How to stave off the bloat during the holiday season

A happy gut during the holiday season? Yes, it’s possible!

‘Tis the season to be jolly, not miserable about your bloated belly! It is a common occurrence that the Christmas holidays involve a change in our normal diets. A little more rich food here, some overeating there and you can guess how your digestion can start to suffer. Not to mention some extra alcohol consumption over Christmas and New Year's.

This isn’t a time to starve yourself and feel deprived, enjoying special food with loved ones is part of life. We wanted to give our loyal Fat Burners a mini guide to enjoying the holiday season, without the guilt. This blog is packed with tips and tricks about how to optimise digestion over the holidays. Beat the bloat, and dial up the fun!

Do I need to cut out all the fun foods over the holidays?

No way, Jose! This is the best time of year to relax, recuperate after a busy year and enjoy yourself. Connecting with friends and family over different foods doesn’t have to be stressful, or wracked with guilt. The key is to understand what you are eating, fill up on nutrient-dense foods first and prevent indigestion. 

Everyone has those special foods that they have at Christmas time, perhaps a favourite dessert or some yummy Yorkshire puddings. The goal is to still enjoy those foods at functions or family events, without eating multiple servings. If you are consuming nutritious food regularly, the desire to overindulge decreases. 

Why do I get bloated in the first place?

There are multiple reasons why you feel bloated after eating and/or drinking. It can happen straight after eating, or takes a while for the discomfort to begin. This can be accompanied by excess belching, heartburn or even a bit of smelly gas! Most anti-social we know. Some of the reasons why you are feeling bloated could be:

• A lack of digestive enzymes. This is such a common cause for bloating, but it doesn’t have to be the norm. Enzymes are the substances that help to break down food into smaller pieces, so it can be easily digested. Our saliva and stomach acid contain enzymes, and our pancreas produces enzymes. When we don’t produce enough enzymes our food is still in large particles, and is difficult to digest. This can lead to bloating as the stomach struggles to digest, and fermentation if there are larger particles in the gut.

• Eating waaay too fast. We get it, food is delicious and it’s easy to scoff it down! This can lead to a lack of breakdown of food, as the mechanism of chewing is required. This is especially needed with higher protein foods, to start the digestion process. Chew slowly, put down the knife and fork in between bites and just take your time. Eating quickly doesn’t give your salivary enzymes a chance to work, and break down the food before it hits the stomach.

• Drinking and eating at the same time. It really is nice to have a drink with a meal, yet it is not great for our digestion. Drinking fluid (even water) with a meal dilutes stomach acid and enzymes, so it’s harder for them to do their job. Try not to drink during a meal to improve digestion, and avoid within 20 minutes of a meal too.

• Food intolerances. It could be the food that you love, just isn’t agreeing with you. Food intolerances change, and what we used to tolerate can become a bloating issue. It is also true that our liver and gut health can be improved, to reduce these intolerances. Some common triggers include; dairy, gluten (this is also a common allergen), fatty foods, eggs and shellfish.

• Overeating. It’s so simple, yet so true! It's super easy to eat more than we need when there’s a large spread of food before us. It is also hard when there’s a lot of grazing, and the all-day snacking adds up. Hello leftovers, we’re talking to you! Rich food that is high in fat and sugar is addictive and easy to overeat. Read on for some easy tips to prevent the holiday bloat from ruining your holiday.

Healthy eating over the holidays

There are some quick and simple ways to prevent the bloat this season. Even if you have overindulged and feel seriously uncomfortable, you can ease the discomfort naturally. When you’re at your next holiday gathering, try to remember to:

