Hello Reader,

I’d like to share a recent experience eating out.

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I went for a “nice” dinner at The Keg, an upscale steakhouse chain in Canada.

My family and I have been trying to minimize intake of vegetable and seed oils (like canola, corn, sunflower, and soybean), so I asked the waiter to confirm that they could prepare our food without them.

A few minutes later, the Culinary Manager approached our table and sheepishly informed us that they use these oils in most of their food. The “butter” used to cook steaks, mashed potatoes, and veggies was mixed with soybean oil. The olive oil in their salad dressings was also “cut” with lower quality vegetable oil.

I was shocked.

​
Dinner at The Keg is not cheap - I thought, the least they could do is use real butter and olive oil in our food!

​
This experience highlighted to me the importance of asking and digging deeper when eating outside of the home. I assumed that the higher cost of food meant higher quality ingredients, but this wasn’t the case.

In this economic climate, where everyone’s cutting costs, the quality of your food is likely to suffer. While “perfection” isn’t realistic, it is still within your power to read labels, ask questions, and prioritize what matters to you most when it comes to food.

Fortunately, the Culinary Manager kindly offered to take the real butter (that they send out with their fresh-baked bread) to cook my husband’s steak and made a separate batch of mashed potatoes for my daughter. We still had a lovely night out.

The lessons I learned that evening:

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions
• Don’t assume a high price tag means higher quality, and
• Don’t stop advocating for what’s important to you.

Sending you love & light,

Dora

----------

Recommendations

• Smartphone App: To help me find restaurants that have food options which don’t contain seed oils, I’ve been using the “Seed Oil Scout” app on my smartphone. It’s still growing and relies on community input, but it was super helpful during our recent road trip. Definitely worth checking out.

• Recipe: Brazilian Pao de Queijo (Cheese Bread) - I love these crispy, chewy and gluten-free rolls. I was so excited to find this dairy-free version, which did not disappoint! https://thatgirlcookshealthy.com/brazilian-cheese-bread-recipe/​

​
----------

Upcoming

• ​My 10-week Living Light Reset Program is starting again soon. This is a structured, holistic program for people ready to feel lighter (physically and emotionally). It’s ideal for people who like having accountability and personal support.
• I have a few spots open this summer for 1:1 clients - especially if you’re dealing with autoimmune or digestive issues, and need someone to help you get to the underlying cause and guide you towards better health
• For folks tired of guessing what’s inflaming their system, I’m now offering MRT food sensitivity testing + support for making dietary changes. This is my preferred food sensitivity test

If you’re curious about any of these, just send me a reply and ask!

--------------

Hi there! I'm Dora Chan. I'm an unconventional pharmacist & holistic nutritionist with a focus on metabolic health and autoimmune disease. I'm also a homeschooling mom to my twin girls, and a sucker for cute dog videos. 🐶 I think you're amazing.

Find out more about my programs & services at www.doctordora.com​