Smart Holiday Eating 

Smart Holiday Eating

Released Dec. 3, 2024

 

PODCAST OPEN:      

You’re listening to the Live Yes! With Arthritis podcast, created by the Arthritis Foundation to help people with arthritis — and the people who love them — live their best lives. This podcast and other life-changing resources are made possible by gifts from donors like you. If you’re dealing with chronic pain, this podcast is for you. You may have arthritis, but it doesn’t have you. Here, learn how you can take control of arthritis with tips and ideas from our hosts and guest experts.

 

MUSIC BRIDGE

 

Jamie Nicole:

Hello, and welcome to the Live Yes! With Arthritis Podcast. I am Jamie Nicole, your host for today's episode. I am a certified autoimmune protocol coach, a fitness instructor and enthusiast. I've been living with multiple autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, and have been managing osteoarthritis for about 20 years. I'm passionate about helping our community find ways to manage and thrive despite chronic illness. Today, we'll be talking all about holiday eats, exploring tips and strategies to enjoy festive foods while keeping arthritis and autoimmune health in mind.

 

Eating and drinking are big parts of the holiday for a lot of us, and that can be a problem, especially when you're living with arthritis. People with rheumatoid arthritis or other types of inflammatory arthritis need to avoid inflammatory foods. In addition, weight gain is an issue for some of us with arthritis. And cooking can be an issue for anyone with sore joints, especially in their hands.

 

Today, we're talking with Carolyn Williams, a registered dietitian and cookbook author who has firsthand experience with autoimmune diseases and the importance of diet. Whether you're cooking, eating or hosting a holiday meal, she will discuss ways to stick with healthy, anti-inflammatory foods, prevent weight gain and tips to cook up a delicious meal without causing more arthritis pain.

 

Welcome, Dr. Williams. Could you start by telling us a little about yourself, your interest in autoimmune disease and how you came to specialize in anti-inflammatory cooking?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Hi, Jamie. It's great to be here today. Thank you all for having me. I've had the honor to do several things with the Arthritis Foundation over the past year or so. I do not have a form of arthritis. I guess my interest in anti-inflammatory eating began about, oh gosh, seven or eight years now, writing a lot of articles for different outlets, for Real Simple, for Cooking Light, for AllRecipes. Sometimes they're on food, but then a lot of times they were on health conditions, like best foods to eat to lose weight or lower cholesterol. All scopes of health issues.

 

I realized, thinking about all the topics I'd written on, it really was almost like a light bulb moment. I was sitting there, and I was like, "Oh, my gosh, there is one thing that every single one of these conditions I've been writing about has in common." And that is chronic, low-grade inflammation. And in the case of autoimmune conditions and most forms of arthritis, it can aggravate existing conditions.

 

And so, that's when I was like, “Anti-inflammatory diet is for everybody.” I went to my parents, who are older, and I thought, “This would be great for them.” And I thought, “Well, I certainly could benefit, too.” And then I thought, “What if I could get my kids to eat this way? What could I potentially prevent down the road?”

 

I'm a single mom with two kids, so I didn't have much time to cook. I decided I was going to figure out how to make anti-inflammatory eating not only simple and quick and use mainstream ingredients that I could get at the Piggly Wiggly down the road, but also things that my kids would eat. And that is essentially how my first cookbook, “Meals That Heal,” was born.

 

But while I had submitted my manuscript and was waiting for it to come out, I was slowly figuring out that my daughter had a rare autoimmune condition. So, it was kind of like, oh my goodness, it's not just fun to follow or healthy to follow; this was a necessity to follow. So, it really hit home even more once we had her autoimmune diagnosis.

 

Jamie Nicole:

I'm excited to dive into the questions that we have for you today. Let's start out this conversation talking about holiday parties. They are a big part of celebrating, but they usually have lots of unhealthy and inflammatory snacks and drinks. How can you enjoy the parties when you live with an autoimmune disease and have to avoid most of what they're serving?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

One of the keys is never show up to a party hungry. Go ahead and eat a small meal, a heavy snack, at home before you go. You get to these holiday parties, and you start talking and socializing, and you just pick up food without even realizing it. You put it on your plate, and you're just eating. And it may not even be that good. But because we are sidetracked and we are doing other things, we aren't really paying attention to the food.

