Wisdom of Healing

The holidays can be a joyous time, but for the millions of people with digestive complaints and stress disorders, it can be a time of great pain, discomfort and the potential for embarrassment. Overeating, too many delicious sweets and strange food combinations can create a variety of discomforts. And the stress of family interactions often contributes to any digestive problems that you may already have issue with.

1. Reduce the stress load. Exercise often, preferably daily for at least 30 minutes. Breathe deeply. This is an excellent task for passing the time while waiting in line, while stuck in traffic or just before bedtime. If you’re prone to stress disorders, you may want to try Holy basil, Ashwaganda or Rhodiola. Holy basil helps, according to traditional use, to quiet the mind, improve focus, balance blood sugars and support immune function. Ashwaganda is useful in times of great stress or long term fatigue. Rhodiola is shown in research to lift the spirits, calm the adrenals, improve motor coordination and clarity of thought.

2. For the few days before the holidays begin, try taking 2 (or more) probiotics 30-60 minutes prior to each meal and snack. To choose an excellent quality product, please see Food Safety: Protect Yourself from Food-Borne Sickness, posted to this site on December 21, 2006.

3. Try eating smaller meals throughout the day, rather than the one huge meal so many folks indulge in during the holidays. If you’re the host, try staggering the h’orderves, snack foods and other refreshments about every two to three hours throughout the day, removing the previous course as you go.

4. Immediately after eating, you may try sipping some peppermint or ginger tea. Be sure to cover your cup or tea pot while the tea steeps. For superior results from ginger tea, try making your tea from fresh (preferably organic) ginger root, rather than from tea bags. With a fine grater, grate a rounded teaspoonful of ginger root, and squeeze the juice into warm, not hot, water and add honey, if desired.

5. Have a yogurt smoothie for breakfast or lunch. Be sure to use whole milk, plain organic yogurt as the base of your drink. If your family members and other guests are diabetic or prone to blood sugar imbalances, try adding ground cinnamon to a vanilla or fruit smoothie.

6. Chew thoroughly. We tend to be more prone to digestive discomforts when we gulp down our meals.

7. Relax when you eat your meals or snacks. Try taking three deep, relaxed breaths before each meal. Breathe deeply, hold for five seconds; exhale completely. Wait five seconds and repeat.

8. Try not to hold a conversation while eating your meal. Talking while we eat can contribute to indigestion.

9. Be grateful for your meal and all that you have prior to eating. A formal grace or a moment of silence is helpful for preventing digestive discomforts.

10. Try taking enzymes. Our bodies should produce all the enzymes necessary for digestion, but many of us do not produce digestive enzymes well these days, leading to poor digestion, pain, gas, bloating and other discomforts. When we feel more stressed, we tend to produce even less of the needed digestive enzymes. As always, it is important to choose a high quality product. Some of the best brands of digestive enzymes on the US market include Renew Life’s Digest More, Digest More Ultra or ParaZyme; or any of the Enzymedica brand’s products, including their Digest Gold. Renew Life also makes a wonderful enzyme that’s suitable for children called Kidzyme.

happy Holidays.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS