We all love the food, company and cheer of the holiday season. What we don’t love is the opportunity to dash our diet promises, go overboard, eat the wrong foods and then pay the uncomfortable price of holiday stomach bloat, irritable gut symptoms, and the aggravation of our existing conditions, such as auto-immune challenges or allergies.
It all sounds very Un-Happy Gut, but I promise you, if you follow some or all of these
7 Easy Tips to Beat the Holiday Bloat
, this year will have you cheering for the holidays!
1. Eat first, not last.
When you’re going to holiday parties – never go hungry. And don’t start drinking alcoholic beverages before you eat. By eating a small, healthy snack, like my apple cookies seen above (apple slices, cashew or nut butter and pumpkin seeds) or carrot sticks with hummus before the event, you won’t want to eat everything off of the table.
2. Slow Down: Plan for a Big Meal.
Pace yourself. Try a little bit of everything. You don’t need to rush. Take your time enjoying each course. By slowing down, you will allow time for food to digest and for “I’m full” signals to reach your brain so you don’t overeat.
Fill your plate 3/4 full, as above, and pause when you have 1/4 left. Taking a pause interrupts the desire to keep eating. Say thanks, talk to someone without also eating, just pause. After the pause you still have 1/4 of your plate left to eat and are more likely to feel “full and done.”
3. Take a plant-based digestive enzymes.
As an added precaution, if you think you will eat more than usual, take a digestive enzyme approximately 20 minutes before you start eating. One of my favorite products is Activate , a broad-spectrum plant-derived enzyme blend that is part of my Happy Gut line of supplements.
4. Enroll your friends and family to support your diet choices.
Enroll your friends and family in your dietary changes. It may help to write them a letter and tell them how important this is to you. Family and friends can be the source of peer-pressure to eat more than you want to, but if you enroll them ahead of time and explain to them why, they will understand better. Tell them you want them to be a part of your team.
5. Start your day off right with lemon water and a smoothie.
Start your day with a lemon squeezed in eight ounces of room-temperature water. A glass of lemon water helps your liver prepare for the day’s eating. It’s a great way to keep the system cleansed while engaging in holiday festivities.
Follow this with Dr. Pedre’s Super Energy Smoothie full of fiber, natural enzymes, healthy omega-3 fats and antioxidants.
Dr. Pedre’s Super Energy Smoothie
1 cup Filtered water
1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond or Cashew milk
1 cup Fresh, organic spinach*
¼ cup Organic blueberries*
1 Tbsp. Chia seeds
1 Tbsp. Almond butter
1 ½ scoops of Happy Gut Cleanse Shake powder
* Can substitute frozen blueberries or frozen spinach.
Blend together in a high-speed blender. Enjoy while you get ready for work. Be creative and invent your own smoothie by varying the berries or substituting ground flax seeds for chia seeds.
6. Take a magnesium supplement to stay regular.
Magnesium citrate 200 – 400mg at bedtime not only can help you stay regular, it has the added benefit of calming the nervous system. The worst cause for holiday bloating is several days of eating in a constipated system. Keeping your bowels moving will help you feel lighter and happier.
7. Drink tea.
The party is over, and you did it. You over-ate! Your stomach is distended, and you feel nauseous or simply may feel like regurgitating your food. Try ginger, chamomile or fennel teas as ways to soothe an upset stomach. My favorite is Yogi® Tea Ginger blend. Steep for 5 minutes with 1 tsp of wildflower honey.
Sipping sweet tea slowly has a double benefit of calming you down, and filling you up so you won’t be tempted by dessert.
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We wish everyone a happy, health holiday! Let us know how these tips have helped you and please share with your family and friends!
