The countdown to Christmas is in full swing. We all want to eat, drink and be merry, but we’re also worrying about overdoing it! Digestive symptoms due to overeating or drinking can be painful. Waking up in the night with acid reflux is not going to make you very merry. Neither are IBS symptoms such as stomach cramps, constipation or diarrhoea.
After all the stress and busy-ness leading up to the big day, it seems only right to treat ourselves to the full works at lunch. Then there’s the Christmas pudding, cheese and biscuits later on, a little bit of mulled wine and a mince pie (or two). It’s what we deserve, isn’t it? Or is that just me?!
Well, I’m not here to ruin Christmas by telling you not to eat and drink all the favourites. Instead, with some careful choices, you can come out the other side without feeling terrible, or looking more like Father Christmas.
Start preparing your digestive system for Christmas now!
Drinking alcohol and eating too much sugar reduces the number of healthy bacteria in your digestive system. On the flip side, it also increases the number of bad bacteria, which thrive on sugar.
The lead up to Christmas is the perfect time to start taking a good quality probiotic . You can build up some protection for Christmas. Increasing the good bacteria in your stomach will help the digestion of your food and reduce the symptoms of bloating.
Portion control….size does actually matter!
Do you know how much of each food to put on your plate? The image below gives you a “handy” guide to food portions that are easy to understand. Women should have one portion and men can have two of each. Click the image to download it ready to have on hand.
(Click the image to download your Christmas Portion Guide, print and keep it “handy”)
You can never have too many veggies.
If you feel you want more food, load up on vegetables. Filling your plate half full of veggies adds helpful fibre to your digestive system. This means that everything will move through nicely and you won’t end up constipated.
Prebiotics in vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage feed good bacteria in the gut, helping our system to stay healthy. So why not add some extra types of vegetables into the Christmas dinner this year.
Flush your system regularly.
Did you know that your brain interprets being thirsty in the same way it does being hungry? Topping up your water throughout the day helps avoid this confusion. You won’t be overeating when really you should be overdrinking (water that is…).
Drinking a glass of water with your meal helps the stomach to digest the food as well as filling you up. So you won’t be tempted by that extra mince pie.
Extra water through the day will help combat the drying effects of staying inside with the heating on too. Of course, you can always change this for warm water with lemon, or a peppermint tea. Just a gentle reminder from the Colonics Queen to drink the stuff!
Have that afternoon nap.
There’s a valid reason why our bodies want us to have a little nap in the afternoon on Christmas Day. The high fat, high carbohydrate meal causes our bodies to release hormones to tell us to slow down. It diverts energy to the liver to absorb the extra glucose for our blood levels to return to normal. This is what makes you feel a little sleepy.
The perfect excuse for a Christmas siesta. It’s mandatory for digestive health!
As you can see, if you put some extra effort into looking after your digestive system for Christmas, you CAN still have your cake and eat it (only two fingers worth though)!
After Christmas is over, if you are suffering from digestive discomfort and need some help, please do get in touch with me and after a consultation, I can recommend a treatment to help ease your symptoms.
So, bottoms up! Happy Christmas to you all and wishing you a very healthy 2019 too!
