Worry about the guacamole!

Ok it's not quac, but it easily could have taken me down!

What the hell am I talking about? Well it is Wednesday so I was struggling with a post when I saw this news item.

Guacamole poses health threat!

As if we need anymore warnings over things to be wary of. And by the way – way to take the fun out of Mexican food. I literally only go to Mexican restaurants for the Guacamole.

The best I’ve found? Dos Caminos in New York. These guys are a chain, but don’t let that fool you. They make spicy guac right next to your table. I can honestly say I have never been sick from it.

Which is about the only thing I haven’t been sick from. But why Robyn are you choosing to write about this today?

Yes I thought you would ask. The reason is I haven’t been feeling well recently. Ended-up spending four hours in the hospital Sunday morning to figure it out. Thought it was the kidneys – it wasn’t. Don’t fret it was nothing life-threatening and I’m fine.

But thank goodness I’m not on the road. So many people have asked how I survived 24 months on the road and I can honestly say: surprisingly well. It wasn’t always easy mind you.

With my rice saviours!

I mean in Egypt a salad attacked my stomach and I paid the price. What is it you ask?

Two days on the floor of my hostel bathroom. Then another two recovering with plain rice from the guys on the left! Scary in Cairo a city of 6.8 million people I can be a regular, but there you have it.

Any other food attacks? Only in Bali, but sadly on my birthday. Dehydration coupled with eating a wheat-infused Mars Bar did me in. Instead of surfing the tide on 30 I was sitting in an over-priced foreigners clinic.

Luckily I had my friend Lee’s house to recover in and lots of mint tea, rice and bananas and some of these yoghurt drink things I bounced back!

I survived the rest of the trip unscathed. Even through Patagonia. But that brings me to my point. Yes I have one.

It’s not easy being green. Ok, no that’s Kermit’s point. It’s not easy being celiac and on the road. I remember my first travel buddy telling me to write wheat down in multiple languages before I left.

Ha! Not going to happen. And good thing I didn’t try. I found a lot of languages don’t really have a translation for wheat. It’s simply flour. Or so I found out in Thailand as I tried with little success to get to the bottom of it all.

That’s all right. Thailand has rice noodles! Enjoy. What is my number one tip for those traveling with food allergies?

– Obviously depending on the severity (I mean shellfish you should be carrying an epi pen) pack snacks. In Europe I could find gluten-free stuff almost everywhere. In the middle East not so easy. I would go to the markets and get nuts, dried fruit and any other easy-to-carry snack.

It will save you when you need it the most.

– Eat simple. Street food was the best for me. I could see what they put in it and tell them what I didn’t (shaking head works best). You can use the word for egg if that is a problem (it is for me). I found every country understood. Though it’s incredibly difficult to say in Thai just FYI.

Eating street food - sticky rice!

– Drink plenty of water. No matter what happened (i.e. the Egyptian toilet bowl experience) water was the saving grace. Often I would feel worse when traveling because I had forgotten to drink water.

Which brings me back to Bermuda. DRINK WATER.

I think I was feeling rough last week because I went for a run. It’s too hot out there to be frivolous with your H2O intake.

– which brings me to my final point. If you are traveling to Bermuda and are celiac enjoy. Buzz Cafe, which has six locations, has gluten-free bread!!! I can’t even tell you how happy that makes me. Imagine toasted brie and sun-dried tomatoes on bread you can eat?!?! (only a celiac will understand).

And…..apparently and…I haven’t tested this out, but Hickory Stick (another sandwich place well-visited by the locals on the hunt for a good lunch) will make a sandwich with your gluten-free bread if you bring it!

This is my quick guide for Wednesday on food allergies. I promise. I promise I will sit down and write a column on it… but I need your help.

Have you got food allergies? How did you cope traveling? email me at skinnerrobyn@gmail.com or join my group on Facebook.