Food-
But what if eating and drinking get in the way of being merry? Anyone who has a food intolerance will tell you how easily it can spoil the festive fun.
The following written content by Rose Clark
Christmas – it’s the season to eat, drink and be merry. But what if eating and drinking get in the way of being merry? Anyone who has a food intolerance will tell you how easily it can spoil the festive fun.
As the Advent calendar doors get ripped open and evenings start to involve mulled wine and mince pies, I often bounce between feeling tired, bloated and sick, and having heartburn, acid-reflux and stomach ache. I’ve spent almost as much time locked in bathrooms following overly-indulgent festive dinners as Santa Claus spends on his sleigh. I’ve even been asked at a friend’s Christmas party when my baby was due, thanks to my incredibly bloated stomach.
There’s a lot I can’t eat. I have coeliac disease, so gluten is off the table (quite literally), and I follow a personalised version of the low-FODMAP diet, avoiding onions, garlic, pulses, large quantities of lactose and most stone fruit, to alleviate my Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). It doesn’t help that alcohol, stress and eating too much (especially rich) food – all common guests at the festive table – are triggers for many IBS sufferers.
Telling people what you can’t eat can feel awkward
This year Christmas is going to be very different, but even small gatherings involve a risk you’ll either have nothing to eat or tuck into something that will make you feel unwell.
The key to enjoying Christmas in the face of a food intolerance is preparation. Everyone wants their guests to have a good time, so if I’m visiting family and friends, I’m not afraid to tell them what I can and can’t eat. I normally offer to bring a dish – this gluten-free quiche is so good everyone will want a slice.
Glean up on which types of snacks and ready-made foods you need to be wary of. I think twice before diving into crisps, nuts, pre-bought canapés, sauces and chocolates, all of which are in the ‘could-contain-gluten’ line-up. I even sometimes ask to see the back of packets. If you find it difficult to make requests (I get it, it can be embarrassing), try to find an ally who doesn’t mind doing it for you. Read more from BBC.
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