“And Then There Were Five Guys”
If you thought I’ve been in the bathroom this past entire week, you were correct. Some of you may have experienced the above well-known burger, some may have not. My description pertains to those of you who fear a greasy, fatty, but delicious burger.
My experience with “Five Guys” occurred last Sunday, at the West Village 7th Avenue location. It started as a great Sunday; one filled with brunch, screwdrivers, and several Guinness, which I think can be consumed at any time during the day. For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to join my buddies for the first time at their local burger joint. They had just moved into the West Village, and I was enjoying my first stay with them (on the couch of course). Upon arriving to Five Guys, I stumbled through the ordering process (which involves an order of a single or double burger, then a quick read off the toppings menu, throw in an order of fries, and you were good to go…just wait and sip on the fountain soda). Another IBS no-no: DON’T DRINK SODA! Think about it; soda has sugar in a syrup form, aka High Fructose Corn Syrup. Sucrose, Fructose, and other sugar formulations are tested for in a Sucrose/Fructose exam, where you drink a solution and breathe into a tube every 15 minutes for three hours. The test shows any enzymatic activity as a result of the ingestion of sugar, and is a great way to take off a morning, sit on a couch and relax. Hopefully an attractive nurse will be helping you with this “examination”. Back to the burger; I devoured it and I enjoyed every second of it. It was tasty and it was messy, but by NO means, does it compare to a J.G. Melons burger, or Luke’s. Some of you may not know Luke’s… enjoy, 1394 3rd Ave.
Fortunately, I was able to fall asleep that night, wake up, and drive 60 miles to work with no problems, but WOW was Monday a killer. I was nauseas; everything I ate made me feel worse, and I made several trips to the bathroom. I haven’t been the same since that burger even though my eating regiment has been on track since Monday. IBS is such a rollercoaster of a ride, with the ups and downs and peaks and valleys, and there isn’t a way to track it. I am still searching for the answer. I guess strong irritants to your colon have a longer lasting effect on your body than I previously had thought.
So folks, this experience with Five Guys taught me something. I can’t expect to be physically all right after ingesting several Guinness followed by a greasy double cheeseburger. So with Five Guys, I start a new series for Blog For Your Bowels, entitled, “Five Guys Ain’t My Guy”. This series will list and discuss eateries, not limited to the NYC area, that will definitely cause a problem if you suffer from IBS.
1 year ago