One of our clients reminded me last week of the tricky business of following the low FODMAP diet at conferences. She had gone away for a few days on a work conference and found herself in a dilemma, and unfortunately quite a reaction to manage, which doesn’t making travelling (or networking) comfortable.
I know that the best conference I have been to was a low FODMAP specialised one, where all the food we ate was suitable, and I didn’t have one reaction – it was conference bliss!!
My top 5 tips for managing conferences with an irritable bowel:
- If you have been through the low FODMAP elimination and challenges and you are aware of your triggers, let the conference organisers know your main intolerances. As you have probably found most events now offer gluten free and lactose/dairy free quite easily, so it is worth throwing a few more specific requests in and see what happens. It is a bonus if they able to provide you with food free of all your sensitivities.
- Depending on the conference and organisers, you may be able to provide one or two meal suggestions that are FODMAP friendly, or even send them through a recipe to follow.
- I usually carry a couple low FODMAP snacks with me in my bag, so that if the food contains some of my worst triggers and I do not want to manage the reactions, I have something to fall back on.
- If there is a social occasion connected to the conference at an external restaurant venue, I look up their menu online and do my best to plan in advance. I have on occasion called the restaurant and discussed my options in advance which has been helpful.
- I also tend to have a ginger and lemon tea bag with me so I know that in the event of a bloating reaction or nausea, it can help me with settling the symptoms a little faster.
I would love to hear if you have any tips for managing conferences that have worked for you.
