Christmas Cheer

It's the most wonderful time of the year! For me, this means I can be with family, and mine tend to mean so well. For me, this is a time that I can truly feel loved when I spend time with my family, when I tend to feel down. Being able to move around instead of being bedridden for the holidays has become a new grateful scene for me.

Having a condition that pauses the excitement and enjoyment of family by being in a hospital bed has brought me to appreciate the simple things in life. There are a lot of things that I want to be able to enjoy, but there are some things that I have to let go of while living with lupus and chronic kidney disease.

Letting go

I have to let go all the salted food and red meat. I have to let go of the salted foods because being a chronic kidney disease patient, I retain fluid in all parts of my body. Even though a ham might sound good, it might not be a good choice for me to eat this holiday. Neither are stuffed bell peppers and I will say no this year because I prioritizing my health.

Does it make me feel sad? Yes, because anyone that knows me knows I love to eat. It's hard to cook healthy because my family in Louisiana love seasoned food, which usually contains a lot salt and I don't want to hinder them just because I have to eat differently.

Finding alternatives for my favorite foods

Even though I had to cut off gluten, refined sugars, and processed foods, I have learned that there are so many more foods that I can eat besides those things. Let's take the collard greens cooked with smoked turkey necks... put some chicken broth in there and your chopped fresh seasonings and counts for my healthy meal. You can also use low fat cheese and milk for the mac and cheese. I usually do almond milk, but my doctor told me to try oat milk and I must say, I don't love it, but it is good for my diet. Even though my mother will be cooking that good roast, I will not be able to eat the red meat because it makes me flare.

Alcohol will be cut out this year because of my kidneys. I have taken every necessary precautions to keep my kidneys in high function to where my blood work shows a very healthy kidney. I am proud that I let go of eating pork and beef, and instead am sticking to things like fish and chicken. So fill that plate with veggies and fruit this year to keep your body floating in a positive way. I want to be able to spend each year with my family for the holidays. So everyone, let's make 2024 count in the healthiest way!