Fight Festive Bloat

Are you feeling the CNY festive mood already? Chinese New Year (CNY) décors are up and dong dong qiang songs have been playing in the malls. Aside from looking forward to reuniting with family members and having a loud celebration, you definitely cannot miss out on all the CNY foods and snacks. You might just lose control and indulge in lots of delicious foods, gatherings after gatherings. After that, you find yourself getting a bloated stomach after stuffing yourself with lots of food.

Did you know that festive bloat is a thing? Most traditional Chinese New Year foods are oily, and high in sugar and fat content which are not gentle to our digestive system. Moreover, festive bloating could happen due to a sudden change in eating habits such as having large quantities of food, constantly snacking, and drinking more alcohol than usual days[1]. Bloating usually makes us feel fuller and larger than usual, which may be accompanied by a stomach ache or gas. Not to mention, a slight increase in the waistline can be quite depressing.

Although CNY foods can be irresistible, be mindful of what you consume and how much you can consume as well. Here are tips that you should know to survive CNY feasting the right way! Because you definitely do not want to deal with having an uncomfortable bloated stomach, especially when you want to dress your best in your brand-new clothes.

#1 Avoid visiting on an empty stomach

Have a light breakfast before leaving your house for a CNY visit to avoid devouring all the CNY goodies later out of hunger. Moreover, a nutritious breakfast will help replenish the body with glucose to boost energy levels and alertness[2]. Your body may feel sluggish without the required nutrients to help you start the day, which will result in overeating as a coping mechanism to compensate for your lack of nutrients.

If you know that you will be eating foods that are not exactly the healthiest during lunch or dinner, you can consider whole grains, low-fat protein and fruits as your breakfast meal. This can help balance out the amount of calorie intake in a day and keeps you full for some time, thus reducing the tendency to snack or overeat during lunch or dinner gatherings.       

Before attending any gatherings, you probably should come prepared as well. Take digestive enzyme supplements that are formulated with fermented fruits, vegetables blend & Cassia Fistula extract to replenish enzyme levels and help break down food for smoother digestion and colon cleansing.

#2 Stop Eating Once You’re 80% Full

Did you know that there is a Japanese term called ‘hara hachi bu’ which is translated as eat until you’re 80% full[3]. The term originated in Okinawa, Japanese uses this approach to avoid feeling too full and bloated after a meal so they would stop eating once they feel slightly full. In fact, being too full would only cause discomfort, sluggishness, mood crash and potentially getting indigestion. Interestingly, Japan has one of the lowest rates of illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Furthermore, speed also contributes to mindless overeating. Your stomach takes about 15 - 20 minutes to digest the food. Take your time and eat slowly so it gives time for your stomach to send a signal to your brain that you are full.

Can’t resist eating more? Curb appetite by taking weight management supplements with a key ingredient like white kidney beans to reduce carbohydrate/starch digestion and absorption as well as reducing the tendency to overeat.

#3 Drink Water Over Sugar Drinks

Carbonated drinks and alcohol might be the best combination to go with your CNY snacks but let’s be real, they aren’t your friends. They could be the very reason why you feel bloated throughout the day, as carbonation, a combination of gas and water can worsen your bloated condition[4].

Similarly, sweetened drinks could also cause bloating as the artificial sweeteners don’t get digested well in the gut. Additionally, wheat and barley in beers are other substances that are hard to digest in the stomach[5]. As bad as it sounds, your liver may not function adequately in filtering waste and other toxins from your body due to the build-up of toxins in the body.

As simple as it sounds, water is the answer to all of your problems. Water has many amazing benefits for our bodies. They can help quench our thirst and eliminate toxins build up in our body. In fact, water has no calories so you can drink lots of them without feeling guilty.

Apart from that, try consuming liver tonic that is formulated with Traditional Chinese Medicinal, that consist of turmeric ingredients. Turmeric is an excellent anti-inflammatory effect on the liver. It also soothes the liver and helps to promote healthy blood circulation.

#4 Take A Walk

Exercise is the most effective way to relieve bloating and constipation as it helps to activate bowel movement. Walking a mere 30 minutes after a meal could help you to digest better and faster and you will feel a lot more comfortable afterwards, especially after a huge meal. Walking is the easiest form of exercise and requires a low to zero cost. 

Furthermore, by getting rid of the excess weight with the fats burned around the abdominal area through exercise, constipation and indigestion could be further improved.

You could also get some help by taking probiotics as they are proven to promote bowel movement with higher frequency and overall improve gut health. If this is something you are considering, get a probiotic that provides a minimum of 25 billion CFUs of active probiotics for daily gut maintenance.

[1] https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/health/how-prevent-bloating-christmas-top-28600547

[2] https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/breakfast-lose-weight

[3] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dont-eat-until-youre-full-instead-mind-your-hara-hachi-bu-point/#:~:text=Hara%20hachi%20bu%20is%20a,a%20fairly%20long%20life%20expectancy.

[4] https://www.seattletimes.com/life/wellness/shrink-that-bloated-belly-by-avoiding-these-pitfalls/#:~:text=Carbonation%20is%20mostly%20water%2C%20and,your%20stomach%2C%E2%80%9D%20Gidus%20says.

[5] https://www.livestrong.com/article/13729566-drinks-that-cause-gas-bloating/