Here are some easy ways to get rid of bloating this holiday season.
With all the excuses to eat more food during the holidays, many of us end up feeling bloated or just uncomfortable. But, you do not need a special cleanse or detox diet to feel good again.
Plant-based nutritionist Alisia Essig says you can feel lighter and healthier all season long. She shared how to support your gut in simple, effective ways, no extreme measures required.
The Importance of Fiber
Alisia emphasized that fiber is the superfood of our guts. She explained that, “97% of Americans are not eating enough fiber,” which is crucial for maintaining a healthy gut.
Plants are fiber rich, and they ferment and turn into short chain fatty acids. “ These short chain fatty acids then go throughout our entire body and help reduce inflammation, heal our gut lining, and reduce our risk of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease,” Alisia explained.
How to Incorporate More Fiber
Alisia advised starting with small amounts of fiber and gradually increasing the amount. “Go low and slow,” she said. She compared it to starting a new workout routine—if you overdo it, you’ll feel sore. Similarly, your gut needs time to adjust to higher fiber levels.
“ You want to at least be getting 25 grams of fiber for women and 38 grams of fiber for men,” Alisia said. If you prioritize eating five fruits and vegetables a day, you should be able to meet those fiber goals.
Symptoms and Underlying Causes of Bloating
Many people mistake bloating from eating cruciferous vegetables like kale or broccoli as an inability to handle them. However, Alisia pointed out that this could be a symptom of underlying issues. “Truthfully, it could be a symptom of an underlying cause like slow motility or constipation, or even other issues like SIBO or diverticulitis,” she explained.
She suggested addressing these issues first, possibly with the help of a doctor, before increasing fiber intake. “ If you’re constantly bloated and gassy, then that’s something that you may want to address with your doctor,” Alisia said. “Sometimes if you’re having a flare up, you may need to eat a low fiber diet temporarily.” That doesn’t mean that fiber is bad for you. You just want to address the flare up and then add more fiber over time once that underlying cause is addressed.
There are some foods that aren’t necessarily bad for you, but may cause some of these issues. ”Cruciferous vegetables and beans. They’re so good for us,” Alisia said. “They’re so good to help reduce your risk of diseases, but they can have some side effects if your gut isn’t able to handle them right away.” She said to slowly ease into those foods.
Identifying and Addressing Root Causes
Alisia recommended monitoring your bathroom habits to determine if you’re regular, and that may look a little different for everyone. “ Even if you’re going regularly, you still may be constipated,” Alisia explained.
She said to make sure you are having easy and regular bathroom visits before adding more fiber to your diet. “ Once that’s okay, then we can add in more fruits and vegetables,” she said.
Quick Remedies for Bloating
Alisia shared a few quick remedies for bloating that can be helpful during the holiday season. “ Especially with the holidays, sometimes we’re eating foods that our gut isn’t used to,” she said. “We’re all going to experience the every-once-in-a-while gas and bloating.”
The first solution is chewing on fennel seeds. “ They are magic,” Alisia said. “It instantly relieves the gas and bloating. It’s a really natural way that will relax all of those painful side effects.”
She also recommended ginger. “ Ginger you can even just chew on,” she said.
You can also drink it in a tea, as with peppermint. “ Peppermint tea can really help to relax your muscles and your gut,” Alisia said.
Additionally, she said going for a walk after meals can help get things moving in your gut. “If you go for a walk, you really can help just get things moving so it’s not sitting there and then you’ll feel a lot better,” Alisia explained.
Incorporating gentle movement, such as Pilates or other core exercises, can also help reduce bloating. These activities help to get things flowing without being too extreme.
Find more advice from Alisia on Instagram, @plantwhys.
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