How to Eat Out at
a Restaurant: 6 Tips to Eat Healthy, Choose Wisely and STILL Enjoy Yourself
When Dining Out
Can you actually eat healthy in today's restaurants? Learn how to
eat out, enjoy your meal and create vibrant health on the Body Ecology
program!
|
Does it seem difficult to find a restaurant that serves healthy meals when
you're ready for a night out on the town?
Do you fret eating out because you're certain it will ruin the healthy diet
you've been following ... or do you eat out and later regret it because you
didn't make healthy choices (or you didn't have any healthy choices to make)?
Well here's some good news -- you don't have to stay home to eat healthy
meals.
In fact, you can follow our super-healthy Body Ecology program whether you
choose to eat at home or in a restaurant...here's how!
Eating Out at a Restaurant: 6 Tips
- Be prepared. Any time you start a new practice, the key to success
is planning ahead. After awhile, it becomes an easy part of your routine.
On long or short trips alone, with friends or family, I now carry a few
basic necessities in a travel pouch that fits inside my bag everywhere I
go. This way I am ready for a healthy meal out anytime, anywhere.
Here is what I bring:
- Non-spill nalgene travel bottles filled with organic extra virgin olive
oil or another favorite organic unrefined oil. Oils that do not have
to be refrigerated like roasted pumpkinseed oil, MacNut Oil, pine nut
oil work best for travel. Most restaurants use oils that are bleached,
deodorized and refined.
We call them "plastic" oils, and if you bring your own
oil out to eat, your liver will be very thankful!
- Celtic
sea salt- most restaurants have the poisonous
white table salt, so carry your own small vial or a small shaker
of Celtic sea salt to season your meal.
- Herbamare,a
blend of herbs and sea salt, is another popular seasoning in our Body
Ecology kitchens. A small vial of Herbamare helps you enliven anything
you eat, especially vegetables and salads.
- Stevia - carrying Stevia
is a great way to ensure that you can sweeten your beverages and foods
on the go, anytime. Learn more about Stevia by reading: The
One Supplement that Should Be in Everyone's Cooking Cupboard.
- Tea - I've noticed over the years that some restaurants
only carry teas with caffeine or artificial flavorings, making it difficult
to find a delicious hot or cold beverage out. I always carry our decaffeinated
green and black tea concentrates in handy 2 ounce bottles. Learn more
about the benefits of green and black tea by reading: Green
Tea: The Greatest Benefits of This Ideal Drink.
- Recognize the mainstream for what it is. Once you've made a commitment
to be healthy, you can't help but notice the unhealthy choices that make
up our so-called "modern world" where our main focus is on convenience.
We've moved far away from the traditional whole foods of yesteryear where
foods were prepared with both love and respect for their ability to create
energy and life.
Instead of getting frustrated, I invite you to accept what is
while quietly going about changing things for the better inside yourself.
Often, this brings a sense of peace, allowing you to stay true to your commitment
with an open heart and mind. The world can be changed by each of us doing
this...one person at a time.
You may notice, as I have, that little by little, more restaurants are
already offering healthier meal choices on their menus. In fact, chefs are
often in tune to a patron's desires. If you see that the restaurant uses
extra virgin olive oil in their salad dressings, thank the chef and let
him know you'll be telling all your friends about his restaurant.
I truly believe chefs have a mission to help the world heal right now. I
am very proud of my two friends, Richard and Jim Thomas. Their restaurant,
R. Thomas Deluxe Grill, in Atlanta, Georgia on 1812 Peachtree Street
NW has amazing, properly combined Body Ecology meals. The food is prepared
in coconut oil and organic unrefined oils are used in their salad dressings.
It is still the only restaurant I know that offers organic quinoa and millet
dishes. There are many vegetable selections (including ocean veggies) and
cultured veggies are served with each meal. You can see a sample menu
at http://www.rthomasdeluxegrill.com/dinner.htm
One of my greatest dreams is to see restaurants
all over America offering real food, BED style, like this. I want to show
people how great our food tastes and how fantastic they can look and feel.
