The holidays wouldn’t be the same without turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. It’s best to monitor portions to avoid holiday weight gain but, if you get carried away at the buffet table, do these six things to deal with the heartburn, bloat, and ‘why-did-I-eat-so-much,’ ick that follow overindulging during the holidays.
Do These Six Things If you Find Yourself Overindulging During the Holidays
#1 Brew a cup of tea:
A hot mug of black tea can promote the production of good gut bacteria and speed up your metabolism after a big meal. Herbal teas can also help with digestion: Choose teas made with herbs like peppermint, cinnamon, and turmeric to help ease stomach upset and bloating.
#2 Skip the nap
Think twice before making a beeline for the couch to sleep off a post-meal food coma. Lying down can trigger heartburn. You should wait at least three hours to hit the sheets, so food has enough time to digest before you go to bed.
#3 Take a walk:
Let’s face it, we all find ourselves overindulging over the holidays with little time for exercise, right? But, here’s the thing, while lacing up your sneakers might be the last thing you want to do after a big meal, exercise will make you feel better. Walking banishes bloating and helps food move through your digestive tract, easing that oh-so-full feeling.
Bonus: It also helps burn off some of those calories.
#4 Hydrate:
Your favorite holiday foods aren’t just high in calories. Bread, stuffing, and gravy are also chock full of sodium—even some turkeys are injected with a sodium solution. Too much salt makes you feel bloated. Drinking water helps flush out the sodium and could help temporarily boost your metabolism to burn extra calories—just be careful not to overdo it! Guzzling too much water will make you feel even more full.
#5 Sip on Some Ginger
Need some relief ASAP? Brew a mug of ginger tea. Ginger is pretty much like nature’s pepto bismol. It’s amazing for all of those yucky upset stomach symptoms we get post-holiday overindulgence. So, ditch that third glass of wine, and sip on some ginger tea instead.
#6 Try Digestive Enzymes
Not feeling the ginger, but but don’t want to turn to the medicine cabinet quite yet? Some people have some serious success with digestive enzymes to help combat that bloat and get their digestion moving right along after overindulging during the holidays.
Get Post-Holiday Overindulgence Relief ASAP
Listen, the holidays are a time to spend some QT with friends and family and gather around the table, enjoying family traditions and lots of delish foods. But, this often comes with a price. Overindulging during the holidays can leave you feeling like you can barely button your pants, overly full, and downright uncomfortable.
This holiday season, don’t let holiday overindulgence get the best of you. Do these six things if you feel that overindulgence bloat kick in, and enjoy more of the time you have to spend with loved ones and less time feeling uncomfortable post-holiday dinner.
