The holiday season is a time for savoring delicious meals and treats, but it’s easy to overindulge. Sometimes it’s not just how much you eat, but what you eat that causes discomfort. Here’s a look at some common holiday culprits behind digestive issues and foods that can help alleviate your symptoms.
Holiday Offenders
Mashed Potatoes
Creamy mashed potatoes are a holiday favorite, often made with generous amounts of cream, butter, or milk. These ingredients can be tough to digest due to lactose, a type of milk sugar. When lactose isn’t properly digested, it can lead to cramps, diarrhea, and bloating.
Certain Beverages
Before you sip on that holiday cocktail, know that alcohol is a common heartburn trigger. It increases the production of stomach acid and relaxes the lower part of your esophagus, making it easier for acid to flow back up. Caffeinated drinks have a similar effect.
Holiday Helpers
Heartburn and Indigestion
Fried, fatty, and spicy foods can trigger a burning sensation in your chest, otherwise known as heartburn. To avoid it, try adding green beans to your holiday table. The high fiber content in green beans helps reduce stomach acid, easing both heartburn and indigestion.
Gas and Bloating
Feeling overly full or bloated after a big meal? Stewed or baked apples could be your digestive ally. Apples, which are rich in potassium and fiber, help balance your body’s fluids and keep your digestive system moving smoothly.
It’s hard to hold back when you’ve waited all year to enjoy these special holiday foods. That’s why it’s smart to keep Boiron Acidil on hand for occasional heartburn, acid indigestion, bloating, and upset stomach.* These homeopathic meltaway tablets, made with plant-based active ingredients, are easy to take before or after meals, or whenever symptoms strike. Find Acidil and other digestive relief medicines from Boiron in the homeopathy aisle of your local Mother’s Market and Kitchen store.
*Claims based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence. Not FDA evaluated.