The slogan for Holiday feasts should read like, “I’m All In”, “Go Big or Go Home” and “eat like you meant it!” We gorge, inflate, eat and then repeat like every day is Thanksgiving. Roll back one second.., maybe I should say, all winter holidays really create the over-eating and the stomach and bathroom disasters that follow!
We are ALL familiar with the gurgling of our stomachs, the cramping, the hoping the person talking will stop because baby…” I gotta go!” After shoving our faces with mountains of comfort food, the downhill surge begins from digestion to release and it can be the most uncomfortable holiday to deal with after eating.
Forget the spandex pants, the over-sized shirts and the good eating habits you owned, because, with holiday meals, all bets are off! Good eating becomes known as FEASTING and feasting leads to digestive problems. Whether you are trying to escape heartburn, bloating or those infamous “knock your socks off, turn your insides out cramping” from eating foods you should not have, grab my tips for combating digestive problems after Holiday meals!
Holiday Foods
You can’t hold back on eating those once-a-year foods that make an appearance on a local counter-top near you. The cheese trays, the Italian appetizers, deviled eggs, stuffed mushrooms, cheese sticks, chips, dips, cheese balls, crackers, charcuterie platters. Then, of course, there is Aunt Martha’s secret gravy, turkey, potatoes, butter and gobs of desserts all are making way from your mouth to your belly. Remember the holidays only visit once a year and you want to feast on it all! The Recipes we wait for are the ones that really wreak havoc on our digestive system!
The chit-chatting starts, you have a few drinks, you eat a little, talk a little and then eat a bit more. The grazing starts early on in the day and does not stop until you get in the car to go home, or to the airport and then…. it really stops, but a whole new phenomenon sets in.
Typical Triggers of Digestive Problems
Digestive Problems after holiday meals can be anything from acidic foods to too much food or alcohol, but did you know that even stress can lead to digestive discomfort? Perhaps you were fed up with the shade throwing your one cousin did all night, or the comments your sister-in-law kept throwing and to be a good family citizen you never uttered a word. Nope, instead you have bottled up all the lovely comments, the travel time, and then all the food and YOUR Belly is ready to burst!
Make sure you take a probiotic daily to keep your digestive tract cleansing.
What Goes In Has To Come Out
Don’t be ashamed, it’s natural and everyone goes, but this kind of going has you really thinking about a resolution rather than what you could have done differently. What is done is done but how can you help yourself gain some relief from the cramping and diarrhea? Grab an anti-diarrheal.
Water Is Your Best Friend
Stay hydrated. NO matter how bloated you feel, once you start going to the bathroom, you need to remain hydrated, so drink water and then drink some more.
Alcohol & Sweets
While it is a party day, keep things in check. Drink responsibly and remember to drink plenty of water as alcohol can dehydrate. Chocolate and mints can add itostomach upset so just because there is a bowl of Aunt Martha’s famous fudge, let it be famous for not making you sick! Try one piece and don’t engulf the whole bowl
Smaller Portions
With every possible food available at your fingertips, try using a small plate to keep the portions controlled, smaller and yet it allows you to ‘sample’ everything
Fiber Is Your Friend
Holiday meals don’t tend to pile on the fiber, so you need to seek it out. Get your nuts, fruits, veggies and bran flakes and work them into your meals and I don’t mean bran cookies:)
Don’t Let Dairy Get You
Here’s a friend to help you through the dairy issues you might be faced with, remember proactive is better than being inactive and stuck in the bathroom.
Movement
Don’t just let that meal sit in your stomach after eating. Help with the dishes, and if it is nice outside, suggest a small jaunt through the neighborhood to look at decorations or homes in the area you grew up in, just don’t sit still. Sitting still just lets the food all eek up in your belly and then it begins!
Perfect Timing
While there is never a perfect time to get bogged down from over-eating, indulgence and the sinful pains that can follow it all up get on track ahead of the holidays. Don’t let heartburn, diarrhea, lactose intolerance and over-eating get the best of you, feast your holiday and tame the tummy as you lavishly live life out loud and celebrate the season.
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