Social Situations... Cookouts and Parties

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere then you know what the warmer weather means... family cook-outs and Bar-B-Ques filled with gastric landmines and well meaning friends and family that want you to try a bite of this and a taste of that.

There is nothing harder on a Gastroparesis Belly than foods that have been lovingly charbroiled over an open flame and the often fat filled side dishes that go along with them and we often avoid these settings which makes us feel left out and alone.

There are a few things that you can do to step back into the backyard gastric bonanza without risking a painful night and hurt feelings, things that will allow you to once again join in the fun without having to pay for it later.

If you are able to attend (lets face it, planning anything in advance for us is a lottery... we never know how we are going to feel from minute to minute let alone day to day) then you can bring foods with you that you know are belly friendly that you can enjoy and even share.

Taking foods that you can eat might sound like a hassle, but you will be surprised at the reactions you will get and the people that will want to try your dish and might even choose it over the more common fare.

If you can still handle meats (ground and low in fat) then take *alternative meats* with you such as venison, buffalo or goat meat for burgers. Many large Grocery store chains carry ground buffalo meat and a few carry venison... for goat meat you will have to do some calling around to local butcher shops and meat packing plants but every region and area has it, you just have to hunt it down.

Go creative with cheeses... there are vegetarian cheeses, low fat cheeses and grated cheeses that can add a whole new dimension to the classic 'cheeseburger'.

Bring on the 'frozen beverage mojo'... nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer afternoon than those slushy treats so bring your fixin's and show how they can be nutritious and delicious.

Baked bean blues? Why does it have to be baked beans? Sweet potato kabobs (steam them first and peel then cut into cubes and skewer) marinated in apple juice with a pinch of clove is a fun addition when grilled and can fill that need for sweet side dishes without the fiber.

Toss out the 'home made ice cream' recipes (often they contain raw eggs and are just begging for trouble anyway) and turn that ice cream maker into an Italian Ice maker!

With a little creativity you can turn a backyard landmine into a Gourmet retreat that you can enjoy with your family and friends.

A few simple things to avoid those uncomfortable situations when someone wants you to try something you know you can't have-

1-Always have something in your hands... nothing begs a sample more than an empty hand.

2-Be polite but be firm - "I would love to try it but I am on a very strict diet from my Doctor... can I have the recipe though, I know my family would love to have it at home!"

Sometimes we get waylaid by well meaning friends or family members that want to offer advice or ask for detailed information about how we are doing... try to remember that they are only doing this because they care. Listen to the advice and try to fight the urge to explain to them exactly why what they are offering will not help, instead simply say "I will have to look into that" and when it comes to the request for detailed information you can tell them that there is alot going on at the moment and you would love to be able to sit down with them alone sometime soon to have a nice long chat about it.

Finally... if you make plans to go somewhere and have to cancel because of how you are feeling... allow it to be what it is, out of your control. Guilt will not make anything better and will only make you feel worse and your true friends and family will and do understand.