The Dos and Don’ts of Healthy Digestion During the Holidays
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The holidays are supposed to be the happiest time of year, but do you ever feel like someone forgot to tell that to your digestive system? Visiting with family, eating food that’s not your usual healthy fare and even sleeping in an unfamiliar bed can all impact your GI system. If your belly feels like a Grinch or a spinning dreidel during the holidays, keep reading.
We’re sharing our favorite holiday tips for a healthy, happy digestive system, plus a packing list to help you feel like your best self all through the most wonderful time of year.
Dos and Don’t for Healthy Digestion During the Holidays
Follow these dos and don’ts for your digestive happiness!
1. Do focus on fiber.
(Because vacation constipation is real!) Fiber promotes regularity and healthy digestion.* Dietary fiber comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is found in foods like oat bran, nuts, beans, peas, psyllium and some fruits and vegetables. It supports digestion, draws water in and forms a gel during digestion. Insoluble fiber is found in whole grains and vegetables. This fiber bulks up the stool, making it easier to pass.
Women need about 25 grams of dietary fiber daily, and men need about 38 grams a day. Fiber helps keep things moving, so make sure you’re getting enough every day. Since it’s only found in plants, you might fall short on your daily goal if you’re eating fewer fruits and veggies.
Tuck a packet of Digest Gold Fiber+ Cookies into your suitcase for an extra 5 grams of fiber (to promote regularity, satisfy hunger and beat belly bloat).*
2. Don’t give up your normal routine.
That includes hydration, exercise and healthy eating. Whenever possible, celebrate the holiday for one day – or one meal – then get back to life as usual. Focus on the little things: Swap cocktails for mocktails. Do a shorter version of your regular run or a bodyweight workout if you don’t have access to weights. Have a portion of your aunt’s mac and cheese plus a side of green vegetables. Your body prefers that you do what you can instead of adopting an all-or-nothing mentality.
Speaking of normal routines… Ever have mornings where you just can’t “go” when you’re away from home? Bring along Kiwi Regularity Chews, which improve regularity and support digestion.*
3. Do consider a probiotic for serious self-care in a single capsule.
Trying to pack for an entire week in a carry on? Lacking the energy for your usual wellness rituals? Feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated? Focus on choices that help you multitask your self-care. For example, probiotics can give your immune health some TLC, help maintain balance with vaginal and urinary health – and even improve sleep, depending on the strains.*
Our new SubCulture™ Probiotics offer targeted support for Bloat, Women and Mood, along with digestion, regularity and immune health! (All that comes in single daily capsule.)
4. Don’t skip your workouts.
Exercise can help digestion. If it’s is part of your routine at home, make time for it during holiday trips, too. Pack resistance bands or a travel yoga mat, fitness clothes and your favorite sneakers. If you tend to feel stiff and bloated after travel, you’ll be grateful you made time to move your body.
Who has time for post-workout soreness? Not you. The enzymes in Repair Gold® deliver optimal support for sore muscles and joint discomfort – so bring on that family 5K or flag football game!*
5. Do volunteer to bring a dish that you know you can eat.
If you have dietary restrictions, bringing a dish is helpful for you and the host. If that’s not an option, let the host know of any food preferences, intolerances and allergies well ahead of time. If they don’t have experience cooking to suit your needs, offer to pick up safe-to-eat dishes at a local supermarket or prepare some of your favorites together. At potlucks, bring along a sticky note with a list of the ingredients in your dish(es) to help others.
Dreading the family dinner because of your “can’t eat” list? Digest Spectrum covers all your bases, since it’s formulated for all major food intolerances.*
6. Don’t abandon your intermittent fasting routine.
When you’re not in charge of your own schedule, your fasting routine can feel like a struggle. But if intermittent fasting is a way that you take control of your health, you don’t have to pause your plan (or your weight loss) until January 1. Focus on letting go of perfection and ideals. Instead, work on progress. If holiday parties are cutting into your usual fasting window, shift or shorten it slightly. Instead of 6 p.m. to noon, you might fast from 8 p.m. to 2 p.m. or from 8 p.m. to noon. Every healthy decision has an impact!
