I recently went to a conference for work in Sacramento, CA. The conference was for the California Water and Environment Association (CWEA), an organization of wastewater treatment professionals. My goal was to balance the consequences of deviating from my diet with the benefits of socializing and doing business on the road. The socializing and business - accomplished. Striking a balance - failed.
The first morning, I had milk, orange juice, and a banana - very nearly the only gluten- and egg-free choices at the continental breakfast at my hotel. So far so good, but not nearly enough calories to get me through a morning of listening to speakers. Lunch - pasta, meatballs, and salad - was provided by the conference. I skipped the pasta, but the meatballs surely had gluten (and probably eggs). For the rest of the day I walked around in a daze, trying to pay attention at talks and be polite and attentive to those I stopped to chat with. I'm sure I faked feeling well pretty good, but I paid for it later that night with nearly five hours of stomach pains and an inability to sleep. The next day was not much better. Breakfast at the hotel, lunch at an awards luncheon, and then a beer with my boss before the flight home took my body into a tailspin. My neck started to ache on the flight home, and I became anxious - barely able to sit still. I wanted to sleep but couldn't. In the middle of the night, I woke up feverish. The night remained difficult.
The question of how I can integrate traveling, business, and socialization with my dietary needs remains...
Showing posts with label Traveling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Traveling. Show all posts
Sunday, April 25, 2010
A Few Observations About Food
A few observations about food:
(1) Most socialization happens over food or drinks;
(2) Business is often conducted over food or drinks; and
(3) Maintaining a multifaceted diet while traveling is difficult.
While I am becoming more adept at dealing with each of these individually, business, socializing, and traveling are much more difficult to balance with my diet when combined.
(1) Most socialization happens over food or drinks;
(2) Business is often conducted over food or drinks; and
(3) Maintaining a multifaceted diet while traveling is difficult.
While I am becoming more adept at dealing with each of these individually, business, socializing, and traveling are much more difficult to balance with my diet when combined.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Yosemite and Hookworms - In Real Time
Just got back from a trip to Yosemite. The drive there - nearly unbearable. My back - in agony. My stomach - fragile. The weather - cold and rainy. The scenery - inspiring.
Day one, I woke up nauseated. Ingrid and I hiked around the valley floor. We saw few people but incredible views - waterfalls, rivers, massive granite cliffs, meadows, birds, and deer. By mile eight, my back was nearly in spasm. We rested, stretched, then went to dinner at the Yosemite Lodge. The Yosemite Lodge has a fairly extensive gluten-free menu (a condensed version of their normal menu). The food - overrated. My Caesar salad was extraordinarily average and my ribeye was tough and poorly seasoned. I went back to the tent nauseated. More stretching, in bed by 8.
Day two, I woke up nauseated. We hiked up the mist and John Muir trail. Our goal - Nevada Falls. We made it to Clark's Point, some 2 miles from Nevada on account of my back. In the valley we went to the Ahwahnee Dining room for lunch. This was supposed to be an amazing restaurant. I had fried calamari and a club sandwich. Both had too much bread and were poorly seasoned. The club sandwich was like eating lard. The price - exorbitant. I went back to the tent nauseated.
On our way home today, my back remained in agony. I remained nauseated. However, an interesting segment on NPR (This American Life) caught my ear. The piece was about parasites. After discussing the effects that some parasites have on insects and fish, the piece switched to an interesting segment on the potentially beneficial relationship between hookworms and autoimmune diseases (Celiac Disease, Allergies, Asthma, Crone's Disease, etc.) in humans.
I could not do justice to the NPR piece, so please click here to hear the fascinating piece.
Day one, I woke up nauseated. Ingrid and I hiked around the valley floor. We saw few people but incredible views - waterfalls, rivers, massive granite cliffs, meadows, birds, and deer. By mile eight, my back was nearly in spasm. We rested, stretched, then went to dinner at the Yosemite Lodge. The Yosemite Lodge has a fairly extensive gluten-free menu (a condensed version of their normal menu). The food - overrated. My Caesar salad was extraordinarily average and my ribeye was tough and poorly seasoned. I went back to the tent nauseated. More stretching, in bed by 8.
Day two, I woke up nauseated. We hiked up the mist and John Muir trail. Our goal - Nevada Falls. We made it to Clark's Point, some 2 miles from Nevada on account of my back. In the valley we went to the Ahwahnee Dining room for lunch. This was supposed to be an amazing restaurant. I had fried calamari and a club sandwich. Both had too much bread and were poorly seasoned. The club sandwich was like eating lard. The price - exorbitant. I went back to the tent nauseated.
On our way home today, my back remained in agony. I remained nauseated. However, an interesting segment on NPR (This American Life) caught my ear. The piece was about parasites. After discussing the effects that some parasites have on insects and fish, the piece switched to an interesting segment on the potentially beneficial relationship between hookworms and autoimmune diseases (Celiac Disease, Allergies, Asthma, Crone's Disease, etc.) in humans.
I could not do justice to the NPR piece, so please click here to hear the fascinating piece.
Monday, February 8, 2010
New Year's Eve
My head injury occurred on October 25. Typically, concussions take between 4-6 weeks to clear up. A small percentage linger on for longer, sometimes indefinitely. At Christmas, my concussion was not better. I was tired of feeling ill.
My parents treated my wife and I to a big band concert at the Majestic Theater in downtown Gettysburg. The music was decent. I felt like dancing. My wife and I braved the dance floor at the beginning of the second set. Within seconds, my mouth fell dry. We continued to dance. At the end of the song, I could barely breath. We sat down. I could barely contain the cough of a dry throat that water could not quench. My head hurt. My heart beat thumped at the top of my neck, where spine meets skull. I barely heard another note of music for the rest of the evening. That evening I had a revelation. My concussion was also a neck injury. When in New Zealand, I would wake up, my neck on fire. Back in the states, I couldn't move my neck without pain while driving. A neck injury was the only thing that made sense.
I went back to my doctor. He said that I most likely had a neck injury. I should move and strengthen my neck to fix a neck injury. I started to do yoga at home. I also went to see a new doctor, an Osteopath. After ten minutes, my new doctor confirmed that I had two strained vertebrae. Our conversation wandered. We talked about my long-term issues - food intolerance, abdominal pains, fatigue, and everything else that I had been going through. He suggested acupuncture. I wasn't sold. But I did begin to think about alternative means to health.
My parents treated my wife and I to a big band concert at the Majestic Theater in downtown Gettysburg. The music was decent. I felt like dancing. My wife and I braved the dance floor at the beginning of the second set. Within seconds, my mouth fell dry. We continued to dance. At the end of the song, I could barely breath. We sat down. I could barely contain the cough of a dry throat that water could not quench. My head hurt. My heart beat thumped at the top of my neck, where spine meets skull. I barely heard another note of music for the rest of the evening. That evening I had a revelation. My concussion was also a neck injury. When in New Zealand, I would wake up, my neck on fire. Back in the states, I couldn't move my neck without pain while driving. A neck injury was the only thing that made sense.
I went back to my doctor. He said that I most likely had a neck injury. I should move and strengthen my neck to fix a neck injury. I started to do yoga at home. I also went to see a new doctor, an Osteopath. After ten minutes, my new doctor confirmed that I had two strained vertebrae. Our conversation wandered. We talked about my long-term issues - food intolerance, abdominal pains, fatigue, and everything else that I had been going through. He suggested acupuncture. I wasn't sold. But I did begin to think about alternative means to health.
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