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~ Back to Articles Index Page ~  The holiday season always presents us with a plethora of gastronomic temptations that are hard to resist. When we overindulge, our digestive system, primarily our stomachs, have to work overtime to compensate for our eyesight. There are a few tips and tricks that you can take with you into the holiday season this year that can help you avoid the unpleasant aftereffects of overeating. Primarily, planning and a good day-timer are the keys to avoiding weight gain and overeating. How can these help? Well, if you plan for your gastronomic splurges and alter your eating habits on those days, you should make it through the holiday season with as little discomfort as possible. In this article we'll cover a short lesson on how, exactly, your stomach works, ten tips for holiday eating, how stress affects your digestion and the methods you can employ to avoid compounding stress with overeating. Following these guidelines will get your through the holidays and banish antacids from your BFF list forever! The process of digestion actually begins in the mouth when you chew your food. This is called mechanical breakdown. As you chew, you salivate to lubricate the food, helping it form what is called a bolus, a ball of softened food that you swallow. Your saliva also contains enzymes that break down the constituent parts of the food you're eating such as fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The breakdown of food by enzymes is called chemical breakdown. Anatomy & Physiology of the Stomach 
Shaped like the letter "J", the stomach isn't much more than a large, stretchy bag with muscular walls. The stomach operates in each of four functional, rather than physical, regions; 1) where the food is received, 2) where the food is processed, 3) where the food is stored, 4) where the food is expelled into the intestine. Just like in your intestine, finger-like projections called villi give the stomach a huge surface area both to absorb food and secrete digestive juices. To read more about how the villi work, click here. An empty stomach has a volume of approximately 50 mL. But typically, after a meal, its capacity expands to about 1 liter of food, and may expand to hold as much as 4 liters. It was important for our Neanderthal cousins to consume food when and where they could, sometimes in a hurry. Because the stomach expands as we eat, this allowed for the consumption of a large number of calories in a short period of time that could be digested over a longer period. In other words, survival. With the assistance of different glands secreting enzymes into the stomach, powerful muscles in the stomach wall operate much like a food mixer, churning the bolus into a porridge-like liquid called chyme (pronounced "k-ime"). Large fat and protein molecules are broken down enabling them to be absorbed in the small intestine. This churning action also ensures that the secreted gastric acids and enzymes are thoroughly mixed with the food.  The stomach dispenses food into the small intestine at a manageable rate and stores the rest in the stomach until the small intestine can take on more. This is why you feel so full for so long after eating a very large meal. TIPS AND TRICKS TO AVOID OVEREATING 1. The holidays are ripe with parties and celebrations where a lot of food is on offer. To avoid overeating, eat a small meal before leaving the house so you're not as tempted for as long. 2. Keep a drink in your hand! No, seriously, if you're sipping on club soda while you're making merry, you are filling your stomach little by little which keeps the temptation low to fill it with other things. Keeping your hands full, in general, will help you avoid moving in for more. 3. If you decide to have a treat like a butter tart, cut it in half. Eat one half and then wait a while before you eat the other half. 4. Eat the spiciest foods at the buffet. When a sweat breaks out on your forehead, or your tongue goes numb, stop! 5. Focus on the people in the room and not the foods. If you're engrossed in a great conversation, you won't hear the buffet table calling. 6. If you're the host or hostess, have options available for people who are trying not to overindulge. One cute idea is to create individual portions of veggies and dip in champagne glasses for each of your guests to pick up and carry around with them. 7. Sniff peppermint. A university study showed some surprising results when participants were asked to sniff peppermint throughout the day. What they found was that the people in the study where able to cut 2,800 calories from their diet during the week. It seems that the scent turns off your mind's focus on food cravings.  