Christmas Digestive Aids
Indigestion, bloating, gas, fatigue after eating, constipation, waking in the night with pain and nausea – these symptoms that undeniably relate to eating and digestion are a nuisance at any time of year, but at Christmas we want to treat ourselves, celebrate and let our hair down. The abundance of rich foods on offer are so tempting and everyone gets stuck in with gusto. Soon enough, though the body will complain in the usual ways. Here are some tips to promote happy tummies and to enjoy your Christmas indulgences in moderation.
Sit up straight at a table when eating – when we slouch our digestive organs aren’t given the space to do their job properly.
Put your fork down between mouthfuls and spend longer chewing – remember that digestion starts in the mouth. Slowing down means we are also less likely to overeat. The satiety signals are picked up by your brain at 15/20 mins after beginning eating, so in slowing down we are also satisfied with less food.
Rub your tummy every morning – place both hands just above your right hip and move up and over to the left in a continual circular movement for a minute, then reverse direction a few times to encourage peristalsis movement (of food) through the stomach, liver and intestines. This technique also helps to relieve stomach ache.
Have a digestive hot tea with and after dinner – ginger or peppermint are two good ones or plain hot water.
Be aware of picking at food between meals – factor in time for no food and drinks between meals to allow your digestion processes to complete. It’s important to add that water is an exception here as water is the only substance we don’t have to digest. Gold star to those who can leave 4 hours between meals or snacks over Christmas!
Include a small portion of one of nature’s digestive enzymes with lunch and dinner – ginger, pineapple, raw honey, kiwi fruit, sauerkraut, miso, kimchi or kefir all help to break down fats, proteins and carbs in the stomach. You can also reap huge plus points with your body by having a squeeze of lemon or lime in hot water before breakfast as your first hot drink of the day.
Or take digestive enzymes in supplement form with lunch and dinner: include Nature’s Sunshine’s Proactazyme, Enzymes +, and Papaya Mint Chewable; and Cyto-Zyme and Betaine & Pepsin from Cytoplan. If unsure contact me to find the right one for you.
Take a moment to imagine and be grateful for all the people and processes involved in bringing this delicious food to you, including yourself or your companions for buying and preparing it. Will make the food taste even better.
After 35 we start to produce declining amounts of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) as we age so these tips will be especially beneficial for all adults, and are certainly worth adopting as new habits all year round.
If you have any other tips that work for you I’d love to hear about them :)