Recovering After a Holiday

High FODMAP, dairy, gluten, cocktails, fried foods, OH MY! It’s officially the Holiday Season, which means lots of temptations. From Thanksgiving dinner, to Christmas parties, to Christmas cookies, and so much more, there are so many temptations this time of year. My motto for this time of year is to enjoy the holiday season! Of course it would be better for our IBS if we just skipped these events all together, but that’s not living! The good thing about indulging during the Holidays is hopefully you are stress-free when you are attending these meals, parties, and baking cookies (sometimes not, but hopefully!) The less stressed we are when we go off of our IBS diet, the better our digestive system will react! So take a deep breath, and pick your poison!

So you’ve indulged, now what? It’s not the end of the world! Sometimes we have to make sacrifices to enjoy life! We may have gas, a stomach ache, constipation, diarrhea, etc. when we get home, but as long as it’s worth it to you, it’s worth it! Here are some tips on getting back on track after a Holiday event.

Don’t skip breakfast.

You may feel like with the calories, digestion issues, and everything you’ve done to wreak havoc on your digestive system, that you don’t want to throw another wrench in your digestion. But skipping breakfast will only cause you to overindulge later in the day. Eating small, more frequent meals is best for IBS, so make sure you have breakfast the next day, even if it’s just something small.

Don’t worry!

It’s easy to get upset that now you have a bloated belly, your stomach aches, and you know it’s something you could have prevented if you could have just resisted the urge to eat that slice of pie at the party the night before. Worrying and beating yourself up will only make matters worse. Take a deep breath, and just focus on getting back on track today!

Juicing.

A lot of people, IBS sufferers and non-IBS sufferers, swear by juicing to get their digestion back on track. I have tried this before, and definitely recommend it! It gives your digestive system a break from having to digest whole foods. Just be sure to get juices that are low FODMAP. Many of them contain apples, which can really do a number on your stomach!

Go for a walk.

Walking is one of the best exercises for digestion. It will also be good for you to go outside and get some much-needed fresh air! If you choose to walk on the treadmill, maybe pump up the incline to get your heart rate going!

Eat at home.

It can be hard to eat a 100% IBS-friendly diet when eating out. If you eat at home following your indulgences, you can make sure that what you’re eating is something your IBS can tolerate. Bring your lunch and skip out on the office lunch outings following your indulgence, and then treat yourself again to a lunch out once your IBS flare goes down. Your digestive system, and your wallet, will thank you!

Stay Hydrated.

Just because this one is the last on the list, doesn’t mean that it isn’t one of the most important! Staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do for your digestive system. Add some sliced lemon to make it easier to gulp up!

Recovering after a big holiday doesn’t have to be hard, even as an IBS sufferer! Follow these six simple rules, and your digestion should bounce back sooner than later!