I wanted to share some of my ideas for surviving Thanksgiving with SIBO this season! If all goes well, I will likely carry it through for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Since I generally do not have any issues with protein sources and veggies, and my mom knows what she can and cannot use to cook with etc, she has put me and my sister on dessert duty. Considering my whole family suffers from some sort of digestive failure, I am excited to be able to contribute gut healthy treats which will hopefully taste as good as they look in the photos of recipes I have found.

I have collected dozens of SIBO-friendly recipes and created a Pinterest board to help organize myself. Here are my final decisions:

1. Pumpkin Pie 
2. Thumbprint Jam Cookies
3. Fudge
4. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Pie Crust
I am nervous about the gluten free crust for the pie. I am hoping to find a pre-made crust for ease of creation. I have done some light research to find that some gluten free alternatives, like gluten-free flour, have ingredients that consist of dairy, soy, and legumes. Last time I checked, beans were a no-no for me so I don’t want to chance it.

Options:
– Creation: I could make my own GF Flour by piecing together your own ingredients. This is the best recipe I have found, so if all else fails, that’s what I will try.
– Substitution: Bob’s Red Mill has this helpful list of ratio’s in case someone wanted to use a different kind of flour all together. Always bake using weight if possible to get the exact amount that you need.
– Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour – Had garbanzo bean flour & fava bean flour. If you don’t react poorly to legumes, this is the easiest method.

Butter
I have always substituted butter for coconut oil or coconut butter since I was diagnosed. For baking purposes, I will use coconut butter, as it holds up better at higher temps. I am a little wary of substitution ratios as in the past I have had to use much more coconut butter in comparison to what the calling for regular butter is, but I guess this is just a matter of testing consistency. Here are some tips about cooking and baking with coconut butter!

EnjoyLife Foods
Basically God’s gift. I use their chocolate chips regularly. If you gave these to a non-allergic person, they wouldn’t know the difference! Not only are the GF, DF, & SF, they are also scarce of 5 other top allergens as well! They make so many different products, like brownie mixes and pizza crust. I am looking forward to baking with their products this holiday and sharing them with my family!

I recommend GF, DF, SF options to everyone, not just SIBOs. Eating this way eliminates that dragged out feeling you get when you eat too much. My boyfriend always chooses GF, DF, SF ice cream like So Delicious & Coconut Bliss over a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. It just tastes better.

The Main Course
Eating food you do not make for yourself is hard. It is scary, and stressful. But please don’t let it ruin the valuable time that you are spending with your family and friends. Your family and friends support you and want you to feel good.

1. Discuss ahead of time about what is being prepared. Educate yourself on how the turkey will be cooked and what will be in the stuffing. Offer suggestions so that you can enjoy the turkey too! Request that vegetables be cooked in coconut oil and not butter.
2. Bring some of your own sides that everyone can enjoy.
3. Seasonings: Offer to create a seasonings bar! Not only does this allow you to control what you put on your own food, but the other guests will like that they can customize what they put on theirs as well!
4. Don’t give in. Remember that eating something that triggers your symptoms is a set back from your own recovery. Feeling good after you eat a meal is important.

The worst part about sitting at a dinner table with SIBO is having to be questioned about why you can’t eat certain things in front of everyone, and sitting and watching people eat food you can’t eat while there is nothing that you enjoy in front of you. There is no reason for you to feel put on the spot, and there is also no reason that your family and friends can’t enjoy the same foods that you can. It is important to feel welcomed at the dinner table, especially at a special occasion like Thanksgiving. That is why it is important to not only be proactive about gatherings over food, but to also come prepared. People who care about you will be understanding and supportive no matter what.

Recent Progress
Since my last post, I have become much more courageous when it comes to trying new foods to test my tolerances. What I have found over the past few weeks is that I can tolerate soy sauce with my sushi, however, I am not sure that I can tolerate it in large amounts which would totally make sense. I had some So Delicious Cookies & Cream Ice Cream, which I discovered had soy in it after the fact. Oops. I have found that these gut irritants do not seem to cause pain in my stomach, which is great! However, it screws with my motility. One of my greatest achievements over the past few weeks has been exactly that – normalcy. Sadly, I managed to sabotage that with 1 pint of ice cream. For the past few days, I have felt like I have had cement in my gut, had no energy, and hardly an appetite.  I had no other option but to use Colax yesterday to help myself. That’s the first time in weeks, and I hope it is the last time for awhile.

Wish me luck with my baking today! I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

<3 Steph