Holiday Digestive Support: Before, During, After
The holiday season brings joy, celebration, and, often, an abundance of rich foods. With larger meals, sweet treats, and irregular meal times it’s easy to feel unwell by January as your digestive system has been taxed and the doshas are going out of balance. However, you can maintain and regain your dosha balance with some straightforward Ayurveda strategies. This guide presents practical steps to support your digestion before, during, and after holiday festivities. Ayurveda offers effective holiday digestion tools you can start using today.
Preparing Your Digestive System: Before the Holidays
Increase Fiber Intake
Begin ramping up your fiber intake a few weeks before the festivities. Eat whole foods such as grains, fruits and vegetables that are balancing for your doshic picture. Nutrient rich whole foods are chocked full of fiber that can help regulate your digestion and support healthy elimination. Studies show that a diet high in fiber can reduce the risk of constipation. Including fruits and an abundance of cooked vegetables can prepare your body for heavier holiday meals.
To start, be crystal clear about your doshas. Then, make a grocery list filled with fiber-rich foods. Include cooked, spiced vegetable at each, well ok, at least two of your three meals each day.
Here's our complimentary Ayurveda Recipe eBook Collection to get you inspired.
Practical Holiday Eating Tips
Stay Correctly Hydrated
Drink tea temperature water according to your doshic picture, climate, season, and activity level. Makes sense, right? Water not only helps your body absorb nutrients but also keeps your intestines functioning well. and flushes out ama (toxins) according to Ayurveda. Research indicates that drinking enough water can reduce constipation significantly.
Carry a water bottle to encourage regular drinking. Aim for at least 2 liters a day. Drinking a glass of water before meals can help with portion control and keep you hydrated during holiday celebrations.
Can you overhydrate? Absolutely. That's why Ayurveda emphasizes drinking and eating for your doshic picture and environment versus one size fits all, trends. Drinking too much can flush out vitally important electrolytes. Turn learn more, Overhydration: How Much Water Is Too Much?
Also, drinking a good amount of fluid before eating effects the state of your digestive fire (agni) which plays a key role in digestion and overall health in Ayurveda. Being a guardian of your digestive fire is job #1 in Ayurveda.
Plan Your Holiday Menus
If you are hosting or contributing to meals, strive for a balanced menu with healthier choices. For instance, opt for baked sweet potatoes instead of mashed potatoes loaded with butter, or use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Having colorful vegetable dishes, like spiced green beans or a beet soup, not only adds nutrients but also promotes better digestion.
Aim for at least three vegetable dishes at your gathering to provide everyone with wholesome options that are also appealing.
Here's some inspiring menus from the Saumya Kitchen:
While Celebrating: During the Holidays
Here are three digestive remedies you can use this winter.
Mind Your Portions
It’s easy to overindulge during holiday meals. To prevent this, practice mindful eating by controlling your portion sizes. Use a smaller plate and take a little of everything you want to sample. Enjoy each bite and chew thoroughly, which can help encourage better digestion and signal fullness more effectively.
Research shows that mindful eating can reduce food intake making it easier to avoid discomfort. It takes the brain about twenty minutes to register what's in your stomach, so eating mindfully and not gulping down the goodies is the way to go.
Stay Active
Keeping active during the festive period benefits your digestion immensely. Light activities like walking after meals can stimulate the digestive tract. Research shows that a simple post-meal walk improves digestion.
Invite family or friends to join you on a post-meal stroll. It’s a great way to bond while promoting better digestive health.
Limit or Avoid Alcohol Intake
While celebrating, try to stay moderate with alcohol consumption. Drinking too much can disrupt your digestion, causing issues such as acid reflux or bloating. Consider substituting Ayurvedic non-alcoholic beverages that taste delicious, balance your doshas, and add to your wellness.
This approach not only reduces caloric intake but also helps you enjoy the festive cheer without compromising your digestive health, but actually enkindling your agni (digestive fire).
Recovery Strategies: After the Holidays
Here are three easy to implement holiday Ayurvedic digestion tips.
Resume Your Routine
Once the holidays wind down, reinstate your Ayurvedic morning and evening routines to restore dosha balance. A focus on fiber, hydration, and regular physical activity is crucial. Return to whole foods, avoiding processed items that can burden your system after rich holiday meals.
A simple meal plan with dark leafy greens, whole grains, and easy to digest soups from the Saumya kitchen can greatly aid your recovery.
