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Erica D'Eramo 0:05
Hello and welcome to the Two Piers podcast. I'm your host, Erica D'Eramo, and today we have a guest joining us to talk about traveling with food allergies and sensitivities. Melissa Olivadoti is a medical affairs consultant for pharma, biotech and nutraceuticals companies, and she travels quite often for work, while also managing multiple allergies and sensitivities. Conference season is upon us, and she's here to share some wisdom with us about how to keep yourself safe, healthy and happy while having to travel for work.
Erica D'Eramo 0:51
Hello, Melissa, great to have you back.
Melissa Olivadoti 0:53
Erica, it's so wonderful to be here, and I am super excited to talk about today's topic, because it's near and dear to my heart.
Erica D'Eramo 1:01
Yeah, I just got back from some travel myself, which was actually for vacation, and I think I doubled down and said, Hey, remember, we were going to record that podcast like we I'm feeling really motivated to record the podcast, yeah, especially with travel coming up. For me, I know you've had some recent travel, and it just brings it top of mind, for sure.
Melissa Olivadoti 1:26
Absolutely yes, and I was, you know, it takes a lot of preparation. I think that's the hardest part. Is the preparation. Once you get on a trip, if you have your stuff down, it's not so bad, but getting everything you need in one place, getting ready to get on that flight, I never used to have to think about this stuff ever. I would have my regular toiletries in my bag that I refilled. I would throw in my clothes, and I'm off and running. I'm Yelping the most, highest rated restaurant in the type of food I wanted in my city, and I get to try something new every time. It's so different when you have limitations now, it's making sure you have food for the day and making sure you have your EpiPen and everything else you need. So yes, there's lots of other things that you have to think about when you have food sensitivities or even other limitations when you travel.
Erica D'Eramo 2:26
Yeah, I think that. So we one of the reasons I wanted to discuss this topic is, well, it's kind of twofold. Actually. One is that people understand what is involved, even if, if they don't specifically have food sensitivities or allergies or anything like that. Those of us who travel with folks, who have colleagues who maybe are organizing events, I think this is really important for folks to understand. But the other reason I wanted to talk about it is that even for those of us who maybe don't have like life threatening allergies, we might have other types of sensitivities, especially for my fellow neurodivergent folks, who maybe have, like, a dialed up sensitivity to some elements, like some sensory elements. And so I think that there's a lot of overlap in this piece around preparing ourselves for the travel, like, what can we do to ensure the highest likelihood that we'll have a successful, happy, healthy trip or visit for, say, a conference, but also, other folks who are on the organizing front can have this in the back of their mind to be to be playing their part too, because there's some low hanging fruit out there that folks could be doing to make things a lot safer and easier for, you know, a lot of people
Melissa Olivadoti 3:48
Absolutely because just travel in and of itself, is an onslaught to the senses so overwhelming, you know, like You get into you're having to queue up with random people. You have smells, you're in tight places, you're stuck with strangers. If you go to a conference, it's non stop social activity, and, you know, forced activity as well, with very little opportunity to kind of separate yourself from that and center yourself and so having, I think, both of these areas of food sensitivities, allergies and being neurodivergent when you travel is preparing is a big part of it, but also being your own advocate and speaking up for your needs and making sure you have what you need when you're in those situations, to manage when things change or go south. Because they do.
Erica D'Eramo 4:51
Yes, they do. They do. And so I love that, like framing of kind of the and this is. Are, you know, very in line with my coaching type of mentality of, right? So we can, we can hope for the best. And then how do we plan for the worst to make sure that we've at least got some contingencies, or some safety nets or backup plans for when, when we are only able to eat one thing at the conference, nothing? Um, nothing. So, okay, I'm curious. I mean, I'm curious, if you don't mind sharing, what are some for you personally, what are some of the food sensitivities, or general sensitivities that you manage when you travel?
Melissa Olivadoti 5:36
So I have quite a laundry list. It's taken me years to figure this out. Even, you know, just last year, we discovered a new one that completely made my life way better. And the biggest one is the biggest limitations is the hardest is the red meat allergy. And this includes, you know, anything from a mammal, so anything from a cow, a pig, lamb, anything like that, and its derivatives, because it's a sugar molecule that you get allergic to when you get bit by tick. Often happens in the South. A lot of people in the south are more you know, knowledgeable about it, and that includes dairy and all the other products. But then I'm also celiac, so I can't eat wheat or gluten. And then I also have a strong allergy to soy and almond, which I have an EpiPen for. And I'm also sensitive to a bunch of things since I got bit by that tick, including onion, garlic, egg, corn, peanuts and sesame. See, you can imagine how hard it would be to eat out, and plus, some of these are like cross reactivity, and some of them shared spaces causes a problem. So my whole thing is, I tend to have to plan all of my food, and unless I know the restaurant and trust what's going on there. I pretty much take care of all of my own meals, even on travel.
