In this episode of Unlabelled and Limitless, Lois and Kay start with a simple but revealing question: why does eating with your hands feel like an absolute dealbreaker for some people?

What unfolds is a funny, thoughtful conversation about sensory sensitivities, hygiene, neurodivergence, and the unspoken rules we navigate in shared spaces. Kay reflects on growing up in a culture where hand-eating is common and why it has never felt comfortable for her. Lois draws on years of healthcare experience to explain how sanitation protocols, lived experience, and awareness of germs can permanently shape boundaries around food and touch.

From Kamayan meals and movie theater snacks to New York street etiquette and knowing when to mind your business, the episode explores how personal boundaries are often misunderstood or dismissed as being “difficult.” Along the way, they highlight how comfort, safety, and dignity can look radically different depending on a person’s nervous system and experiences.

This episode isn’t about criticizing cultural practices or policing behavior. It’s about normalizing difference, respecting sensory limits, and allowing people to eat, move, and exist in ways that work for them.

Key themes include:

✨ Sensory sensitivities and food-related aversions