How to Protect Your Gut Health During the Holidays

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of digestive health. Your gut health influences your immune system, your cardiovascular health, and even your mood and emotional well-being.

Poor gut health can lead to noticeable symptoms, including digestive issues such as constipation, gas, bloating, or diarrhea. It can also cause less obvious symptoms such as food sensitivities or intolerances, cravings for sugar, weight gain, sleep disturbances, fatigue, skin irritation, autoimmune disorders, general aches and pains, moodiness, and anxiety.

It’s worth making an effort to keep your digestive system healthy. But that can be difficult during the holidays when our normal routines and our regular diets tend to go by the wayside. It’s easy to think you’ll get back on track in the New Year, but by neglecting your gut health during the holidays, you risk driving your health to a state that may be difficult to recover from. It’s hard enough to stick to your new year’s resolutions without placing yourself at a disadvantage!

Try adding some of these habits to your holiday routine. Not only will your gut be happier, but you’ll also be able to enjoy the holidays with more energy, a stronger immune system, and greater emotional well-being.

Watch Your Sugar and Alcohol Intake

Sugar, alcohol, and starchy foods can throw your intestinal bacteria out of balance. Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms — collectively referred to as your gut microbiome. Many of these bacteria are beneficial. They help with digestion, produce specific vitamins, help regulate the immune system, fight inflammation, prevent toxins from passing into the bloodstream, and even tell the immune system to attack tumor cells.

But many factors of modern life can damage the gut microbiome. When this happens, unhealthy bacteria can take over, throwing your digestive system out of balance and in turn affecting the rest of your body.

To restore your microbiome imbalance, limit the amount of processed food, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol in your diet. Sugar kills off the good bacteria, allowing the bad bugs to take over.

Eat plenty of non-starchy plant-based foods, such as leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and fresh fruit. A diet high in fiber has been shown to improve the microbiome balance.

Slow Down and Stress Less

Ever notice that your digestive system gets upset when you’re stressed out and running around? Stress puts additional strain on your digestive system, which can lead to symptoms such as stomach cramps, indigestion, diarrhea, and increased hunger.

Make an effort to keep stress in check this holiday season. Identify your personal stressors and set boundaries where necessary. It’s okay to make your health a priority — in fact, it’s essential.

Get Enough Sleep

Adequate, quality sleep is essential for good health. Numerous studies show that digestive issues are associated with sleep disorders. Lack of sleep triggers an immune response, which increases inflammation in the body. And chronic inflammation can trigger a chain reaction of symptoms, including digestive problems, fatigue, and headaches.

Make an effort to get enough quality sleep, especially during the holidays. Stick to a consistent schedule: go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Keep your bedroom cool and minimize light and noise. Turn off your electronic devices at a designated time, as the blue light can disrupt your circadian rhythm.

Eat Fermented Foods

Fermented foods — such as kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, and kombucha — can also help restore the population of good gut bacteria. Try adding more of these into your diet. Yogurt can help as well. Many flavored yogurts are packed with sugar, so opt for unsweetened Greek yogurt and sweeten it with a little honey or stevia. If fermented foods aren’t your thing, you can also take a probiotic supplement.

Stay Hydrated

Aside from being important for overall health, hydration can also have a beneficial effect on your gut bacteria and intestinal lining. Make an effort to drink more water or tea throughout the day. Try cutting back on soda, which is packed with sugar. If you have difficulty drinking enough water, try adding some fresh fruit for more flavor.

Be Patient with Yourself

Some of these changes can be hard to make. If you’re used to eating a lot of sugar or processed foods, attempting to change your diet all at once can be difficult, and may even cause unpleasant symptoms. So start with small changes. Start adding more fruits and vegetables to your meals while cutting back on sugar. If you know you’re going to want a slice of pecan pie for dessert, say no to the candied yams at dinner. As you start making changes to your diet and being more mindful about your food choices, you’ll be able to take that new focus and build on your healthy habits in the New Year!