Navigating Holiday Meals as an Ostomate
My Ostomy
When it comes to food choices in general, there is no cookie cutter answer for what works or what doesn’t for ostomates. Here are a few diet tips to help you navigate holiday dining as an ostomate.
General Tips
Food Diary: A food diary to track how different foods affect you can come in handy when trying to expand your ostomate culinary options.
Hydration: Most people could do well with including more water in their lives, and this sentiment remains the same for ostomates. For ostomates, difficulty in absorbing water and varying ostomy output levels can greatly affect your hydration levels.
Chew Your Food: Chewing your food thoroughly not only helps with digestion but can also help reduce gas production and bloating.
Meats
General Rule: While most meats do not present major problems for ostomates, certain foods like steaks or roasts may require additional chewing. Serving with gravy or sauce can also help aid in chewing due to the added moisture.
High-Fat Meats: Be on the lookout for high-fat meat as they can contribute to increased output.
Vegetables
General Rule: When unsure about specific vegetables, always peel and cook until soft. Certain vegetables can contribute to excess gas as well as odour in your urine and/or stool.
Vegetables High in Fibre: Vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts, and celery require special attention as they can easily cause blockages. Ensure you peel tough outer stalks.
Beverages
Sugary drinks: Holiday drinks can be packed in sugar. Drinks like eggnog should be enjoyed in moderation as they can increase gas production. Check out our Eggnog recipe featuring FibreCel for a digestion focused twist on classic holiday beverage!
Hot Cocoa: While chocolate has a natural laxative effect, adding marshmallows can help counteract this as it is a stool thickener.
Alcohol and Carbonation: Alcohol can have differing influence on bag output from ostomate to ostomate. Furthermore, beverages like beers and sparkling drinks can also contribute to increased gas due to carbonation.
Treats:
Christmas Cake/Fruit Cake: Be on the lookout for dried fruits and nuts in your Christmas cake/fruit cake as they can cause blockages and stomach pains.
Gingerbread cookies: Watch out for sugar treats like gingerbread cookies as they can cause gas production.
Chestnuts: “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” is as iconic as you can get during the holiday season. For ostomates, however, they have the unfortunate side effect of increasing the likelihood of a blocked stoma due to fibre content.
Cheese: Cheese can have a thickening effect on your stool, a useful effect for ostomates to slow output.
Conclusion:
Although the weather outside might be frightful at times, holiday dinners with an ostomy don’t have to be. Keeping these tips in mind can help you navigate your way through any holiday function!
For ostomy tips and tricks this holiday season, MyOstomy.ca is here to help! ❄
