How to Combat Holiday Bloat
Holiday bloat is so common, between richer foods, travel, stress, sugar, alcohol, and major routine changes, your digestive system is basically like, “What are we doing right now?”
The good news, you can ease the bloat without dieting, restricting, or saying no to the foods you actually want.
Here’s how to keep your belly happy during the holidays:
1. Slow Down While Eating…Your Gut Loves This
One of the easiest, most effective fixes:
Put your fork down between bites
Chew more than you think you need
Avoid eating in a rush or while talking nonstop
When you slow down, you swallow less air and your stomach doesn’t have to work so hard.
2. Add a 10 Minute Post-Meal Walk
This is a holiday miracle worker.
A quick walk:
Reduces bloating
Improves digestion
Helps regulate blood sugar
Keeps energy stable
Walk around the block after dinner, or even stroll around the house.
3. Don’t Eat Everything at Once
It’s easy to pile carbs, protein, sugar, fat, and fiber onto one festive plate. Your gut can get overwhelmed.
Try eating heavier or richer foods in separate waves so your digestive system doesn’t panic.
4. Hydrate… But Do It Smart
Water helps digestion, but chugging drinks during meals can make bloat worse.
Try:
Drinking most water between meals
Sipping, not chugging, during meals
Adding electrolytes if you’re dehydrated from travel or alcohol
5. Prioritize Bitters…Nature’s Digestive Hack
Digestive bitters can help stimulate stomach acid and enzymes.
Easy, natural options:
Lemon water, my personal favorite
Arugula
Ginger tea
Apple cider vinegar, 1–2 tsp in warm water before meals, if tolerated
These can “wake up” digestion, especially before heavy meals.
6. Reduce the “Combo” of Sugar + Alcohol
This duo is bloating’s best friend.
If you drink:
Eat before alcohol
Alternate with water
Pick lower-sugar options when you can
Keep in mind, alcohol not only causes bloat, but also impact multiple hormones, including sex hormones, cortisol, thyroid hormones, hunger hormones, and hormones related to sleep.
7. Support Your Nervous System
Stress = tense gut
Tense gut = bloated belly
Quick fixes:
Deep belly breaths before eating
A few minutes of grounding
Saying no to things that drain you
Stepping outside for fresh air
A relaxed body digests food so much better.
8. Don’t Skip Meals…This Actually Makes Bloat Worse
When people “save calories” for a big dinner, they tend to:
Arrive starving
Overeat quickly
Spike blood sugar
Trigger serious bloating
Try eating something balanced earlier in the day, protein + fiber + healthy fat.
Your gut will thank you later.
9. Ease Up on Carbonation
Sparkling drinks are fun, but they will fill your stomach with gas, especially with food.
If you’re already bloated:
Switch to still water, tea, or infused water.
10. Keep Moving Throughout the Day
On holiday gatherings or travel days, it’s common to sit for hours.
Movement helps your gut contract and move food along.
Think:
Standing breaks
Short strolls
Stretching
Light yoga
Even pacing while chatting
Every little bit helps.
If You’re Already Bloated…
Try this simple routine:
Drink warm lemon water or ginger tea
Go on a 10–15 minute walk
Do gentle yoga poses, such as Pawanmuktasana, Balasana, and Malasana
Apply a warm compress to the belly
Avoid carbonated drinks for the rest of the day
Deep belly breathing to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system
It works shockingly well.
Holiday bloat isn’t a sign you did anything wrong, it’s just your body reacting to richer food, different routines, more sugar, more stress, and less movement.
With a few gentle strategies, you can feel lighter, more comfortable, and way more confident, without skipping the holiday treats you love.
