Eat, Drink and Be Merry: Battling Christmas Bloat
Article by Aoibhínn Connolly
Mince pies, cheese boards, boxes of chocolate and gingerbread. There are some foods that simply make it feel like the festive season.
As much as we all love holiday treats and nostalgic goodies, our digestive systems don't always feel the same way. This is where holiday bloating and indigestion can take over, leaving us feeling sluggish and uncomfortable.
This can also detract from the joy of dressing up for gatherings with friends and family, as it may impact your self-confidence.
If this sounds like you, there are some key tricks to minimise discomfort while still enjoying yourself this season.
What Causes Christmas Bloat?
Bloating is often caused by your digestive system struggling to move food along. If this process is interrupted for any reason, bloating is a natural side effect often caused by the excess gas produced when the body attempts to push the food through your system.
There can be many reasons that your body is struggling to digest the food you eat, particularly during festive period when you are out of routine. Dehydration, excess food and alcohol, fizzy drinks and lack of movement can all play a role in indigestion and bloat.
The speed at which you’re eating, whether it’s due to chatting over the table, or eagerly anticipating the next delicious serving, also plays a role. The faster you eat, the more air you’re likely to swallow, which can cause discomfort and bloat.
How Do We Avoid Digestive Discomfort?
Thankfully, it is possible to avoid bloating at Christmas without bidding farewell to your favourite foods and drinks.
Hydration
It may sound like an obvious tip, but excess alcohol consumption and indulgent feasting during festive occasions can shift our priority away from drinking water.
Hydration is fundamental to the digestive system; it helps to move the food you eat throughout the day along your system and avoid digestive discomfort, including bloating.
If you don’t have enough fluid to pass the food through your system, it can cause a build up, with some uncomfortable side effects.
Nobody benefits from slow digestion, so stay hydrated to avoid discomfort.
Eat Slowly
When it comes to good nutrition, how we eat plays an important role.
With the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, we can end up grabbing food on the go and not paying attention to how we’re eating.
Not taking the time to sit down to eat, rushing meals, and not chewing properly can wreak havoc on our digestion.
It also doesn’t allow your brain time to send the message that your stomach is full. This can lead to overeating.
So amidst the Christmas frenzy, ensure you are taking the time to sit and digest your food properly. Enjoy the food that is on your plate and eat a little slower to help prevent and reduce the Christmas bloat.
Keep Veggies on Your Plate
At Christmas time, the focus tends to be on big roasts and sweet treats, and vegetables often take the backseat. However vegetables are packed with fibre, which is crucial to maintain good digestion and a healthy gut.
Why not get creative with your vegetables?
Roast some glazed parsnips and butternut squash to accompany your dinner, or serve up cauliflower cheese as a side dish.
A warming winter salad with root veggies, leafy greens and pomegranate is another delicious way to get your nutrient fix and help to ease bloating.
Become Aware of Possible Triggers
It wouldn’t be Christmas without brussel sprouts, but sprouts are one of the foods that trigger digestive discomfort, such as wind and bloating, for many people.
Bloating from a food trigger doesn’t always appear directly after consuming the food, so it can be hard for people to identify patterns that are causing bloating or discomfort in the gut.
Try to stay aware of what you’re eating and when you eat it, to aid you in discovering what works for you and what doesn’t.
Other gas-producing foods include:
Beans and lentils
Onions and garlic
Alcohol
Cruciferous vegetables
High sugar foods
Fizzy drinks
Dairy products
If you can identify your triggers, it’s easier to choose alternatives or monitor how much of that food you’re consuming. You may find that you can tolerate a little of these foods, but not a lot, so take care not to overdo it with potential triggers.
Keep Moving
With the dark, chilly evenings and temptation of hibernating on the couch, motivating yourself to get wrapped up and get moving can be difficult.
However, even gentle exercise like taking a walk after a big meal, may help manage and reduce Christmas bloating, and keep digestion regular.
Should I Be Worried About Bloating?
Occasional bloating is completely normal so there’s no need to worry, it happens to all of us!
At Christmas, your digestive system is simply not used to breaking down so many variations and high quantities of rich food.
However, if bloating is present for an extended period of time, or is accompanied with other issues like a drastic change in bowel pattern or abdominal pain, then this should be investigated.
Prolonged bloating could be a symptom of an underlying issue, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or a food intolerance. Food intolerances are estimated to affect 20% of the population, yet many people don’t know they have one.
If you have symptoms such as unintentional weight loss, a change in your bowel habit or rectal bleeding, it’s best to seek medical advice from a healthcare professional.
Armed with the knowledge and strategies shared in this blog, you can navigate the Christmas dinner table with confidence and comfort.
From mindful eating to savouring the joy of slow, festive meals, there are numerous ways to enjoy the season while being aware of the factors contributing to bloating.
Remember, it's not about deprivation but rather about making informed choices that align with your well-being.
This blog post was written by Aoibhínn Connolly. Aoibhínn is a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) with the Association for Nutrition and has a first class degree in Honours Nutrition.