Erica D'Eramo 7:07
Yeah, yeah. I think that that piece around, like, know the restaurant and can trust it is so key because, I mean, I know, I know I have friends, but I've also seen, like, the behind the scenes, that there's one thing to say, I don't eat gluten, right? Okay, well, we're gonna not give you the pasta, but that's actually different. Like, deciding not to eat gluten is different than an actual, like, allergy that will send you to the hospital. And so when people say, like, oh yeah, no, it doesn't have pasta in it, or it or it doesn't have wheat in it, but they prepared it on the same surface. And I think that there are enough people in the world who have chosen not to eat gluten for their own reasons, because it doesn't sit well with them. They find that they're they feel better when they don't eat and eat it, which is great, and they should be respected as well. And also, I think that sometimes that's led to people maybe being more dismissive of folks who have celiacs and like, actually, this is not about a choice to not eat it. It's like you will end up feeling very sick and or in the hospital sometimes. So
Melissa Olivadoti 8:20
Yes, absolutely. I think there's a positive and negative to awareness, right? A lot more places are aware of gluten sensitivities and celiacs. But in the same vein, when gluten free diet became a big fad, and you know, 2010 probably to 2018 I would say. And at that time, you also had people that were eating gluten free, but then in the restaurant, but they'd have the table bread or they'd have a beer, and so it was very confusing to servers, and it wouldn't be taken seriously. People are becoming more aware of allergies in general, servers restaurants, interestingly, there are some countries like Italy where the genetics are more prevalent, where they have a completely separate space, where they cook for celiacs, which is really interesting, yeah, but having multiple issues tends to make it even harder. And I think even the social aspect of it, when you can't go out to eat with other people, especially when your business events, it can be very awkward, because you have to describe to people why you're doing this, why you're not imbibing with them, enjoying with them, because it's a shared experience, and you're the one person at the Table not eating anything. So it can be a little awkward. And then you have to disclose, if you feel comfortable, you have to say something. You have to disclose your own personal medical history, like and say, you know, I would love to eat with you, but if I do, I might not be functional tomorrow. And that's kind of awkward to say, right? You kind of have to spill your guts to somebody in your company, or somebody else that through work that you're meeting. So I think the fact that meals are a shared experience can be can make it even harder. But I also find that eating before you go to those activities is so critical because then you're not angsty and angry and hungry at the same time. So and then, you know, it's easier to pass and say no, thank you. I think this last weekend, we went to this beautiful Indian restaurant. Oh my gosh, the food looked amazing. I had eaten before I left, but because there was such a need for people to make me feel included, I just ordered plain white rice because I knew, just like rice and water. And I know the waiters really wanted to give me something beautiful that, I mean, this food was amazing, but I was like, just please, this is all I need. And they brought something out. And then at least I was eating something along with everyone else, so I could adapt a little bit. Yeah, I don't want to use my EpiPen tonight. Is a good is a good one to use, right? I'm just not in the mood to use my EpiPen tonight.
Erica D'Eramo 11:11
I'm just like trusting people to know themselves and know their risk tolerance well enough to let them make that decision I think is so important. Because, sure, it might be like, maybe they know that they have an allergen free area and they can prepare something for you. But ultimately, that's asking for a huge leap of faith for somebody who then has to worry and, like, maybe spend their night devoting energy to monitoring whether or not it's going to go south because they didn't actually, you know, this is like their first time eating there, and and, and it's just not worth that mental energy or weight for some people, when they can eat beforehand and eat the rice and partake and make their own decisions as the grown adults they are for their risk profile.
Melissa Olivadoti 11:56
Yeah, I think that's really important for people who don't have allergies to know that if they're planning an event, even if they're having someone over for family or friends, you know, you can always ask the person, is there something I do for you? If their answer is no, just respect it, right and recognize because some of my allergies are delayed, so I won't know until eight to 12 hours later, and so you know, that's a long time to wait. So basically, I would say, give grace and just say, what would work best for you, whether an event planner always, I always ask when people come to my house, if I don't know you know much about them. Hey, do you have anything that I can make you feel comfortable? Make you feel at home? That's true for event planners, too. And if they say, you know, I have too many allergies, don't push because otherwise it's awkward to have to say, No, thank you to somebody who really wants to do something nice for you. So recognize to your point, everybody's an adult, you know, they can take their they can manage themselves. And what I do as a someone with allergies, I bring something that I can eat and can share, so that I know there's something to eat, but other people can enjoy it as well.
