A guide to heal your gut fast -after the holidays

You might expect a stomachache well into January thanks to creamy eggnog, carb-heavy stuffing, delectable sweets, and copious amounts of alcohol.

"During the Christmas season, most people have stomach issues because theyre eating things that disrupt their digestion for long periods," explains Erin Judge, a registered dietitian nutritionist and digestive expert in Nashville, Tennessee. Social activities, busy job schedules, and travel are also likely to keep them from sticking to their usual routines.

The fact is, the stomach craves routine, and how effectively we build and maintain habits has a significant impact on digestion. Your microbiota suffers as a result of not exercising as much, sleeping less, eating at different times than normal, traveling more, and not staying hydrated.

Furthermore, youre consuming less fiber (which our healthy gut bacteria require; heres how much fiber you need) and more high-lactose dairy, cruciferous vegetables, wheat, alcohol, and sugarall of which are known to be microbiome enemies.

"Bloating and constipation are the most common symptoms I hear throughout the Christmas season, to the point where many patients feel uncomfortable in their clothes and believe theyve gained weight, says Judge. According to Inna Lukyanovsky, PharmD, functional medicine practitioner, and author of Digestive Reset, a lot of women complain of acid reflux, indigestion, heartburn, and diarrhea this time of year, depending on what theyre eating.

The good news is that theyre all caused by nutrition and stress, therefore theyre all under your control.

Lets be honest: youll eat five too many cookies at the office cookie exchange, and wed never expect you to skip your annual glass of eggnog. After all, one of the reasons we overindulge at this time of year is that it only happens once a year.

However, there are methods to limit the damage to your digestive system without sacrificing all of your festive cheer. The best techniques to help your microbiome balance this season are listed below.

7 Steps to Recovering Your Gut After the Holidays

1. Take care of your tension.

According to Kelsey Kinney, R.D., a New York-based dietitian who specializes in digestive health, stress is one of the most important elements in gut health. It can disrupt your microbiomes equilibrium and worsen gastrointestinal problems. (Learn more about how your mental health can affect your digestive system.) When youre dealing with work pressures, hectic travel, and warring family during the holidays, this is a significant impact. Using stress management strategies like meditation or deep breathing daily throughout the holidays, according to Kinney, can help minimize some of the damage.
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