Holiday Survival for Your Gut

Last week I shared the story of Maria who struggled daily with symptoms we have come to know as “irritable bowel.”  Folks like Maria know well that the holiday spreads at the office and Aunt May’s are going to wreak havoc on their already sensitive digestion. So, short of doing a complete dietary overhaul in the midst of what tends to be one of the most stressful times of year, here are some practical tips and why they will work. I’ll be sure to come around in the New Year to help you overhaul that diet for good!

So, you have a string of parties to attend and you need a game plan? Here is a guide to support your bowels through all that holiday noshing.

1. Invest in these high quality probiotics now. Take 2 caps each morning through the season and on days you challenge your digestive tract, take 2 additional caps each evening. Supporting the good bacteria in your gut will help with digestion and bolster your immune system which is compromised when consuming inflammatory foods.
2. Order both walnut and fig gemmotherapy extracts. Take a dose of 25 drops of Walnut before heading out for the party and 25 drops of Fig when you come home. The walnut will provide prevention against any food borne bacteria as well as protect your sensitive digestion and Fig will calm, soothe, and support the cleaning of your bowels.
3. Fill yourself with a healthy meal before heading out—if it is early in the day eat plenty of raw fruits or juice. If it is late in the day eat a raw veggie salad and/or a cooked veggie soup.
4. Bring a dish to share that you can eat and love!
5. Either commit to avoiding the food table completely or choose wisely—so what to eat? Look out for foods in their most natural state and lay off the processed chips, crackers, and factory produced spreads.
6. Don’t be tempted to skip breakfast the next morning. This only causes further stagnation in your bowels. Instead, start your next day as clean as possible with a citrus based fresh squeezed fruit juice or smoothie, moving on to a green juice/green smoothie in the late morning or early afternoon. More is better as you are supporting your lymph to flush toxins from your system. End your day with a light, grain-free dinner such as a chopped veggie soup, miso broth and greens or raw veggie salad.
7. Bring on the next party!

Back to Maria’s story with some further information for you to consider post holiday season. Of course she had looked at her diet multiple times and tried to notice what foods triggered what response, but she had not been successful. This is true for many people. The issue was that she did not know what it was about the foods she was eating that was aggravating her system. I’m going to simplify this here for those who suffer from any digestive woes: foods that fall in these two broad categories need to be reduced and, ultimately, eliminated:

1. Foods that cause inflammation (inflammatory foods) — Here’s a list of the top 12
2. Foods that increase acid — Here are 25 common acid forming foods

While there may be minor debates among thought leaders in the industry as to the specifics about what should be avoided and why, the idea of eliminating inflammatory and acid-causing foods is generally upheld. If you’re looking for further information, these medical and nutritional experts have much to say: Dr. Frank Lipman, Dr. Mark Hyman, and T. Colin Campbell.

Let’s talk about that diet overhaul in a few weeks!