Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; NSD around the world!

I am an avid traveler who has been eating NSD on and off for almost 5 years now in combination with Enbrel. I've finally decided to kick the enbrel all together because of immune challenges. I'm not in the midst of a flare up and am more motivated than ever to strictly stay to the diet, 100%. I find that some places can be much more difficult to eat NSD than others and as I ponder my next trip my diet is on the forefront of my mind.

Does anyone have experience with world travel eating strictly no starch? I also like to eat organic and natural meats, but that can often be impossible to find out depending on the country you are in.

I recently randomly met a fellow ASkicker in Thailand, with his iodine! We were able to eat starch free with little to moderate difficultly there. I was eating starch free as well but not testing any foods. Coconut vegetable curries, fried vegetables, coconuts all were in abundance.

Travelling in Venezuela I found a majority of their diet to be starch - corn, rice, beans, breads. A little harder.

Would anyone be willing to share their experience traveling NSD?

I live in Minnesota and have access to all kinds of ingredients and products that are organic and local and starch free. It's still difficult because of the pervasiveness of starches in so many things, but its not a logistical challenge to find foods that I can eat. Would others who live around the world be willing to share their experience living on the NSD?

Hello there,

I live in Argentina and have less difficulty with diet here than in the States. Uruguay would be similar... cannot speak for the rest of South America.

Food here in Argentina is great BTW... so much better than the States in my opinion.

Take care,

Tim

Traveled in Ecuador a couple of weeks ago, basically have to tell every restaurant that you do not want fried vegetables, get as much natural lettuce with the meal as possible and get the grilled fish or meat with only salt on, no marinade. Then you just hae to pick out the starchy beans and nightshades they serve you. Sometimes works, sometimes not. I think I flared from a large lobster, which I normally no not eat.

Hotel breakfasts tricky, as you rarely know what is in the stuff they serve. I stuck to pieces of lettuce and had the chef make an omelett, though when you try to make them fry only in butter, they always look at you as you are trying to kill yourself

Over all, restaurants are always tricky but especially when you hardly know the language.
Good luck!

I live in France, and doing the NSD there isn't too hard, even though ppl do think you're a bit of a weirdo for not eating bread or cakes...
The meat is good quality, most of the beef that's sold in France is grass-fed, and I buy most of my food from like butcher, greengrocer, fishmonger rather than the supermarket, so I think I'm getting good stuff !
Since starting the NSD i've been on a holiday in UK, USA and Barbados.
The UK was fine, ppl are very aware of food intolerances over there, even though they tend to get NSD confused with gluten-free and will offer you stuff made with rice flour, etc...
I found the US a bit tricky, because when ordering in a restaurant, I always ended up with things on my plate that weren't on the menu ! Like for breakfast i'd ask for "JUST a couple fried eggs, with bacon and tomato" (emphasis on the JUST) and end up with the above + bread + sauteed potatoes (btw sauteed potatoes for breakfast ? yukk...) + toast...
Found Subway was quite good as you can order a big salad and decide what goes in it, and for dressing I just had olive oil, lovely !!
As for Barbados, I was looking forward to eating lots of fresh fish, however I found out most of their fish is battered over there, which is a shame.
The barbadian diet is very rich in starch (sweet potato, fries, plantain, macaronie pie..) but i got salad instead every time. So my diet over there was mostly grilled chicken + salads + a bit of fruit + a few rum punches...
I think eating out is definitely the trickiest part of NSD, so for traveling i'll definitely look for self-catering accomodation so you don't have to eat out every meal.

Great information! Are there any NS dieters who have travelled in Japan? I was thinking of planning a trip this fall. I am concerned about rice being in everything and a lot of processed foods, but I have never been there before so I don't know.

Great advice about not eating out! I think that may be the main solution for travel, I'll just need to find accommodation with a kitchen. Thanks!

In States when I moved and before I found place to live I stated only at hotels with kitchen... forget the name of the chain now. In Phoenix in was great... hotel was right next to grocery store.

Ahhh... Select Comfort I think.

Only bad item in Phoenix hotel, I found a scorpion in hallway.

Tim

Not NS but other food restrictions. When I travel, I stay near a grocery store in a room with a fridge and a microwave. Go to grocery store and stock up on items I can eat. Not everything has to be cooked.

Tuna, Sardines, organic "lunchmeat", fresh raw produce, salad / olive bar, Tea, etc.

I do it both because of food restrictions and it cuts down on cost.