 

So, you really don't want to go hungry. When you go with a little in your stomach, it allows you to be a little pickier, if you will, like, “Oh, that looks really good. I think I’ll try that.” Or “I’ve had those chicken tenders before. I’m going to skip those.” Maybe ahead of time, say, “OK, I’m going to allow myself one thing that I really love, or maybe two small things that I really, really love.” Identify what you’re looking forward to at the party before you go.

 

Jamie Nicole:

I know with me, especially if I go hungry, I'm grazing because I'm just doing that social interaction. Making sure that you've eaten something, so you're not starving, is very important. What are some tips that we can apply if we're trying to keep the weight off and protect our joints? What would you recommend to keep things balanced? Because I still want to enjoy my treats, but how do I keep things balanced during party season?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

First and foremost, your goal should never be to lose weight during the holiday season. Our goal should be to maintain weight. You may still gain just a tad, but if you're looking to just maintain, you're not going to gain as much as if you didn't have a goal at all. The best thing to do is try to eat regular meals and snacks. Try to stick to your normal eating routine as much as possible. You think, "Oh, I won't eat now, because we're going here tonight; I'll save up." That's not really healthy to do. It's going to make you more hungry. It's going to set you up to eat more, make less healthy choices.

 

Maintain your regular routine with food, but also with your activity. Now during the holidays, you may have the opportunity to sleep a little later. That’s great. Really nice perk. Think through, “OK, what is my daily schedule tomorrow?” Don’t wait till you wake up and then think, “Oh, maybe I walk now, or I’ll do that later. And then I’ll do some holiday cooking, and then I’ll do some shopping.” No, let’s go ahead the night before and think through, “OK, here’s what I need to get done for me. Then here are the other things I need to do.” Figure out what works for you.

 

And drink your water. Get plenty of fluids. It can be easy to forget to drink your water, your hydration. Stay hydrated. That's going to help just in general with fullness. And then prioritize sleep as well.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Making sure that, if you have fallen off the planning wagon before the holidays, that you try to get back on. Being proactive instead of reactive and activating those flares because you weren't prepared.

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

It's very easy to fall off the wagon with eating, with exercise, with everything over the Thanksgiving holidays and then never get back on until January. So, if you can, just make a point to really get back on track after Thanksgiving. Establish those routines again. That's going to help you when you are home from work, when you are home with the kids, in maintaining some semblance of a schedule.

 

Jamie Nicole:

I want to transition into actually hosting. What types of dishes do you suggest for holiday parties that everyone can enjoy but are still healthy and anti-inflammatory?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

My favorite thing — and you'll find me taking this, no matter what kind of holiday party or my own Christmas gatherings — is a big green salad. I will always take a big green salad with an olive oil-based dressing. It may have some nuts in it. It may have a sprinkle of feta or another kind of cheese. I'll usually throw in berries or maybe another fruit or two. But I will always throw in the leafy greens, just to get those in there, because pretty much I can guarantee no one else is bringing that. And that's something good I can fill up on, I can start my meal with. And, you know, we've got to remember that food is a key part of the holidays, in our memories of food.

 

Load up with your healthier items first, and then have a bite or two of what you really love. Doesn't have to be completely off limits, but just have a much smaller portion of… Maybe it's your grandmother's cornbread dressing or something that you really, really love and look forward to. Then have some. But just bring some other options for you. I may also bring another vegetable, like a green bean dish, not a casserole. Or some broccoli or shaved Brussels sprouts salad. Salad always complements everything else on the menu, typically.

 

Jamie Nicole:

I love a good salad bar. I love anything where people can… You have a base, and you can add on to it. One of my favorites is a sweet potato and having different sides for sweet potatoes, whether it be savory or sweet with raisins and pecans or things like that. Do you suggest encouraging people to bring their own dishes if they may not enjoy what you may prepare that's anti-inflammatory? Do you have any suggestions if you're actually hosting the party?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Well, first of all, I am never cooking the whole meal. (laughs) I'm going to tell you: Everybody can bring stuff. I may direct them, like, "You know, hey, could you bring a vegetable? Could you bring a side dish? Could you bring that kind of thing?" I kind of set the main trajectory of the menu with the dishes I'm preparing. But let them bring their favorite dishes. It's not about eliminating some of those key dishes that you've had for years and years and love. Because it's just one time a year.

