Managing food, activities, talking with family, etc., here I talk about what to do, and not do during the holidays.
Be mindful of what you eat. This one is huge and most important in my opinion. Just because it's the holidays, does not mean you should "cheat" your way through food. ONLY eat what you know you CAN and what you SHOULD. I have gastroparesis, I am also gluten and dairy free. The holidays do not give me the the "ok" to eat diary and gluten filled pumpkin pie, or a crunchy salad with croutons just because it looks good. Why? Because I love my body enough to treat it well, and treating it well has everything to do with what I consume. I have spoken and seen many people with gastroparesis in particular that have cheat days or fall through the cracks and "break" their diet (a diet they absolutely need to follow), and you know what happens? They regret it the next day if not instantly. Why do this to yourself? Why do that to your body? Now, I am one who, for a solid year, got depressed every time I thought about never eating a tomato or tomato sauce again... but with time that has resolved and I don't care anymore. I know it's hard not being able to eat the foods we love, but that does not mean we need to be addicted to them (in a sense). You should avoid overeating. This can be hard as Thanksgiving and Christmas are very widely known for lots of food, but if you have gp, please remember to eat small meals. Have a tiny bit of everything you can tolerate, but space it out so it's not all at once. This is annoying to do, yes, but crucial if you want to feel well afterwards.
Be thankful and polite when talking with others. This can be hard. Have you been to your parents or S/O's house for a meal and despite knowing all your food conditions, don't cook anything for you? Been there, done that. Be polite anyway, and go prepared. Make a small meal for yourself, put it in a nice glass container and heat it up when you get there and don’t worry about what others may think of you. YOUR health is all that should matter. If someone offers you a slice of pie that you shouldn't eat, politely decline. If they ask why, explain that you are looking out for your health, and you know that if you would not feel well after eating it - but thank them for the offering. Not everyone will remember what you have going on. The past 2 years my diet has changed a number of times so it's hard for anyone to keep up with it. Try to also be polite when someone asks you a question you may find rude such as "why are you gluten free, you don't have celiac, that's dumb" (yes, I've also been there), and my response was usually "because gluten makes my body attack and kill my thyroid and I don’t want it to, so if you don't mind I’ll stay gluten free“. Bit, it has now turned into just a plain "I have thyroid issues and I don't eat gluten because I shouldn't", end of discussion. No one needs to pressure you into giving them every detail about your health or, make you feel bad for something you're doing (or not doing).
Take it easy if you feel that you should. The guilt stops now. Stop feeling guilty for having rest days, for taking time for yourself and for trying to heal your body. Stop apologizing when you're not feeling well and stop over explaining it to people who, in the end, don't care. Let them know you need to rest, don't get mad and yell at them because you're tired and your stomach feels like it was just stabbed. The thing with having a chronic illness is that most are "invisible", which makes many people not understand what is truly going on with you because they can’t see it. Be mindful of that. Skip going for the Christmas 5k run your family does every year if you're not up to it, skip board games if you need a nap, or go for a walk after dinner to speed up digestion while everyone else eats pie. Do whatever you need to do to feel most comfortable.
Remember what's important. Your health, your health, your health... then your family and friends. Without your health, what do you have? You can't take care of other people until you take care of yourself and whether you agree with that now or not, you will one day.
DO have a good time, DO eat well and eat food you can tolerate, DO get up an walk around to aid your digestion, and DO be polite. But DON’T feel pressured from anyone to do anything, eat anything, or speak about anything that you don't want to. There is no need for guilt or getting upset.
Stay healthy and mindful this holiday season,
Loreal
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