How to deal with bloating over the holidays

Don’t let the discomfort of bloating ruin your holidays. You can still enjoy delicious food and manage your bloating with these tips.

Every one of us experiences bloating. Bloating is the sensation of a full or swollen abdomen due to food or trapped gas. When our belly physically expands (like having a balloon trapped inside) this is known as distension. You can have bloating with or without distension.

There are many different causes of bloating. The most common causes are eating a large meal, excessive gas in your intestines, and constipation. Other causes include a slow digestive system causing food to stay in your intestine for longer and food intolerances that can create extra gas.

While bloating is normal, if it is something you experience frequently with minimal relief it is best to see your doctor to investigate whether there is an underlying cause such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or coeliac disease.

Bloating over the holidays

Bloating likes to rear it’s head this time of year due to changes in our eating and drinking habits. We may find ourselves eating more food than usual or a change in the types of food we eat e.g. foods rich in fat or fibre. Increased alcohol intake can also contribute to the bloating sensation and constipation is a common cause of a swollen belly in December.

Rather than letting a bloated belly ruin your festive spirit, here are some tips for managing the discomfort and getting back to your day.

Have gentle feelings towards your bloated belly

Often when we feel bloated we start reprimanding ourselves for eating “too much”, choosing food we “shouldn’t have” or wearing clothes that are too tight. But getting our emotions riled up simply makes bloating worse.

You see, our nervous system is linked to our digestion. When we feel stressed and annoyed at our bloated belly we are activating our sympathetic nervous system, our fight or flight response. This system discourages digestion as our body is busy getting our muscles and brain ready to face a threat. This means digestion slows down and bloating persists.

Instead, take a calm approach to bloating. Accept that it is uncomfortable and that the food and drinks you consumed may have contributed to it, but they also tasted pretty good and were shared with loved ones. Do some deep breathing and avoid getting upset or annoyed with yourself. This will help engage your parasympathetic nervous system, your rest and digest response. This nervous system encourages blood flow to our intestines to promote digestion which can help relieve bloating more quickly.

Go for a walk or do some stretching

It can be tempting to plop yourself on the couch when feeling bloated, but research shows gentle physical activity like walking or stretching can relieve bloating. Moving our body encourages our digestive muscles to get moving and push food and gas through our intestines. It also manages constipation by promoting bowel movements.

Gentle exercise also improves our mental health which we know plays a role in our digestion. Try going for a 10–15-minute walk or do some gentle yoga and feel the bloating relief. You can find plenty of short yoga videos for digestion online and it feels like a lovely massage for your sore belly.

Sip peppermint tea to soothe your belly

Peppermint capsules are a common over the counter therapy used to treat bloating. While the research is still mixed on the effectiveness of peppermint, it is a safe and accessible strategy for many people. Peppermint acts as an anti-spasmodic in the intestines to help relax the digestive muscles and relieve cramping and bloating.

You can take peppermint capsules before or after a meal to help relieve bloating. If you don’t have peppermint capsules available, try sipping on peppermint tea. This warm drink may help relieve your bloating and it provides hydration – double win! I like to rest the warm mug on my belly to provide extra comfort.

Give yourself a belly massage

Abdominal massages are a convenient and effective way to relieve bloating and constipation. This strategy involves massaging your large bowel which runs in a U-shape from your right side to your left. The massage encourages the muscles of your intestine to move food, gas and poop along. It also engages our parasympathetic nervous system, that’s the one that promotes digestion. There is research behind this strategy and it is something you can do yourself in less than 15-minutes!

The University of Michigan have published a simple explainer. Start by lying down or sitting upright. Place your hands on the right side of your abdomen, near your pelvis bone. In a circular clockwise motion rub up your right side until you reach your ribs then move along your abdomen until you reach your left side. Use the circular motion to massage down to your left hip bone and move across to your belly button. Spend 1 minute on each area of your abdomen and repeat for around 10-minutes.

If you have inflammatory bowel disease, bowel cancer, or have had a recent abdominal surgery, check with your doctor before performing the abdominal massage.

Should I take a probiotic for bloating?

You will often see ‘gut health gurus’, and influencers promoting probiotics for the prevention and management of bloating. They may tout a certain bottle of probiotics as their secret weapon against the dreaded bloat. And while probiotics may work for them (or they are paid to say they do), the research is less certain.

R esearch does not currently support the use of probiotics in the management of bloating and they might actually worsen symptoms. While a healthy microbiome is important, you can achieve this without probiotics. Instead, include a variety of plant foods in your diet, get outside each day, include some physical activity into your week, improve your sleep habits and drink plenty of water. No expensive supplement required.

The takeaway

Bloating is uncomfortable but it doesn’t need to ruin your holidays. Stay calm and have these tips up your belt to beat the bloat. Avoid probiotics and gut supplements and focus on gentle movement, calming strategies and a nice belly massage.

Getting support

If you want to let go of the restrictive diet rules, Kim is a dietitian who provides gentle nutrition counselling through a virtual clinic Australia wide (international customers please get in touch here). Kim is a Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician and has a special interest in digestive health and chronic dieting.

About

Kim Lindsay, APD

Kim Lindsay is an accredited practicing dietitian and credentialed eating disorder clinician.

She provides online dietitian appointments for people who want to improve their health while developing a positive relationship with food. Kim has a special interest in disordered eating, chronic dieting, and digestive health.