Happy Thanksgiving! [2023]

Thanksgiving often brings dinner gatherings. Mixed with the happiness and gratitude the season can bring, it can also bring uneasy feelings or anxiety around foods and eating, especially if you have a medical condition such as Type 1 diabetes, which requires a specialized dietary approach.

 

For those who may be worrying about how Thanksgiving dinner may go, I get it!

 

Our eating behaviours are strongly influenced by social context, so you may feel less comfortable atThanksgiving dinner than you do when eating at home. Perhaps your loved ones might not fully grasp or recognize your (or your child’s) specific dietary needs, and that may lead to feelings of uncertainty or agitation. Perhaps your child might ask for high-sugar foods that others will be eating at dinner, and this feels hard to manage.

 

As you navigate this, stay true to what feels right for you, and I encourage you to own it! If you are going as a family, you may find it helpful to:

 

• reflect beforehand on how you want things to go at dinner

• explain to your children your expectations and how you will support them at the gathering

• share your feelings and concerns with your loved ones

• identify someone in your family who can provide support

 

If you’ve decided to bring your own food, or others have offered to make special dishes, or you select food choices from the options served that support your health and make Type 1 diabetes easier to manage, good on you!

 

You got this!

 

You are doing what you feel is best and what’s right for you and your family, so I hope you feel comfortable and gain confidence in doing this, especially if it’s one of your first times navigating a big dinner gathering since a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis!

 

Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with laughter, love, and unforgettable moments with those you love!