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When the holidays roll around people with Lyme disease have to pause and take stock and lot more than those without. The diet of a “Lymie” can really affect their health, especially when it comes to inflammatory foods. But instead of focusing on what’s out, let’s focus on what we CAN have. 

• Some people in the Lyme community are wary of eating meat due to the alpha-gal molecule allergy. However, if you’ve been cleared by your doctor to enjoy certain meats Turkey’s a great choice and a holiday favorite. Turkey is lean and if roasted with olive oil instead of butter is dairy-free! The same holds true for a chicken dinner if you’re burned out on turkey from Thanksgiving.

• Though regular potatoes are usually on the no list sweet potatoes are fair game! Whether mashed or baked as long as you avoid the butter these delicious spuds are high in vitamin A and actually boost your immune system. If you’re not into the natural sweetness try yuca or yams as a mashed potato substitute using almond milk instead of regular dairy milk to mix them.

• Before the main meal event, there is a lot of snacking that happens. Nuts are your best friend for snacking! Aside from peanuts (which are a legume), all nuts are approved for snacking, as well as seeds like sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Also, enjoying veggie crudite will not only be delicious and healthy it’ll save room for dinner. 
• Desserts can be tricky since avoiding refined sugar is part of the Lyme diet, however, there are still options. Most recipes made from scratch can use sugar substitutes like stevia or gluten-free flour. But if you want something simple fruit will always be a fan favorite. Fruit and nuts or almond butter will settle a lot better after a large meal than rich desserts. Decaffeinated drinks are also an option, especially flavored teas. Peppermint tea is actually an anti-inflammatory in addition to being a delicious holiday taste.
  

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