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Five Tips for Good Gut Health During the Holidays
Special to The Truth
The holiday season can be
one of the most stressful times of the year and you may have
noticed you’re more prone to colds and upset stomach when
you’re stressed. Stress tends to slow the digestive process.
What’s more, 70 percent of the immune system lies in the
digestive system, according to findings reported in
“Clinical & Experimental Immunology.”
Unfortunately, one of the
most stressful seasons coincides with one of the most
indulgent. To help, Vincent Pedre, MD, author of the new
book, “Happy Gut: The Cleansing Program to Help You Lose
Weight, Gain Energy, and Eliminate Pain,” is offering useful
tips to lessen digestive upset and keep your gut healthy
over the holidays.
• Pack healthful snacks.
When traveling, people tend to grab unhealthy foods for
convenience. Pack nutritious foods like carrots, apples,
almonds and frozen yogurt to keep the body strong. Foods
like yogurt, which contain probiotics, not only address
digestive issues, but are said to help stave off colds. One
study found that those who took a probiotic supplement with
Lactobacillus rhamnosus, a type of healthy probiotic
bacteria, recovered earlier and reported less severe
symptoms.
• Eat mindfully. Eating in
a hurry is a major no-no for good gut health, and makes you
more likely to overeat, since it takes the brain about 20
minutes to recognize when you’re full. Plus, eating quickly
can cause gas, acid indigestion and bloating.
“When we stop and really
enjoy what we’re eating we’re less likely to overdo it, and
we’ll avoid issues like emotional eating,” says Dr. Pedre.
• Relieve stress. Take
some “me time.” Maintaining an exercise routine and
practicing deep breathing relaxation techniques can do
wonders for mental and digestive health, and help alleviate
stress’ negative effects on the digestive system, such as
gas, acid reflux and stomach cramps.
• Maintain a sleep
routine. Get an adequate night’s rest of at least eight
hours nightly. Your body and gut like predictability. Plus,
staying up late could make you more likely to visit the
fridge and eat that piece of chocolate cake that’ll lead to
an upset stomach.
• Help your body
naturally. Overeating or drinking is easy to do this time of
year, but it can cause stomach distress. Check out local
natural product retailers, which offer homoeopathic
medicines like Nux vomica to relieve nausea, heartburn, acid
indigestion or fullness associated with overindulgence of
food or drink. While these uses have not been evaluated by
the Food and Drug Administration for efficacy, Nux vomica is
one of the most popular homeopathic medicines. It’s also
easy to take. The pellets are quickly absorbed under the
tongue without water, as opposed to being absorbed through
the stomach, which may not be functioning at its peak. As a
homeopathic medicine, it has no known side effects such as
constipation, diarrhea, gas or drowsiness.
To learn about relieving a
variety of acute stomach issues, explore the Boiron Medicine
Finder app. This free resource, available on Android and iOS
devices, allows users to find the right homeopathic medicine
for many everyday conditions.
Both the stress and the
fun of the holiday season can take a toll on gut health --
take extra steps this season and beyond to feel your best.
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