Tis the season to party
‘Tis the season to party and be merry and maybe indulge a little bit! Eating and drinking more than usual puts some strain on the digestive system resulting in the familiar but unpleasant festive side effects of bloating, indigestion and gas buildup!
Is it par for the course or can we support our digestive systems as we prime ourselves for the extra indulgence ahead?
Here are 3 top golden rules when it comes to festive digestion:
Take Digestive Enzymes
Taking a digestive enzyme with rich festive food can help with the breakdown of food and, in turn, reduce bloating and discomfort. We naturally make enzymes in different parts of our body but levels can become low especially if we tend to eat quickly or drink a lot of fluid while eating. This impairs the work of the enzymes in breaking down all the various food types. Remember that our stomach doesn’t have teeth so it is very important to chew food which will help hugely with keeping our enzymes happy!
Try Nature’s Plus Acti-Zyme digestive enzymes which also include probiotics – it is recommended to take one capsule before each meal to optimise digestion. Another excellent brand is Udo’s Digestive Enzyme blend which also helps with breaking down carbohydrates, protein and fats in each meal.
Stock up on Magnesium
In terms of keeping our systems regular (which can be over burdened at this time of the year), magnesium is a life-saver. This mineral is water-soluble so needs to be included in the diet every day and one of the best ways to ensure you get enough is to eat your greens! Stock on lots of veggies with meals – aim for half the plate to be filled with a variety of colours but especially green.
An excellent way to increase magnesium levels for optimum digestion is to take Mag 365 which is a powdered form of magnesium citrate and can be made in to a hot drink to help prevent sluggishness and heaviness in the tummy.
Take a Probiotic
Starting from now, a daily probiotic will help prepare your digestive system for the disruption of its beneficial gut flora that is likely to follow either through diet choices or even some stress that may creep in with preparations and everything that goes with gearing up for the big day!
A healthy gut flora is vital for good digestion but the problem is that too much sugar and alcohol combined with too little sleep can affect both the diversity and amount of bacteria in our gut this time of the year.
Also, it is worth noting that the less healthy bacteria thrive on the sorts of foods and drink we like to consume at Christmas. You can offset the imbalance by taking a probiotic supplement. Latest evidence shows that a multi-strain capsule that provides different forms of bacteria such as Lactobacillius and Bifidbacterium can be the most effective.
I recommend Bio Kult Advanced Multi-Strain formulation which can be taken daily and will help boost energy overall as well as keeping the immune system strong during this hectic season.
Take a Walk
Adding in some walking after a big meal, even for only 15 minutes, will give your digestive system a great helping hand and hopefully, enjoying time in nature, will help keep the stress hormones in balance.
Blog Post by Davina Dowling Nutritional Therapist https://davinadowlingnutrition...
