Survive Shawarma

Sure it's tasty, but getting through an entire shawarma sandwhich can be a daunting task. Just the thought of the resulting stomach ache, acid reflux, and terrible garlic breath is enough to turn you away from the meal entirely.

But as long as you're willing to dive, here's a few tips to get you through.

First of all, reputation is an important factor. Don't eat at just any shawarma restaurant. Be sure to find one that is generally clean, is known amongst the locals, and has no health inspection agency notices stuck to their window.

Go for chicken. While offering both beef and chicken, you can only get salmonella, whereas beef can contain all sorts of other exotic diseases. Since the meat slowly rotates for long periods of time under medium temperatures, the chances of contamination are relatively high.

Avoid the sauce. And if you must take the garlic sauce, use very little. You'll thank me for it.

Garnishes. They may have all sorts of additional garnishes, like onions, hot peppers, tabouli, tomatoes, lettuce, etc... Avoid anything in the onion family, or the pepper family. Leafy vegetables and tomatoes work best to keep your food and stomach acid where it should be.

Good luck, and happy eating!