As Thanksgiving approaches, I’m frequently asked how I maintain a healthy diet and remain gluten– and dairy-free during a time of decadence and indulgence.
The truth is, for me the holidays are no different than any other time of the year. In fact, I like to use this time of parties and family gatherings to educate and empower others to make more informed choices to reclaim their health.
One of my favorite stories is from a holiday party two years ago. I was talking with a gentleman who was complaining of joint pain. He recounted how he had been to top doctors and had state-of-the-art work done with CT scans and MRIs, only to be told it was simply inflammation and to take anti-inflammatory medications.
I suggested that he give up gluten for a month and see if he had improvement in his joint pain. I asked him to email me and let me know how it went. Being that this was a party in New Orleans and that this gentleman was born and raised in the South, I doubted he would take my recommendation. I was not surprised when I did not hear from him.
Last year, at the same party, the gentleman with the joint pain came running up to me saying he had been waiting all year to see me again. He had taken my advice and given up gluten the day after Thanksgiving, and within a week his joint pain had completely resolved. He was so appreciative of my advice, and he told everyone who would listen at the party about how going gluten-free had cured his joint pain.
For me, these experiences are so powerful. I love eating by example and using holidays as an opportunity for more people to see that it’s possible to reverse health issues with diet and that you can maintain an optimal diet even during the holidays.
Celebrate this holiday season with these 9 tips for a healthier Thanksgiving!
1. Avoid gluten.
You can use arrowroot starch, or if you tolerate grains, sweet rice flour to thicken your gravy instead of wheat flour. You can also make your own gluten-free stuffing or dinner rolls with almond meal or coconut flour.
2. Ditch the dairy.
Use full-fat coconut milk instead of cow’s milk for cream gravies or green bean casserole. You can also baste your turkey in coconut oil instead of butter.
3. Avoid alcohol.
Ditch the wine and beers. Sparkling water with a splash of cranberry and lime makes for a perfect holiday drink without the pain of a hangover.
4. Support local farmers.
Plan ahead this holiday season and purchase your produce and meat from local farmer’s markets to practice farm-to-table habits and sustain local businesses.
5. Make your own Thanksgiving classics.
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, consider making your own gluten-free and dairy-free classics, like cranberry sauce with honey or maple syrup, and grain-free stuffing with almond or coconut flour. Try some of these gluten- and dairy-free recipes, and get creative!
6. Share your eating habits with friends.
If you aren’t hosting Thanksgiving dinner, then prepare a dish or two that you know will be safe for you to eat. This is a great opportunity to share your health journey with your friends!
7. Eat with purpose.
Don’t eat yourself into a coma this year! Arrive to your thanksgiving dinner with a plan. Eat your veggies first, then meat, then starches, and, finally if you have room, a bit of dessert.
8. Go green.
If you’re roasting a turkey, save the bones to make your own turkey broth. If you have leftover vegetable pieces to discard, save them for a vegetable broth instead. You can freeze your broth and use it as a base for future soups.
9. Relax.
Focus your attention on relationships and connections with loved ones rather than food.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I am thankful for each and every one of you, and I appreciate your support in helping to spread the message of wellness and optimal health.
Amy,
Wow. This is my first mail from you since subscribing to your newsletter and I must say…I’m thoroughly disappointed in what I just read. I’n never know as a Debbie Downer nor do I like to get on blogs and be negative – but it seems that’s exactly what you’ve done so here goes! I’ve now read over this statement 3 times: “…Being that this was a party in New Orleans and that this gentleman was born and raised in the south, I doubted he would take my recommendation. I was not surprised when I did not hear from him…” What exactly are you saying here? I’m very interested in an honest and expeditious response from you.
She probably meant ‘seeing as how he is not from her area’ that she did not expect to hear from him….That’s my guess, anyway.
Wendy
I am from the south and grew up in NOLA and most of whom I grew up with would rather opt for drugs than changing their diets. They like there po-boys and beer too much.
Why are you offended by the truth Wendy? I’d go even further than the doctor did and say that such is the case for most Americans. People have enough of a difficult time changing regardless of cultural pressures but it’s almost impossible when their minds are closed off because of those cultural pressures.
Great tips. I have celiac but just tested positive for lactobilium allergy & yeast allergy & have felt overwhelmed by social gatherings around food. Thanks!
great article and ideas-but OH I just hear a dead silence when I talk about gluten free as if it is just me and a ‘time of life’ I am going through-how do you educate people when they just don’t want to hear?
Sarah, some people cannot be told. You cannot pound their head into the wall to listen. You just cannot convince everybody, some people will not listen to you no matter what. I try to stick to the people who are like minded, who will listen and take my advise.
I know the feeling! Your healthy choices will speak for themselves when your family sees you looking healthy and happy. Or, send them to this site :)
Wendy, Don’t read into Dr. Myers statement what isn’t there. Jeeez people are so thin skinned these days. It’s fairly normal to group and discuss people by their tendencies nothing wrong there unless you have a problem with the truth. From what I’ve gathered the good Doctor comes from pure motives and a good heart.
See the glass half full.
Amy, I listened to one of your talks on the immune system a few weeks ago and was impressed and thought you were spot on. I agree wholeheartedly with using locally grown and raised produce and turkey, and making bone broth from the turkey carcass. These are great and simple practices we should abide by daily. But I am puzzled and wonder why in this article you suggest no butter, dairy, and wine especially at a holiday gathering.
Grass fed butter, raw milk dairy are excellent for health. We all need good fats in our diet and that includes coconut oil as you recommend. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Weston A. Price Foundation and Sally Fallon. Do you not agree with their study of ancient cultures, their diet and why people in these cultures had fully developed facial bone structures?
I believe we should do all things in moderation and that includes the diet but eliminating all wine and alcohol on a holiday is extreme. Wine is a gift from our creator and was meant to make our hearts glad. As with anything in life we need to use discretion and moderation. But strictness in our diet on a feasting day only makes everyone cranky and no way to celebrate! Thankfully our creator also wants us to use the table we sit at with our family and friends to show this generosity to others and food and drink the means to show our people genuine love! It’s tangible and makes people feel loved!
My rant for the day! Blessings in all your Thanksgiving feasting and joy!
Hi Joyce, I’m glad you enjoyed the summit! If you do well with dairy, then there are healthy choices you can make. However most of the patients I see, and a lot of my readers, are dealing with very serious autoimmune or other health conditions and are very sensitive to dairy. I have an article dedicated to this subject if you’d like to know more: http://www.amymyersmd.com/2013/04/12/the-dangers-of-dairy/
Amy, you are absolutely the best! Every time I read something you’ve done I learn something; this time it was sparkling water with cranberry and lemon — I can’t wait to try it! Thank you SO MUCH for the autoimmune summit; what a huge gift!
And for all the converts out there, it’s tough to have all this knowledge and to interact with people (especially people you love) who aren’t ready, for whatever reason, to take control of their own health. But I’ve found that being an example of health and happy stability and vitality ultimately makes people curious. One can have an impact; eat and live healthfully — and be patient.
So basically don’t eat anything good. lmfao :)