On Monday I got invited to a stranger's house for dinner.
I'd bumped into them the day before. They were lovely, the husband was playing guitar when we met, his wife was singing along and before I knew it they'd asked me round for dinner the following evening.
I said yes.
And then immediately started thinking about the food.
Here's the thing. A year ago I would have either said no or spent the whole evening anxious about what was on the plate. But I've learned a few things since then. So instead of dreading it I just ran my system.
The three things I did that made it stress free for both of us.
First I complimented them on something they'd actively put effort into. Not just their looks, something they'd worked on. In this case it was the guitar playing. It was genuine and it immediately put us on good terms. People want to help people they like.
Then I got them talking about something they were passionate about. Their kids in this case. Partly because I was genuinely interested. Partly because it meant that when I needed to mention my dietary needs, I wasn't a stranger making demands, I was someone they'd already connected with.
Then I asked what they were planning to cook. When they told me the meal had onion and garlic in it I didn't just say I can't eat those and leave them to figure it out. I gave them the swaps immediately. Leek greens instead of onion. Garlic infused olive oil instead of garlic. Took the stress off them and gave me some control over what went into the meal.
Thirty minutes before we sat down I took a peppermint oil capsule. It's well evidenced for IBS symptom relief and I find it almost preps my stomach before a meal, so if something did catch me out I'd be in the best possible place to handle it.
The meal was incredible, the company was even better and I woke up the next day feeling amazing. No gut issues.
This week's practical tip
Next time you're eating at someone else's house don't just tell them what you can't eat. Tell them what to swap it for. It removes their stress and gives you control.
This week's mindset
You're allowed to have needs. The key is coming prepared with solutions so things are easier for everyone.
Prepared beats perfect.
See you next Friday with a new IBS friendly recipe.
Zak