Erica D'Eramo 13:07
Yeah, what a great idea. I think that there's a cultural element to that and and so we, you know, there's the golden rule, right? Like, treat people how you would want to be treated. And then we talk about the platinum rule, treat people the way they want to be treated. And so even if, like, you know, and hey, my last name gives it away, like I come from an Italian heritage, we've we love feeding people, and so, and you know, my husband's family is Greek, and they love feeding people. And so sometimes we can project our own kind of cultural assumptions on folks, but just remembering, you know, how would this person want to be treated? And if they're communicating clearly and they're giving you the signal, like, just let them make their decisions in all things, even if they want, you know, wanting to sit alone at conferences, it's okay if somebody wants to sit alone or have some quiet time, like, we don't need to project our own feelings about that and be like, Oh, but they shouldn't be alone. It's okay if they want to be alone. That's your feeling to manage that they you know, like what we would want might be different than what they would want. So absolutely, you raise a good point too about, you know, the pressure to disclose, and I think this is a conversation I was having with like a corporate client recently, around social gatherings and building inclusion and belonging. And a lot of their social gatherings are happy hours, and there are a multitude of reasons that people might not want to or be able to drink alcohol or participate in alcohol, and maybe they don't even want to be around alcohol again, a variety of reasons that that might be the case. And so you know somebody who chooses not to drink or not to attend if there's alcohol involved, like you. Don't need to pry, we don't need to ask. It could be a lot of different things that folks shouldn't have to feel pressured to disclose, especially not to colleagues.
Melissa Olivadoti 15:11
Absolutely. And I mean, I don't, personally, I don't drink because it doesn't make me feel great, like you know, even if I have a single glass of wine, I'm not going to sleep well that night. And so for me, it, you know, for people who don't drink, it can get awkward, and there's this weird social pressure. I know people that would prefer not to go to an event that is surrounded, you know that that is where everyone is drinking, right? And so that's why whenever I try and plan, I try and plan something where that is not at the core of what we're doing, there's always something else to do other than imbibe. So that's not the focus, because there's just, you know, food, drink, anything, where you focus on one activity, there's likely going to be someone in that room either can't be in that room, or is uncomfortable in that room, or just does not feel like that's core to who they are. And so I think finding, you know, being able to do activities that aren't focused on something that's automatically potentially going to exclude people, it's always a good always good idea, right?
Erica D'Eramo 16:20
Yeah, I agree having a mixture of those two, because chances are, no matter what it is, somebody won't, you know, whatever it is, somebody might not be able to partake, right, like x throwing might be great, but that might not be for everybody either. But I am. I can't actually count how many times I have chosen not to have an alcoholic beverage, or I've chosen, like, a non alcoholic option going out. And people immediately, just because, and this is happening less and less Now, thankfully, but people immediately jumping to like, Oh, you're not drinking. Maybe. Are you pregnant? Like, are you are you guys trying? And it's like, well, no, but maybe I just suffered a loss, like, maybe that's something I desperately wanted and can't make happen. And it's not appropriate to be asking me that now I just say, like, it's hot flashes. I just don't want to that's why. Yeah, yeah. So I think I'm curious, what are some of your for folks who are managing this, or think that they might even be managing some of these challenges, what are some of like your best practices that you share with people?
Melissa Olivadoti 17:39
So I would say for now, I tend to get overloaded, sense and sensory wise, when I travel and I have an allergy. There's a couple things. There's a few things that I do to make travel manageable. One is just the pre plan, right? I make sure whatever I'm doing when I'm going there, I have some time to myself, getting the day end of the day, end of the day, it might be meditation, it might be yoga, it might be exercise, it might just be sitting and staring at a wall. I kid you not. I've been at conferences that were 12 hours long each day, and I literally go and stare at the wall for five minutes because it's too much. And I tell the people on my teams, I'm like, do you have enough wall steering time? If not, because I tend to like, I tend to be like a VP for hire, you know, managing other people below me. So I will tell them, we're going to schedule you some wall steering time. If you don't have enough, please let me know, and I will make sure you have enough, because it's key to like, you know, making sure that you have your wits about you. But then I also look to where I'm staying, what I'm packing, where do I have enough buffer in time, and what I'm doing? And that kind of be like, Okay, so where am I staying? Do I have a kitchenette or kitchen, or do I have a whole foods closed? Because Whole Foods is like, my go to, right? I get a roaster, I get a bunch of lettuce. I've got chicken salads. I'm okay. I get by. I will never want to look at another roaster or another salad for at least three weeks after that trip. But I can get by and eat okay, and that gets it, yeah. But do I have, you know, do my accommodations, work? Do am I going to need to rent a car to go find food during the trip? If it's a seven day trip and I can't get what I need in an Uber to take with me, if it's two day trip, I can go go to the grocery store on the way, grab what I need, you know, take it back to the hotel. But if it's a multi day trip, I'm gonna book a book, a car, if I can do I have all my medications, my carry on bag, at least one epi dose, right? I like the I think they call it Neffy, where it's the nasal spray versus the injection, because easier carry. And I don't like needles. So you know, if I can do that, I make sure I have when I'm traveling, I have enough food on me, and I actually had to get a bigger carry on bag for this, but I have enough food and snacks on me for 24 hours. Just in case I get stuck, because it's, I mean, even the snacks in the places in airports, like the snacks are sometimes have stuff in them I can't eat. So, like I said, it's the preparation that's the big, big thing. And then I have my trusty shopping list with stuff that can be easily refrigerated or shelf stable, so I can just breathe through, breathe through the grocery store. I don't think about what I need. I take my reusable shopping bags with me in my bag, because I have had brown bags and plastic bags break when I'm trying to do a bag drag, and it is awful. So I've got my little bag from the time we went to wait, wait, don't tell me. And it's a little, yeah, it's great. So I actually make sure it's a, it's a really nice canvas bag, and I make sure and it folds in on itself. So I make sure that I use that when I go to the store. And I also have this really cool, professional zipper bag that looks like a professional bag, but it's actually a lunch bag that I can put, like, a little,
Erica D'Eramo 21:07
Oh, cool!