 

Jamie Nicole:

One of those foods that is nostalgic. It reminds you of the holidays. It allows you to have a little more happiness during the holidays because of those memories. It's the holidays. It shouldn't be stressful. Because that stress can also cause you to go into a flare, which is what we're trying to avoid in the first place.

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Yeah. You know, being so stressed about avoiding all these foods or not eating any of them, that stress can cause more inflammation and a flare-up, more so than actually eating a small portion of that food.

 

Jamie Nicole:

So, eat up.

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Yeah. (laughter)

 

PROMO:

Get tips to help you take control of arthritis and put your mind at ease with the Arthritis Foundation’s free e-books. They’re packed with trusted information from the experts on all kinds of topics. See the full menu at arthritis.org/ebooks.

 

Jamie Nicole:

The holidays, Carolyn, is also a time where we may have a few more adult beverages. What should someone keep in mind if they're managing arthritis or autoimmune disease? Do you have any alternatives that they can have that won't cause any issues with their arthritis?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

I'll speak to it first from an anti-inflammatory perspective. A little bit of wine actually can have a slight anti-inflammatory effect. I’m not suggesting anybody drink that to lower their inflammation in their body. But it's a very small amount, like a five-ounce glass.

 

So, just be cognizant. Again, planning ahead, thinking through, "OK, I'm going to have one cocktail, and then I'm going to drink water, I'm going to drink club soda." Mocktails are also a great alternative. There are so many ideas out there today. Mocktails have kind of taken on a new life of their own these days. And I think you'll see at holiday parties a lot more fun mocktail options being offered. So, that is always great, too. If you do choose to drink, make sure you're drinking plenty of water. Set a limit for what you're going to have before time.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Also, Carolyn, desserts. Are there any anti-inflammatory dessert options you can recommend to satisfy our sweet tooths without the extra sugar?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Desserts are a major part of the holidays. What I challenge people to do and I make myself do this: What sweet is it that you really, really look forward to during the holidays? Because we do a lot of eating of desserts and sweets, and most of them we're just eating because they're there. It's not always that good. We're just eating because it's there and it’s around us.

 

What do you think about all year long that you can’t wait to eat in terms of a sweet or dessert? And say, “OK, I’m going to have that. I’m going to have a slice of that pie when I go to my grandmother’s or my great aunt’s,” or whatever it is. Look forward to it, you know, and then enjoy it. Also say, “OK, I’m going to be more aware of what’s around me, of all the other desserts and sweets around me, and why I’m picking them up, or if I even really want them.”

 

Jamie Nicole:

Right? Are there particular herbs and spices that you would recommend adding to those holiday dishes that can help reduce the inflammation that you may have from eating something that may be a little bit inflammatory?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

From an anti-inflammatory perspective, you hear about certain spices and herbs a lot, like turmeric. Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties. But really and truly, most of your herbs and spices have some kind of anti-inflammatory properties. Now, you can add them to your dishes, but the amounts that we use in food are really so small that you really aren't going to gain any major benefits by including them.

 

Now, I like to include them just because I like herbs and spices and the flavors and the flavor combinations. People who've seen benefits from turmeric, they're usually taking supplements of curcumin or turmeric itself. And they're taking large amounts, or much larger amounts of those, to feel the anti-inflammatory benefits. But again, I love including them. I just don't think you can count on those as your anti-inflammatory solution.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Now we're going to transition into practical tips to make kitchen work less painful. You mentioned at the beginning you don't have arthritis. But do you have some tips on how to make cooking a little bit quicker or easier so it's not as impactful on your joints and causes less inflammation?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Yeah. One of my favorite tricks is to get some of the pre-chopped vegetables, like the pre-chopped onion. I mean, I feel like every dish almost calls for chopped onion. You can get it in the produce department fresh, which is what I prefer. If the price is high on that, they also sell frozen chopped onion in the freezer section. They also sell frozen mirepoix: onion, celery and carrots. You can find a lot of those vegetable combinations that recipes call for in the freezer section or in the produce section, already cut up, which can be really nice.

 

My other tip is… There's no one making it be a solo activity other than ourselves. Maybe you've got an old friend who happens to be in town. Get her to come over while you're preparing some dishes for the holidays, and y'all can visit. And then she's there to help you chop or pull down things that you can't climb and get, or help you with certain things. And then also, don't try to cook everything yourself. Ask people to bring stuff.

