with you. Anyway, don't worry too much about it. If it's only when you're going out for dinner, just let them know with a smile that you should have ordered a kid's portion ;)

BTW, what do you do when you're in the US??? I loose my appetite when I only see the size of the starters there!

Global Librarian said...

I actually do a little better in the US, mostly because vegetarian options tend to be more plentiful. However, regardless of where we go I spend a fair amount of time while traveling feeling unwell.

I am going to try a new trick when we go to Cairo. A week before we leave, I am going to start taking 2 Pepto-Bismol capsules every morning, and continue to take them while we are there. Fingers crossed that I won't feel sick!