Melissa Olivadoti 21:07
And that brings Ziplock so I can put ice in it and keep it refrigerated throughout the day. And I also keep homemade Italian dressing in an Nalgene bottle in my bag. I even keep it in my purse at all times, because you never know when you're gonna
Melissa Olivadoti 21:21
It's a tiny Nalgene.
Melissa Olivadoti 21:22
It's a tiny Nalgene, it's probably like, three inches tall, and it's shelf stable because just olive oil and vinegar. And so I take that with me everywhere I go when I travel, because it's, you know, go through security, no problem. And then if I get stuck and I need a salad, I don't have to eat a dry salad. Like it's just a little things, right? And I have my medical alert item. I have it on my watch band, so I don't have to work, because I've always have it on me. And that says, You know what my allergies are. If I if you have an issue with anaphylaxis, you absolutely need a medical alert on you, so that if anything ever happens, it's got your in case of emergency contact, it has what you're allergic to and your name, and then I also let my host know about my limitations and and what, either they need to plan for what tell them like, I will not be eating meals, don't? You don't need to count me in, because that's a cost associated I will get all my food, or whatever it is. If you've just got a simple you know, I'm a vegetarian or I'm a vegan. You can always let them know, and usually they can accommodate. So those are, those are my biggest things that I go for. I have all sorts of little other tips, but that those are the big ones that I usually use for travel.
Erica D'Eramo 22:35
You know, the one about I had to laugh when you were saying, have enough food and snacks for 24 hours, because in potential delay, this wasn't even air travel. I drove to a board meeting that was like a multi day board meeting, and I couldn't actually eat the lunch, even though they had asked me beforehand, and I had to reply, like, on a short time frame and like, let them know what I could eat. But the lunch was not suitable for me. It would and thankfully, my Well, thankfully, in the morning, I managed to find something that I could eat for breakfast. I had, like, they had some hard boiled eggs. And like, like, pre packaged hard boiled eggs, which, as somebody who has chickens, I felt a little guilty eating these. Like,
Melissa Olivadoti 23:20
Yeah...
Erica D'Eramo 23:21
Long, long, whatever, life, like, boiled to death, probably, like, factory farmed eggs. But whatever we do, what we got to do,
Melissa Olivadoti 23:35
Probably not take anything like the real thing!
Erica D'Eramo 23:38
Oh, they were, like, chalky and, like, had, I don't know anyways, yeah, but it doesn't matter. I survived, and they had protein. And then when lunch came, thankfully, one of my fellow board members, she was like, Oh, girl, you need something. So she had a bag of nuts, and she handed it to me. And for me, I can eat nuts. They're fine. They had protein. And she handed me this, like, baggie of nuts. And now I carry a baggie of nuts with me wherever I go, just in case, just in case I think I'm gonna be able to eat the lunch. And it turns out, I cannot eat the lunch, like, for me, I'm, I'm pescatarian, but people don't, people don't even realize too they'll be like, well, we have a Caesar salad, and you can just leave off the And sure, the dressing for Caesar salad is pescatarian. But actually, and I'm not that strict about this, but for people who do not eat animal rennet, which comes from the stomach lining of an animal, like from the inside organs of an animal, it is not vegetarian at that's not vegetarian at all. It's not like a byproduct. We're not like a byproduct. We're not talking about the difference between like dairy and meat. It's actually more like meat than dairy. That's in almost all hard cheeses. So and yeah, so people just don't, I don't think people really think through it when they offer it. I'm I'm. Be more flexible than that, because I won't have a reaction, but I'm not going to be happy if the only option to eat is like cold cuts all day, because I'm definitely not eating that. But
Melissa Olivadoti 25:09
yes,
Erica D'Eramo 25:11
I digress. But yes...
Melissa Olivadoti 25:13
I second nuts. Nuts are great option. I have a protein powder in a little container that I take with me when I travel. So that worst case scenario, I need a cup and some water that will get get me through a few hours. I love form protein. It's one of protein bars with my favorites. Tastes good. It's not gritty. But I also have, like, pistachios, and I'll take pecans or like, several different types of nuts with me as well, because they keep, well, you stick them in a baggie and you can have a whole bunch of them. So yeah, fantastic option to have some shelf stable things to just get you through if you need to.
