5 Tips to help get you to Thanksgiving Dinner!

Having Inflammatory Bowel Disease, like Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, can really make you want to crawl into a hole during the Holidays.  With so many gatherings that involve socializing and food, those of us with IBD can become extremely overwhelmed and plagued with some intense anxiety.  So!  I’ve come up with 5 tips to help get you to your Thanksgiving gathering with minimal stress.

1. Beautify yourself the day before!

That’s right!  Wash your hair, blow dry it, style it, do all those things the day before rather than the day of.  I’ve found that especially in a flare, if you decide to do all of that right before attending your gathering, you will tire yourself out.

2. Lay out your outfit the night before!

It helps tremendously to know what you are going to wear, and to lay it out so it’s ready to go for the day of Thanksgiving.  You want to keep your energy levels primed and ready for the gathering itself, so don’t exhaust yourself with too many things to do for the day of.  Get your outfit out the night before so it’s ready to be slipped on for the day of.

3. Pack any medications with you and/or other necessities.

Especially if you are in a flare and need to take any medications during dinner, make sure you pack those with you.  Also, it’s always good to bring wipes and Travel-Sized Poo-Pourri for those moments you may use the restroom.

4. Bring your own side dishes!

Food is such a nuisance with IBD and of course, Thanksgiving is ALL about the food.  Unfortunately, for most of us, the foods that are often indulged are our trigger foods.  So, the best way to be able to enjoy your dinner is by bringing your own side dishes.  And hey!  It’s a win, win because it’s never polite to show up to someone’s house empty handed anyways.

For me personally, I stay away from grains, dairy and processed sugars.  To help give you some ideas for side dishes to bring, here are three links to some awesome recipes!

Sweet Potato Casserole:

Click Here For Recipe!

 

Butternut Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries:

Click Here For Recipe!

Crustless Grain-Free Apple Pie:

Click Here For Recipe!

5. Have fun!

Thanksgiving only happens once a year.  Enjoy yourself!  Make sure you show up ready to play, laugh, and enjoy.  Don’t stress yourself out.  Deep breathes and live in the moment.  Holidays are meant to be fun!

So there you have it.  I hope these tips are helpful.  Comment below if you have any tips you’d like to add!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!  May you enjoy this season of being grateful, and may you cherish those around you always.  Cheers!

Always dancing,

Elizabeth

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