A Cranky Gerd Thanksgiving: 2012 Edition

This year's place-setting, before the food.

Like last year, this year's holiday was spent divided between households.  Who can complain -- two Thanksgiving feasts, diverse dinner conversation, and lots of festivities, including a library book sale and Small Business Saturday shopping in a cute New England town!?

Navigating all this holiday ambience was a challenge for my guts, which have been "cranky" lately, with frequent heartburn, reflux, clenched throat feeling, belching and even chronic intestinal issues:  I've been swinging between diarrhea and constipation for a few weeks now, and am seeing my GI specialist this week because of all of these increased issues.  I've had bad nausea a few times a week, with episodes so profound I thought I would throw up.   And, three times since my road trip, I have thrown up after hours of feeling extremely bloated.

So, for the long Thanksgiving holiday, I was concerned.  How would I deal with not only my vegetarian/vegan diet and my preference for "locally sourced" foods, but also my out of control guts?

My common-sense strategy:  I decided I'd eat only what I was comfortable eating -- gently or, if necessary, slyly, ignoring foods that were problems for me.   Specific strategies:

• Emergency snacks in my luggage -- raw nuts, a Luna bar, some single-serving nut butter packets, dried fruit.    
• Leaving the room -- I excused myself a few times during a pre-meal coffee-cake snack "to check on the food" in the kitchen (where I snuck a few tastes of the butternut squash and white bean cassoulet).  
• Watching my portions -- I took only one serving of everything and ate slowly (if you want to avoid offending your host, take two tiny portions that make up one portion…)

THANKSGIVING MEAL #1

Here is what we had for our meal:

• White bean cassoulet
• Sweet potatoes with tamari marinade
• Mashed butternut squash
• Roast turkey slices (for the non-vegetarians)
• Cranberry sauce 
• Spice cupcakes with chocolate frosting

A SECOND THANKSGIVING -- AND LOCAL TEMPTATIONS!

My second Thanksgiving was spent with my parents, so I could more candidly navigate my gut issues.  (By now, I'm not shy about discussing all sorts of bodily issues with just about anyone, but even I have limits around a holiday table!)

Bloating was a huge deal by the time I left for my next destination.  I was also taking TUMS a few times a day for moderate indigestion.  I was feeling awful when I boarded the train north, and anxious that I had a long day ahead.  I told myself I was not going to "die from constipation," to relax, things would work out one way or another. Self-talk is something I apply a lot when I feel anxious, and it did help calm me down so I could enjoy the day.  (Things did work out later…but it took days for me to get back to normal motility.)

We enjoyed lunch at Whole Foods and a light dinner of lentil soup.   The next morning, we visited a new French bakery in the neighborhood -- and I indulged in a chocolate croissant AND tasted part of an almond croissant.   I was ambivalent -- here I was, going off my "vegan when eating out" and "pastured eggs only" rule, and possibly exacerbating my GERD, but not caring about either concern.  I was excited to just sit and enjoy the well-made pastries.   (My willpower is not the issue - it's my willingness to ignore my rules.  Not the same thing…)  (I'm being candid here!)

French bakery, Cape Cod, MA

Almond croissants, French bakery.

Long walks and a six-mile bike ride through the New England landscape helped de-stress me, and helped my food digest.   Another Thanksgiving meal followed, but it was full of vegetables and foods that were familiar to me, so I felt more at ease gut-wise.   Except for one surprise: a "Tofurkey" vegetarian "turkey."   I was excited to try this strange iconic food of vegetarians!   After a few bites, I decided I had enough -- I could sense it might result in indigestion for me (too processed?  too salty?) so I did not hesitate to just stop eating it.   

Tofurkey!

Cranberry sauce. 

THANKSGIVING MEAL #2:

Tofurkey with Savory Gravy

Breadcrumb stuffing

Nut loaf

Roasted sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and small potatoes

Broccoli

Corn off the cob
Ham (for non-vegetarians)

Cranberry sauce 

Pumpkin pie

Apple crisp

I overate slightly (during "clean up" when I ate extra scraps from the pans) but was pleased that I listened to my body.   Since Thanksgiving, I'm feeling less GERD/gut/motility issues. 

Meditation garden, Providence, RI.

Wildflowers, Cape Cod

Cape Cod, MA.  Martha's Vineyard in the background.