Erica D'Eramo 25:57
Yeah, my husband said the other day, he was like, oh, there's this, like, bag of nuts in my backpack. Do you want me to take these out? And I was like, Nope, I do not. I don't want to take them out. Leave them in there. Yeah. But the part about letting the accommodations know too, or, like, planning your accommodations, you were the person who let me know about, like, some hotels will actually be able to confirm that they won't use kind of perfumes or a heavy scents, which is one thing that I have really struggled with, to the point where I think I shared with you, for one of my MBA weekends, I had to, like, sleep in the car because The hotel room I booked was the only one left, and I had asked in advance for them to not use perfumes or air fresheners, and it was so intensely heavy that I started to I started wheezing. I immediately had a headache, and like, the inhaler is only gonna do so much, and if I'm wheezing through the night, I'm not sleeping, right? I'm actually just like, yeah, so, and they couldn't book me anywhere else, and I think it was like a game weekend, so every accommodation was booked, and so there was just nowhere to sleep. I mean, it's that, it's kind of like that critical sometimes for folks, when they say, I have a sensitivity, it's not just like a preference, but even a preference. If you don't want to be smelling stuff, you shouldn't have to be smelling stuff,
Melissa Olivadoti 27:24
Yes, and that's why, one of the reasons why, like, I'm not, I'm usually a Marriott person, but Hilton has allergic and a lot of other hotels are starting this. They have allergen friendly rooms where they don't use any scented products, and that includes our linens, because most hotels will use scented products on their linens, really harsh chemicals on their linens, for good reason, right? You got the public coming through, but they tend to have some of these rooms. And if you and also like you're taking medication with you, and you need a refrigerator, you're getting food or whatever? A lot of times they will. You know, if you're if you tell them, I need my medication to be refrigerated, they will give you a refrigerator without rental fee. If there's not worth anyone in the hotel room. The only place that doesn't do this is on the biggest strip, which is closer, funny enough, because they make money off of their fridges, and they don't let you leave anything in them. But, and also, the other thing I do, too, is, because I can my skin gets really sensitive, I use a satin Sleep Sack where it basically covers your pillow and it'll go under the sheets, and you sleep in the sleep sack so you don't have to touch the linens and have harsh chemicals. So I love, yeah, I love that. But you know, if you're if you're sensitive to noises and things, because I'm a light sleeper, you can always ask ahead of time to be booked into a room, either on a high floor at the end of a hall so you're not hearing people come and go. Especially, there's nothing worse than being right across the hall from the elevator and hearing it Bing all night long.
Erica D'Eramo 29:00
Oh my gosh. I That's my when people are like, do you want to be? Like, where do you want to be? I'm like, just not near the elevator. I yeah, I my like, from a security perspective, I think they say the best floors, if you're are, like, wherever the the ladder can reach to. And I'm like, yes, yes, I do want to be saved in the event of a fire, but also I'll choose not being near the elevator before about the fire risk, yeah, so, yeah, I think at the conference like, so I'm thinking conferences, because I have these conferences I'm going to soon. This is another element to like, having the low sensory rooms that folks can go to is so, so valuable, and it doesn't need to be anything fancy, right, like, but just an area that can be quiet without strong sense. And people will say, like, oh, you can just go outside. You mean outside near the doors where everyone's smoking, which is there. Preference, but like, for me, that is also that's pretty tough sensory element to be dealing with. So an area where it's not we're not smelling anything, we're not smelling smoke, we're not smelling food, not right next to the kitchen, and it's just quiet, and we can have some sensory downtime.
Melissa Olivadoti 30:19
Absolutely and if there is nothing, you can contact the conference organizers in advance to say, will you have a sensory room? Will there be something to place quiet that I can be without interruption and in a last ditch effort, if there is nothing left, usually there are speaker ready rooms that are quiet, where it's just a, b, people, with people going and turning, basically a thumb drive of their slides in. And a lot of times it's dead and it's it's not used very often. So you can always potentially talk to the conference organizers, explain, Hey, I just need some place where I can go and be quiet, and they might be able to have a break room or, you know, even like a location where they store stuff, where you can sit and just de brag, yeah, it might be another option.
Erica D'Eramo 31:03
I agree. I also think bringing, bringing earplugs or loop plugs or something, you know, noise canceling something can be really helpful. I traveled the other day without my loops, and I highly regretted it, and I was like, and I couldn't go, I couldn't access them, and that was I it was actually kind of like nightmare territory for me. I have, my Misophonia has not gotten better as I've gotten older, it has definitely gotten more attuned and worse. I would probably prefer somebody actually, just continuously, I don't know, poke me with a pin, rather than have to hear somebody chewing it is like, physically, it's like, physically painful for me.
Melissa Olivadoti 31:54
Yes, it makes my skin crawl. It makes me want to jump out of my skin. And, yeah, that's part of it, right? It makes you, like, a fight or flight.
Erica D'Eramo 32:05
Yes, we did an experiment one night where my husband was like, Are you I can move? Are you sure you don't want me to move? I was just sitting and reading or, like, doing the crossword, and he was eating, and I was like, no, no, I want to I want to try to do it. I want to try to handle it. And I act like my eyes started twitching. I actually couldn't do it. And he was like, I can't do this. I have to go. I can tell you're like, in pain. I can't and I was like, okay, good, thanks.