1. Eat regular meals. This is not the time to start skipping meals to compensate for the extra calories from the meal before. This will only lead to a stronger desire to consume unhealthy, high-calorie foods that contain quick energy. Stick to 3 balanced meals a day, and reduce grazing in between.
2. Eat something bitter at the beginning of the meal. This helps to get the gastric juices going and produce enough enzymes to break down the food properly. Bitter herbs like gentian and fennel are great, or try Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV).
3. Avoid drinking with meals. This is a common mistake! If you’re drinking just before, during or just after a meal you are diluting your stomach acid. This reduces the ability to digest and absorb the nutrients we are eating.
4. Eat 3 balanced meals. Constantly snacking all day will skew your natural hunger cues. Wait until you are hungry, and consume a proper meal in one sitting. If you graze a lot over the day, it is easy to overeat and more difficult for your digestion to cope with the constant food intake.
5. Don’t skip your veggies. The high fibre and high water content of non-starchy vegetables is great for digestion. It helps us to feel satiated (full after eating) and is high in nutrients. The fibre improves bowel movements and keeps you from getting bloated and ‘blocked up’.
6. Protein is the hero. Protein contains amino acids that are the literal building blocks of all cells. A meal with a healthy protein content will help you to feel full, nourished and satisfied for hours. A lack of protein can be a big reason why we binge eat, as the body is craving energy.

Lifestyle matters with your gut

The battle of the bloat is definitely about what we eat, but it’s also about what we do. The habits you create today can shape how your digestion works tomorrow. If I wanted to support my digestion with lifestyle habits I would:

• Walk after meals. A light 10-20 minute walk after eating is great for blood sugar balance and general health. The body always feels better for movement, and this is supposed to be low intensity. 
• Slow down eating. Gulping down your food is a recipe for indigestion, bloating and gas. The mechanism of chewing, and even taking a moment to smell your food before consuming supports digestion. These signal the stomach to produce digestive juices, and chewing breaks up food. 
• Only eat when calm and relaxed. What is the opposite of fight or flight? Rest and digest! Our nervous system needs to be in parasympathetic mode when we eat, as in calm and relaxed. Our digestion does not work optimally when we are stressed, leading to insufficient digestion and sometimes pain.
• Limit alcohol. Alcohol needs to be metabolised by the liver and gut, producing endotoxins. This disturbs our gut balance and decreases the good bacteria that protect us. Alcohol also limits inhibitions, making us more likely to make poor food choices. 

Can a gut supplement help?

There is a huge array of gut supplements out there, some worth their weight more than others. Let us break down some of the quality supplements we recommend to manage the holiday season. These are recommended in conjunction with a healthy, balanced diet and appropriate exercise regime.

1. Digestive enzymes- taking enzymes in a supplement is great when you know you are lacking, and need some help to break down your food. Products like Bioceuticals Multigest and Herbs Of Gold Digest-zymes contain bitter herbs to support our production, as well as enzymes.
2. Fibre supplement- These blends of healthy plant fibres support a robust and diverse microbiome. Our gut microbiome is the seat of good health, supporting digestion, immunity and even mental health. Fibre is important to keep us regular, prevent bloating and remove unwanted toxins from the body. Try Qenda Every Fibre or Switch Nutrition Fibre + powder. 
3. Greens powder- Greens powders contain healthy extracts of chlorella, barley grass, spinach, spirulina or broccoli sprouts, among many other green compounds. These are wonderfully alkalising for the body, support a healthy gut and protect us with antioxidants. EHP Labs OxyGreens and Red Dragon Greens, Gut and Immunity are favourites.  
4. Gut healing- Some evidence-based supplements have been shown to heal the gut lining and improve digestive function. ProGlutamine by PC Laboratories contains the amino acid L-glutamine, known for healing tissue including our gut. Ultra Zinc+ by Herbs Of Gold provides a good dose of Zinc to support stomach acid production and tissue repair. 

The Last Digestion

It is common to experience bloating, but you don’t have to suffer with it this Christmas! Have a plan before you go to events, and be prepared for any temptations. This is the time to enjoy yourself with good company, not obsess over food.

Perhaps even keep a diary of your eating and lifestyle habits so you keep on track. If you’re not clear about your intentions every day, it is much easier to blow out and feel negative about your eating. Take care of your gut and watch your bloating vanish, energy levels return along with that inner glow!