Christmas Parties and Dinners

[Natsy]

Hi all

I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to deal with all the Christmas food and parties that are coming up. This is my first Christmas with IC - last year I was eating and drinking whatever I wanted.

What Christmas foods and drinks cause flares for others? How to people deal with all the offers of glasses of champagne etc that accompany Christmas celebrations?

I have quite a few Christmas parties I will have to be attending and would love any advice.

Thanks

Natalie

[ICNDonna]

Many parties will include egg nog to drink, which I can easily tolerate. I just don't add any brandy to it --- a bit of nutmeg on top is good too. I'm diabetic so I try to avoid high sugar foods, but I can have chips, processed cheese, most breads, and most meats.

It can be a challenge, but it's worth it.

Donna

[Goldfinch]

The food thing pretty much eludes me. You just can't predict what any given party will provide. I try to eat a little before I go to a party so that I am not too hungry in case there's no food for me--but I'm still hungry enough if there is. And I try to have easy comforting food at home so I can eat after.

The alcohol thing is interesting. There are many people who don't drink, and they all have their own reasons, ranging from designated driver to sobriety. Even though we ICers imagine most hosts or party-goers always wonder why we turn down alcohol, I would bet that 99 percent of them aren't paying attention, don't care, or are too polite to ask. This was my first Thanksgiving with IC. Not a single member of my husband's family asked me why I wasn't drinking.

Before I had IC I usually chased every glass of wine with a glass of water anyway because I hate having a hangover, and no one ever asked why I was drinking water. If you are drinking water in a wine glass and the lighting is low everyone will think you are drinking sauvignon blanc, anyway. I think an easy response, if someone asks you, is to simply shrug and look mysterious, which is a polite way of saying, "What's it to you?" But if you want a story, just say you had too much to drink the night before.