Melissa Olivadoti 32:33
Same thing happens to me when I'm in a conference hall and I'm listening to the speaker and there's people around me that are whispering, and usually people are not very good at whispering, and so it's really hard for me, even if they're whispering low enough to now focus on the speaker, and it just it gets me so riled up, which is hilarious, because, like, I'm in there in a professional capacity, I need to handle myself. And so, like, I do deep breathing, and it still doesn't do well, and honestly, I just had to turn to people and be like, you know, tap them on the shoulder and quietly say, I'm so sorry to interrupt, but it's really hard for me to focus on the speaker when other people are talking around me, and it usually will either cause them to get up and out or to at least stop at that point for at least a little while if I can't get up and move myself right? So it's just put it, oh, my God. It makes me so insane when people do that,
Erica D'Eramo 33:28
Yeah, or like, crinkling wrappers while you're trying to hear those. Like, I know, I know. It's like things that we can be thinking about to try to be better citizens to each other at these conferences. Oh, you know what I'm going to say? The thing that my absolute number one thing, which I mentioned to you, I think I'm going to try to get something made, whether it's a lanyard or some sort of name tag or button or something like that, that says, please check with me before touching because especially for you know, in the coaching world, coaches can be very friendly and open and engaging. And a lot of times they will show their care by touching me. Coming up through engineering in the energy industry, and like working offshore, I don't know if it's, I don't know if this is nature or nurture or what, but I am not accustomed to somebody just like touching me out of the blue, especially if I don't see it. If it's like a hand sliding down my back, I immediately it's a reaction, right? And I'm, you might not see it on the outside, although I'm I actually more and more because I'm trying to raise a little awareness, I will usually step aside and say like, Oh no, touching please, because I usually am safe enough to be able to say that, and I'm usually I can say that without punishment or. Or retribution, whereas maybe other people don't feel as safe saying that. So if it's just like one person that gets the message, and I don't do that because I want to hurt anybody's feelings, I just I need to kind of see it coming and or maybe if people just ask, literally, the act of asking before folks give me a hug or touch me, just helps my brain prepare, and then I can go in with full hug mode, and I'm kind of okay, even even my partner knows to ask me now before surprising me with a hug. And as soon as I hear like, Oh, can I give you a hug? Then I say, actually, yes. That sounds great. As long as I know I can genuinely say no, and it'll be okay if I say, like, oh, maybe not today. And they say, Okay, no problem. That's cool, right? If they're just asking, but they're going to get upset if I say no, then it's, it doesn't really feel like the same type of freedom to say no, but yeah, that's right, yeah, consent touching, yeah, we love consent.
Melissa Olivadoti 36:00
That's and I try and get I've actually done this with my niece and nephew ever since they were little, because my sister, you know, was she was very sweet, and she was like, oh, go give Aunt Mimi a hug. They call me Aunt Mimi, and I never wanted them to feel like, I don't feel like hugging her, but I'm forced to. So what I started doing was say, Do you want a wave, a high five or a hug? And if I options, I would always get a hug. Sometimes I would get a high five, right? Yeah, and let them know. Either way, it doesn't matter to me. It's whatever makes you feel safe. And I when I go see people. Now, I work with a variety of people, and I find that commercial people that I work with, you know, people in sales that tend to be more outwardly, you know, physical, like with the hugs and everything on handshakes. And, you know, I also work in people in the medical affairs field, and they tend to be more handshakes or waves. And what if I'm really not feeling like being touched, I will do the elbow at my side, hand raised wave really fast. And that, if you do that, that signals no touchy. You will have to, you will have to go the extra mile, like I am telling you, arm at my side tight in wavy, wavy, wavy, you know, kind of like the wacky wavy man that you know I I'm excited to be here. I'm glad that you're here, but I'm not really into being touched. And I think that's actually pretty well respected. Or I'll just go in for a fist bump right immediately, and that stops the hugging and the handshaking and all that, because they still love handshakes, because it's like, I don't know where hands have been.
Erica D'Eramo 37:52
Or I literally just saw where that hand was, and it just wiped your nose. And I really don't want that on my hand, so that's right, I feel about that, but yeah, yeah, that's I, and I, I guess we're still recovering from all the years of telling people to cover their mouth when they sneeze or cough, and folks doing it with their hand, and then, like, taking that hand and putting it on the handrail or the doorknob or whatever. I love a good elbow sneeze. Big fan.
Melissa Olivadoti 38:19
Yeah.
Erica D'Eramo 38:19
So, yeah...
Melissa Olivadoti 38:20
Yes.
Erica D'Eramo 38:20
Love that. I think, you know, the other thing that comes up probably, is there this is always in conversation around like, folks who are managing a variety of risks for themselves and decide to that they can go out in public, but they'll need to mask, right? Or they can be in, like, a room with a lot of people and they're masking. And I've it's interesting how many people will actually ask about that, or, like, feel some sort of way about it. And I think, like, we just we never know what risks people are managing, and we have to trust that they are adults managing their own risks, and it's not a reflection on you. Just like my preferring not to hug doesn't mean I don't love you or that I don't like you. It's not a judgment. It's me protecting my own vulnerabilities and needs so that I can be there and be present and so, yeah.
