Enjoying Thanksgiving With Gout
When Thanksgiving arrives, it’s time to eat, drink, and be merry with friends and family as you give thanks, while creating memories with one another. While the festivities of Thanksgiving offer a lot of enjoyment to those involved, the thought of gout attacks can leave you less-than-excited about the upcoming holiday.
I’m here to tell you that surviving – and even enjoying – Thanksgiving with gout can be done. You can enjoy all of the festivities while avoiding an attack, or quickly dealing with one if it does happen.
Here are five tips for surviving the upcoming holiday that will allow you to enjoy it fully without suffering in the end.
Skip the Seafood
Gout attacks are triggered by purines. These are present in large amounts in seafood, and even a little bite can send you into an attack. While overdoing it in general is not recommended for people with gout, avoiding seafood is especially important.
Rather than give into your temptations and end up regretting it later, simply bring one of your favorite gout-friendly dishes and turn to that when an urge arises.
Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol can do a number on your body when you have gout. There’s nothing that can send you into an attack quicker, because it not only contains purines, but it dehydrates the body, which also leads to gout attacks. Rather than drinking alcohol, bring your own sparkly beverage such as sparkling apple or grape juice.
While it may not have the same effect, think of how you’ll feel that night if you give in and have a drink. And when you look around the party you’ll notice that many other people are also skipping out on an adult beverage, because they’re driving, or simply to avoid a hangover.
Drink Plenty of Water
As mentioned above, dehydration can quickly lead to a gout attack, making staying hydrated crucial. In fact, you can help prevent an attack by drinking a little extra water. As well as your regular drink with your meal, drink two to three 8oz glasses of water, and notice the difference in how you feel.
Don’t Overdo It
While enjoying the great food that comes along with Thanksgiving is a must, it’s important that you don’t overindulge, or you’ll end up paying for it later. Eat smaller portions, or even break up your meal throughout the night to prevent excessive snacking, and you’ll end up feeling much better in the long run.
Take Time to Rest
As you probably know, rest is crucial for preventing a gout flare-up, and due to the extra activity that occurs during the holiday season, resting is more important than ever. While it can be tempting to spend the days beforehand making great dishes for everyone to enjoy and running around preparing, it’s important that you take a lot of time to rest and allow your body to heal from the activity.
Allowing for extra sleep the night before Thanksgiving can also help prevent an attack from spending more time on your feet than usual at the party.
Conclusion
There’s no reason you have to miss out on the fun of Thanksgiving because of your gout. Simply take some time to provide yourself with the care and healthy choices you need. You’ll find the holiday enjoyable and the time after a relaxing experience, where you can sit back and recall the wonderful memories you made.