- Know your options. One of the keys for surviving a night out on
the town is to find a few favorite places with at least one healthy meal
on the menu. Some restaurants are starting to offer more than just one or
two healthy meal options. I've noticed that there are many restaurants offering
salads with organic mixed baby greens. Do a little research and find out
which restaurants offer organic vegetables, organic pasture-fed beef and
poultry and wild fish. Most of all, find the ones that use real oils, like
extra virgin olive oil and fats like butter and ghee.
Calling ahead is a great way to find out what's on the menu. It's not uncommon
for patrons to have a food allergy so good restaurants expect to get inquiries
by phone. Imagine how quickly we could change the restaurant industry
if each of us began inquiring at our local restaurants about their oils.
- Review the menu. Take a look at the entire menu and start to narrow
down your options. If you see something that's close, ask the wait staff
if it can be prepared the way you want it. If I see something I want on
the menu, I will ask to have it prepared in a way that will meet my needs.
For example, I may ask if I can have my vegetables cooked in real butter
or simply steamed (since I'll be adding my own healthy, unrefined oil and
Celtic sea salt!).
Some of my most die-hard Body Ecology Diet friends will bring cultured
vegetables or a small amount of cooked Body
Ecology grain-like seeds in a cooler bag or in their purse so that they
can add a little flavor to their meal. In this way, if there are no great
choices on the menu, they can order salad greens or steamed vegetables and
add the quinoa, millet, or cultured veggies to what they brought.
And, of course, there will be times when you simply have to make compromises,
like eating meats, fish and vegetables that are not organic. The fish may
contain mercury, the meat may have hormones and the veggies may have been
sprayed with pesticides. The good news is that your days of eating and drinking
probiotic foods will serve you well. Cultured vegetables and probiotic
liquids are full of beneficial microflora that negate or eat these up. In
these situations, acknowledge yourself for sticking to an excellent program
at home. Then enjoy yourself! Happiness heals!
Eating well is not about being perfect all the time. It is about developing
habits and making wise choices most of the time.
For a great refresher on foods to choose, read: The
Quick & Easy Guide to Improving Your Health on The Body Ecology Program.
- Enjoy sweet tastes. Most restaurants offer desserts laced with
sugar, flour and other ingredients sure to feed pathogenic yeast (candida).Yet,
many of us want the sweet taste in our meal. I have learned over the years
that sometimes, all we need to satisfy a sweet tooth is a cup of tea with
stevia.
IMPORTANT SIDENOTE::The current practice of putting sugar into your stomach
after eating any kind of an animal protein such as fish or chicken will
cause immediate bloating in your stomach. If you must eat sugar, have it
alone on an empty stomach and follow it with a probiotic food or liquid
rich in microflora that will help consume that sugar.
Even better, you can bring some CocoBiotic
in one of your nalgene bottles and ask for a glass of sparkling mineral
water and lemon or lime. Add a few drops of stevia and you have a delicious
beverage that is sweet AND stops your cravings for sugar. If you really
want something special, ask for a champagne glass. Don't be surprised if
your dinner companions want to sample your drink for themselves!
- Change your perspective. We've all heard that life is more enjoyable
with a "glass is half full" perspective and the same is
true for eating out. If you read the menu and feel deprived, you may end
up sabotaging your good intentions. However, if you focus on enjoying your
evening with your friends instead of the food you may find that you have
a better time than ever when eating out.
In fact, many Body Ecology followers report that their dinner companions
are intrigued by their properly combined meals and want to learn more. You
can be sure that the next day your dinner companions will wish they had
chosen as wisely. In the end, you'll probably notice that you feel less
bloated and more energized.
If you find it challenging to change your perspective about your eating
habits and when you go out to eat you throw all caution to the wind, you
would likely benefit from overcoming the emotional issues you face. The
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a great way to clear limiting thought
patterns, addictions and negative thinking. I highly recommend you learn
more about EFT and consider trying it if you haven't already.
Creating Demand, One Meal at a Time
Nothing looks or feels better than vibrant health. With our busy lives, it's
a given that we'll be eating out fairly regularly. Learning how to eat out
while following your healthy Body Ecology program is a great way to stay committed
to creating energy and vitality, even in a world that has forgotten the link
between food and health.
The more of us who join together and choose healthy meals, one restaurant
at a time, the more demand will be created for not just healthy options, but
healthy restaurants!
Return to Newsletter Archive
Recommend
This Page to a Friend
Print this article
