Let's face it: the "Holiday Season" is definitely not a holiday for your poor gut. Here are 5 tips to help reduce the burden on your belly, and turn Christmas bloating, into Christmas cheer.
01 Prioritize Protein
Traditional sources of protein are typically easy for your body to digest, and in practical terms, won't cause fat gain. Using "pro-gut healing" proteins like collagen, gelatin, organic liver and L-Glutamine will speed up the rebuilding and strengthening of your digestive lining, and reduce inflammation in your gut.
02 Watch the pastries
Foods high in grains (including flour), and for that matter beans and legumes are more difficult to digest - particularly when they aren't prepared well - than most foods. We're not saying these foods are bad for you. We're just saying that when eating more than normal, unless you're up for gut symptoms that are also worse than normal, you'll need to be careful with the amount of more difficult to digest foods.
03 Don't go overboard on fibre
If at a Christmas party you consume more fibre-rich foods than you are used to, you can be left feeling gassy or bloated. Go easy on raw veggies, beans, chickpeas, lentils and other hard to digest foods. Opt for a smaller, entrée sized amount, dressed properly in olive oil and vinegar. Consider an advanced digestive enzyme formula like Digest+ to reduce post-meal belly bloating.
04 Eat slow
Drink a big glass of water before you eat, chew slowly, savor each bite, engage in a conversation, and put your utensils down between bites to help pace yourself.
05 Fix bloating at its root cause
Bloated? Then one/some of these issues need to be fixed:
- Constipation
- Bacterial / fungus overgrowth
- Poor digestion
- Damage to your gut lining
- Food choice
- Hormonal
So one pill, or one behaviour change is unlikely to fix your bloating. Here's the basic flow chart we use to help people completely heal their gut:
Here's the good part: we've made it as easy as possible... and, the more you practice healing your gut, the easier it gets.
