Can I go out to eat?

by Alisha

My family likes to go out at least once a month. Is that okay as long as I stick to the diet, which will be very hard when dining out. What do you suggest?

Answer: Hi Alisha,

Thanks for your question. Are you actively doing a cleanse right now?

If you are it's a great time to take a break from your normal habits and may be best to postpone your monthly restaurant experience until after your cleanse is complete. Of course, if you must eat out while cleansing you can do your best to choose "clean" food but depending on where you go out to eat this may be tricky.

If you are not actively cleansing and are just trying to stay clean and healthy in between cleansing you can give yourself certain allowances to have fun with the family. Again, just try to choose the best food possible and pay attention to how you feel after eating out.

If you are specifically avoiding wheat, sugar or dairy during your cleanse or in your daily diet be sure to ask if these ingredients are in what you order. Often you can ask for cheese or other fixings to be left out of a meal. You can also ask to replace bread with greens or other such substitutions. Fresh grilled fish and vegetables are a great choice at conventional restaurants. Many restaurants will give you an option of choosing "double veg" instead of starch if you want to avoid the white rice or mashed potatoes that are usually prepared with excessive butter and milk. Be creative and ask for what you want to eat. Don't feel like you have to order exactly what's on the menu.

Living the Whole Body Detox lifestyle is a dance between taking excellent care of yourself and enjoying life with family and friends. As you practice awareness around your choices it will become more and more clear to you which choices serve you best.

Whatever you choose to do, enjoy it to the fullest!