Melissa Olivadoti 39:14
Yeah, it's not. It doesn't need to be up for comment, right,
Erica D'Eramo 39:18
Right!
Melissa Olivadoti 39:18
You know, if and just to respect that everybody has their process, whether they just don't want to get sick, right now, that's a purely acceptable reason for wearing a mask, whether they have immune issues, where they have someone at home with immune issues, whether they're visiting someone who has immuno compromisation, like it's just, it's not, it doesn't need to be a polarizing subject for people to safeguard their health and the others. I mean, they could be sick and they're actually safeguarding you, right? I you know, I really don't understand the polarization of. Masks if people are making their own choices. You know, we're all adults. There are some people who get sick, and I wish they would mask when they go into other places to not put people at risk. But, you know, we all, we all have to make our own risk assessment, if my if I am more risk averse, or if I need to make sure I stay healthy, because I work for myself, and if I don't work for a week, I don't make money for a week. So...
Erica D'Eramo 40:26
Yeah, I don't get PTO. I know. Yeah, yeah, I agree. Um, okay, I think this has been such a, such a, like, really valuable conversation for me, and I always appreciate having you on and actually, now that I'm thinking about it, one of our previous Melissa appearances was to talk about introversion and extroversion, which has some similar themes to it, in terms of, like, knowing what you need and being able to communicate that and or advocate for yourself so that you can be sustainable and you can have the impact that you want to have in this world. So yeah,
Melissa Olivadoti 41:11
Absolutely. And can I just tell you one of my favorite things that I see at conferences now, which is perfect for introverts that love animals, their conferences are now starting to go to local rescues and pull in these rescues to do either puppy or kitten or dog areas where people can go and take 15 minutes to pet something furry and ground themselves. I'm like, How fun is that if you're not allergic to pets and you like animals, that is like for me, that would be my happy place. I would just be like that. I would be there every few hours. So relaxing. And it's useful for the animals, because they get a lot of exposure to different people. And it's useful for the shelters, because a lot of times there's, you know, a monetary incentive for them to come and help out. I just, if you're an event planner, just get in touch. I mean, there's always puppies and kittens available throughout the year. Like just even if you're doing a small meeting, see if that's going to be of interest to your people. Connect with, like, one of your local organizations and get a foster to come visit. I bet you anything, they would be jazzed to help out. It would be, I just, I can't say enough good things about that. So that's one of my favorite new things that people are doing.
Erica D'Eramo 42:28
I love that I am the person who when I am because I so on that introvert and introvert ambivert, extrovert episode, you were the ambivert and I was the introvert. And so for me, like going to parties, I think we've joked about this before, like, going to parties can be, like, very intense for me, but if there's an animal, I'm like, Ah, I need to go hang out with this animal. And I can kind of get a little bit of a recuperation just from some animal time. I don't care what animal honestly look I mean, maybe the fish are a little less impactful for me, but, like, definitely anything with fur, I'm down. I'm down. So I the idea of then having that option at conferences is very appealing for me. And I, you know, I sure that there are people who are horrified by the idea of their allergen. You know, management being disrupted by that, but hopefully that could be managed,
Melissa Olivadoti 43:27
It's usually in a separate part of the conference. Not on the conference room floor.
Erica D'Eramo 43:33
Having, like puppies running everywhere. I mean, ironically, even though I'm a big cat person, I am actually allergic to cats, and it's in my medical records because I'm very allergic to Cat saliva and will break out in hives so I don't know how many. Whenever doctors are reading through my allergens, and it's like, amoxicillin, penicillin, cephalosporin, cat saliva, I'm like, yes, yes, that is in there. And that is because one of my doctors was like, we have to put this in there, because you are because you are highly allergic to it. So, yeah, but, but I manage my I manage my risk. And I do want to give you a shout out to I know this is separate to this conversation we're having here, but Melissa is sort of my fostering mentor in many ways, and has helped me navigate the waters of fostering animals, and we've had some real successes over here. So just a big thank you to you and all the work that you do with finding animals homes and helping them to come out of their shell and adapt and be great little furry partners for some humans.
Melissa Olivadoti 44:43
Thank you. It's my pleasure, and I always love to introduce people to the feeling you get when you do some good with an animal, whether that's you get them healthy, you give them a place to defrag, or you see them come out of your shell. There's like, it's just this feeling. Is, Oh, I feel so good, and I love sharing that with other people and doing good on top of it. And if you're an introvert and you want a fun hobby, it's a perfect hobby as an introvert, because you only have to, like, go and talk to the shelter people when you need to either pick up or drop off or need some vet care, and you do a lot of good. So yeah, I I'm just so glad that you got into it, and you've done an amazing job with your fosters, too.
