Holiday food hangovers, let's get you back on track!

Unhealthy eating during the festive season definetly can throw off the balance in our gut bacteria.

The festive season means lots of rich food and tasty drinks… but too much of it can hurt our stomachs, specially your gut. 

When we normally eat healthy and then holidays arrive, an unbalanced gut microbiota will take place with a problems processing food and eliminating waste. Here are some smart choices that will help us feel better afterwards.

Here’s how to get back on track:

Make friends with fibre

We recommend eating foods rich in fibre, like whole grains, legumes, green vegetables, fruits such as apple, bananas and berries. Agave Fructans such as Prebiotics can improve bone health, boost immunity, provide digestive confort, reduce constipation and promote mineral absortion…

Power up with prebiotics and probiotics

Prebiotics are compounds in food that promote growth of probiotics, live bacteria and yeasts that are good for the gut. The best way to get both is by eating your favorite snack or drink adding a full spoon of prebiotic fiber or stabishing a regular diet including foods like yogurt, bananas, onions, garlic, tomatoes, kombucha, barley and rye.

Don’t fast … 

The celebrations will not be over, so… Don’t go to a party hungry! 

Usually the food you´ll find there is not healthy, so all you’re doing is setting yourself up for a binge. 

Eat a healthy meal ahead of time and then nibble at the party. Fasting is not a good way to recover from eating too much, if you overeat and you’re not feeling well, that’s probably a good reason to fast—but intentionally not eating because you binged is setting up a pattern for disordered eating. It’s better to avoid binging in the first place, by eating slowly, which allows the brain time to signal when you’re full. 

Get some exercise

People who exercise regularly have a healthier body and also may have better gut bacteria. Over the holidays spend time with family & friends and don´t forget to be active promoting outdoor activities with your loved ones.

Avoid gut irritants

Limit consumption of artificial sweeteners, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco, which can be “the perfect storm” to further irritate a gut that may already be upset by a sugary holiday diet. 

Moderation is the key. If you’re a coffee drinker, don’t have five cups a day. If you drink wine, limit it to a glass per day. If you are a smoker… well, there´s your New Year resolution.

Treat food hangovers gently

Eat low-residue foods to soothe an upset stomach. That means simple foods like bananas, apple sauce, soup, plain crackers and rice that are low in fibre to give the stomach and bowels a rest. Stay hydrated by drinking water every day (average recommendations of about 11 cups a day for women and 12 for men). Adding juicy produce like cucumbers, oranges, grapes and melons into the daily diet can help meet that requirement.

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