What Have I done?! 5 Ways to Reverse Holiday Bloat

What Have I done?!  5 Ways to Reverse Holiday Bloat

By: Allison D. Salibian, B.S., CPT 

December, 26, 2015

Most of us ate way more calories from food, drinks and dessert during our holiday celebrations than we should have to maintain our current weight.  We may have also tried new foods made by others or eaten packaged/processed foods.  Here are some of my professional methods to beat the bloat!

1.) Don’t be Defeated.  Having a positive attitude and being optimistic about making ANY change in your life can be even more effective than the “placebo effect”.  Simply by believing you can change your behaviors, even your personality, you can achieve success in your goals.  According to a paper in the June, 2014 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology by Yeager, et al., if you set out at the beginning of a certain process [such as weight loss or weight maintenance], you will be more victorious if you have confidence that you will accomplish that goal.   

2.) Drink lots of Water.  Most of what we all ate over this season was super tasty, and that was most likely due to added salt and sugar.  You will need to flush those molecules out of your body, so they don’t cause you to retain MORE water. The American Heart Association suggests that you drink a minimum of 1 ounce of water for each pound of body weight to flush out extra sodium. If you weigh 160 pounds, you will need to drink at least 160 ounces of water, or 20 glasses, in which one glass is 8 ounces. Sip the water over a period of time rather than guzzling it all at once.

3.) Cut the Salt.  Sodium causes the body to retain fluid – a common cause of bloating. The American Heart Association suggests that only 1,500-2,300 milligrams of sodium should be consumed per day, but the average American takes in nearly 3,400 milligrams daily.  Holiday meals are estimated to contain about 3,000 milligrams per meal (incl. soda and dessert).  So, from now on, make your own meals – no frozen meals -- only add a pinch of salt when cooking, and don’t add salt to already prepared food.

4.) Pop a Probiotic.  Sometimes bloating can be caused by an imbalance of the bacteria in your intestines, especially if you have taken antibiotics recently, explains Sita Chokhavatia, MD, a gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Probiotics can help restore the bacterial balance, but not all brands have proven that they work: Bifidobacterium infantis is the only probiotic strain that studies show relieves GI symptoms, such as bloating, a Northwestern University review found. Dr. Chokhavatia recommends trying a two-week course to see if it helps.

5.) Fine-tune your fiber.  Many breads and cereals are advertised as being high in fiber, which should be good for your digestive system, right? Not always. Certain products add fiber in the form of chicory root, or inulin, which is harder to digest. In fact, people who eat large amounts of inulin (10 grams) at one time end up experiencing more gas and bloating than those who eat less, researchers at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul found. Your best bet: Get your fiber from fruits and vegetables and whole-grain rice, pasta, and bread rather than from packaged high-fiber products.