Rethinking Christmas Cookies: A Time When Your Body Doesn’t Tolerate Them Like it Used To

One of the ways in which I was brought up to celebrate Christmas was through Christmas cookies. One of the Christmas traditions that I look back on now that I cherish is my mom making what we used to colloquially refer to as the ‘cookie charcuterie’ every year, along with other plates of various holiday cookies that some people treat as a holiday tradition.

I enjoyed this practice for a fairly long period of my life. Still, slowly, I began realizing that my body was experiencing some physical changes.

I began to come to the realization that there were certain kinds of cookies that simply didn't agree with me anymore. While there was a certain kind of cookie that was almost always guilty of this, it was the peanut butter cookie. Something that had brought so many moments of comfort and joy into my life was now sitting in my stomach with an almost inexplicable awkwardness. This is what so many things in life that have to do with illness bring about – an unfamiliar sense of grief. Not only towards the particular item, but the traditions with it.

A lot of people say that kind of thing to us at BeWell. Food is associated with memory, with partying, with happiness, with connecting. When the ingredients cause symptoms, it’s disappointing. This may well be something that’s also grieving at what may be a difficult time of the year, but it doesn’t have to be.

Traditional Holiday Cookies Might Have Been Heavy

There are holiday cookies that will be made of ingredients which may show the potential of being pro-inflammatory or even difficult to digest. The processed sugars, oils, and even the gums and additives of the ingredients may show the potential of causing bloating of the gastrointestinal region.

Since you have to deal with this chronic illness, it is probably true that your body is not as tolerant of these ingredients as it once was. It doesn’t mean that you are being difficult. This simply means that your body needs something gentler to fuel it.

Methods for Improved Cookie Supportiveness

It is not required that you must change all the recipes if you are searching for a healthier cookie option. Some easy substitutions of ingredients can be a wonder for you.

The use of butter rather than seed oils may help remove processed fats often found in inflammatory foods. Choosing organic ingredients can also assist in reducing exposure to pesticides and additives that may trigger sensitivities. Even how something is baked can affect digestibility and impact how your body reacts to it.

Use of alternative flours, like almond, coconut, and quinoa,  may turn out to be more effective for digestion, as well as a way to eliminate gluten. Natural sweeteners may be more tolerable than refined sugar. None of these changes need to be perfect. What matters is listening to your body.

Holiday Cookies That Can Be More Gentle

There are certain cookies with a natural tendency to be more helpful for digestion and inflammation support:

• Turmeric Snickerdoodles: These include turmeric, a well-known anti-inflammatory ingredient.
• Chia Seed Jam Thumbprint Cookies: Made with fiber-rich chia seeds and omega-3s that aid digestion and reduce inflammation.
• Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Provide healthy fats and are gluten-free, great for sensitive systems.
• Coconut Flour Lemon Bars: Gluten-free and made with gentle, low-carb coconut flour.
• Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies: Offer antioxidants and support inflammation reduction.
• Sweet Potato Spice Cookies: Provide natural sweetness, fiber, and vitamins to help digestion.
• Pumpkin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies: Made with fiber-rich pumpkin and hearty oats for gut support.
• Ginger-Turmeric Molasses Cookies: Combine ginger and turmeric — both known for soothing the digestive system — with molasses for natural sweetness.
• Quinoa Gingerbread Cookies: Use quinoa, which is gluten-free and fiber-rich, as a more digestible flour base.
• Coconut Macaroons with Blueberry Lavender: Combine healthy fats from coconut with antioxidant-rich blueberries and calming lavender.

We Bake To Care

Because I am making my cookies at home, I can control them. I know what I am putting into my system. I can then regulate how I take it based on how my body reacts to it, rather than me ending up paying for this in other ways at a later date.

It’s okay that your cookie plate doesn't look the same anymore. Just because your family traditions are changing, this doesn't mean that yours should too. Your version of holiday cookies is still valid. It is still festive, and it still counts.