The holiday season is here! From Christmas shopping and cookie making, to holiday parties and happy hours, this season is full of much fun and joy, and the last thing you want is to be feeling anything other than your best.
Unfortunately, it’s no secret that with all the fun the holidays bring, also comes the holiday stress, the weird schedules, the excess sugar our bodies aren’t used to, and the inevitable tummy aches and bloating that makes you feel far from your best self.
Luckily, we know some secret tricks we’re gonna let you in on to try this year, to help balance out the holiday indulgences and teach you to lean into moderation. Think of these tips as a survival guide to enjoying all the holiday fun, sugar cookies, and festive cocktails, without the discomfort or bloat baby afterwards.
#1: Never Skip Meals
Especially during this time of year, when you are going out more, eating larger meals, drinking sugary cocktails, and snacking on sugar cookies, there is a tendency to slip into the mentality of skipping regular meals during the day to save calories to use to indulge later on. The problem with this is that when you skip meals and wait until your holiday party to eat, you show up ravenous for food and end up eating more than your body can take - leading to stomach aches and bloat.
Additionally, the food you tend to overeat at a party usually is high in sugar and low in protein, and because of this, you end up depriving your body of the proper nutrients it needs to thrive. So instead, eat balanced meals throughout your day to keep your body properly fueled and healthy, and then when it comes to the holiday parties and sweets, you’ll find you will be able to enjoy and practice moderation, without feeling the need to overstuff yourself.
#2: Pregame With Protein
On a similar note, as we just mentioned, there is nothing worse than showing up to a party starving. Especially when most of the food at the party will most likely be on the side of less nutrient dense and instead more sugar-filled. So to avoid eating the entire table of sweets because your stomach is rumbling, try pregaming your party, your holiday cocktail hour, or your cookie making, with protein.
This is such a simple hack but it works so well for curing hunger, keeping you satiated, and filling your body with fuel before indulging and having fun. When you aren’t ravenous going into these events, you are able to think clearer, make mindful decisions, and actually focus on enjoying the fun festivities rather than just gunning for the food.
This way you don’t feel the need to overindulge yourself to the point where you feel sick, but at the same time can allow yourself to enjoy some sweets in moderation and feel satisfied afterwards.
#3: Stay Hydrated
Something you hear all the time, from the internet to your doctor, is to drink more water. Staying hydrated is an essential pillar of health, and it is even more important during this time of year. When you’re drinking more sugary drinks, eating bigger meals, and enjoying more sweets, your body’s natural detoxification process can become backed up or disrupted.
By upping your water intake, you ensure that your body will be able to properly detox all the yummy holiday treats you enjoy, as water boosts digestion, decreases bloating, and promotes bowel movements to clean out your body.
P.S. If you are drinking alcohol this holiday season, a simple trick to live by is that for every drink you have, you match it with one glass of water. This way, you keep your body from getting overly dehydrated while drinking, help move the alcohol through your body, and reduce the chance of a hangover in the morning!
#4: Eat Slowly
During the holidays, it can become easy to shovel food in your mouth and eat mindlessly, especially when you are talking at a party, and this is often what leads to overeating and that awful stomach ache you get later on in the night. To avoid this, try eating slowly and use it as a way to slow yourself down and practice mindfulness when you are indulging in a holiday meal or treat.
Chew each bite thoroughly, taste and enjoy all the flavors, and put your utensil down between bites. By slowing yourself down, not only are you allowing yourself to enjoy your food more, but taking breaks between your bites also allows your body time to register your food. As a result, your body will be able to better process and digest the food you are consuming, as well as properly signal to you when you are getting full.
#5: Lean Into Leftovers
In the same vein of mindfully eating and enjoying your food, comes listening to your body and noticing when you are full. Try practicing intentional eating, and tuning into your body with each bite. As a result, you will become much more aware of what amount of food your body actually needs.
Start to become aware: Instead of continuing to eat until you feel stuffed, try to stop yourself while you still feel good and lean into the idea of leftovers instead. If there is something you absolutely loved at a party, chances are the host will let you take a little home with you to enjoy the next day, which is far better than overeating it that night. By being mindful with each bite and choosing leftovers over tummy aches, you allow yourself to get out of a mentality of scarcity. You give yourself the assurance that your favorite dish will be waiting for you tomorrow when you are less full, and that you never need to feel pressure to finish your plate.
#6: End With Tea
After a holiday party of yummy food or eating maybe one or two too many pieces of fudge, ending your night with a soothing tea is the perfect way to boost your digestion and help decrease any unwanted bloating. Drinking tea at the end of your night also helps signal to your body that your meals are over for the day, and will help you unwind before going to sleep.
Our favorite teas for this are peppermint, ginger, licorice, and dandelion, all which benefit digestion, reduce tummy aches, and soothe the digestive system.
#7: Walk It Off
When in doubt, walk it off. It’s true that even when you’re being mindful and indulging in the holiday fun with balance, your body can still feel bloated and sluggish. Whether it’s from a big meal, too many cookies, or a few glasses of wine, the best way to instantly combat that overfull feeling is to make yourself get up and go on a short 10-20 minute walk outside. It doesn’t have to be long, even telling yourself to just take a quick 5 minutes to go around the block is better than nothing, and most often once you begin moving, you’ll realize how good it feels and end up walking for longer.
Walking is great to kickstart your digestion, boost your metabolism, and help your body speed up its detoxification process. You’ll finish your walk feeling more energized, more clear headed, less full, and far less bloated then when you started. Plus, it can be a fun way to get the whole family outside for some fresh air and movement, and maybe even some Christmas light sightseeing!
#8: Take Your Supplements
Of course supplements are important all year long, but especially around the holidays when your other healthy habits may be taking a bit of a back seat, taking your supplements is a solid way to ensure you are prioritizing your health every single day. Particularly if you’re wanting to prevent bloating and stomach problems, make sure you are taking probiotics, digestive enzymes, magnesium, and detoxifying herbs consistently through the holidays, as these will help keep your gut health in check.
These specific four supplements work to boost your digestion, naturally detox your body, and reduce puffiness and bloat, making them essential during the holidays. When taken all together, they are optimized to work the most effectively, which is why our Gut Glo supplement specifically contains all of them in one product, making your life easier. We recommend taking our Gut Glo supplement daily during the holidays (and year round too!) and maybe popping an additional capsule, on top of your daily dosage, before a holiday party for maximum bloat prevention.
That wraps up our little bloat-free holiday survival guide. We hope these tips and tricks help you feel your absolute best through this season, while still enjoying all the fun and treats that this time of year brings - bloat-free!
If you don’t already take our Gut Glo capsules and want to try them, you can get them here.