8. Listen to your body. Eating, itself, can stimulate hunger, so when you start eating it can be hard to stop, and this of course leads to overeating. To separate yourself from the act of eating (when you know in your head you have had enough), have a convenient way to stop nearby. Simply sticking a few sugar-free breath mints in your mouth or sipping a cup of hot tea until it is all gone will allow enough time to realize you are no longer hungry. 9. Clear your palate. If you are one to go back for seconds or you feel you need that little extra something after a meal then you will benefit from this trick. The reason you want to keep eating is because the taste of the food lingers in your mouth. If you clear your palate you will turn off your hunger, simply drink a glass of water or brush your teeth and presto, your desire to continue eating is gone. 10. Eat on a smaller plate, or fill up a large portion of a larger plate with veggies and eat slowly. HOLIDAYS, STRESS AND YOUR STOMACH Time seems to fly by during the holiday season and can leave you feeling a bit stressed as your to-do list begins to fill up. When you're feeling stressed, your body diverts the majority of its energy to helping your body and mind function, and leaves very little for things like digestion and detoxification. Being aware of holiday stress is the first step to avoiding upset stomachs and lack of appetite. Try the following: 1. Graze throughout the day. Eating smaller meals more frequently gives your body the fuel it needs and allows your stomach to handle food in smaller quantities. 2. Eat more fruits and veggies. The raw fibre in fruits and veggies will keep your stomach fuller longer. You'll also benefit from the natural sugar, vitamins and minerals you'll be digesting. This time of year, the stores are full of fruit trays and/or veggies trays so pick up a smaller one to keep in the fridge. They're much more convenient than having to buy and prepare it all yourself. 3. Nuts to you! Snacking on unsalted nuts can help fill your stomach and provide you with some necessary protein and calcium as well. 4. Avoid caffeine where possible. If you can, switch from coffee to herbal teas, fresh juices and juice blends. Again, you'll be getting the natural sugar your body and brain needs and you'll be avoiding the stimulating effects of caffeine which can upset your stomach, especially if you're already over-stimulated! Food and friends naturally go together at holiday time so, if you know you're going to spend time with friends, plan on making it a relaxing time. Put out quality foods and drinks. In doing this, you can feed your body and your soul with good food and good friends at the same time! Nutter's Can Suggest…  PGX (PolyGlycopleX) is a non-starch polysaccharide (fibre) that has a very high water-absorbing capacity. When used with meals, PGX absorbs significant amounts of water, increasing the volume of the food you eat, quickly making you feel full, even when your food portions are smaller. Therefore, it is important to drink plenty of water when using PGX. This prolongs the after-meal sense of fullness helps normalize blood sugar levels and insulin secretion.  With the burgeoning research into the benefits of probiotics, Ultimate Multi Probiotic provides a powerful multi strain probiotic formula based on the latest studies. This formula has a 12 strain blend with a minimum of 12 billion live cells at expiry date (18 billion live cells per capsule at time of manufacture). These 12 strains include 8 lactobacilli species and one lactococcus species for the ultimate health of the full length of the small intestine as well as 3 bifidobacteria species for the ultimate health of the complete length of the large intestine. Different species in a single formula more closely approximates the normal composition of intestinal flora. As probiotic properties are different from one strain to the other, each strain will contribute specific inhibitive functions against pathogenic or putrefactive bacteria.  DigestMORE Ultra™ is an advanced plant enzyme blend with greater amounts of digestive enzymes per capsule than most other products on the market today. It differs from our original DigestMORE formula in that it is a straight enzyme formula specifically targeted for difficult digestion and the breakdown of a broad range of foods and nutrients. Carol Roy is a Natural Health Practitioner, registered with Natural Health Practitioners Canada, who received her diploma from the Alternative Medicine College of Canada in Montreal, Quebec. With 9 years experience in her area of expertise, naturopathic medicine, Carol has also trained to become a fully qualified Reiki Master, Quantum Touch ® Practitioner and Reflexologist. are recommendations only and not a substitute for any medical advice or a replacement for any prescriptions. Seek medical advice for any health concerns. Consult your health care provider before using any recommendations herein. |
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