 

Jamie Nicole:

One of the things — I know you mentioned you’re a single mom just like myself — that I did from the time my kids were really young is: I had them in the kitchen with me, not just during the holidays, but all of the time. I got them little aprons, and I think one time I got them a little hat. And I just love having them in there. And seeing they're older now, they're in their 20s, but the way that they are able to navigate a kitchen and the way that they enjoy those healthy and anti-inflammatory foods now, because I started them when they were young, so having them involved, not only with the cooking, but with the cleaning as well.

 

Just to add some experience of my own from arthritis: Standing in the kitchen for long periods of time does not work for me at all. They do have those gel mats that you can put in front of the stove and in front of the sink, which help. And making sure that you have a thick, comfortable shoe that takes some of the pressure off of your joints is also very helpful.

 

One of the things, Carolyn, that I had an issue with: I was trying to cook and went to reach for the spices and could not get the spices down off of the cabinet. So, making sure that you have everything accessible. And start prepping ahead of time the chopped vegetables, or, you know, some things that you can cook and freeze.

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

That's so true. That's a great point. One other thing that I thought about is: A lot of us often feel a burden that we need to make everything, or everything needs to be homemade. And this is something that I realized when I was doing caregiving for my daughter and was just really stressed, and I can feel the inflammation in my body. I told my mom, "Look, I can bring anything you want me to bring, but I'm going to pick it up from somewhere." One dish here or there can help a lot, and you're still going to have a great meal. So, don't be afraid to not cook quite everything from scratch if you need to lessen the load.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Absolutely. We have so many more options. It is a lot on your body to stand in the kitchen for the holidays and cook everything yourself. The last thing I just wanted to add: There are a lot of tools and gadgets out there that help, whether it be ergonomic knives, things that allow you to easily open the jar, or have someone else do it. And make a girls’ night of it, or, you know, a kids or family night of it. You can also make that another tradition as well.

 

PROMO:

The Arthritis Foundation’s Live Yes! Connect Groups are empowering support groups that bring people together for informative events and engaging activities. Peer-run and volunteer-led, they offer a place of understanding and encouragement and cover all kinds of topics. Find a group that matches your interests at connectgroups.arthritis.org.

 

Jamie Nicole:

What strategies do you have for managing holiday stress and, at the same time, prioritizing restful sleep?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

One thing that is really key for me is to take a few moments each morning to center myself. Maybe that's on a walk. Just gather my thoughts, think through the day. I just need five to 10 minutes just to kind of think through the day, what I need to do, what's a priority, what's not. It also allows me to plan my day with my schedule, get my activity in and that kind of thing.

 

When it comes to reducing stress, I have found, and I've gotten much better at it now that I'm in my 40s, is really looking at the schedule and saying, "OK, what is a priority here?" And really dialing back our activities during the holidays. Going to the ones that mean the most to you, but thinking through, what gives you joy? Not just, what have we done, for year after year, so we need to keep doing?

 

Jamie Nicole:

For me, having multiple chronic illnesses to autoimmune diseases, sometimes it's not always a matter of: Can I? It's a matter of: Should I? And even though I may have time, and I may be able to go, how am I going feel afterwards? And how is that going to carry into the rest of my day and the rest of my week and the rest of the holiday season? I would hate to flare on my first outing, on something I didn't even really want to attend in the first place, and then not be able to attend those things that are most important.

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

When my kids were younger, I was just rushing everybody around. “We need to be here, we need to there, you need to be dressed,” just going and doing. And I realized this makes me not a very nice parent and not a very nice person and a much-stressed person. And I was like, "I don't like the person that I've become." That's really what made me kind of take a second look and say, "What's worth it and what's not?" And I don't get nearly as stressed anymore now that I pare that down.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Measuring the risk versus the reward, I always like to say.

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

(laughs) Yes.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Do you have any tips for approaching the holiday meals mindfully? How can people enjoy their favorites while avoiding overindulgences?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

I think it goes back to planning regular meals. Usually, a holiday meal is just going to be one meal, or maybe two, maybe three big meals, at the most. And that's what we tend to focus on. And we forget about all the other normal, regular meals. So, making sure you have your regular meals planned outside of those one to three big holiday meals, and you have those ready to go.

