Feast Without the Flare
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Written by Ava Brennan
How to tackle extravagant holiday meals while nurturing the body.
Delicious recipes at bottom of this post!
Two of the biggest feasting holidays are right around the corner. Some may spend this time preparing, walking extra steps to balance out incoming calories, while others accept the not-so-good feelings that come with the “feel-good” foods.
In a large family like mine, creating extravagant holiday meals is no small feat. The responsibility of planning and creating these feasts has been mastered by my mother, Kim Brennan.
Brennan has a history of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) that has completely changed her life. She was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis nearly 30 years ago. Her doctor recommended a dietary change to heal her intestine. Following this advice, her symptoms went into remission, and she was able to return to a regular diet.
Fast forward 25 years to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brennan became ill with COVID, and after her recovery, her ulcerative colitis symptoms returned, this time more severe.
“Over the course of the next year, I lost over 50 pounds and was very sick,” Brennan said. “My body couldn’t process any food.”
After further testing, Brennan was formally diagnosed with a form of IBD called Crohn’s disease. She shared some of the science of why her symptoms were so debilitating.
“When food goes into a part of your intestine, it's supposed to absorb the nutrients that have been broken down,” Brennan said. “When you have Crohn's disease, the lining of your intestine is affected and damages the physical structure, so you cannot absorb any nutrients you eat.”
Her Crohn's symptoms were aggressively impacting Brennan’s health. Her current doctor recommended dramatic dietary changes to prevent further irreversible damage and allow her intestine to heal. The foundation of this diet was the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), which is known to heal internal damage caused by IBD.
“The diet is completely grain-free, gluten-free, low in lactose, and has no sugar except for honey,” Brennan said. “It's a very strict diet.”
After a few months of adhering to the diet, her symptoms slowly decreased and eventually
disappeared, allowing her digestive system to repair and function properly again. Now, five years later, Brennan lives by this diet, which has become the norm for her and her family, improving their personal health and well-being.
“There is such a plethora of resources once you find out what your body is rejecting,” Brennan said. “There are so many recipes out there that can help.”
When Brennan is craving sweets, she turns to her recipes for naturally sweetened pumpkin pudding, almond flour pastries, and her personal favorite – Greek yogurt with honey and fresh fruit.
Brennan shared that the most critical part of maintaining this lifestyle is meal planning.
“I need to take time each week to prepare,” Brennan said. “But I’m worth it, and my health is worth it.”
During this upcoming holiday season, Brennan has no plans to sacrifice opportunities to enjoy delicious food that is kind to her body. She doesn’t feel like she is cutting out everything she used to enjoy – she’s simply learning how to replace it with foods that are nurturing to her health, rather than destructive.
This upcoming Thanksgiving, Brennan is planning to make and indulge in roasted turkey, green bean casserole made with cashew cream – instead of processed canned soup, roasted vegetables and mashed butternut squash with gravy.
From Thanksgiving turkey feasts to Christmas cookie celebrations, the holiday season may not be very forgiving to stomach sensitivities. Emily Kullman, a health science professor at Cleveland State University, shared her personal and professional insights on holiday eating from Thanksgiving through the New Year.
“Thanksgiving is one big meal and people anticipate it,” Kullman said. “A lot of the foods that go along with Thanksgiving are actually healthy.”
Kullman noted that the contents of a Thanksgiving meal are often whole foods, like poultry, vegetable dishes, and potatoes. In contrast, the Christmas season can be full of sugary snacks and richer foods, which is where Kullman sees overconsumption of dishes with poor nutritional value.
“We definitely tend to overconsume while enjoying people’s generosity,” Kullman said. “Many of these foods have a high glycemic index and tend to wreak havoc on your body.”
If individuals are often experiencing stomach pain after eating, Kullman suggests evaluating their diet and making changes to benefit their health.
If an individual is experiencing upper gastrointestinal (GI) issues like acid reflux, Kullman recommends cutting out acidic foods.
While peppermint tea is commonly believed to be a natural remedy for stomach pain, Kullman said it actually promotes acidity and can worsen acid reflux symptoms.