2. Try Gentle Detoxes
If you feel sluggish post-holiday, consider a gentle detox. Consuming broths and kitchari rich in nutrients can ease digestion. For a few days, focus on foods easily digestible, like kitchari or cleansing vegetable soups.
Avoid extreme fasting, as it can cause more harm than good. Instead, aim for a balanced approach with nutrient-dense foods. Nourishment is a good thing!
Liver Cleanse with Ayurvedic Food
3. Practice Stress Management
The holiday season can bring stress along with joy. Stress negatively impacts digestion, leading to discomfort. Engage in activities like yog-asana, guided meditation, or spending time outside to alleviate stress.
Set aside a few minutes each day for diaphragmatic breathing. Even short sessions can significantly improve your mental well-being and promote healthy digestion.
Learn our popular and effective Two-Minute Mediation while you're cooking and before your meals to enhance digestion and to cultivate your inner calm.
Embracing the Season with Confidence
Navigating holiday meals can be a challenge for your digestive health, but Ayurveda's got your back and your belly. With a proactive approach, using digestive remedies this winter, you can enjoy the celebrations without discomfort.
By preparing your body before the festivities, practicing moderation during celebrations, and implementing effective recovery strategies, you can maintain digestive support throughout the holiday season.
As you prepare for the upcoming holidays, remember that being mindful of your digestive health will elevate your overall experience. Whether through new recipes, hydration, or family activities, these thoughtful tips can help you enjoy the season while keeping your gut happy.
Happy Holidays and here’s to your health!
Holiday Digestive Support: Before, During, After
Discover how personalized Ayurvedic treatment can change your life
Book a free consultation with Veena from Saumya Ayurveda
“I worked with Veena to get out of my body’s fight or flight state due to feeling a lack of stability while being uprooted from a home for many years. She also addressed digestion and hormones. It was a very nourishing experience that unlocked a lot of deeper truths that my body was ready to reveal. Thank you.”
-Vanessa Feils, Florida
“Veena has been a dream to work with! I came to her with a number of concerns around my digestion, skin, and menstrual cycle, and she has helped me find so much improvement in all areas and more!” – Meg McNeil, Boulder, Colorado
“I saw my doctor who advised me to double my dose of Zoloft. Somehow, that didn't sit well with me, so I found Veena at Saumya Ayurveda. Implementing her Ayurveda plan and working with my physician, after only two months, I was off Zoloft completely and sleeping well, feeling good, and loving myself. Saumya Ayurveda has changed my life.
It's amazing how easy it is to integrate Veena's suggestions into my daily life. It's as though my body is saying to me, "Finally! Thank you for treating me better! This is what I've been wanting all along!" The improvements in my digestion and sleep were felt not after a month, or a week, but I experienced immediate relief. Saumya Ayurveda should not, must not, be a secret! Thank you.” --Nicole Grove, Wisconsin
Discover the Saumya Ayurveda Way
We all want to be heard, understood, and cared for as whole beings, not a set of isolated symptoms. True health is more than the absence of disease, which is why Western medicine so often leaves us feeling hopeless and unseen.
Deep down, you already know what you’re searching for: a new framework for living – one that brings your entire being back into balance. With Saumya Ayurveda, you’ll receive individualized guidance to create the physically, mentally, and spiritually vibrant life you crave.
Saumya Ayurveda provides concierge, top-notch, award-winning Ayurveda care. We strive to keep it simple, so you can focus on you! Our practice model is client focused not on retailing herbs.
Our effective multi-appointment consultation packages provide you with experienced Ayurveda care, enthusiastic guidance, and inspiring support.
Explore our personalized services and book your FREE discovery call today.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE…
If you found value in this article, please help others by sharing it and reposting it on your social media platforms. Just click the three vertical dots at the top of this page.
Saumya Ayurveda is dedicated to offering you insightful Ayurveda content for free to assist you in embracing an Ayurveda lifestyle. Thank you for your support.
MEET VEENA: YOUR AYURVEDIC GUIDE
Veena is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and meditation teacher, and monk.
She is President Emeritus and teaching faculty of the Meditation Center.
Veena fell in love with the traditional medicine used in her family’s home, learning herbal remedies at her grandmother's knee.
An experienced Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, Veena’s deep, intuitive knowledge of Ayurveda empowers her clients to reclaim their fullest, most vibrant lives –mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Veena individualizes treatment plans to each person, rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, so it fits your life and becomes woven in your lifestyle, naturally.
Learn more about Veena's work and book your FREE discovery call today.