Digestive fatigue? Your post-holiday recovery kit!
The many Christmas and New Year celebrations at the end of the year and their associated rich meals can exhaust your digestion. That is why we are happy to share some tips to help you feel fresh and alert again after the holidays. A sort of recovery kit, if you will!
Hopefully, the end-of-year festivities were also a time filled with kisses, gifts, and unforgettable moments with your friends and family. Did those often long, but joyful evenings perhaps upset your digestion a bit? Do you also feel like you have overindulged? Or are you suffering from a ‘mental hangover’? That could very well be quite normal… A study in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that people not only deal with digestive problems after the holidays but also gain almost a kilo on average. And that weight gain does not seem to just disappear!1 Furthermore, the stress associated with the holiday period (for example, regarding organization) can increase cortisol levels. And a higher cortisol level leads to more fat storage.2 Add to that some fatigue and a slightly gloomier mood, and you will immediately understand why it is high time to bring out our recovery kit!
Difficult digestion, low energy? Overcome the excess of the holidays thanks to our tips!
New courage and energy for 2025
The holidays are, by definition, a cheerful period, but they can also be emotionally and physically exhausting. So it is crucial to boost your spirits again. And you can do that with these tips!
- Re-establish a daily routine. Go to bed at roughly the same time every night, try to avoid screens before sleeping, and start the day with natural light to help your biorhythm and wake up in a better mood. Get some fresh air as soon as it gets light and take a walk of several dozen minutes.
- Choose food rich in magnesium.3 Almonds, cashews, spinach, and dark chocolate (in moderation) are excellent choices to regain peace of mind and reduce mental fatigue. Magnesium also helps to lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone) again. A cup of chamomile or lemon balm tea can also help you relax.4
Rebalance your digestion
After all those (perhaps too) abundant meals, your digestion could use some rest! In our article about rich winter meals, you will find 5 tricks for smoother digestion, but after the excess of the end-of-year festivities, you might be able to use a few extra tips:
- Go for light broths. A homemade broth based on vegetables (carrot, celery, onion) and ginger is ideal for rehydrating your body while simultaneously promoting digestion.
- Include probiotics and prebiotics in your diet. Too much alcohol and sugar disrupt your gut microbiome. Natural yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi help rebalance your microbiome. Bananas (especially green or unripe ones), garlic, and asparagus act as prebiotics and feed the good bacteria.5
- Try a light form of intermittent fasting. By waiting twelve or sixteen hours between your last meal in the evening and your first in the morning, you give your digestion time to recover. Are you interested in long-term fasting combined with a detox cure? Ask your doctor or dietitian for advice to avoid an unbalanced diet.
We wish you a beautiful and happy 2025!
Scientific references
Product mentioned in this article
Digest-OK
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