It’s the season of over-indulgence, as our digestive systems deal with an onslaught of Quality Street, trifle and Prosecco. Studies show that we consume around 6,000 calories during our Christmas dinner alone – three times the recommended daily amount for adult women. And that’s without bacon sarnies, cheese boards and a cheeky mince pie thrown in!
“Stress shuts down our digestive system. It’s a survival mechanism to help us get away from danger – we don’t digest when in ‘fight or flight’ mode,” explains Natasha Evans, a nutritional therapist specialising in gut health. Go easy on the goose-fat roasties and limit the stilton, too. “Fried and fatty foods can cause stomach acid and delay stomach emptying, leading to bloating.”
Light fasting, meanwhile, can offset damage over the holidays, adds Alex. “It allows the body to balance blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and blood pressure and also rest and repair in a way it can never do when you’re constantly eating. The easiest way is to delay or skip breakfast giving you 14-16 hours’ rest from your last meal of the day to the first meal of the next.”