Erica D'Eramo 45:26
Yeah, we're about to try to place Mr. Twisty, the famous Mr. Twisty, who's featured in our blogs. He has been quite the social butterfly, so we're just finding, we're trying to find a nice, good place for him to land where he can bond like he clearly wants to with some humans. So yeah. Well, thank you again for being one of our repeat visitors and sharing all of your wisdom. And if people do want to find you in a in a consulting capacity, where, where would they look? I know, not consulting on these topics, but in your day job, perhaps.
Melissa Olivadoti 46:06
So I'm on LinkedIn. My company is called Assisi Consulting, like St. Francis of Assisi has a tie to animals, and so I do medical affairs consulting and medical affairs, content, training, all sorts of stuff in pharma, biotech and nutraceuticals. So yeah, if you want to find me on LinkedIn and connect, I would love it. It'd be super fun.
Erica D'Eramo 46:32
Awesome. Yeah, well, thanks again. And for those listening, as always, you can find a summary of this episode on our website, along with a full transcript, if you prefer to read it, and links to Melissa's LinkedIn and some additional information there. So thanks again for joining us, and we will see you next episode.
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Traveling with Food Allergies and Sensitivities
Navigating the challenges, planning for safety, and creating more inclusive travel experiences
In this week’s episode of The Two Piers Podcast, we speak with Melissa Olivadoti, a medical affairs consultant who knows firsthand what it means to travel with food allergies and sensitivities. Melissa joined host Erica D’Eramo to share her experiences managing multiple food allergies while traveling for work and pleasure—and to shed light on how colleagues, event organizers, and companies can better support travelers with unique dietagating the challenges, planning for safety, and creating more inclusive travel experiencesry and sensory needs.
Preparing for Travel: Planning Beyond the Itinerary
Melissa’s list of allergies is extensive—red meat, gluten, soy, almonds, and more—which means every trip requires careful preparation. She describes the contrast between her earlier years of travel, when she could eat anything without a second thought, and the logistical reality she faces today.
Traveling with allergies, she explains, means thinking ahead about every element: from packing safe food and backup snacks to requesting hotel rooms free from common allergens. She never leaves home without enough food for at least 24 hours, a medical alert item, and the necessary medications. For many travelers, she notes, this kind of preparation can make the difference between an enjoyable trip and a medical emergency.
The Hidden Challenges of Food Sensitivities
While food allergies are often seen as a dietary inconvenience, Melissa and Erica highlight the broader emotional and professional challenges that come with them. Attending conferences or client dinners often requires disclosing personal medical information or opting out of group meals altogether.
Melissa admits that hunger can quickly lead to anxiety, so she often eats beforehand to avoid feeling both hungry and awkward. Erica shares her own approach—packing small, portable foods such as nuts to stay prepared. Both agree that thoughtful planning by event organizers can alleviate much of this stress, from providing clear ingredient lists to offering allergy-friendly options at buffets or receptions.
Sensory Overload and Finding Calm
Beyond dietary needs, Melissa and Erica explore another layer of complexity—sensory management. Large conferences, bright lighting, and constant noise can be overwhelming for attendees, especially those who are neurodivergent or sensitive to stimuli.
Melissa suggests that conference planners provide quiet or sensory-friendly spaces, noting that a simple step like designating a calm room can dramatically improve accessibility and comfort. For her own travels, she brings earplugs, noise-canceling headphones, and even a satin sleep sack to avoid skin irritation from hotel detergents.
Advocating for Personal Space and Boundaries
Erica and Melissa emphasize that advocacy is essential—not only for physical safety but also for emotional well-being. Melissa describes how she uses a specific nonverbal gesture, a friendly hand wave, to signal that she does not wish to be touched. It’s a small but effective tool that helps her maintain comfort in professional settings.
Erica reinforces the importance of consent and awareness, particularly at conferences or networking events where physical greetings like hugs or handshakes are common. Respecting individual preferences, they agree, is an act of inclusivity and professionalism.
The Calming Role of Animals in Events
One of the more unexpected highlights of the conversation is the therapeutic role animals can play in professional environments. Melissa shares her enthusiasm for conferences that partner with animal rescue groups to provide interaction areas where attendees can decompress by spending time with adoptable animals.
These spaces not only offer a sense of calm but also foster genuine connection—something introverted professionals often appreciate in the bustle of large gatherings. Erica, herself an avid animal foster, notes how meaningful and restorative this connection can be.
Building Inclusive Experiences
Throughout the episode, a consistent theme emerges: intentionality matters. Traveling with food allergies or sensory sensitivities requires foresight and courage, but inclusion doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple actions—asking attendees about dietary needs in advance, creating quiet spaces, or ensuring clear food labeling—go a long way in making professional events more accessible.
Melissa closes by sharing details about her work at Assisi Consulting, where she supports organizations in designing inclusive experiences and fostering healthier workplaces. Erica thanks her for returning to the podcast and for reminding listeners that inclusion often begins with awareness, empathy, and thoughtful preparation.
Listeners can find a full transcript, summary, and links to connect with Melissa on LinkedIn at twopiersconsulting.com/podcast.