Holiday Gut Health: Tips for Healthy Digestion This Season

During the holidays, there’s no escape from high-sugar, high-calorie foods or their inflammatory impacts on your health. Sugary treats, rich foods and alcohol can seriously derail your digestive function and pack on extra weight, especially during the winter. And research shows that holiday weight gain, even though it may be minor, can stick with you for life.¹  

While strict self-control may not be on the menu this season, there are lifestyle practices you can do to defend your gut health and maintain a healthy weight while you indulge in your favorite holiday treats. With these simple hacks, along with natural digestive aid gut health supplements, you can celebrate the season without the stress of your gut.  

Before you head out to celebrate, fill up with a healthy, fiber-rich snack to prevent overindulging. After you eat a rich treat or meal, have some fresh produce to balance your digestion. Fiber slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, limiting its inflammatory effects. It also supports a healthy gut environment. Vegetables and fruit may not seem as festive, but you’ll be celebrating how great you feel afterwards. 

One of the primary ingredients for good digestion is water. Many of us are chronically dehydrated, so be sure to drink plenty of filtered water or herbal teas. Adequate hydration can curb excessive food cravings, especially for sweets, while flushing out toxins.² 

Setting aside some ‘me time’ for healthy stress reduction is essential for good digestion and overall health. It’s no mystery that the holidays can be extra busy, and we can all use a little peace. In addition to being inflammatory, stress can make digestion suffer and cause us to pack on extra weight. Yoga is an excellent way to counteract stress, and has also been shown to improve digestion. Meditation and deep breathing will also help.  

In addition to burning calories, exercise controls blood glucose and lowers stress. Remember: the workout doesn’t need to be strenuous to be healthy. Even just thirty minutes of moderate exercise each day will go a long way. Qi Gong, Tai Chi and yoga are gentle on the body, incorporate mindful breathing, reduce stress and benefit the brain and overall health.   

To protect your gut health during the holidays and feel your best, it’s essential to give your body the right digestive support with targeted herbs, minerals, extracts and enzymes. Select botanicals, nutrients, and probiotic supplements help relieve digestive discomfort like indigestion and bloating, reduce sluggishness from overeating, and increase your body’s ability to digest heavy or overly rich foods.   

Herbs and natural digestion ingredients like lesser galangal root, sacred lotus seed, ginger root, licorice root, tangerine fruit, cinnamon bark and cardamom can help relieve occasional nausea, gas, bloating and discomfort, and support a healthy gut environment.  

Enzymes are proteins that break down the foods you eat and are essential for healthy digestive function. Natural digestive enzymes amylase, alpha galactosidase, protease, phytase, invertase, and lipase assist are key enzymes that breakdown food, increase nutrient availability and overall gut health. Natural ingredients like pomegranate seeds strengthen digestive activity, supports enzyme production, and balances intestinal movement. Pepper Fruit improves circulation to the digestive system and aids in the absorption of nutrients, while supporting healthy weight.  

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help nourish and support a healthy gut. Probiotic supplements supply the gut with healthy bacteria to help defend against the impacts of sugar and other inflammatory foods, while optimizing digestive function, immunity and a healthy gut environment.  

To get the full benefits and power of these gut health ingredients, ecoDigest is a complete gut health supplement that combines the herbs listed above, together with functional mushrooms and essential minerals which work synergistically to strengthen the gut, support overall digestion, relieve discomfort, and promote healthy metabolism and weight.* ecoDigest contains a small amount of essential enzymes to promote optimal digestion, while supporting the body’s own natural enzyme production.

ecoDigest delivers powerful, complete digestive support to promote a healthy gut and digestive function for long-term digestive balance and health. 

For complete probiotic nourishment and fast-acting relief, ecoProbiotic is a certified organic, liquid probiotic formula with additional prebiotic nutrients and 19 digestive herbs, to support a healthy microbiome and overall gut environment. ecoProbiotic contains 8 live, clinically studied probiotic strains that deliver essential support to balance your gut against unhealthy microbes, toxins, food allergens and other inflammatory impacts.* 

By adopting a mindful approach and preparing with the right foods, herbs and supplements, we can avoid common gut issues, address winter weight gain and increase our energy for celebrating the season.   

Sources:

1. Yanovski JA, Yanovski SZ, Sovik KN, Nguyen TT, O'Neil PM, Sebring NG. A prospective study of holiday weight gain. N Engl J Med. 2000;342(12):861-867.  
2. 10 Warning Signs of Dehydration. Kaiser Permanente Website. Updated 2021. Accessed Nov 9, 2021.