 

And then, if you can find some time to kind of ground yourself, center yourself, with your own thoughts in the morning, before the day starts, that can really help. And again, don't stress too much, because this is… We're talking about one meal out of the year.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Personally, especially during the holidays, food can be a comfort. So, I always like to check in sometimes. And it's not necessarily because it's the holiday, but it's just because I don't want to eat just because I'm stressed. So, making sure that I'm also checking in with myself around this time, because I know it's going to be a high-stress situation.

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Yeah. It's hard enough when we're not stressed, when it's not the holidays, to be really good and pay attention to our hunger signals and our satiety signals that our body is telling us. So, yeah, it's even harder during the holidays.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Exactly. And those heavy holiday foods can lead to digestive issues, which are especially tough for those of us with autoimmune disease. Do you have any tips or remedies for keeping digestion smooth over the holiday season?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Not overindulging, not having too much. If you do drink, not having too much alcohol at any one time; it's just going to make things worse. The biggest thing here is going to be sleep. Prioritizing sleep, getting that good, restful sleep. That is really going to be key for getting your digestive tract back on track. Also, fluids are going to be key as well.

 

Jamie Nicole:

And you also mentioned movement. I think that helps me a lot with my digestion. During the holidays, at our big gatherings that we eat, and then we go on walks, and then we go eat again. Movement is so important, making sure that you keep everything moving. Even if that's in your routine already, a little bit extra in between meals may be helpful as well.

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Between sleep and movement, I mean there's not much that those two things can't fix or can't make better. And I'm not talking about a really strenuous workout, but just getting some movement, getting outside, moving your body a little.

 

Jamie Nicole:

For some people who are following strict diets, which I'm not a fan of, it can lead to guilt. What advice would you give to someone who feels discouraged after having an "off day," and they want to get back on track?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Yeah. Guilt is not your friend after you overindulge. It can just make you keep on going down that downhill slide. So, what you want to do is, you say, “OK, it’s one day, it’s one meal.” Just step back and say, “OK, listen to my body the rest of the day. Eat what I need the rest of the day.” And then the next morning, say, “OK, I’m going to get back on track. I’m going to get my activity. I’m going to make sure I’m getting plenty of hydration. I’m going to focus on whole foods, just simple whole foods.” And just getting back on track. You don't need anything drastic. That's not going to be good either. Get right back on track.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Definitely.

 

PROMO:

Do you have an idea for a topic you’d like to hear discussed on the podcast? Do you have a question about an episode or feedback you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you. Just email us at [email protected], and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. That’s [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

 

Jamie Nicole:

For each episode, we ask our social media followers for their input and their questions. And so, for this episode, we asked: What's your number one worry about eating or cooking for the holidays? And here is what some have said. The first comment from Donna is “having enough strength to do what needs to be done. So tired all the time.”

 

Can you kind of highlight some of the things that you mentioned earlier? I know you mentioned pre-chopped vegetables. Any other tips and tools that you can think of to mitigate not having enough strength or energy to cook?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Maybe making some meals ahead of time that you can freeze so you have meals in your freezer. Not necessarily for the big holiday events, but just that you can have through the month of December to eat on.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Next, we have Eli. They commented, “Eating, yes, but certain foods cause flare-ups. Cooking is OK, but cleaning is what I hate, doing dishes, especially the heavy ones.” For me, I mentioned earlier having everything in arm’s reach, so I'm not having to either bend down and get things from the bottom cabinet or reach up. Also, instead of lifting, sometimes you may need to slide things across and not pick those things up. Or use those rolling carts to keep things near you. Or if you need to transport something from, say, the stove to the table or the dining room, making sure that you have a little cart that you can push so that you're not carrying those heavy things.

 

I'm not sure if you do this, but my family is heavy on the paper plates. And I now see that they have disposable pots and pans that are light. Do you have any tips besides getting others to help for the cooking and the cleaning?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Go back to looking at what dish or two can you pick up when you order ahead of time. I think there's a lot of us put so much pressure on feeling like everything has to make be made from scratch. And it doesn't. You know, one or two dishes not made from scratch is not going to ruin the holidays.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Absolutely. Cindy said, “My back is killing me that night and the next day from standing while cooking.” And Cindy, if you're listening to this, I completely understand. That's one of the things that plagues me the most. I have arthritis in my back. Those mats are helpful, those cushioned mats, instead of just standing on the hard floor. And then, making sure that I have special, almost orthotic house shoes that I wear, making sure that you're not wearing slides or things that don't have support.

