Tips to Prevent Digestive Issues During the Holidays

With the holiday season upon us, it seems normal to have a variety of snacks, cookies, desserts, and hearty meals available at our immediate disposal. While festive foods bring cheer during our family gatherings, they may not bring the same happy feelings to your stomach and digestive system. Heartburn, indigestion, and acid reflux can all be unfortunate consequences that come after eating too many holiday treats or big holiday meals.

At The Online Drugstore, we offer a variety of antacids to help with these post-meal symptoms, however, there are healthier options to help you avoid the indigestion and discomfort altogether. Keep reading to learn more about our tips for preventing digestive issues this holiday season, and shop The Online Drugstore to get everything you need for staying healthy shipped straight to your door.

Understand Your Body’s Limits

As you dive head first into the holiday season, it’s important to remember and know what your body likes and doesn’t like. If there are certain foods that cause digestive discomfort, avoid them during the holidays, too. Those almond pastries may look delicious, but if you know that butter or almonds upset your stomach, now is not the time to start trying new things. After all, the last thing you want to happen is for you to not be able to enjoy a delicious meal because your stomach is still upset from the snack you had before dinner.

Limit Certain Foods

While fried foods, sugary desserts, dairy, citrus, spicy, or meats may taste delicious, it’s important to limit your consumption of any one of these kinds of food. If you know you can handle a little bit here and there, that’s great! But in order to fully avoid those digestive woes, stick to a small helping per day or even per week. It’s easy to keep snacking if snacks are readily available, but now is the perfect time to practice self-control and enjoy a little without going over the top.

Get Your Exercise

One of the best ways to keep your body’s digestive system running smoothly is to keep up with your regular exercise routine throughout the holiday season. Do your best to take a walk after a big meal or move your body for at least 30 minutes every day. Lying down can make heartburn worse as it’s easier for stomach acids to travel up the esophagus. Getting a little bit of exercise after a meal or regularly throughout the holidays can aid your digestive system and make it easier to enjoy those delicious holiday meals.

Eat a Balanced Diet

In addition to limiting your intake of certain foods during the holidays, it’s also important to make sure you’re still getting a balanced diet throughout your day. While it may seem like an easy tip to follow, common sense can sometimes go out the window when you have a table full of turkey, gravy, potatoes, cookies, cakes, and other holiday treats. Keep eating your fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water and your digestive system — and body as a whole — will thank you.

Avoid Excess Alcohol and Caffeine

Along with eating delicious foods during the holidays there are also delicious drinks to be had — mimosas, Irish coffees, wine, beer, and more. While these may make great pairings to your after dinner dessert or with the prime rib that’s on your plate, they can only add to your digestive distress that you have experienced in the past. Alcohol actually relaxes the muscle that keeps food in your stomach and can cause heartburn to get worse. Additionally, caffeine produces acid which causes reflux. Keep coffee, soda, and even chocolate to a minimum to avoid uncomfortable stomach issues.

Slow Down

Last, but not least, it’s important to pace yourself as you eat. Take your time eating your dinner instead of eating quickly. If you set your fork down between bites, you’ll not only have better portion-control, but your body will be able to digest the food more easily. Eating too much too quickly will only hurt your stomach more.

Happy Holidays From The Online Drugstore

At The Online Drugstore, we offer an assortment of products for heartburn relief, indigestion, and any other stomach issues you may be experiencing this holiday season. Order online and stock your medicine cabinet with everything you need to feel your best.

We want you to enjoy the holidays no matter where you are or who you’re with, without experiencing the discomfort that comes with digestive problems. Shop The Online Drugstore today.