If the stomach issue is lower GI-related, Kullman notes the issue may be signs of a deeper underlying disease, but can also be a minor issue that can be fixed by simple lifestyle changes.
“It could be a lack of physical activity,” Kullman said. “It could be poor food quality – lack of fiber, not enough fruits and vegetables or some type of sensitivity, like lactose intolerance.”
As for general health, Kullman suggests eating whole foods and limiting processed ones. This combination is especially advantageous for people with stomach issues.
From gluten or lactose intolerance, to more serious conditions like celiac and inflammatory bowel disease, diet plays a large role in recovery and daily health.
Holiday feasts can very easily be enjoyed, but the key is to listen to your body and focus on balancing whole foods with treats.
“I think enjoying food together is just an important part of culture,” Kullman said, “A lot of it is just about portion control and listening to your body.”
Kim Brennan shared some of her favorite SCD and gut-friendly recipes she will be using this holiday season.
SCD Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
1 12 ounce package of fresh cranberries
1 cup fresh orange juice
½ cup honey
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the berries begin to break, or for about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and let sit until it reaches room temperature. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Serve with turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes!
Grain Free Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe
Serves 8
Ingredients
For Croutons:
½ cup almond milk, no thickeners
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 tsp. rosemary, fresh or dried
1 tsp. thyme, fresh or dried
2 cups almond flour
½ cup coconut flour
¼ cup water
For Stuffing:
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups baby bella mushrooms, diced
1 large red apple, diced (with or without the skin)
¼ cup white wine, dry
1 recipe worth of croutons (from above)
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup stock, chicken or vegetable
½ cup butter, divided, melted
1 Tbsp. thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. sage copped
1 Tbsp. rosemary, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
parsley, chopped, for garnish
Gather and prep ingredients. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Add parchment paper to the bottom of a 9×9 pan and grease it with butter or olive oil.
To make croutons:
1. In a food processor, add almond milk, melted butter, baking soda, salt, eggs and herbs. Pulse until combined.
2. Add in the flours a little at a time, followed by the water.
3. Pour dough into a 9×9 pan and spread it until even with a spatula.
4. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out cleanly.
5. Let the bread cool for 15 minutes. Turn out from the pan and slice into cubes about ½ inch in size.
6. Brush cubed bread with ½ stick of melted butter and transfer to a sheet tray.
7. Bake at 325°F for 40 minutes or until bread is golden and dry all the way through.
8. As croutons are drying out, bring a large sauté pan to medium heat.
9. Add in onion, celery, and garlic. Sauté for about 5-8 minutes or until onions are translucent.
10. Add in mushrooms and apples and continue to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.
11. Add in the wine and bring to a boil.
12. Transfer to a large bowl.
13. Add in bread, eggs, stock, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.
14. Grease a large casserole dish and drizzle the rest of the butter on top.
15. Bake covered for 35-40 minutes. Then uncovered for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Butternut Squash Casserole with Pecan Streusel Topping Recipe
Serves 8 Prep: 1 hour Cooking: 45 min Total: 1 hour 45 min
Ingredients:
For Filling:
7 cups butternut squash, cooked and pureed
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup cashew milk, or almond milk (no additives)
¼ cup butter, melted
1 egg
½ tsp salt
For Streusel:
½ cup honey
1 ¼ cup pecans, chopped
1 cup almond flour
⅓ cup butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ cup pecans, chopped (for topping)
Method Of Prep:
1. Gather and prep ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Halve your butternut squashes lengthwise, scoop out and discard seeds.
3. Lay face up on a sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until tender and soft all the way through. Remove from the oven to cool.
5. Set up your high-speed blender. Scoop cooked squash into your blender.
6. Puree until smooth. You may have to blend the mixture in two batches depending on the size of your blender.
7. Add all puree to a large bowl.
8. Next, add in honey, cashew milk, butter, egg, and salt.
9. Mix with the eclectic mixer until smooth and fully incorporated.
10. Transfer butternut squash mixture to a greased baking dish.
11. Lower your oven to 350°F.
12. In a medium bowl add all topping ingredients and mix well.
13. Gently spread out evenly on top of butternut mixture and bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.
14. Remove from the oven and top with remaining chopped pecans.
15. Cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!