PAC Moment: Holiday Stress & Eating

Last December, @ICNPatients shared how holiday stress and eating can affect IBD and their wellbeing. We are re-sharing today, because we are coming into the summer holiday season. With more gatherings and food offerings on the horizon, we hope you'll take a PAC moment to learn how patients with IBD might experience these celebrations:

It often affects what I can and cannot eat around the holiday meals with my family. Luckily holidays themselves are a time of relaxation and a pause from busy schoolwork to allow my body to rest and recover.

I feel more self-conscious about my diet and more pressure from family to cheat on my diet. But my diet keeps me healthy and reduces my symptoms so it’s not something that is negotiable. I’ve been learning more about advocating for myself and educating my family members on how my diet HELPS me and I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.

I am definitely more limited with what I can eat. It’s a different situation with the pandemic, but it can be really frustrating to navigate that when I’m spending the holidays with friends or family.

REMINDER: If someone on your holiday guest list is not eating solid food right now, that's OK. Offer fridge space to keep a nutrition shake cold or if you see they have an NG tube ask them to tell you about it. If someone is following a strict diet to help control IBD symptoms, that's OK. Ask if there are any foods you can provide that they will be able to eat or let them know it is OK to bring their own. If someone RSVPs no to your gathering because they aren't feel well enough to join, that's OK. All of this is OK.

One way you can support your friends and family who live with IBD is by learning more about their experiences. Download, read and share Patient Perspectives: Nutrition & IBD to learn about using nutritional therapies, such as TPN, special diets, nutritional drinks, and NG tubes/tube feeding.

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Get #InTheLOOP with more PAC Moments >>

PAC Moments is a series of short stories originally shared by members of the Patient Advisory Council on their social media channels. They are being re-shared on LOOP as a way to reach more people and raise more awareness of IBD. We hope you'll share these with others and ask them to take a moment to read + learn more about #LifeWithIBD 💚💙

Fionna and Vanessa are co-leads of the PAC Communications taskforce. In this role, they help PAC members share their IBD stories and experiences on social media, #InTheLOOP and across the IBD Community - to raise awareness, build community and help others with IBD know they are not alone. You can connect with Fionna, Vanessa and the PAC on social media @ICNPatients or by visiting improvecarenow.org/patients and completing the contact form.