Why the Holidays Give You Heartburn and Indigestion
If your seasonal soundtrack more "Jingle Burps" (yep, that rude YouTube classic) than "Happy Holidays," you're not alone. A nationwide survey by the National Heartburn Alliance found that from Thanksgiving till New Year's Day, heartburn makes two out of three people less than jolly. Seems most of us are dealing with indigestion, constipation, gas, burping, bloating, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) -- all made worse by holiday stress and Aunt Martha's cheesecake.
How to get back to the merry-making? Michael F. Roizen, M.D., cofounder of RealAge and chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic, has some new ways to ease the seasonal discomfort. Here are 5 common holiday belly busters, with tips to fix or prevent your tummy troubles.
What's causing your indigestion? Find out with this quiz.
A Too-Long To-Do List
The stress of juggling shopping, cookie-baking, guests, and everything else boosts stomach acid levels. It also makes even a little acid backwash feel like the world's worst heartburn.
Tip: Pare down your commitments and leave at least one big thing off your list, Roizen advises. Instead of baking cookies, fill holiday platters and gift baskets with antiaging nuts, clementines, pomegranates, dark chocolate, and dried cranberries. "Also, carve out 10 minutes a day for you time," says Roizen. "Relaxation calms IBS and heartburn."
Too Little Activity
Sitting for long stretches -- in planes, cars, behind eight tiny reindeer -- nearly triples your risk for serious heartburn. It's also a recipe for constipation and IBS flare-ups.
Tip: "Move around, even when you're traveling," says Roizen, a frequent traveler who wears a pedometer to ensure he logs his daily 10,000 steps. Hike the airport if your flight is delayed. In the air, walk plane aisles whenever there's a chance. Pull over at highway rest stops for a 5-minute stretch and stroll. "Even a few minutes here and there halves heartburn risk because it speeds digestion and keeps you upright," Roizen explains. It helps prevent or ease IBS, constipation, and indigestion, too.
3 more ways to tame the flame of heartburn.
Creamy Treats
Between eggnog, cheesecake, and cheese plates, this is the dairy-est time of year. There's mounting evidence that an overload of dairy causes bloating, gas, and diarrhea in more people than anyone thought. The culprit is lactose, a milk sugar some people can't digest at all. All the fat in creamy, cheesy stuff doesn't help indigestion and heartburn either.
Tip: "Skip high-fat dairy year-round," Roizen advises. Its saturated fat jams your arteries, inflates your waistline, and challenges your digestive system. Stick to one or two servings of low- or nonfat dairy a day for its calcium. A daily probiotic supplement will also help keep your system running smoothly.
Check out Dr. Roizen's 3 favorite probiotics.
Holiday Sweets
Too much fructose (from foods sweetened with corn syrup or corn sugar) and too many sugar alcohols (from such sweeteners as sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, and isomalt used as sugar substitutes) can make you gassy and crampy.
Tip: Enjoy holiday treats in moderation, and make seasonal fruit your go-to sweet fix. "Avoid store-bought pies, cookies, ice cream, and sweet drinks, which are usually packed with high-fructose corn syrup," says Roizen. "Ditto for sugar-free chocolate and other treats laden with sugar alcohols."
Santa-Sized Portions
Between the office party, holiday feasts, and your neighbor's New Year's buffet, the holidays offer plenty of opportunities to overindulge. That's a classic recipe for bathroom-bound distress.
Tip: "Start by filling the center of your plate with veggies, salad, and turkey breast or salmon before you add small spoonfuls of the creamy, high-calorie stuff on the side," Roizen suggests. "Your tummy will thank you. And your jeans will still fit in January."
Get more health tips from RealAge:
Take the new RealAge Test to discover if you're younger than your years.
9 easy ways to stress less this holiday season.
8 heart-smart comfort foods to please your taste buds.
8 simple strategies to ease joint pain.
Nourish your peepers: 7 foods for healthy eyes.
