The holiday season is upon us, and for me and many of you out there, that means eating a lot of bad–yet delicious!–foods, from high-fat sides to sugary sweets and carb-laden snacks. As great as all that food is at the time, I know from my own experience that it can leave you feeling tired and bloated. So, on top of paying attention to what–and how much–you’re eating during the holidays, here are some tips to avoid that dreaded holiday bloat.
Go for a walk
As noted by Everyday Health, while it can be tempting to just sit and doze after a big meal, getting yourself moving can help ward off or ease bloating (https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/gas-and-bloating/get-active-to-beat-bloating/). When you are upright and moving, the position stimulates the movement of gas in your intestinal tract. Lying down, of course, may feel better in the short term, but what you’re actually doing is keeping the gas trapped instead, prolonging your bloated sensation.
Take a bath
A warm bath is great for a lot things, and the heat from one can relieve any pain you’re feeling from a bloated stomach. In addition, it can help you lower your stress, which is also known to contribute to bloating.
Drink some water
The carbonation in fizzy drinks such as soda and champagne can add to the gas already in your system and make bloating worse. Drink water instead as this won’t add to your gas and can also help ease constipation, another condition that can cause or worsen bloating. Add lemon to the water to help stimulate the digestive process; it’s also a diuretic, which removes excess water from your body that might be making your bloating discomfort worse.
Take some probiotics
A probiotic supplement can help boost your digestive process overall as it helps restore the delicate balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut.
Add some fiber
Soluble fiber is food for the good bacteria in your gut, while insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool, which makes it move through your digestive tract faster for better elimination.
Sip some tea
Chamomile or peppermint tea can help ease bloating by soothing your GI tract and boosting your digestive process. Other teas that can help relieve bloating include green, fennel and ginger.
Although often connected to it, the holiday time doesn’t have to mean weight gain and bloating. Enjoy yourself without overindulging so you don’t have to experience any added discomfort during this fun time!