As we draw nearer to the festive season you may find your social calendar filling up with invitations to events involving food, drinks, and late nights. While this is part of the festive cheer and socialising is, of course, fantastic for your well-being, some people find that after a few weekends of indulgent food, and a few too many glasses of wine, their digestion starts to feel a little off.
Christmas is a time to eat, drink, and be merry, but what if this leaves you feeling tired, bloated, and fuzzy-headed?
Could mindful eating help?
What is mindful eating?
The principles of mindful eating stem from the broader philosophy of mindfulness. This traditional practice allows one to focus on one’s emotions, thoughts, and body responses in the present moment.
Mindful eating practice encourages you to make food choices that will be not only nourishing but satisfying to the body at that moment and make these choices in a non-judgmental way. It allows you to take time to eat and be fully present with the food in front of you giving you more of an opportunity to connect to your food and contemplate where it originated from and how it came to be. This daily practice is thought to help foster better eating habits by helping you pay more attention to the foods you choose, your emotional state, as well as external cues, all of which can influence food choice and intake.
Instead of picking bits straight from the fridge or distractedly eating while watching TV, it is about focusing on the experience of eating, the thoughts, feelings, tastes, and sensations with increased awareness. This allows you to begin to notice your eating habits and, if needed, take steps toward making behavioural changes that can have a positive effect on your health.
How can I do this; a mindful eating exercise:
- Did you know that food digestion really begins in the mind! While preparing food, whether that be while cooking up a delicious meal or putting together a plate of leftovers, your digestive juices are already beginning to wake up.
- Make sure you sit down, preferably not at your work desk, to eat your meal. Take a moment to look and appreciate the food in front of you. Appreciate how each ingredient contains a collection of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that will support your health, give you energy for the day, and contribute to your vitality and longevity!
- Take a few deep breaths before you start to eat, this will put your body in a parasympathetic state, also known as rest and digest! This alone can do wonders for digestion.
- When eating your food, take your time, making sure you are chewing properly and fully enjoying each mouthful. Taking your time will allow hunger and satiety cues to respond more effectively and leave you feeling more satiated.
Having trouble with sluggish food digestion?
Some people find that they are not able to break down certain foods as effectively as they once could, this can often show up as bloating, gas and other digestive issues. Reasons for this are multifactorial but a few certain foods are often harder to break down for some than others, gluten and dairy being prime examples that many people struggle with, and these tend to be in abundance at Christmas time. Stress, common during the festive period, may also contribute to poor digestion and a range of gut symptoms.
When eating out, at parties, or socialising over the Christmas period, you might find you are eating foods you normally wouldn’t. In this instance, it may be worth considering a digestive enzyme supplement to take before or during a meal to facilitate that digestive process.
Some tips to support food digestion this festive season:
- Eat a small healthy balanced snack BEFORE you go to an event. This might sound counterproductive but arriving at a party hungry means you are more likely to overeat rich foods.
- Fill half your plate with fruits and veggies. Not only will this increase the nutrient profile of your meal, but these foods are fantastic for digestive health. They are full of fibre, rich in polyphenols, and support the production of short-chain fatty acids.
- Keep hydrated – yes, we all know to drink plenty of water throughout the day, but being dehydrated can contribute to poor digestive function, slow bowel transit time, and increase the likelihood of constipation.
- Add in herbal tea – teas with dandelion, peppermint, and fennel are all great options to sip throughout the holiday season to enhance digestion and reduce bloating.
- Exercise! Moving your body whether that be heading to a gym class or going for a winter walk can help with food digestion. A walk after a big meal can even help to reduce blood sugar levels!
- Stretch – stretching can reduce digestive issues such as bloating and gas – there is a reason there is a yoga pose called wind-relieving pose!
- Digestive supportive foods such as rocket, radishes, turmeric, and dandelion may not be part of your traditional Christmas dinner but having these foods during the festive period can support food breakdown and nutrient absorption.
- Bake healthier treats – swap some of your traditional sugar-rich goodies for some homemade healthier alternatives to avoid blood sugar highs and lows throughout the day.
References
- Serban DM, Serban CL, Ursoniu S, Putnoky S, Moleriu RD, Putnoky S. Mindful Eating Questionnaire: Validation and Reliability in Romanian Adults. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(17):10517. Published 2022 Aug 24. doi:10.3390/ijerph191710517
- Tapper K. Mindful eating: what we know so far. Nutrition Bulletin. 2022;47(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12559
- Stanszus LS, Frank P, Geiger SM. Healthy eating and sustainable nutrition through mindfulness? Mixed method results of a controlled intervention study. Appetite. 2019;141:104325. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2019.104325
- Bellini A, Nicolò A, Bazzucchi I, Sacchetti M. The Effects of Postprandial Walking on the Glucose Response after Meals with Different Characteristics. Nutrients. 2022;14(5):1080. Published 2022 Mar 4. doi:10.3390/nu14051080
All of our blogs are written by our team of expert Nutritional Therapists. If you have questions regarding the topics that have been raised, or any other health matters, please do contact them using the details below:
nutrition@cytoplan.co.uk
01684 310099
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Last updated on 4th December 2024 by cytoffice