Focused on the clock instead of your goals? Fasting Today delivers the essentials to help you reach the finish line of your fasting window without letting “hanger” win.* Plus, it won’t break your fast!
7. Do pack your own snacks, too.
While it is easier to find healthy snacks on the go these days, food on airplanes and in airports and gas stations tends to be processed. A sweet or salty treat is fine now and again, but packing your own healthy snacks is the way to go. You won’t go hungry trying to find something tasty and nourishing, and your GI system will prefer healthier choices.
Facing heavier than usual snacks and holiday fare? Keep Lypo Gold for fatty and rich foods handy.
8. Don’t forget to drink water.
Make room in your carry-on for your “emotional support water bottle,” and try to drink even more water than usual. Airplane cabin air is dry, and road trip and airport snacks tend to be salty and processed. (More on that below!) You might notice you’re extra thirsty. Ideally, don’t wait until you feel thirsty to refill your water. Thirst can be a sign that you’re already falling behind on your water goals.
Fasting Today comes to the rescue again! Each scoop of this tasty tropical pineapple drink mix supports hydration with electrolytes, reduces hunger with fiber and promotes muscle health with the nine essential amino acids.*
9. Do speak up about dietary restrictions.
Instead of worrying about causing trouble or making extra work for your host, think about your physical well-being. Does eating your father-in-law’s signature barbecue leave you feeling gassy or bloated? Does Grandma’s gluten-filled fruitcake disagree with you? Or maybe your family’s latkes feel heavy but you love the tradition? Speak up and take care of yourself (which is sometimes making sure you have the right digestive enzymes on hand).*
Whether it’s oily foods, gluten or dairy that are on your “naughty” list, we have digestive enzymes that can help put them back on the “nice” list.
10. Don’t rush your meals.
Eating too fast or too much is a recipe for occasional digestive discomfort. Slowing down and chewing your food thoroughly not only gives your body time to release the enzymes that break down your food, but those habits also allow your brain and body to sync up. Hunger and satiety messages take time to travel from belly to brain!
Be prepared for occasional heartburn when you’re eating on the go or too quickly.* We have a whole suite of products for occasional heartburn, from gummies and chews to capsules and shots!
11. Do be a helpful host.
If you’re hosting your family, friends or coworkers for a seasonal celebration, be prepared. Label all dishes, ask about any intolerances – and stock up on digestive products. Set up a decorative tray on the buffet table with all your favorite products for digestion, so guests can discreetly help themselves if they need something for occasional heartburn, regularity support, gas and bloating or food intolerances.*
12. Do prioritize stress relief.Your brain and gut are connected, after all! The people we love most are sometime the ones who push our buttons the most. Changes in routine, overstimulation and feeling money woes are not uncommon during the holidays. Control what you can to help manage everyday stress. Take some deep breaths. Go for a walk around the block when you feel overwhelmed. Put on noise-canceling headphones. Your belly and your brain will thank you!
Magnesium Mind includes patented ATA Mg®, a form of this relaxation mineral that gets right to your brain, while supporting your memory, learning and overall cognition.*
As a bonus, keep reading for our favorite healthy travel essentials.
Healthy Digestion Packing List for Holidays Away from Home
- Reusable water bottle
- Workout clothes including sneakers
- Travel workout gear (resistance bands, yoga mat, foam roller)
- Healthy snacks that don’t need to be refrigerated
- Sleep mask and ear plugs
- Headphones (bonus points if they are noise-cancelling)
- Supplemental nutrition (protein powder, pre-workout fuel, etc.)
- All your go-to digestive supplements, of course!
We hope that you and your loved ones have a happy, healthy holiday season – with no digestive discomfort to spoil the occasion. *
