It is the season of extravagance – mulled wine, parties and feasts! This time of year is a lovely time to socialise and share happy memories with family and friends over fine food and drink. However, for most of us, this does come at a cost. The feeling of fullness, bloating, gas and nausea. How can we negate these unwanted symptoms during this time?

· Keep to the same eating times. The body really likes eating at regular times. Even if we are eating a mix of rich foods, our gut will appreciate having these foods when it is ready to digest it.

· Avoid late eating. Leaving at least a 3 hour gap between dinner or your last food intake and going to bed/sleep. Otherwise your meal just sits there and can cause unpleasant symptoms during the night.

· Using bitter foods. Foods like watercress, dill, kale or rocket can help aid your digestive ‘fire’. Including these foods alongside the richer pies and meats at eating times can make a difference.

· Avoid snacking. Giving your digestive system a break can prevent many unwanted digestive symptoms. Sticking to 3 meals per day rather than grazing throughout the day. (Perhaps hide the chocolate tins away!).

· Limit alcohol. Okay, maybe this one is a bit tricky but setting some rules for yourself can help. Perhaps choosing some alcohol free days. Or limiting yourself at a party. Remembering to alternate alcohol and water at parties.

· Get moving. It doesn’t need to be anything intense. Going for a moderate 30-40 minute walk 2-3x per week has been shown to have cardiovascular benefits by reducing cholesterol*.

· Consider consuming fruits that can aid digestion such as pineapples and papaya.

Written by Rosie Rayner, ND.

References:

*https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23559628/