| When you are following any type of diet, getting | | | | carefully chosen a sweet that you could have a |
| that dinner invitation can be something that will | | | | taste of, and they may have put a nice selection |
| either be a source of joy - or one of despair! | | | | of cheeses on the cheese board. |
| Wanting to follow a low carbohydrate regime and | | | | While this may seem quite selfish and seem like |
| still honour our hosts by eating the food that they | | | | you are dictating to your hosts what they must |
| have prepared can at first glance seem quite a | | | | eat and serve to their other guests, in actual fact |
| difficult balancing act . | | | | you are probably helping them to break out of a |
| After all, if we have done any entertaining | | | | pattern that they will have been in for many |
| ourselves, we know full well how much effort | | | | years. |
| goes into the preparation of a special meal for | | | | It appears that people get very comfortable in |
| special guests. | | | | preparing something they know goes down well |
| There's the selection of the menu; the purchasing | | | | every time, so to have a gentle challenge and |
| of the ingredients; the preparation, cooking and | | | | investigate alternatives, try new tastes etc, this |
| general hard work that goes into making a | | | | can actually be a win-win situation for both parties |
| successful meal a pleasant and memorable | | | | . |
| occasion. | | | | One thing you can be guaranteed of is that the |
| Some of us may run through the scenario in our | | | | conversation at the table will feature heavily upon |
| minds of getting to our host's table and finding | | | | the subject of your diet and if they have not |
| that we are being served a huge bowl of pasta | | | | seen you for a few weeks you can be sure that |
| or another dish of rice, with freshly baked French | | | | your trimmed down figure will also be a top topic |
| crusty bread on the side and hardly a piece of | | | | at the table . |
| meat or other vegetables in sight - apart from a | | | | Bear in mind though, it's not good to become a |
| very rich cornflower sauce. | | | | low carbohydrate bore. Do let other people bring |
| Well, perhaps that's a little extreme, but you | | | | other topics to the table - before long enough |
| know what imagination is like. Most of the time | | | | you'll find them often returning to the subject of |
| you will be faced with saying 'no' to the | | | | your new diet and how great you look. |
| vegetables and 'no' to a large helping of pasta or | | | | Surprisingly enough, you may well find that you |
| rice to go with the dish. This refusal can actually | | | | are invited back more quickly than usual, |
| put the hosts in an embarrassing situation and | | | | particularly if your hosts have been impressed |
| make everybody feel a tad uncomfortable. You | | | | enough with what you shared, maybe even |
| attempting to refuse your host's lovingly cooked | | | | wanting to try the diet themselves. If you think |
| food and your host feeling uncomfortable, | | | | that this may be the case, you would do well to |
| perhaps because they think you may be going | | | | ensure that you let them have good information |
| hungry. | | | | about the diet so that they can start properly and |
| But this whole situation is very easy to | | | | safely. Be prepared with some basic information |
| overcome. For as soon as you get the invitation | | | | should they decide that the diet is a good idea for |
| to share a meal with your friends, pick up the | | | | them. And you could even give them the 'How to |
| phone and tell them there and then that in order | | | | do Atkins' guide from this magazine. That will be a |
| to improve your health you are following a diet | | | | good start. |
| that restricts you from eating carbohydrates. | | | | So to recap a little bit, when you get the |
| When you say this, be prepared to answer the | | | | invitation, inform your hosts about your dietary |
| question 'OK that's no problem, but what can you | | | | requirements. You might consider dropping around |
| eat?' | | | | some basic information there and then so that |
| If you give them a list of the many things that | | | | they can plan the meal accordingly. Personally I |
| you can eat on the Atkins or low carbohydrate | | | | tend to tell people that providing there is meat, |
| diet, then you can totally hear the relief in their | | | | fish, or something else on my permitted list, I |
| voice, as in fact the amount of things we can and | | | | honestly don't mind not having the vegetables to |
| do eat are still quite varied. | | | | eat. |
| For instance, if you are invited around for this | | | | When it comes to the sweets, depending on your |
| Sunday's roast and you've already mentioned to | | | | local customs, you could always offer to bring the |
| your host that you prefer not to eat to potatoes | | | | desert with you. This would of course ensure that |
| and root vegetables, then don't be surprised if | | | | your host is saved from doing the job and puts |
| your hosts have gone that bit further and maybe | | | | the desert completely under your control. So you |
| provided a couple of varieties of meat. They may | | | | both win on that count. |
| have gone even further still and found out which | | | | Whatever you do - enjoy your meal - even if |
| are the lowest carbohydrate based vegetables | | | | you have to have a snack when you get back |
| and prepared those for you. They could have also | | | | home. |