 

I make sure that I take breaks often, so that I'm not standing for, you know, hours on end, but I'm also able to rest and relax. Cooking for long periods of time can be an issue for anybody who has inflammation in general. Do you have any things that you do in particular that help with those long days and sometimes evenings in the kitchen?

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Yeah, and I actually learned it from my mother. I remember when I was younger, I thought she was so crazy because she would pull out her December calendar, and she would look at what all she needed to cook during holiday meals and various things for the holidays. And she would break it down on her calendar. Like, “Today, I’m going to toast the pecans and then let them cool.” And then you can freeze them, actually. She broke it down where it was just like a little task every day. And so, if you can break it down into small little tasks, especially earlier in the month, before stuff gets crazy, there's a lot that you can freeze or prep early.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Yeah, I totally agree. My grandmother does all of the cooking for Thanksgiving, and she does a complete feast. She starts her cooking in October and freezes it. And then Dick, he said, “Can we get a reservation?” Which I have done one year, only one year. I forget what it was. Maybe my grandmother wasn't cooking. But if all else fails, there's several restaurants that are open the day of, depending on where you are. And there's nothing wrong with that. So, Dick, if you want to make a reservation, feel free to do so.

 

In conclusion, at the end of all of these podcasts, we like to ask you about three of your top takeaways from our discussion. So, I'll let you go first and give us the three top takeaways that you've had from this conversation.

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

This is great, because if I say these out loud to other people, that's going to hold me accountable. (laughs) So, three takeaways. I am going to think through now what my favorite things of the holidays are, like what foods am I most looking forward to? What holiday food are you thinking about? That's one that you probably need to give yourself a little grace with and make sure you include. And think through those activities. What I want to make sure I include, and then things I don't necessarily want to include in my holiday.

 

What's also key for me is just finding at least five to 10 minutes of “me” time in the morning, kind of grounding myself, getting a little activity in. And then I'm able to make better choices throughout the day.

 

And then, just knowing, everybody's going to overindulge at times. They look back, and they're like, "Why did I eat that?" Just give yourself grace, and next day, just get back on track. Get your hydration in, get your activity in, focus more on whole foods. And just get back on track.

 

Jamie Nicole:

Absolutely. One of my top ones was something that you mentioned at the top of our conversation, when you were changing your diet and realized that inflammation was at the center of almost everything, and how, once you learn, you transfer that knowledge to your parents and to your kids. And so, we oftentimes hear about generational wealth; but I'm always thinking about generational health. And, you know, on this podcast, when you're living with arthritis, my parents have arthritis, some of the issues that they have, I have.

 

So, for me, it's important not only to learn this information and start implementing it now for myself, but to transfer that knowledge to my kids. And one of the perfect ways to do that is during the holidays, by building those traditions where you're cooking together, finding those recipes that you like together, and making sure that they know that even though we eat healthy most of the time, we incorporate an anti-inflammatory diet, that we can still indulge and have those holiday moments, those holiday memories together.

 

The other thing is planning. Making sure that we're focusing on the whole person, including sleep, including stress. Stress is one of my big triggers. And the other thing is making sure that, as I go into the season, that I prioritize what's most important. We have those additional things on our list that are not on our list other times of the year. And sometimes it can become overwhelming. So, whether it be planning your food, planning your snacks before you go to a party, planning to go to a restaurant ahead of time and finding out what's on the menu — doing those little things are going to add up and allow you to have a holiday that is more pleasurable for you.

 

And with that being said, Dr. Carolyn Williams, I appreciate you being here. I enjoyed the conversation so much. And I know that the listeners will have gained a lot of information that will allow them to have a more pleasurable holiday season. So, thank you so much.

 

Dr. Carolyn Williams:

Thank you. I appreciate it.

 

PODCAST CLOSING:

The Live Yes! With Arthritis podcast is independently produced by the Arthritis Foundation. Gifts from people like you make our podcast and other life-changing resources possible. You can donate at arthritis.org/donate. This podcast aims to help people living with arthritis and chronic pain live their best life. For a transcript and show notes, go to arthritis.org/podcast. Subscribe, rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. If you subscribe through Spotify, leave a comment on their platform, letting us know what you think about this episode. And stay in touch