How to look after your digestive health over the festive season
This is the time of the year when everything revolves around food and if you are on a restricted diet or want to try and avoid certain trigger food it can become a bit more of a challenge.
There is a lot more sugar and alcohol on the menu over the festive season and in the UK Christmas is not a single day or event but can last over a 4 weeks period.
With Christmas can also come some stresses or social pressure to go out and tiredness might affect your choices. You are also more likely to eat on the go and be less prepared, have a lot of events to attend to at school at work, maybe you are also feeling the financial burden that goes along with this time of the year.
Nutrition stress and tiredness can very quickly create the perfect storm for you to get a flare of your symptoms.
so what can you do to stay in control?
HAVE A PLAN :
If you plan ahead for the next few weeks you will be more likely to stay well and actually enjoy Christmas.
Identify when you may be in a situation that could be compromising your food choices. Try and think about where the temptations might come from.
Avoid the buffet and snack foods that are rich and can play havoc on your digestion. I am thinking quiche, vole o vents, pork pies, mince pies. Make better choices and choose fresh prawns, lean meat eggs sandwich and salmon instead.
Choose your drink wisely : prosecco, beer, diet coke and not the best drinks to choose maybe try one glass of dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio which you can savour and might be less damaging on your digestive tract.
If you are going to visit some friends and have been invited to dinner, prepare something that is suitable for your needs and that you know you will tolerate, it is so much better than having to leave early because you are in a lot of pain. If you are comfortable to do so mention to the host that you have special requirements. You might be surprised as nowadays special dietary requirements have become quite common think Vegetarian or Vegan .
Family can actually be quite tricky: Speak to them in advance and share what you are trying to achieve and that eating this way has given you such a relief and offer to cook something to bring along Share what you are trying to achieve….I feel so much better can you support me and maybe cook something that would suit me or I can bring something.
If they get annoyed don’t get defensive but ask them to accept your decision to choose these dietary adjustments.
Ask for the menu and see if there is actually some foods that you can eat. If there is great and you just need to ask just for a few adjustments. For instance ask to leave the gravy out for your plate or the cream on the side of the pudding. You could also bring a dessert that you can share with everybody, bring your own salad dressing or If you are dairy intolerant ask if they can you leave a few potatoes out for you before they mash it with milk and butter.
It also does not have to be so complicated.Focus on what you can have instead of deprivation stand your ground and obviously if you are allergic to any food absolutely avoid it.
If you are overindulging try and stop and think is it really worth it? if this food is not living up to your expectations it is ok to stop eating and save yourself for something else that really means something to you. I am thinking your grandmother beautiful Christmas cake.
When you are having that special treat savour and enjoy it and this may actually not affect you as much as you may think. Don’t add guilt to the indulgence.
RECOVERY TIPS WHEN YOU HAVE GONE OVERBOARD.
Eat simply during the in-between days and have the food in your house that you know that you can digest and tolerate. I am thinking soups and stews, stewed apples. Maybe cook a batch of your favourites to have in the freezer ready for when you need it.
Have alcohol free days
Try intermittent fasting to give your digestion a rest. So for instance have an early light dinner at 6pm and delay breakfast until 10 -11am the following morning.
Maybe you have tried some probiotics in the past that have really helped with a flare, just stock up on those.
Stock up on chamomile and peppermint teas or peppermint oils. Maybe take some digestive enzymes with your main meals if again you have found those to work and lessen symptoms.
Schedule some walks as this help your digestive system to be much more efficient and lessen the stresses of the festive season. Make a deal with yourself to go for a 30 minuets walks daily you will be amazed at the difference that It make. Set a daily time and commit.
Finally if you are lucky to be free of any digestve symptoms and if you notice that someone is not drinking alcohol or eating what everyone else is having or has brought their own food at the party maybe don’t make it headline news and instead support their choices to look after their health.