The end of November is here. Which means the intense roller coaster of family, fun and food has begun! Thanksgiving is many Americans favorite holidays. And why not, you get to hag out with those you love, watch parades and football, and of course eat like we haven't seen food all year.
Everyone has some wonderful family recipe to add, be it bacon covered turkeys or carrot souffle, Jack Danieles sweet potatoes and five different kinds of stuffing. And as our eyes widen, mouths salivate and taste buds dance our stomachs may star out excite s but often by the end of the night we are all bloated and babbling about how we ate too much.
Here are some tips to help you through
The simplest and yet hardest would be to just eat less, Take smaller portions so you can still try everything, but maybe just a bite of everything rather than a full serving. Honestly, though for me Thanksgiving is a day I wait for all year and no amount of self control is limiting me to a bite of stuffing …so on to the next tips.
For those of you like me that will be stuffing their faces more than they had stuffed the turkey, the rest of these will help with the bloating and discomfort...
Deep Breathing
This might seem silly and even like a little kids idea. But there is an actual anatomical reason this helps.
Deep diaphragmatic breathing(or belly breathing) will ad in digestion. When you breathe into your belly your diaphragm pressed down onto you stomach, down to the intestines and massages these organs encouraging the movement of food through your GI tracts.
Abdominal Massage
Continue the encouragement of movement in your digestive system with gentle massage to the belly. Even just lightly rubbing your belly in a clockwise motion can help calm the bloating.
*start at the right hip bone, slide your hand up till you feel the right ribs, slide across to just under the left ribs, then slide down toward the left hip bone. -You can also do smaller clockwise circle around the navel to get the small intestine*
Peppermint
Peppermint is one of my favorite essential oils. You can rub this directly on your belly to help with discomfort(you may want to mix with a carrier oil like coconut or grapeseed as it can be intense on its own). It provides a cooling sensation and alleviate bloating nausea and even heartburn.
You can even enjoy it as a tea to help with these symptoms (if peppermint is to harsh and increases your heartburn spearmint might be better for you)
Ginger Tea
Ginger is an amazing root . It helps with gas and bloating, it reduces inflammation, alleviate nausea . Enjoying a cup of tea after a big meal can help aid your digestion and make you feel better.
Easy Yoga
After a big meal you do not want to jump into any intense movements but easy, slow stretches and actually help feelings of bloat and promote digestion.
some poses to try
wind pose /Pavanamuktasana
supine twists /Supta Matsyendrasana
yogi squat /malasana
Hopefully with these easy tips you can have an even more enjoyable Thanksgiving this year!