Have you ever left a holiday party feeling so stuffed that you’re uncomfortable? Maybe you had one too many glasses of red wine or egg nog, or double helpings of your aunt’s famous stuffing that you only get once a year. I get it. I think we’ve all been there.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have any, but this is where listening to what your body is telling you is really important. Usually, our bodies tell us when we are hungry, thirsty, or when we’ve had enough.
Once you feel satiated – – not stuffed – – this is the time to stop. Maybe have a cup of herbal tea, or a big glass of water, but forcing more food in will make you feel bloated and just uncomfortable!
If you would like to know some strategies that I recommend for staying healthy during the holidays, and specifically navigating holiday parties, check out my article.
However, if you’ve overindulged and feel awful, the first thing that I recommend is to avoid beating yourself up over it. No one is perfect, and it happens. It doesn’t make you a bad person, or mean that you’ve failed in your attempt to live a healthy lifestyle. Move on and be happy!
But in the meantime, it’s important to soothe your digestive tract, and to keep your digestion moving.
Here are my tips for feeling better.
1. Water and herbal teas. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps your body to break down your food so that it is easier to digest and so that your body can absorb the nutrients. Staying well hydrated also helps to prevent constipation. Ginger, chamomile, and Peppermint tea are fantastic for digestive upset and can really help with digestion.
2. Digestive Enzymes. Taking a high quality digestive enzyme before eating will aid in the breakdown and digestion of your food.
3. Probiotics. Eat probiotic-rich foods and take a high quality probiotic supplement. This will help to maintain the population of “good” bacteria in your gut, which in turn will help with digestion.
4. Organic Bone Broth. Bone broth is full of gut healing and soothing vitamins and minerals. Whenever I have a stomachache or feel nauseous, I drink a warm mug of broth and it honestly helps to soothe my stomach within minutes!
5. Walk. Just getting some movement in, can make a huge difference when you feel really full and are having digestive problems. I don’t mean speed walking, or exercise, because the goal here is not to “burn the calories” off. This is not a good strategy. However, walking at a leisurely pace has so many benefits, especially for your digestive health.
I hope this helps! What do you do when you feel like you “overdid” it? Leave me a comment below.
If you are ready to take control of your health through personalized nutrition, self-care and mindset change, schedule a complimentary Discovery Session with me today!
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