You’ve read all the “how to survive the festive season guides” that pop up at this time of the year. Nothing much new there; Eat before you go out, alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic, stay away from the fried food and sugar bombs, blah, blah, blah. For many of us the Holidays are an excuse to throw caution to the wind, eat and drink far more than we need, exercise sporadically and feel less than awesome in the process. I love a good catch up, usually fuelled by a piece or two of great artisan cheese and a glass of something bubbly, but I have no intention of welcoming extra kilos or a bloated unhappy belly making me look like santa as we ring in 2016.
If like me you want to enjoy yourself this festive season without paying the price in January here are my tips for keeping your gut happy over Christmas.
- Hydration is vital – salty foods, alcohol and warm weather mean we need lots of water. Start the day with a glass of room temperature water with a small squeeze of lemon, so much better for your digestion than a coffee. Have your coffee once you have eaten instead. Keep a jug of water with some seasonal fruits or herbs in the fridge so that you see it every time you open the door to have just one more truffle. How about popping some herbs like mint or a couple of raspberries into the ice cube tray to make the ice look festive.
- Focus on Fibre from fresh vegetables and fruit. This will help you to feel fuller for longer and help to move everything along nicely reducing the bloat. Fibre is an important component in gut health as it feeds the good bacteria allowing them to thrive.
- Increase antioxidants. Alcohol can increase free radical production, resulting in cell damage so up your intake of colourful fruits and vegetables. Focus on Vitamin C from citrus, leafy greens, broccoli, berries and parsley. Add some spinach or parsley to your morning juice or smoothie or try this sunshine yellow drink.
- Breath. The “to do” list at this time of the year can be long and arduous, family commitments and overscheduling combined with tired kids and grab and go meals can lead to overwhelm and stress. Eating when stressed is a sure fire way to muck up digestion, increase bloating and pack on the pounds. Try this simple exercise; every time you sit down to eat take 3 to 4 big deep mindful breaths, be grateful for what is on your plate and be thankful for the nourishment it will provide. This helps to switch your system fight or flight mode (stress) to rest and digest, a great habit to get into the whole year round.
- Get enough sleep. I personally find it really hard to make healthy choices when I am tired so 8 hours is a minimum for me. The old adage that an hour before mid-night is worth 2 after is a good one to live by, although difficult at this time of the year, but do your best your body will thank you.
If you find yourself feeling bloated or grumbly in the tummy after a night out try starting the day with a peppermint, camomile or ginger tea to settle your tummy, in fact go and buy some now, just in case. Eat something bitter like rocket or endive to help support your liver and add some thinly sliced fennel to a salad. If you have access to fresh juice try beetroot, ginger, parsley and carrot for an instant pick me up.
Wishing you and your families and happy and healthy holiday season, filled with good conversation, great food and memories made together.